Filed to story: Watch Out, I’m The Lady Boss (Eleanor & Sebastian) Book PDF Free
“Focus,” he murmured.
“Fine,” I muttered, eyes glued to the floor.
He slid his arm more snugly around my waist and started walking us forward, leading like we were about to waltz into high society instead of the living room.
We made it from the door to the sofa and back again.
Twice.
He stopped.
“No. This won’t cut it. We’re way too stiff. Anyone with eyes will know we’re faking it.”I licked my lips.
“So what do we do?”
“We can’t just walk like strangers and hope no one notices. If we want them to buy this, we need chemistry. Real intimacy. And we need to cultivate it.”
“And how exactly do we “cultivate” that?” I asked, air-quoting with my fingers.
We start simple. With a hug.”I stared at him.
I mean, technically he was my husband now, but mentally I was still in that awkward co-tenant headspace where bond was shared Wi-Fi. eepest A hug?
I wasn’t ready.
My soul wasn’t ready.
I mean, even Daniel and I rarely hugged, and that was a man I had been seriously in love with.
I took a step back.
Sebastian took one forward.
I moved again.
So did he.
It went on like some ridiculous mating dance until my back hit the bloody kitchen island and I had nowhere else to go.
He tilted his head slightly, bringing his face level with mine.
His voice was a low purr against my ear.
“Would you be willing to give it a try, as a favour to me? Please?”
The hairs on my neck stood up.
So did other things I wasn’t going to acknowledge in public.
Of course I turned bright red.
Why was this man leaking sex appeal like it was his second job?
I clenched my jaw.
“Yeah. Fine. Let’s do it.”Acting. That’s all it was.
I’d watched enough telly growing up to fake a convincing hug.
I could channel every romcom heroine who ever had to pretend she didn’t want to jump the male lead’s bones.
Easy.
Sebastian opened his arms, waiting.
I took a deep breath, muttered something unrepeatable under it, then stepped into his arms.
And yeah, alright, he felt… expensive.
His cotton Henley was soft.
His body was not.
I wrapped my arms around his waist and instantly hit a wall of solid muscle under all that casual fabric.
Bloody hell. Man was built like a secret weapon. $1
His hands settled on my back, one at my waist, one brushing my shoulder.
He gave me a light tap, almost a pat.
“Relax.”Easy for him to say.
He wasn’t the one trying not to pass out from pheromone overdose Sebastian’s hand moved in slow, careful strokes against my back, and after a couple of fninutes that felt like twenty, my spine finally stopped trying to eject itself.
Weird detail to notice, but I liked how soft his shirt was.
And how he smelled-clean, expensive, with a faint, woody edge that calmed me down without making a show of it.
I liked it.
And I was starting to like the hug, too.
It was just beginning to feel cosy until Sebastian opened his mouth.
“Still too stiff. If you’re this awkward with me when no one else is around, you’ll never fool the people at the party.”Excuse me?
I thought I’d already relaxed enough..
If I were any more relaxed, I’d be in a bloody coma.
What was wrong with the hug? Not intimate enough? tightened my arms around him like I was trying to crack his ribs, then buried my face deeper into his chest.
And accidentally breathed right into his pec.
His shirt warmed up instantly.
Fantastic. Now my embarrassment had body heat.
He spoke again, low and close: “You’re standing too straight. Too stiff. And the way your arms are locked around me… it feels like you’re trying to arrest me, not hug me. Maybe we should try sitting down.”My mouth twitched.
Pretty sure that was the first performance review I’d ever gotten on a hug.
And yeah, it didn’t exactly earn five stars.
I rolled up my sleeves, channelled my inner overachiever, and marched to the sofa.
Sebastian was already seated.
I leaned in, flung my arms around his neck.
“That good enough for you?”He patted my arm.
“Feels like there’s still room for the Michelin Man between us.”Right. Because apparently bending like a folding chair-arms looped around his neck, torso angled halfway to Narnia-wasn’t the picture of intimacy he had in mind.
I recoiled and leaned back in again, this time trying to press my chest against him.
Sort of.
Unfortunately, my legs wanted no part of the effort.
So I stood there like a decapitated Barbie, upper body engaged, lower body on strike.
And my thighs were beginning to scream bloody murder.
I peeled off him.
“Maybe we call it a night?”
“No. We don’t have a lot of time. And this isn’t going to fool anyon I stared at him.
“It’s your grandfather’s eightieth. It’s not like we’ll be expected to make out in front of the cake”
“No, but we’re also not supposed to look like the honeymoon’s long over and we’re already lawyering up for the divorce.
“That’s what my hug looked like?”Sebastian nodded.
“We could get Geoffrey or the staff in here to give feedback, if you want.”
“No!” Absolutely not.
But the man had a point.
He’d been nothing but patient with me-hadn’t asked for anything but this: a simple, convincing appearance at his grandfather’s party.
And I kind of needed him to return the favour with my parents.
So, yeah. The fake intimacy thing had to look real.
“Screw it,” I muttered, then hiked a leg over and straddled him.
“How’s this?”His mouth curled against my temple, just enough for me to feel it.
He wrapped an arm around my waist and tugged me closer.
“That’ll do.”I breathed out.
If that didn’t satisfy him, I was officially out of ideas.
“Sometimes intimacy isn’t about physical space or contact,” he murmured.
“It’s about trust. You’ve got to trust me completely.”
“Mm.” I gave him the world’s most non-committal grunt.