Just Before My Wedding: Trapped By My Ruthless Boss novel Chapter 22

Chapter 29

Chapter 22

OCEANS.

She rounded the table slowly, and I caught her wrist when she reached me.

I pushed my chair back from the desk, creating a narrow corridor of space between myself and the mahogany, and looked up at her.

“Sit.”

Her eyes dropped to my thigh and then came back up to my face with an expression that walked a very careful line between alarm and something she was working hard to keep off her face entirely.

“We’re in the office,” she said, her voice dropping, clearly trying to be reasonable about something unreasonable. “Anyone could walk in.”

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“Unless they have a death wish,” I said, “no one walks into my office without my permission. Except Logan, and Logan and I have already had our interaction for the day.” I held her gaze. “Sit down, Kiss.”

–

one–sided on my thigh, her back straight,

She sat. Perched was the more accurate word her hands folded in her lap, holding herself with rigidity.

I reached up and took her chin, tilting her head until she had no reasonable option but to look at me directly.

Her eyes found mine and stayed there, careful and very still.

I reached up with my other hand and brushed the fringe of her bangs back from her eyes.

“This morning,” I said. “When Logan was in here.” I held her gaze steadily. “I shouldn’t have spoken to you that way.”

“You don’t need to apologize for that, sir.” The corner of her mouth moved into something that wasn’t quite a smile. “You’re my employer. You have every right to address me however you see fit. I understand that.”

I looked at her for a moment.

“You can ease up,” I said quietly. “When it’s just us. You don’t have to do that.”

Her brow shifted in the smallest amount. “Do what?”

“Be this careful with every word.” I held her gaze. “I don’t bite, Kisarel. Not unless you want

me to.”

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The composure cracked, just slightly, at the edges. The almost–smile became an actual one.

“That’s going to be a very difficult thing to do,” she said honestly. “But I’ll try.”

“Good.”

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The silence that followed wasn’t uncomfortable exactly. It was the kind that happens when two people have run out of safe things to say, and neither of them has decided what to do about that yet. She sat with it better than I expected, with her eyes on mine. She didn’t look away, even though I could see what my staring was doing to her.

I looked into her face, probably imagining what strange pull I’ve always had toward this lady that makes me want to break every fucking rule I’ve ever set for myself.

Fuck, I almost fought my best friend.

But… It was obviously infatuation. I was just infatuated with her. Her body. The whole idea of her. And the fact that I could freely have her anytime I wanted.

Yeah. That was the full and complete explanation, and it would fade the way these things always faded, on a timeline that was probably shorter than the inconvenience it was currently causing me.

That was the rational assessment, and I was keeping it.

“About the trip,” She licked her bottom lip, and I immediately felt like helping her lick it

some more.

“Mhm?” I prompted.

“I need some stuff from home. I’ll have to drop by the house and pick up a few things.”

I let her finish. Even though it was a “No.” My hand moved to her waist, “You have everything you need. Whatever else you’re missing, we’ll sort when we land in Sydney.”

The small frown appeared between her brows. “My family, Oceans. They haven’t seen me in days. They’ll worry, and they’ll have questions.” She paused, choosing her words carefully. “They’re not going to be comfortable with how much time I’m spending away from home. With you. The overnight stays, the trips – they’ll want to know what’s going on.” She exhaled. “Moonie is engaged to you. My aunt already looks at me sideways. If they find out the nature of how much time we’re spending together…”

“You work for me,” I said simply. “That’s it.”

“It’s not that simple-”

“It is, Kiss.” I held her gaze. “Your job demands you be in Sydney with your boss. You don’t owe your family a ceremony every time your work schedule takes you somewhere. They

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don’t need to understand the specifics. They need to understand that you have a job and that job has requirements.” I paused. “That’s all this is.”

I seemed to have won the argument, because she didn’t argue anymore. She just nodded.

I looked at her for one more moment, and then I leaned forward and kissed her.

She made a small sound against my lips and her rigid posture softened by degrees, her body leaning into mine incrementally as she kissed me back.

I pulled back after a moment, “Go. And don’t stay out late.”

***

KISAREL.

I stepped out of the taxi at exactly 6:58 PM. I was on a timer.

I had to see Jace tonight before returning to Oceans. Otherwise, he’ll blow up my phone with calls and probably take the next available flight to Sydney to look for me.

The small, fenced house sat almost at the end of the street, secluded and away from the outside world. A porch light that cast a warm yellow circle over the front steps. And something about it brought back old memories.

I knocked, and the door flew open with an energy that was so specifically, unmistakably Elgin that I was already smiling before I fully saw his face.

“Arel-”

“Elgin-

We collided somewhere in the middle of the doorway, his arms coming around me so fast and so completely that my feet left the ground for a full second, and I laughed into his shoulder.

“Mon Dieu.” He squeezed tighter before setting me back down, holding me at arm’s length and looking at my face with the focused, slightly theatrical scrutiny. “Let me see you. Let me see you properly.” His eyes moved over my face. “You look different.”

“I got promoted.”

“That’s not what I mean, and you know it.” He narrowed his eyes. Then, apparently deciding to file that observation for later, he grabbed my hand and pulled me inside. “Come. Grand- père has been asking about you since I told him you were coming. He’s been sitting in that chair looking important for the past forty minutes.”

“Has he?” I laughed, letting him pull me through the narrow hallway that smelled exactly the

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way I remembered

something warm and faintly woody, old books, and whatever Gerald

perpetually had simmering on the stove.

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“Oh, absolutely. You know how he gets. Very ceremonial about people he actually likes.” Elgin glanced back at me over his shoulder as we walked. “Now tell me everything about this promotion. Personal assistant to the most terrifying man in Manhattan? How are you still alive? How are your nerves? How is your blood pressure? These are serious medical concerns I have as your best friend and-”

“My blood pressure is fine,” I said, which was not entirely accurate but was the version I was committing to.

“Liar.” He said it cheerfully, without breaking stride. “You have a specific look when your blood pressure is not fine, and you are wearing it right now with great confidence.” He pushed open the door to the living room. “But we’ll come back to that. Grand–père-”

I stepped into the living room and stopped.

Gerald was sitting in the armchair by the window, and the first thing I noticed was that he was far too dressed to simply be sitting at home on a weekday evening.

The moment his eyes

landed on me, his entire face changed.

He rose from the chair. “There she is,” he said warmly, wrapping both arms around me. He smelled like cedar and peppermint, the same as always. “My brave girl.”

“Hi, Gerald.” I hugged him back properly. “You look wonderful.”

“Ha.” He pulled back and held me by the shoulders, “And you look like the world has been keeping you very busy.”

“She got promoted, Grand–père,” Elgin announced from behind me, dropping onto the sofa. Gerald’s brows lifted with genuine impression. “Is that so?” He squeezed my shoulders once before releasing them. “Sit down, sit down. Tell me how you’ve been. How is your health? Are you eating properly?”

We talked and laughed for about thirty minutes.

I still had to keep my promise to Elgin about giving him a treat.

“Gerald. Elgin and I will be hanging out for a little while. I’ll see you after my trip.”

Gerald wished I could stay a bit longer. He held my gaze like he had something he’d like to say to me, but decided otherwise before he just settled for, “Okay, sweetheart.”

Elgin went upstairs to get dressed.

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My eyes moved to his shoes again. “But, really, are you going somewhere tonight?” I asked. “You’re very dressed up for a Tuesday evening at home.”

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He let out a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, “I’m expecting a visitor. He should be here any minute.”