results in the mirror.
“Good enough,” I said, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
“Downright gorgeous, I’d say,” Rachel disagreed. She wagged a finger at me. “You are so getting laid tonight.”
“What? I don’t even have a date tonight.” In typical fashion, I had forgotten to set up a fake date for the night.
“I’m sure that won’t be a problem.” Rachel nudged me with her elbow. “You could always go after Donovan.”
I choked out a laugh and walked away before she could see the flush spreading across my cheeks.
One thing about Luke couldn’t be denied- the man knew how to throw a party. He had rented out an entire floor of a club for the company holiday party. Rachel and I checked our coats at the door and headed directly to the first bar we could find. I was still new enough that I didn’t know at least 70% of the people at the party. After I lost Rachel in the crowd and was on my own, I began to feel out of place. With a few hours of drinking under their belts, many people were already drunk, and many of them were bordering on inappropriateness.
I was relieved when I found the stairs leading to the second floor. The music started playing just as I began to ascend the stairs. I had a feeling I was leaving at the perfect time. The second floor was much quieter, and only a few people lingered about. I headed for the back, where I would be able to watch what was happening on the floor below.
“Hiding?”
I jumped as someone stepped out of the shadows. “Shit, Luke. You scared the crap out of me.”
“Sorry,” he said, but I was close enough to him now that I could see his smile.
“This is your party. Shouldn’t you be downstairs mingling with the minions?” I hadn’t meant to sound judgmental, but it came out that way. I stepped closer to the railing so that I could observe what was happening below us.
Luke shrugged and moved next to me. “In my experience, people tend to have more fun when their boss isn’t listening into their drunken conversations.”
I knew that he was probably right. Luke was likely the best boss most of these people had ever had, but he was still their boss and that meant they would act differently around him. “This isn’t such a bad place to be,” I commented, pointing out the great overhead view we had.
“I would have to concur,” Luke said, but he wasn’t looking at the view. “In fact, if it was up to me, this is exactly how I would spend the entire evening.”
“Hiding in the shadows?” I teased, nudging his arm.
“No. Alone with you.”
Very slowly, Luke reached over and took my hand. The shadows upstairs were dark enough that no one would be able to see unless they were within a few feet of us. I squeezed his hand and leaned into him slightly.
“I wanted to call you back, Luke,” I said, betraying my feelings for him for the first time. “I thought about you for weeks afterward. I missed you.”
“I’m here now, Kasey. You found your way back to me.”
It did seem strange how in many ways he was still the Luke that I remembered, yet in other ways he felt like a complete stranger. “It’s starting to feel like the universe wants us to be together.”
“It does feel that way,” he agreed. “Nothing has changed, though. I’m still your boss.”
“I know.”
“That was never my issue. You are the one that said you couldn’t look past it.”
“I know.”
Luke’s thumb traced a slow circle over my hand. “I want you, Kasey. I’ve never tried to hide that from you.”
“I want you, too, Luke. I think,” I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I think I need you, as well.”
“Does this mean you’re going to give me a second chance?” he asked hopefully.
“I don’t want to get hurt again,” I said, so quietly that I barely heard myself over the loud music below. “I don’t think I could survive.”
Luke sucked in a sharp breath. “I would never hurt you, Kasey. Never.”
“Okay,” I nodded
“Good enough,” I said, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
“Downright gorgeous, I’d say,” Rachel disagreed. She wagged a finger at me. “You are so getting laid tonight.”
“What? I don’t even have a date tonight.” In typical fashion, I had forgotten to set up a fake date for the night.
“I’m sure that won’t be a problem.” Rachel nudged me with her elbow. “You could always go after Donovan.”
I choked out a laugh and walked away before she could see the flush spreading across my cheeks.
One thing about Luke couldn’t be denied- the man knew how to throw a party. He had rented out an entire floor of a club for the company holiday party. Rachel and I checked our coats at the door and headed directly to the first bar we could find. I was still new enough that I didn’t know at least 70% of the people at the party. After I lost Rachel in the crowd and was on my own, I began to feel out of place. With a few hours of drinking under their belts, many people were already drunk, and many of them were bordering on inappropriateness.
I was relieved when I found the stairs leading to the second floor. The music started playing just as I began to ascend the stairs. I had a feeling I was leaving at the perfect time. The second floor was much quieter, and only a few people lingered about. I headed for the back, where I would be able to watch what was happening on the floor below.
“Hiding?”
I jumped as someone stepped out of the shadows. “Shit, Luke. You scared the crap out of me.”
“Sorry,” he said, but I was close enough to him now that I could see his smile.
“This is your party. Shouldn’t you be downstairs mingling with the minions?” I hadn’t meant to sound judgmental, but it came out that way. I stepped closer to the railing so that I could observe what was happening below us.
Luke shrugged and moved next to me. “In my experience, people tend to have more fun when their boss isn’t listening into their drunken conversations.”
I knew that he was probably right. Luke was likely the best boss most of these people had ever had, but he was still their boss and that meant they would act differently around him. “This isn’t such a bad place to be,” I commented, pointing out the great overhead view we had.
“I would have to concur,” Luke said, but he wasn’t looking at the view. “In fact, if it was up to me, this is exactly how I would spend the entire evening.”
“Hiding in the shadows?” I teased, nudging his arm.
“No. Alone with you.”
Very slowly, Luke reached over and took my hand. The shadows upstairs were dark enough that no one would be able to see unless they were within a few feet of us. I squeezed his hand and leaned into him slightly.
“I wanted to call you back, Luke,” I said, betraying my feelings for him for the first time. “I thought about you for weeks afterward. I missed you.”
“I’m here now, Kasey. You found your way back to me.”
It did seem strange how in many ways he was still the Luke that I remembered, yet in other ways he felt like a complete stranger. “It’s starting to feel like the universe wants us to be together.”
“It does feel that way,” he agreed. “Nothing has changed, though. I’m still your boss.”
“I know.”
“That was never my issue. You are the one that said you couldn’t look past it.”
“I know.”
Luke’s thumb traced a slow circle over my hand. “I want you, Kasey. I’ve never tried to hide that from you.”
“I want you, too, Luke. I think,” I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I think I need you, as well.”
“Does this mean you’re going to give me a second chance?” he asked hopefully.
“I don’t want to get hurt again,” I said, so quietly that I barely heard myself over the loud music below. “I don’t think I could survive.”
Luke sucked in a sharp breath. “I would never hurt you, Kasey. Never.”
“Okay,” I nodded
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