trademark smirk and an amused glint in his eye. “He’s not even in my league, and you know it, Shortcake.”
Somehow, during the movie, I had ended up in Adrian’s lap, with his arms curled around my waist in a tight restraint so I wasn’t able to shift my position. It was comfortable – really comfortable – and I instantly scolded myself for liking the fact that I was being held in the arms of my boss.
“Whatever you say, Adri-poo,” I teased, pinching his cheeks with a grin.
“‘Adri-poo?’” he repeated with the same trademark smirk and amused expression.
I nodded, still grinning. “Your new nickname. Oh, and you’re right. Dave Franco is not in your league at all. He has an entire league of his own. Far, far away from you.” I winked.
Adrian turned off the Blu-ray player and television while he chuckled at my statement. “You’re right as well, I’m afraid. You see, he’s all the way at the bottom of the scale, and I’m all the way at the top. Actually, I’m that sexy, that I don’t even qualify on the scale.”
I raised an eyebrow at his inflated ego.
“Okay Boss. Sure. If that’s what makes you sleep at night.”
“Actually,” he chuckled, “the thought of you makes me sleep at night. You know, with no clothing on-”
I groaned, cutting him off. “Do not even finish that sentence and ruin the 2% progress you’ve made with me.” I scowled at him playfully in warning.
Adrian was still chuckling when I felt his arms retract themselves from around my waist. One of them slid to my back while the other slid down to the bend in my legs. He lifted me up bridal style, making me squeal in surprise in the process. “Come on Shortcake, let’s go to bed.”
“I want to sleep in my own bed,” I quickly brought up. Adrian smirked and ignored my request as he turned off the lights in the living room while still managing to keep me in his hold. A bright light flashed from outside as the house became increasingly quiet, and that’s when I realised it was raining – and there was lightning – outside.
My breath hitched in my throat as I envisioned myself sleeping alone in a room during a storm, without Amy to comfort me like the child I sometimes still was.
“Or… um, maybe I should get home. I- I think I heard my alarm go off and I- I need to feed my pet hamster.” I lied, gulping in fear as another bright light flashed in my side vision.
In the dim lighting of the penthouse suite, I saw Adrian look down at me with a frown. “Are you okay?” he asked, concern lacing his tone.
“Okay? Me? Of course I’m okay! Peachy, even! Why would you think otherwise?” I let out a forced laugh, earning another confused frown from Adrian. “I think I should just sleep in a separate room if you can’t get me home at this time…” I trailed off. I would get no sleep at this point, but having no sleep is better than going in blindly and not knowing how I’d react in the same bed as Adrian when there was my worst fear going on outside.
“No,” he stated bluntly. I felt gravity do its thing as I was thrown onto the familiar smelling and way too comfortable four poster bed that Adrian owned.
“No, you don’t understand…” I trailed off, biting my lip and I ran my fingers through my hair. I didn’t want to tell Adrian that I feared lightning. He’d probably just laugh in my face and call me immature.
“I’m not going to do anything you don’t want me to, Emily,” he said with a frown as he unbuttoned the white shirt he had been wearing for the night. “I’m not like that.” He looked angry as he threw the shirt carelessly to the floor.
My throat went dry at the sight of his body, and I looked away as soon as it registered in my mind that I was checking my boss out. I tried to hide my burning cheeks by clearing my throat. “I know you’re not. It’s not that-”
“You don’t even own a pet hamster,” he pointed out with the same bluntness as before. He pulled his pants down right in front of me, so that he was standing in nothing but navy coloured boxers.
My eyes went wide as they travelled up his entire body, before they stopped at the trademark smirk that was occupying his lips.