He didn’t speak to me either, instead bypassing me entirely until he was in his office. The click of his door was loud and final and instilled an odd sense of hope into me.
Unless he was going to delay the inevitable, of course.
I didn’t know. I was winging it. I had no idea how he’d take my cleaning of his office combined with the admission that I wanted to climb him like a tree.
Like I said.
Winging it.
I needed that on a t-shirt. If that wasn’t an accurate description of my life, I wasn’t sure what was.
Cameron’s door opened again, and when I looked, he’d poked his head around it.
“Mallory? Can you come in here?”
No.
“Sure,” was what I actually said as I stood and swiped my hands down my butt and over the backs of my thighs. My heels clicked against the floor as I carefully walked into his office.
He glanced at me as he pushed the door to, leaving it ajar, and sat down in his chair.
The chair I sat in was comfortable.
I was not.
I swallowed as he loosened his tie and undid the top button of his shirt, then sat back in his chair with a sigh.
“It’s okay,” I said quickly. “I know you’re going to fire me.”
Cameron’s eyebrows shot upward. “Fire you?”
“Yeah. It’s awkward, isn’t it? We can’t work like this.” I shrugged one shoulder, even as sadness slithered through me. “It’s fine. I understand. No hard feelings.”
I got up and walked to the door. There was a squeak, and his hand grabbed my arm before I could leave.
“That sounded a lot more like a resignation than it did me firing you,” he said in a low voice.
I shrugged again. “Whatever. I know what you’re going to do.”
“Do you?”
I tugged my arm out of his hand. “We’ve known each other ten days. My attraction to you makes my position untenable and this entire situation completely awkward. Of course you’re going to fire me.”
“I probably should.” He spoke slowly, his gaze steady as it held mine. “It’d be easier if I did.”
“See? There you go. It—”
“I wouldn’t have to feel guilty about the fact I’m attracted to you. I wouldn’t have to worry about what would happen if a relationship didn’t work out. I wouldn’t have to worry about anything other than dating you.”
I tried to say something but…nothing.
Nothing came out.
Nada.
Not a damn thing.
My mouth was so dry that swallowing was a struggle, and I still couldn’t talk.
Cameron sighed, lips curving up after. “Did you think it was one-sided, Mallory? The only reason I didn’t say anything last night was that I wasn’t sure if I should. I decided this morning that, like you, I had to be honest, so here I am.” He held his hands out and shrugged. “I’m attracted to you. I think you’re adorable and beautiful and funny, and if you’d like to resign so I can woo you without the complication of being your boss, I can’t say I’d be sad to see you go.”
I folded my arms across my chest at that. “Really? You’d have me quit just so you can date me easily?”
“No, I’d fire you, but I’m not doing that. I’m letting you resign so you could date me.”
“I’m not going to resign.”
“I’m not going to fire you.”
“Then what the hell do we do now?”
“You can do whatever you like, but I’m going to kiss you.”
He took one step toward me and pulled me to him, then touched his lips to mine like a starving man. He swept one hand around the back of my head, and I melted against his body, curling my fingers into his jacket.
Heat—desire—tingled from the top of my head to the tips of my toes.
Something inside me told me this was wrong, that I had to stop it, but whatever that stupid little voice was had been overridden by the rest of my body. The rest of me was enjoying the fact that his lips were on mine and his hands were slowly pulling my body right against his.
And I was letting him.
His kiss was like magic running through my veins, and I wanted nothing more than to be under this spell until someone physically pulled me from it. All the frustration I’d felt last night, all the anger I’d harbored since I’d admitted how I felt washed away from me in one fell swoop.
I just wanted to live this—this kiss. Wanted to enjoy the moment of this, just in case I never felt it again.
Slowly, he pulled back, never releasing his grip on me. “I half-expected you to slap me.”
“I considered it after last night,” I said in a low voice. “And I still might.”
“I can take that.” His lips brushed mine as he spoke. “Now what?”
“What do you mean, now what? You’re the one who kissed me. You decide.”