Page 94 of The Work Wife

She moved onto his lap either on her own or because he pulled her there. He couldn’t be sure, and didn’t care. The important thing was, she was closer.

Her lips parted and he met her tongue with his own. They were completely in this together. There was no one here to force them to put on a show. This was them. And a whole lot of lust.

The sound of voices pulled them out of wherever they may have progressed. Jamie looked a little stunned to find herself on Wes’s lap in the middle of a trail. She swallowed and stood up.

He smiled at her hand as she thrust it out to help him up. He took it, for nothing else but to have another opportunity to touch her. She braced her legs and yanked him to his feet with more strength than he expected.

“Thanks,” he said. She’d turned away to catch up to the others in the excursion, and he knew they weren’t going to talk about what happened.

While he didn’t think that was healthy, he didn’t have any other option. Talking about it would force both of them to face feelings they wouldn’t be able to act on.

They were partners. They were friends.

These things were far too important to risk pushing for more. If they tried to be something else and failed, they would lose the most important relationship they had.

No matter how much he wanted to see if their connection could possibly become stronger if they became intimate, there was a chance it could blow up and they’d lose everything.

As if in silent agreement, she let her hand slip through his as they walked to the bus.

That kiss—as perfect and passionate as it was—drifted away with the mist of the waterfall.

Chapter 17

Anna smiled at the smile on her boss’s face as she walked into his office. He’d been on a conference call all morning and this was the first time she’d been able to speak to him. She was rather hoping they could have a replay of what had happened on his desk the other day, but unfortunately she was there to spoil that plan.

“Richard wants to speak to you,” she said.

“He’s here?”

“No. He asked if you could stop by his place. He’s not allowed in the office. Doctor’s orders.”

Ben frowned. “Do you think he wants to talk to me about what I think he wants to talk to me about?”

She laughed at his confusing question and nodded. “Definitely.” It was about time Ben was given the reins to the company. The man had been running everything since he was twenty-three without the title or the respect he deserved. At least now he’d be able to hire a proper staff to help him.

“Do you think I would be able to run the company?” he asked. She could tell from his expression he wasn’t hunting for a compliment; she could see the vulnerability there. He truly wanted to hear her opinion.

Since he was serious, she gave her answer the same import. Then she nodded. “You already run this company, Ben.”

He shook it off, but she stopped him.

“You may not sign all the contracts or sit at the head of the table during the board meetings, but you are running this company. You know the numbers. You know the clients. You interact with every employee and keep track of their progress. You make sure the number at the bottom of the P and L is black, and you make decisions that keep Archer Worldwide current and prosperous. If that’s not running a company, I don’t know what is.”

He nodded and moved on as if embarrassed by the recognition. “What time did you tell Richard I would be there?” he asked.

“Four. So you could go straight home after the meeting.”

He came to stand in front of her, his blue eyes watching her.

“Is there anything else?” she asked, realizing it was the question she’d asked before he kissed her the last time. Would he kiss her again? She felt her body sway in his direction, apparently making its own decision.

“We should talk about what happened,” he said, ruining her plans again.

“What happened?” Her voice squeaked.

“Remember the desk?” He pointed to the area where he’d taken her in a heated rush. She’d never felt so free and sexy. Even on stage she played a part, but with Ben she was just herself.

The fact that he’d lost control when she was just plain Anna had made it all the more surreal. Men preferred her as Bellz. The rocker in the sexy clothes always got more attention than the mousy assistant who wore too much brown. But Ben had wanted her.