Breaking up with My Boss - Alexis Winter Page 0,14

married—then this just might work.”

I press my lips together and nod. “Okay. If you can stop being an ass, then so can I,” I promise.

He chuckles. “Are you sure about that?”

I snort. “Are you?” I challenge.

He only laughs harder. “We’re doomed. You can’t be outdone and I won’t be outdone.”

I smile, glad he’s already learned a little about me. But as we make our way to the restaurant, this idea of his worries me. I mean, what if we can pull off the fake relationship thing? Will the lines get blurred? And where does the relationship end and our regular lives begin—especially now that we’re living in the same house and eating three meals a day together? But on the other hand, it will give me a reason to touch him and tease myself even further. So maybe it won’t be so bad after all.

I decide to try this relationship thing before we even get to the restaurant. His hand is resting on the console between us. I lift my hand and slide it into his. His eyes immediately jump to me.

I smile and shrug. “Just wanted to see how it would feel. You know . . . if I’d be able to fake it or if I’d feel repulsed.”

He smirks. “And? How does it feel?”

I force my eyes to the road, refusing to let him see the pink that’s staining my cheeks. “It feels . . . different, but nice.”

He squeezes slightly. “It will take some getting used to, but I think I can manage as well.”

We hold hands for the rest of the drive, and that teenage girl inside me squeals with delight—like it’s the first time she’s ever been touched by the opposite sex.

Six

Matthew

Her hand is soft in mine—warm, trusting, inviting. It only makes me think about how inviting the rest of her body is. Would she allow me to wrap my arm around her? Would she shy away if I reached out and ran the tip of my finger across her cheek? Would she allow me to kiss her? To touch her in ways neither of us should want? Only time will tell, but even this light touch is enough to have me wondering and looking forward to finding out more.

We arrive at the restaurant and I get out of the car, allowing the valet to take a seat behind the wheel. I walk around the car and Poppy is already opening her door, but I hold out my arm and she takes it. I close the door and lead her inside. I almost feel giddy having her on my arm. It’s like I’m back in high school and got the most popular girl to go to prom with me. Dare I say, I’m even proud to have her next to me. But that confuses my mind in ways I don’t understand, so I push the emotion away as I lead her up to the hostess.

“Reservation for two under Lewis.”

She looks over the book. “Ah, found it. Right this way, Mr. Lewis.” She grabs two menus and leads us in the direction of our table.

She places us in a semi-private back corner. It’s far enough away that not many people will notice us, but it’s also open enough that we’re not secluded from the rest of the diners. I pull out a chair and offer it to Poppy. She takes it and I help her slide it forward before taking my place across from her.

“Here’s the wine list; your waiter will be with you shortly,” the hostess tells us.

“Would you like wine with lunch?” I ask her, but she shakes her head.

“I don’t drink much, especially if I have to go back to work. I’m a bit of a lightweight when it comes to holding my alcohol.”

I set the list aside and look over my menu to decide what I’d like to eat.

The waiter approaches our table. He looks down at me with no pad of paper. “What would you like to get started?”

“I’ll take a scotch on the rocks.” I realize drinking hard liquor midday isn’t smart and something I seldom—if ever—do, but I need to relax. This woman has me on edge, and my anxiety is through the roof.

“And you, ma’am?” he asks, looking over at her. I can’t help but notice the way his eyes bug out of his skull slightly when he takes her in. That’s weird. I never considered Poppy to be the obviously sexy type. I didn’t realize the effect