I lower my knife and fork to the table, sitting back in my chair, my elbow resting on the back of it.“That’s what you think this is?”I ask.
She lifts a shoulder in a shrug.“How would you define it?”
I reach for the wine bottle, topping up our glasses before my eyes move to hers again as I lift my glass for a sip.“I don’t know,” I admit.“But not as just a hook up.”
Hannah takes a sip of wine, swallowing slowly, her eyes never leaving mine.“No?”
“No,” I repeat, shaking my head, already knowing I want far more than just a hook up with this woman.
“But you barely know me,” she whispers.
“And you barely know me,” I say, taking a breath before letting it out slowly.“But I really want to change that, Hannah.”
“You do?”
A slow smile curves at my mouth as I stare across at her, still not fully understanding what it is about this woman that pulls me in, but definitely wanting to find out.I’ve never felt this kind of attraction to someone before, and I most definitely want to explore it.Badly.
But I also know that there are implications for us getting together, even more so for Hannah because she’s new and I am her boss.So as hard as this is going to be, given the intense chemistry we share, I’m going to do what I have to do here.
“I do,” I tell her, reaching across the table for her hand.Wrapping my fingers around her wrist, I brush my thumb along the inside of it, over her pulse.“Does that scare you?”
“I don’t know,” she whispers.“Maybe a little.”
I lift her hand, pressing a soft kiss to the middle of her palm.“Me too,” I admit.
“Have you…” she trails off, licking her lips before she continues.“Have you ever done this before?”
“What?”I ask, confused.
Hannah lets out a soft laugh.“Dated someone you’ve worked with?”
Chuckling, I shake my head.“No, have you?”
“God no,” she says.“My last boss was a total asshole, remember?”
I smirk.“Oh yeah.What about your current boss?He an asshole too?”
She weaves her fingers with mine, tugging my hand closer as she runs her thumb across my knuckles.“Ah, no,” she says, chuckling.“Quite the opposite actually.”
“Oh yeah?”I tease.
She leans closer, her long hair brushing against my arm and sending a shiver all through me.“Yeah,” she whispers.“So opposite in fact, that I’m finding it incredibly hard not to jump his bones every time I see him.”
I burst out laughing.“Wow, good to know,” I say.“And for the record, the feeling’s completely mutual.”
Hannah smiles at me, our eyes locked as we stare at each other across the table.Electricity hums between us, the air practically crackling with it as we both wait for the other to make the next move.I know that if I do, she’ll give in.Give in to what I know we both want.But given everything, I know I have to do this, if only to prove to her that all of this is worth a shot.
“So how about this,” I start, “We slow things down a little and…” My words trail off as Hannah pulls her hand from mine.I tighten my fingers in hers, not letting her go as I continue.“I want this, Hannah.I think you do too, but I also get there’s a lot more at stake for you given the work thing.”
“Yeah,” she whispers.
“Yeah?”I prompt with a smile.“Yeah to what exactly, wanting this or having more at stake?”
She smiles, a slow sexy smile that actually makes my heart flip in my chest.“Both.”
I nod, grinning back at her.“So,” I say, lifting our still joined hands to my lips.“As much as I wouldloveto take you to my bed right now and make you moan like you did when you ate the meal I cooked for you, how about we put a pause on that for now and focus on the getting to know each other part.See where things go and make sure you’re…” I pause, searching for the right word, “comfortable with everything,” I eventually add, gesturing with our still joined hands between us.
Her smile widens, her eyes sparkling as she bites on her bottom lip.“Leo Marsh, are you actually telling me that underneath this sexy, muscled, tattooed bad boy exterior is a total softie?”
