He had no wall, no car door to push her against, which was a good thing because he wouldn’t have been able to control himself if he crushed his body against hers. The kiss would have to do, and it went on, him lost in the scent of her, the way her breasts crushed against his chest, and the feel of her silken tongue rubbing against his own. He bit down gently on her lower lip and she moaned into his mouth, the sound going straight to his dick.
“Get a room!” someone called out, breaking the spell that had come over him and caused him to kiss her in a parking lot like they were alone in his garage.
She lifted her head and he touched his forehead to hers, needing time to catch his breath. It would be awhile before his body calmed down, his dick hard and erect in his pants.
“I should apologize,” he said, not letting go of her waist. “I don’t want to but I should. Because I’m your boss and I don’t want you to feel taken advantage of. Or sue me for sexual harassment, God forbid.” He laughed but the thought wasn’t the least bit funny.
“It was mutual,” she whispered. “I just don’t know what to make of it. I’ve never crossed that line with an employer before.” Her voice trembled and he hated that he’d put that quiver there.
“Listen,” he began.
“No. That kiss shouldn’t have happened and there won’t be a repeat. It’s fine.” She ducked past him and slid into the car. “Let’s just forget about it,” she said, reaching for the handle so she could pull the door shut and seal herself inside.
He stepped back, giving her space, but his body and mind still buzzed from that simple kiss. There was something brewing between them that she couldn’t discount by pretending it had never happened. Something that would bring them together again.
It wasn’t like he didn’t still have concerns about sleeping with his kid’s nanny. He did. He just knew the desire between them was stronger than their common sense, and sooner or later, she’d come to the same conclusion.
Still, for now he’d respect her wishes and back off. But he wasn’t foolish enough to think they could avoid the inevitable.
Not anymore.
* * *
Mia was shaken by what had happened with Austin in the parking lot. She hadn’t seen that kiss coming, no matter how much she might have desired it, and now that they’d crossed that line, she didn’t know what to say or do except to pretend it had never happened. The hottest, most sensual kiss of her life and she had to put it behind her.
She couldn’t let her mind drift into memories of how his mouth had captured hers, gently at first, his tongue gliding over her lips, his tongue tangling with hers, and then it’d turned molten, his teeth nipping at her lip, the sensation traveling straight to her core. No, she wasn’t supposed to think about that at all.
Somehow she’d managed that feat for the rest of the week and tomorrow was Friday. She blew out a breath and pulled a lasagna from the oven, placing it on a cooling rack on the counter.
“Mia!” Bailey shouted, running into the kitchen from upstairs and skidding to a stop in front of her. “I was FaceTiming with Grandma and guess what? I’m going there for a sleepover tomorrow night!”
Mia smiled at the enthusiasm in her tone. “That sounds like fun.”
“Will you miss me?” Bailey asked, seating herself on a stool by the counter.
Mia glanced at the little girl. “You bet I will but I’m going out with some friends tomorrow night, so that’ll help me get through it.” She was taking the train to New York City to see friends from her days living there for school and work.
“Like a playdate?” Bailey asked.
“Exactly.”
“Hi, ladies.” Austin walked into the room, his gaze zeroing in on the cooling dinner. “That smells incredible.”
“Thank you.” He seemed to like her cooking and it made her ridiculously happy to know she was doing something helpful for him, even if it was her job.
“Daddy, Mia has a playdate Friday night when I’m at Grandma and Grandpa’s. Isn’t that good? So she won’t have time to miss me too much.”
Although she was technically off Friday night, if she didn’t go out, Bailey sometimes made her way down to her room and encouraged her to watch television with her until bedtime.
“What’ll you do when I’m gone?” the precocious little girl asked.
“I’m sure I’ll find something to keep me busy,” Austin said wryly.
Mia didn’t want to think about what Austin might do to keep busy on a Friday night without his daughter. No doubt the man had women he saw, discreetly, because in the time she’d been working for him, he’d never brought a female around Bailey nor had he mentioned going out. He hadn’t dressed up in the evenings for a date, either. Still, that didn’t mean he was celibate. Hell, his kissing skills were off the charts and that kind of thing took practice. Didn’t it?