“I own the company. I don’t think we’ll get in trouble,” Travis answered lazily, nipping at her earlobe.
Dear Lord, if she didn’t get away from him now, she would tear his clothes off. He pulled his head back to give her a scorching look, one that almost had her stripping him right there. His hair was mussed, like he’d just rolled out of bed—or gotten screwed—and his clothing was askew. It was a whole new look on her boss, and damn, it looked really good on him. It made him seem more approachable, and even sexier than he normally looked. “I forgot. I don’t have a job. You fired me.” She tugged playfully on his hair.
“I could think of a few things that would probably persuade me to re-hire you,” Travis answered in a graveled voice, his hand tightening on her ass possessively.
Unable to handle the exquisite torture of Travis’s touch for a moment longer, Ally ducked under his arm and scooted away from him. “We shouldn’t have done that,” she said unhappily.
Travis straightened his tie and smoothed his hair back down. “It was just a kiss, Alison.” His eyes shuttered and his face turned to his usual, stony expression.
Just a kiss? Bastard!
His tone was mocking, irritating, and she wanted to slap him for calling what they’d just done simply a kiss. For her, it had been an earth-shattering, panty-melting experience, an embrace that still had her body melting from the heat.
Without another word, she picked up her purse, turning her back on him. “Right. Just a kiss. Nothing spectacular,” she answered nonchalantly, hoping none of the hurt she felt could be detected in her voice. Really, did she even know what a normal hot kiss was like? Maybe it really wasn’t anything extraordinary. She had very little to compare it with.
She turned in time to see Travis picking up her manuscript and slugging the last of his coffee. For a moment, she considered arguing with him about taking her book, but she wrote so people could read the stories she had to share, therefore it really didn’t matter. He moved to take the mug to the kitchen, but she intercepted it and dropped both cups off in the sink herself. Picking up her hair clip from the floor, she scraped her hair back and tightened the clasp. “Time to go,” she said, breezing through the living room to the door, hoping she sounded calmer than she felt.
Travis caught up with her at the door, grasping her upper arm as she opened the door. “He was a fool to lose you, Alison,” he said gruffly. “And if I thought you were ready and wouldn’t regret it, I’d be fucking you right now. Watching you come would be one of the most satisfying things I’ve ever done.”
Ally gaped at him for a moment, stunned at how fiery he could be at one moment, and then turn to ice the next. Her face flushed, and she could feel the sensual electricity flow between them, knowing that one misplaced spark would fire a roaring flame. “I doubt that. And it was just a kiss,” she reminded him with false sweetness in her voice.
“It was more than that,” he admitted, his eyes raking over her face, searching for…something.
Ally turned away, unable to withstand his scrutiny. She’d exposed too much of herself already. Opening the door, she waited for him to step through before locking up behind him. As she turned around, she saw that he was dangling a set of keys in front of her face.
“I did promise,” he said, sounding almost pained.
Ally swiped the keys. “I promise I’ll get us to Harrison without a scratch on the car.”
Travis shrugged. “It’s not the car I’m concerned about.”
He helped her into the driver’s seat and buckled her in, and then took his own seat on the other side. “You’re not used to the vehicle.”
Travis proceeded to give her clipped instructions all the way to work, even though Ally handled the car just fine. She may not have ever driven a Ferrari, but she understood all the car had to offer. Occasionally, she accelerated too fast, causing Travis to snarl at her to slow down. When she finally pulled the sports car into Travis’s personal parking space, he grudgingly admitted she had driven well, but spoiled the compliment by reminding her that she drove too fast. Like she was going to drive a Ferrari like a grandma? Had Travis not been snapping at her for her speed, she would have liked to open the engine up a little more, although there were few places where she could do that in the city. Still, the experience had been exhilarating.
“Thank you,” she told him sincerely as she handed back his keys outside the Harrison building. “You just helped me complete one thing on my bucket list.”
“I hardly think turning twenty-eight requires a bucket list, Alison,” Travis replied, straightening his tie as they walked into the building.