Stripped - A Forbidden Hot Boss Romance

I smiled, and it felt like the first genuine smile I’d had in a long time. “Dinner sounds great. You can fill me in on those preconceived notions of yours.”

Shane grinned. The corners of his eyes crinkling. His smile alone was enough to make me climax.

“It’s a deal, but only if you tell me your secrets too. I’m intrigued by your story. I’m intrigued by you.”

My lungs were having a hard time holding onto air, and it took all my inner strength to remain standing.

“I’ll pick you up at your place. Say seven? I have your address.” He went back to his paperwork, and on wobbly legs, I left the office.***

For what seemed like the hundredth time, I checked my appearance. I wasn’t sure where we were going for dinner or what I should wear, so I settled on a classic little black dress.

I wore my hair and soft waves and had made a special visit to my hairdresser to touch up the roots. My makeup was light and subtle. When I wasn’t working, I always went for a more natural look. Like I’d told Shane, I was Red Velvet in the club, but I was Alyssa Holden outside it.

I’d chosen a pair of strappy sandals that made my legs look long and lean, and if things went any further than dinner, I had a surprise beneath my dress.

He said he’d be here at seven—that was five minutes from now. I kind of wished I had a Xanax to calm my anxiety, but I wouldn’t even take an Advil. My mom was a pill popper with a pill for every ill.

To the outside world, she was June Cleaver, but inside the four walls of our house, she was Satan’s bride.

The doorbell rang. I sucked in a breath and pressed my hands against my stomach. I pasted a smile on my face when I answered the door. Shane stood there looking and smelling like heaven. I loved that he hadn’t shaved because the shadow on his jaw made him look sexy and rugged.

He wore a blue button-down shirt and a pair of navy slacks.

“You look phenomenal,” he said, taking me in from head to toe and back again.

Goosebumps at his evident appreciation dotted my skin. Men telling me I looked good was nothing new, but the words meant something more coming from him.

“And you look really nice, too,” I said, suddenly feeling shy. I didn’t have a shy bone in my body, but Shane made me nervous and coquettish. He made me feel like a person and not a sex object.

“Nice house.”

“Thanks. I bought it last year.”

He grinned. “I never pictured you as living in suburbia.”

I returned his grin. “White picket fence and apple pie, that’s me.”

He laughed. The kind of laugh that came from his soul. The deep sound left me feeling like a giggly schoolgirl going on a date with her crush.

“Ready?” he asked.

“I’ll grab my purse.”

He followed me inside, and when I turned around, my face pressed against his chest. I inhaled the clean scent of his cologne and ached to lick the tip of my tongue down the center of his body.

“We could go to dinner,” he said, “or stay in and eat one another.”

I laughed and stepped away. “It’s not going to be that easy. If you want me, you have to work to get me.”

Shane tipped his fingers under my chin and lifted my head. “You’re already mine, Alyssa, and you know it.”Chapter Seven - ShaneOn the way to the restaurant, I couldn’t stop glancing over at her. I wanted her in a bad, bad way.

Alyssa glowed with life. She was by far the sexiest woman I’d ever met. Everything about her left my heart pounding and my dick throbbing. If any of my partners discovered I’d asked her out, they would rip me a new one. I would do the same thing if I found they’d overstepped the line with any employee.

I hadn’t meant to ask her out. The words fell out of my mouth before I could stop them. I wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d told me to fuck off, but she hadn’t. Alyssa wanted me as much as I wanted her. We had undeniable chemistry, and that was something I wanted to investigate. I was playing with fire, but the risk of getting burned was worth it.

We pulled up in front of my favorite Italian restaurant, Soros. Inside, Rafik, the owner, kissed my cheeks and greeted me with enthusiasm.

“So good to see you, Shane. I thought you’d forgotten about us.”

“Never,” I said, pumping his hand up and down. “Been busy.” I nodded towards Alyssa and introduced her.

Rafik kissed her cheeks and welcomed her like an old friend. “Is this your first time at my restaurant?”

She nodded. “I’m looking forward to eating here. I’ve read wonderful things.”