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Page 31 of Secrets, Lies and Love

“I don’t need it,” she says but then corrects herself. “Or at least not at first. Later, I intend to make friends.”

“Like Cage?” I am attentive to her answer, even though I’m aware that I have no right to ask her that.

“Um . . . yes, like Cage.”

“Friendship is not what he wants from you.”

“With all due respect, why does that matter to you?”

Good question.

Maybe because I’m a control freak, maybe because I’m selfish and want to be the one to prove it, even though I know I shouldn’t.

“You will be my employee. You’re just a girl. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

She smiles and looks away, but not quickly enough that I don’t notice a hint of teasing.

“Say what you’re thinking.”

“It would be inappropriate, as you’ll be my boss.”

“I’m nothing of yours yet. You will start tomorrow.”

“Already?”

“Yes. Why waste time? But don’t change the subject. I want to know what you were thinking that made you smile.”

“You said I’m just a girl. Yes, I still am, but even girls can kiss on the lips.”

Her voice sounds sexy, almost like a siren’s song, each note escaping with sensuality, but that’s not what catches my attention, it’s what she said.

“Are you agirl?”

“What?”

“You just agreed that you’re a girl. Does that mean you’ve never had a boyfriend, Cecily?”

Cecily

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Lie to him,a voice warns, but I already have too many untruths accumulated to add one more to the list.

The look in his eyes tells me he won’t give up until he gets an answer. Even without life experience when it comes to men, I know it’s a completely inappropriate conversation for an employee and a boss to have, but I can’t deny him what he wants to know.

“No,” I say, embarrassed and averting my eyes from his sky-gray ones.

Now, more than ever, Dionysus will know how strange I am. Who, at twenty years old, hasn’t had a boyfriend yet?

“Look at me.” It’s an order, but it also sounds like a husky, sensual command, which makes me shiver.

My God, what is happening to me? I might just be going crazy!

Annoyed, I look at him again. “No. I didn’t have the time or interest in it.” I’m only partially revealing the truth.

I was curious, yes. After all, I am an avid reader of romance novels. The problem was having been born in a town withfive thousand habitants, where everyone knows everyone and everything is talked about.

“And you wanted to, did you?”