"Mr. Macintyre, given both our histories with office romances, I'd think it would be a very bad, inadvisable thing."
"This isn't an office romance," he said, his voice filled with a combination of frustration and humor.
"What is it, then?" I said and cocked my head to one side. "Just so I know."
He smiled. "It's pure."
"Pure?" I asked, confused.
"Pure unadulterated lust. Nothing more. Nothing less. I think that's a good thing. Neither of us wants to make the same mistake again, so we won't."
"I certainly don't want to make the same mistake again," I replied.
Then he leaned down and kissed my neck before squeezing my breast and kissing the flesh that swelled under his hand. He made a point to lick my tattoo and it sent a thrill right to my core.
"Then we won't," he replied, his voice husky. "So are you coming?"
He leaned against the wall, his arm beside my head and waited for my answer. I stared into his blue-gray eyes and tried to read him. He obviously wanted me to go to Bali.
"I thought you were going to California next week."
"I changed my plans."
"That seems rather unprofessional. Changing business plans for a dirty long weekend."
"My doctor says it's important for mental health to take regular vacations. I haven't had a real vacation for a long time. Years, in fact."
I smiled. "Me, neither."
"All the more reason for you to come," he replied. He leaned closer and kissed me softly. "I promise you won't regret it. We'll be completely professional while we're at wo
rk, and completely unprofessional in private."
"You haven't shown very professional behavior with me recently, kissing me in photocopier rooms and hallways..."
"I needed to clarify what was happening between us."
I stared into his eyes, trying to see if he was being honest. If he was going to be my Mr. Big, I didn't want it to interfere with my work.
"I need this internship, Josh. I don't want anything to hurt my position here."
"It won't. I'm going to appoint Keith as manager of Macintyre Publishing. I'll no longer have a role here. I'm focused on the Chronicle anyway. That's all I really care about and it would lift a load off my shoulders to no longer have any management function with the book publishing side. So technically, I wouldn’t be your boss at all."
I nodded, thinking that might solve our problem.
"So, is that a yes?" he asked, impatient.
"I'll think about it."
Then he kissed me again and turned away, opening the door, checking the hallway before he left.
I stood alone in the room and tried to catch my breath. I wanted to go to Bali with Josh. It would be the first real vacation for my own personal enjoyment I'd taken in years. I decided that I would wait and make a decision at the last minute, based on how I felt, but part of me wanted to go so badly, fantasizing already what it would be like.
I just hoped if I did go, I wasn't making a big mistake.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Joshua