“The kitchen staff just left for the night,” he said, placing a plate in front of her. “But I managed to nick us a little reward from the cooler. Your favorite, I believe.”
She nodded, surprised he’d noticed. There was no denying she loved the delicate layers of his newest dessert option and the way that it melted in her mouth. Taking a forkful, she closed her eyes and moaned when it hit her tongue.
“So good,” she breathed, her eyelids fluttering open to see him staring at her, an intensity in his eyes that made her stomach jolt. Her cheeks heated and she swallowed down the bite, touching her lips with her fingertips. “What? Did I get some on my face?”
“No, it’s just that...” The tips of his ears turned red and he turned away. “Don’t pay any attention to me. I’m exhausted. Lack of sleep makes me lose focus.”
Disappointment filled her mouth with a sour taste. She’d dated enough men to know when someone was interested in her, but Logan Madison was impossible to read. One minute, she thought he was going to sweep her up into his arms and kiss every inch of her and the next, he was back to being stone cold. The flip flop was giving her whiplash and frankly, she was too old to play these games any more.
The end of her internship was coming up quickly. The gala was her last night on the job and then Logan would no longer be her boss. If there was any chance for a relationship after this ended, she needed to know.
“Logan, I feel like we should talk,” she said, putting down her fork. She watched him slowly cut through his own piece of cake, his eyes glued to the dessert.
“Okay. About what?”
She leaned forward, hoping to catch his eye. “The gala is the night after tomorrow. Everything’s set for the catering job. It’s going to be great. They won’t even need my help.”
“That’s fantastic news,” Logan said as he chewed, still avoiding her gaze. “I really can’t thank you enough for handling this project. With Mary Prescott coming in three days, I’ve been up to my elbows in stress.”
“It was my pleasure.” She drummed her fingers on the desk’s surface, her fingernails clicking on the laminated surface. “But you do realize that it’ll be my last day, right? My internship is officially over the day of the gala.”
He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and sighed. “Yes, I realize that.”
“Good. I was wondering if you’d remember.” She inhaled and laughed nervously. This was harder than she thought it would be. Already, she had butterflies dancing around in her stomach. “That means, I won’t be working for you anymore. That I’ll be free. And you won’t be my boss.”
He licked a speck of powdered sugar off his lips and stared silently down at his fork.
“Which also means we can go back to just being Rachel and Logan,” she added, hoping he’d pick up on her line of thought. “Just friends, if that’s what you want. Or not. Do you know what I mean?”
He suddenly looked over at her, his brow wrinkled. “Are you asking me for a job? Because if you want it, it’s yours, Rachel. You don’t even have to ask.”
She sighed and leaned back in the chair, fixing him with a disbelieving smile. He wasn’t getting it. Time to be blunt.
“No, Logan. I’m not asking for a job. I’m asking if you have any feelings for me. Not as a friend, but as something more.”
LOGAN WATCHED RACHEL’S pink lips move. He even heard the words coming out of her mouth, but they didn’t register with him.
“What?”
The dessert plate slipped out of his fingers and landed with a clatter on the floor, shattering into a million pieces. He cursed at himself for being so clumsy and jumped off the desk to begin picking up the shards. It wasn’t until his fingers brushed Rachel’s hand did he realize she’d kneeled on the floor next to him to help.
“I’ve got it,” she said, squeezing his hand briefly before reaching for the last few pieces. Dropping them into the waste bucket nearby, she shifted on her knees in front of him and looked him dead in the eyes. “So, what do you think?”
“About?”
His collar was awfully tight around his neck. He leaned back against the side of the desk and tugged at it. What he wouldn’t give to be in a pair of athletic shorts and a t-shirt at this time.
“Us?” she asked, a soft smile on her lips. “Do you like me as more than a friend?”
He gulped, the floor beneath his rear end feeling suddenly very hard. This wasn’t the conversation he’d expected to have tonight. The last few days he’d been very successful in keeping Rachel at arm’s length. No physical contact. No flirting. No long, lingering stares into her eyes. It had been torture, but it had been sufficient to make him feel like he was accomplishing his promise. Now, she’d hit him out of nowhere with this question. Obviously, his new approach hadn’t worked.
“Listen, Rachel...” He rubbed the back of his head. “This is all my fault. I know you’ve dealt with crummy bosses hitting on you in the past, but you don’t have to put on an act with me.”
Her nose wrinkled as confusion filled her eyes. “What are you talking about?”
“I admit that I acted inappropriately a few days ago,” he said, trying his best to return her gaze, when all he wanted to do was escape this awkward conversation and go swing a bat at the batting cages. “I never should’ve touched you like that without your permission. I know we have a long history between us, but as your boss and your brother’s best friend, I should’ve known better. For that, I apologize. It won’t happen again.”
She shifted closer, causing panic to cloud his head. There was that floral perfume again.