An all-new age gap, workplace romance set in Kristen Proby’s Single in Seattle series is out this week, and I have a little sneak peek for you.
Excerpt
Now, I find myself wanting to know her, and that’s bloody baffling to me. Perhaps I simply want to ask her personal questions because I’m not allowed to, and we always want what we can’t have.
Unable to stop myself, I randomly grab a file and walk out to Maya’s desk.
“This needs to be filed. Please.”
She nods but doesn’t look me in the eyes as she takes the folder from me and crosses to the filing cabinet. She frowns when she turns back and sees that I’m still there.
“Is there anything else I can do for you?”
“Yes. You can tell me what in the shagging hell you want from me, Maya.” I haven’t raised my voice, but it’s hard. “You set the boundaries, and you’re my employee, so I’ve done everything I can to make sure you’re comfortable.”
“I’m comfortable,” she assures me. “Don’t worry about me.”
And yet, I do worry about her. I think about her all fucking night and weekend whenever I’m not near her.
She’s in all my thoughts.
And I can’t have her.
“I’ll go ahead and extend the contract,” she continues with another forced smile. “I got the call this morning. Thanks for that, by the way. Now I don’t have to worry about being unemployed for a while.”
“Maya.”
“Yes?”
“Fucking talk to me.” I push my hand through my hair in agitation. I hate feeling like I’m begging her to open up to me.
She bites her lip and then shakes her head. “I don’t have anything else to say.”
“Fine.” I bite out the word and want to shake her. Make her tell me what’s going on in that gorgeous, stubborn-as-fuck head of hers. “Whenever you’re ready to stop acting like a child, you know where to find me.”
I march away. Seconds later, she comes in after me, her face full of anger.
“I’m a child?”
“You called me out—rightfully—but now it’s my turn. I don’t know what you want if you won’t tell me. I can’t read your mind.” I’m throwing all her words back at her, and she frowns down at the carpet.
I notice she’s barefoot. She must have taken the shoes off at her desk.
“I want you,” she finally says with a shrug. “And I know I’m not supposed to. You’re grouchy, and you were such an asshole that first week, but damn it, I like you, and I’m so freaking attracted to you. So much so that I dress to impress you every morning and think about you when I’m at home. And I want to ask you a million questions that have absolutely nothing to do with work. But we set rules, and I made a promise to be professional, and that’s what I’ll damn well do until this job is finished.”
“And then what?” Calm again, knowing she feels the same way I do, I steeple my fingers and watch her. She’s breathing harder, her blue-gray eyes flashing, and her hands balled into fists at her sides. “After the job is finished, that is.”
“Then I’m just done.” She crosses her arms over her chest.
“So, let me get this straight. We’re attracted to each other. We think about one another all the time, even when we’re not together. The sex is ridiculously stellar, even though it’s only happened once, and we’d like to get to know each other better. But when the job is done it’s just…done?”
She scowls and shuffles back and forth on her feet. “Yes.”
“That’s bloody ridiculous.”
“Well, when you say it all like that, yeah, it does sound ridiculous.”
I’ve never felt tender toward a woman in my life, but right now, I want to cuddle her. I want to touch her, and it has nothing at all to do with sex.
“Come here.”
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Single in Seattle - Recommended Reading Order
(standalone stories with interconnected characters)
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