Total pages in book: 21
Estimated words: 19962 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 100(@200wpm)___ 80(@250wpm)___ 67(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 19962 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 100(@200wpm)___ 80(@250wpm)___ 67(@300wpm)
So, she sat and waited, arms folded. Prepared.
She didn’t know exactly what she was going to say. She wanted her questions answered and he was the only person who could answer them. Nibbling her lip, she reached for her coffee and took a sip.
The sound of his door opening seemed to echo around the house. She also knew he’d taken Dolly and Susie to his bedroom last night. They were not here for her to take care of. She’d already changed their water and cleaned up their sleeping area, folding the blankets they already loved. Sure enough, Dolly was the first one around the corner, and as soon as the little dog saw her, there was a wagging tail, which made her smile. Susie came next with another wagging tail, followed by Axe.
He stopped the moment he saw her. For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
Clarissa felt her nerves and even her arousal at seeing him start to rise. This wasn’t good. She was determined to stay angry around him. And so, she waited.
The problem was, Axe was a master at the silent treatment. He had years to master this problem.
Arms folded, itching to say something.
She was pretty sure her lips were still sensitive from his kisses last night. To her, it had been an amazing kiss. She wanted him to kiss her again, and again, and again. The truth was, she wanted those hands all over her body, to show her exactly what she’d been missing.
Clarissa didn’t know if he was her “forever” kind of man that her mother had warned her about, but it was certainly close.
She looked at him and waited.
And then, she just couldn’t take it anymore.
“You broke the rules.” She tried not to sound so accusatory, but that was hard to do.
“We’d disturbed their nighttime routine. I was fixing it.”
“Ah, okay.” She nodded her head. Ask him. Ask him. Ask him if you’re a bad kisser.
“I’ve got to get out to work,” Axe said in that gruff, commanding voice of his.
She was tempted to just let it go, to pretend last night hadn’t happened, but … it had happened. The kiss had been incredible, at least to her.
“Was I not good?” The words slipped out of her mouth of their own accord. She wanted to slap her hand across her lips, to find some way to silence herself. She hated conflict of all kind, and this could lead to conflict.
“That shouldn’t have happened last night.”
“Why?”
“I’m your boss!” He glared at her.
“Oh,” Clarissa said. “So, all I am to you is an employee, is that it?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Good. That is great to know.” She got to her feet, picked up her cup, and tossed the remaining contents into the sink.
“I am your boss, Clarissa. You are my employee. I don’t know what happened last night and it’s never going to happen again.”
She couldn’t bring herself to look at him. Of course, he spoke the truth. What was she even thinking? Having a crush on her boss was the biggest mistake of her life, and she shouldn’t even be entertaining thoughts of being with him. That is her mistake, not his.
“You’re right. Let’s forget it ever happened.” This was the best job she ever had and she didn’t like the thought of not working for him. She loved working for him.
Axe looked at her for several seconds, or maybe minutes. Either way, they were excruciatingly long, no matter the time.
She waited.
“I’ve got work to do.”
Dolly and Susie were waiting at the door for him.
Clarissa didn’t stop him, but she couldn’t help but watch him as he left. The door closed behind him, and for several minutes, she stood in the empty house, with her thoughts on the previous night. With no audience, she reached up and pressed her fingers against her lips. That kiss had really been something. Dropping her hand to her side, she felt tears fill her eyes.
Her first kiss, to a point even her first crush, and it had started in disaster. She was going to have to stop herself from thinking about him, or wanting anything more than a professional relationship.
She moved to the fridge and began to tick off all the smaller details that would help her keep this relationship to that of a boss and an employee. The first point would be for her to not have breakfast or any kind of meals with him. Clarissa would make sure breakfast, lunch, and dinner were either eaten before or after him.
That would be the start.
****
Axe had every intention to apologize, and to set them on the right path. He’d not slept at all last night. The puppy dogs hadn’t been a problem. They settled onto his bed and didn’t move until he had, this very morning.
Driving along the main line of the fence, he looked to see if there were any problems. He’d already received the text from one of his men letting him know the cattle had been checked over and there were no issues.