Yes.
No.
Yes.
I’ve come this far. Might as well go the whole way.
Flexing my fingers, my breathing hitched, I reach out and curl my hand around the doorknob.
I turn it, and…it’s locked.
Bugger.
I give it another turn, as though that will magically open the door, but it doesn’t open because it’s clearly locked.
I’m such a knobhead.
Bending at the waist, I stare at the doorknob. It needs a key to unlock it. One of those Yale keys that fits in the middle of the handle.
Closing my eyes in thought, I try to think if I’ve seen a Yale key anywhere, but I don’t recall anything.
Sighing, I open my eyes. All I remember is Kas locking this door with a key and putting it in his pocket.
He must keep it somewhere.
But where?
My eyes drift over to his desk.
I wonder if…
The back door opens and quickly slams shut, and my heart nearly leaps out of my chest.
Shit!
I quickly push the bookcase back in place, hearing the click, knowing I’ve locked it. Then, I dash over to Kas’s desk and pick up the duster. I start running over his desk and computer, like I’ve been cleaning it all along.
This is so obvious. I’m so obvious. I might as well have a sign on my forehead saying, Snoop.
I’m only dusting his computer, but I’ve broken out in a sweat, and I’m breathing like I’ve just run a marathon.
I need to calm down.
Ditching the duster, I grab the furniture polish and cloth. I spray some polish onto his desk and start rubbing at it as I force myself to calm down, taking slow deep breaths.
“Hey.”
I look up to see Kas standing in the doorway.
Liar.
“Hi.” I give him a bright smile, stopping what I’m doing.
His eyes drift over the room, like he’s checking it.
Looking for something, Kas-hole? Or worried I was?
Bastard.
“Is this okay?” I gesture to the cloth in my hand. “I thought I’d give your office a clean while you were out. I didn’t think it was still off-limits, but if—”
“Of course it’s fine.” His eyes smile warmly at me.
I stare back at him, and I can’t see anything off in his expression—not that I can usually tell what he’s thinking. He’s so closed off.
But his warm demeanor is telling me that he doesn’t suspect anything.
Maybe he just thinks I’m not smart enough to have seen through his lies.
Fucker.
Knowing that he underestimates how smart I am actually stings. And it pisses me off even more.
“I can’t believe I told you not to come in here. I was such a dick.” He walks over to me.
I put the cloth down and turn to meet him. He wraps his arms around my waist.
I hide my anger and try to act natural.
I’m not taking him to court over this until I know what’s behind that door.
Once I know, I’m going to kick his arse over lying to me. Depending on what I find, of course.
“Well, I’m not disagreeing with you. You were a dick.”
He grins down at me, and it leaves a warm feeling in my chest.
He’s a liar, Daisy. A big, fat liar. There’s a door behind that bookcase to prove it.
“I promise never to be a dick to you again.” He leans down and brushes his lips over mine. “Only to use my dick for pleasurable purposes when it comes to you.”
My vagina stands to attention.
Down, girl. We have a trickster in our midst.
“How’s the horse?” I ask. My words come out hoarse and husky. I might be pissed off at Kas, but my body likes him a lot, and apparently, all it takes is the mention of his cock to send me off to Sexville.
“It’s got laminitis. Cooper caught it early, which is good. The vet prescribed an anti-inflammatory. That’s why I came back—to grab my wallet. I’m heading to the vet’s office to pick up the prescription. Cooper’s going to stay with the horse. Do you want to come with me?”
“To the vet’s?” My lips purse. “But I’m working.”
“And I’m the boss, and the boss wants his girl to come with him.” He takes ahold of my ponytail and gives it a gentle tug.
His girl.
Crap. That totally would have melted me faster than ice in hot water if he’d said it to me pre-lie.
Okay, truthfully, I have melted a little. But I’m still mad.
Hopping mad in fact.
It’s just hard not to want him or warm to him, especially when I’m in his arms and he’s being all lovely and sweet.
Then, it suddenly occurs to me.
I could lose him. I might have to walk away from him. Because whatever it is that he’s hiding from me, it might be a game changer.
Do I really want to lose Kas?
No.
But I also don’t want to be a blind fool.
I have to know the truth, and the only way I’ll find out is of my own accord.
I’m doing this to protect myself. And Jesse.
I let him down due to a man once before. It won’t happen again.
“Well then, I guess the boss gets what he wants.”
“Good girl,” he murmurs.
He kisses me again. He starts to suck on my lower lip as his hands find my butt, and my body comes to life. My hands find their way around his neck, and I kiss him back, sucking on his tongue. He groans into my mouth.
I wind my fingers into the hair at the back of his head. He pulls me tighter into his body. And the kiss goes from sweet to molten in seconds.