I Can Explain (Awkward Love 2)

His eyes burn through me, but I hold his gaze, determined not to be the one to break contact. Self-doubt begins to creep in, but I push it away, because this moment is mine.

All I can think about is kissing him.

My heart pounds as I step forward. I put my hands against his chest and stand on my toes, so my mouth is almost on his. I swallow, feeling his warm breath on my lips. He doesn’t move, so I tilt forward until my mouth is on his.

That’s the only invitation he needs. With a growl, he lifts his hands to my face and presses his lips against mine, his lips roughly pressing against mine. I groan as his fingers rake my through hair, his mouth exploring mine.

He reaches behind me and untucks my shirt, slipping his hands underneath to explore my skin. My back arches at the feel of his touch, his lips still firmly against mine. He tastes amazing and I while can’t get enough of him, I pull back, my lips parted slightly as I stare at him.

He smiles at me and reaches up, cradling my face.

“Is this the part where you tell me you have to go?” he asks. I nod and take a deep breath, the touch of his fingers electric against my skin. He smiles and leans forward, planting a soft kiss on my lips. “That’s probably a wise idea.”

I turn around when I reach the door and look back. He smiles at me, still standing in the same spot that I left him. My heart races. I know I’ve started something that I might not be able to stop, but I don’t regret kissing him. Not even for a second.

But I am going to regret leaving. Hell, I already do.

“I'll see you tomorrow, Alana.”

#

If I wasn’t in charge of organizing his meetings, I’d think Chase was avoiding me. It’s three in the afternoon the day after we kissed, and I haven’t seen him one all day. I came into work feeling great, but as the day drags on, my mood is slowly unraveling. All I can think about is kissing him. How it felt, what it means and where we go to from here. Do I really want to get involved in something like this when I’m on the verge of breaking into something bigger than I’ve ever dreamed of?

I wish I knew what the right answer was.I throw myself into writing up my notes for Chase and then I search for more ammunition that he can use to convince a buyer it’s a good deal. As it turns out, it’s the perfect distraction, because I lose myself in the project for the next couple of hours, only stopping to make myself a coffee. Before I know it, it's five o’clock. I’m torn, because I’m so close to finishing that I just want to get it done, but Chase doesn’t want me working late. I check his schedule. He’s in a meeting for another two hours. I bite my lip and keep going.

He’ll never even know if I stay back and get this done.Finally, I’m done. I close my eyes and sigh. I’m completely exhausted, but it feels so good to finish, especially since I’ve found so much supporting evidence that even I could sell this. I open my eyes, jumping when I see Chase standing there. His amused smile turns into a frown when he glances at his watch.

Shit. He’s back early.

“Why are you still here?” he asks, frowning at me. “It’s nearly nine in the evening, Alana.”

“It can’t be that late.” I gasp. I glance down at my phone. Nine o’ six blinks back at me. Fuck. He’s right. “I have no idea how that happened,” I mutter.

I feel sick. He wouldn’t fire me for working too hard, would he? But the look in his eyes tells me he wants to do anything but fire me.

“I’m sorry, I just wanted to get this done and...”

“I told you I didn’t need that until next week,” he says, leaning over to see what I’m working on. He picks it up and examines it. “Have you done more research?” he asks.

I nod. “I’m sorry, I just wanted to get it done because I was excited and I got carried away,” I say, my face heating up.

Could I look any more like I'm trying to kiss his ass? I shiver at the thought of being that close to his cock. His thick, stiff cock that I could feel pressing against my thigh yesterday when we kissed…When I kissed him. I shudder. I’m in way over my head.

“Thank you, Alana,” he says, still reading through my notes. He looks up at me suddenly. “You probably worked right through dinner. Are you hungry?” he asks.

I stare at him, not quite sure how to respond because there’s only one thing I’m hungry for, and I’m pretty sure it’s not on the menu.