CHASING TROUBLE

Just as she hadn’t asked to enjoy his experienced lips moving so surely and sensually against and over her own. Or to feel her heart almost leap out of her chest as she recognised her own desire to feel and taste the hardness of Nicholas’ obvious arousal throbbing against the heat of her thighs. All of them were emotions Caroline had believed herself to be incapable of feeling. Emotions she didn’t want to feel!

“Let me go, Nicholas please,” she said again, and this time he did.

She moved away from him immediately. Then straightened her jacket before checking that her hair was still neatly secured at her nape, sincerely hoping that Nicholas couldn’t see that her hands were trembling as she did so.

Oh God. Someone had seen them. This was the one thing she didn’t want to happen and now someone had seen them in his office… Kissing. She covered her face with her palm and turned away in frustration, wishing the floor would open up and swallow her up. Not only was she ashamed because someone had seen them, she was also ashamed of how easily he’d gotten her to kiss him back. She hadn’t even resisted at all, instead she’d clung to him like her life depended on the kiss.

Nicholas grimaced as he once again leant back against his desk, watching her. “Penny for your thoughts?” he said.

She raised dark brows, “Are you serious right now? Do you realize that Lena saw us kissing?”

He regarded her from between narrowed lids for several long seconds.

“Yes I realize that. What’s the big deal? So she saw us kissing? So what?”

“So what?” She gave a derisive laugh. “Do you realize that I’m going to be the subject of gossip in the office for God knows how long? Your father is my boss. What do you think he’s going to say or do if he finds out? Probably fire me? I could lose my job and no one is going to take me seriously because I’m going to be known as the girl who tried to sleep her way to the top. You know you wouldn’t understand. Not everyone can be related to the boss and some of us have to behave so we don’t lose our jobs,”

“You and I both know that’s not going to happen. Who cares about a little gossip? And no one is going to fire you. You forget that I’m also the boss here,”

“What a typically arrogant male comment,” said Caroline.This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

He shrugged broad shoulders, unconcerned. “That’s probably because I am a typically arrogant male.”

“And obviously proud of it,” she scorned.

He shrugged, “Believe what you want, Care. All I can tell you is that you are being worried for nothing. Your job is safe,”

Caroline was mad at him. This was all his fault. If he hadn’t called her in here to ask silly questions about her personal life, then this wouldn’t have happened. She straightened and faced him, determined to keep whatever dignity she had left intact, “I have to go back to my office now, Mr Connelly,” she said, “I think enough has happened already,”

“Wait, Caroline,” He said and pushed himself off the desk, “I do have something work related to tell you. I guess I just got… carried away,” His eyes roamed up and down her body, “I mean, how could I not,”

Caroline fought the urge to roll her eyes. The man didn’t even try to be subtle at all, but what embarrassed her even more was that deep down, there was a silly part of her that liked it and she hated that she did. It made her a hypocrite, which was why she was trying to fight it.

“We’re going to Texas for a few days,”

Caroline frowned, “Who?”

“You and I,” Nicholas replied casually, as if what he was saying meant complete sense to him, “‘Now that Happy Valley Park has opened, my father and I were discussing another big project to work on. There’s a castle in Texas and we are thinking of buying it.”

“And you want me to go with you?”

“Yes”

“I think we both know that’s not going to happen,”

“Why not?”

What kind of question was that? Was he really serious asking her that? She wanted to scream. Did she need to tell him that she couldn’t go anywhere with him when they had this mind blowing, crazy attraction going on? Hell, this was the second time they’d lost control… What did he think was going to happen if she went to Texas with him? Caroline knew what was going to happen, and she felt herself shiver just by thinking about it.

She wanted to blurt all of these out, but instead she found herself saying, “I can’t go to Texas with you. I don’t work for you. I am your father’s personal assistant,”

“Well you’re my assistant as long as I’m in charge of this project.” Nicholas told her, “Believe me when I say this, my father is very happy to see me getting involved with the company and he’s trying to do everything possible to make sure that I stay involved, so believe me when I tell you that you’re going to do what I say and I say…. We’re going to Texas ,”

Caroline gave a self-disgusted grimace as she wrapped her arms around her body.” Which airport are we flying to?” she prompted briskly, thankfully able to breathe a little easier as Nicholas moved away slightly.

“I thought I might drive up in my Range Rover.”

“Drive?” Caroline glanced out of the window at the bleakness of the sky. “It’s going to be snowing,”

“Stop being picky, Caroline,” Nicholas rasped dismissively. “Anyone would think you don’t want to go to Texas with me.”

That was because she didn’t!

Just the thought of being alone in Texas with Nicholas for several days, when she was now so physically aware of him, made her stomach-muscles clench and her pulse race.

He scowled down at her.” What is your problem, Care? Do you have other plans for this weekend? A romantic tryst, perhaps?” he added mockingly.

“Of course not,” she snapped.

Nicholas gave a taunting smile. “Of course not,” he parroted derisively. “Coward.”

“I beg your pardon?” she gasped softly.

Once again he shrugged those broad shoulders. “I called you a coward.”

“Because I don’t want to go to Texas with you?” She eyed him incredulously.