CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
Oh my god! I slept here! With him! In his bed! And I have to get up for work! And Felix has to go outside! Ack!
The spot next to me looks slept in. Was Ozzie there all night and I never even noticed? Wow. That sex really knocked me out or something.
I throw my legs over the side of the bed and look around. Hopefully, Ozzie’s taken Felix out with Sahara. Otherwise I’m going to have some cleaning up to do.
There’s a door ahead of me that isn’t the one that leads out into the hallway. It had better be the bathroom door, because there’s no way I want to walk out into the kitchen area and have my coworkers catch me looking like I just rolled in the hay. Twice.
I grin as I collect some clothing from the drawers I was given and go through that door and into the bathroom.
Whoa. Now that’s a bathroom. Marble, glass, and metal work together in the big space to create a spa-like oasis. I brush my teeth first, just in case Ozzie comes in and gets near me. I don’t want to get dumped for having dragon breath.
The shower, big enough for several people, has three separate nozzles with various spray patterns. I use Ozzie’s products for my body and hair, skipping the conditioner, since I guess he doesn’t use it on the spikes he calls hair. I’m surprised he doesn’t have any left over from when he had that beard. Surely he conditioned that mess?
A sound behind me distracts me from the memory of the bird’s nest that used to decorate his face. I spin around and find Ozzie himself standing there, dressed and ready for work. He’s even wearing his combat boots already.
I cross my arms over my chest self-consciously. For sure I’m going to use this scenario for a fantasy when I’m bored and alone one night. Me, naked and wet. Him being my boss standing there all muscled up. Talk about sexy.
“Good morning,” he says.
“Good morning.” I’m shy, which is ridiculous, considering what we did last night, but I can’t control how I feel. Why did he just go to sleep last night without waking me up? Did he even sleep with me in the bed? Maybe he slept on the cot. That idea makes me sad. It feels like rejection.
“Meeting in fifteen minutes.”
“Fifteen?” I move to rinse my hair out. “Okay.” I hope he doesn’t expect me to be gorgeous. I’m not exactly high maintenance, but fifteen minutes isn’t enough time to pull off a miracle.
“Is Felix okay? I should have taken him out already.”
“He’s fine. He went out with his girlfriend.”
I smile but don’t say anything. I don’t want Ozzie thinking I’m pressuring him into calling me his girlfriend, even though nothing would make me happier. I shut the water off and step out of the shower area. Ozzie hands me a towel, warm from being on a heating rack.
I hold it against me and blink the water out of my eyes. The heat from the towel seeps into my skin, relaxing me. I have nothing to be nervous about, right? We might not be a couple, but we’ve been intimate. And I’m an adult. I have enough confidence to move past this, whatever it is, whether it’s for better or for worse.
Ack! Why are wedding vows swimming around in my brain?! Have I lost my mind completely?!
“Is there something else?” I ask, wondering why he’s just standing there staring at me. God help me if he can read minds.
He leans toward me and kisses me on the cheek. “Nope.” He turns and starts walking out of the bathroom.
My body is warming from not just the towel, but his touch too, even though it was as chaste as a kiss next to a shower can be.
“Ozzie?”
He pauses with his hand on the door. “Yeah?”
I have no idea what to say, but I feel like I should say something. Anything.
“Thanks. For everything.”
He turns just his head to look at me. “Everything?”
I can’t stop the smile that comes over me. I’m that non-virgin virgin again. Ridiculous, since we had sex not just once, but twice last night. “Yes, everything. For letting me stay here, for worrying about me, for Felix, for . . . the television show. All that stuff.”
He lets the door go and comes back to stand in front of me.
I look up at him, freaking out because he’s so close and fully clothed while I’m naked and wet. Are we going to have sex again? Make everyone wait for the meeting as we sigh, moan, and yell out in ecstasy?
He pulls me against him, trapping my arms against my chest, the towel there between us keeping things from getting too real.
“You’re welcome for everything.” He grins for a second. “For all that stuff.”
“Is this going to be weird?” I ask, the first slivers of doubt sneaking in. What will the team think? Will they hate me on principle because I slept with the boss on my first week of work?
He shakes his head slowly. “Doesn’t need to be.” His green eyes are clear and kind. He seems very sure of himself.
“What do you think the others are going to say?”
“I don’t think they’re going to say anything. Why would they? You stayed the night for security reasons. Thibault suggested it.”
“Oh. Okay.” He means he’s not going to act differently around me in front of the others, even though we slept together. I shouldn’t be unhappy because it’s better that no one knows what we’re doing after hours. I just have to suppress the silly schoolgirl in me who wants to walk the halls holding hands. “Good.”
“Don’t worry,” he says, his face expressionless.
“I’m not worried.”
“You look worried.”
“I’m not.”
“You sound worried.”
I frown. “No, I don’t. I sound fine.”
“I made you an omelet.”
“You did?” I’m getting warm again. “Did you make one for everyone?”
“No, just for you.”
He stands there, letting his words sink in. The way he’s looking at me, I swear I can tell he cares about me. Why else would he make me my very own omelet? Something that feels a lot like love rushes into my heart and takes hold of me.
He leans down, and I let go of the towel so I can wrap my arms around his neck and give him the kiss he deserves.
His tongue and mine begin the dance again, the one that we started and perfected last night. His big warm hands span my lower and middle back. It gets hot between us within seconds. I moan as the feelings start to take over. I’m picturing him bending me over the sink and having his way with me when he pulls away.
“Meeting. Gotta go.” He leaves me standing there, almost in that sex-mannequin pose again. He’s at the door before I can speak again.
“Ozzie?”
“Yeah?”
“I like you.”
My chin falls to my chest, and I scoop the towel up off the floor to hold it against me. I totally and completely hate myself for being such a poozer. What the hell, man? Why can’t I just keep some of my thoughts to myself? His kisses loosen my willpower and my tongue way too much.
“I like you too, Bo Peep. But don’t think for one second that’s going to earn you an easier workout today.”
I grin really hard into the towel, praying he’s not looking at me right now. No way can I check to see. When I have control of myself, I move the towel from my mouth and dry my belly with it. I’m afraid to move it away from my chest and expose myself, silly non-virgin virgin that I am.
“We’re working out today?” I ask, aiming for light and casual.
“You’d better believe it.”
Flashes of Dev with a sword come to mind. “Is Dev out there waiting to attack me?”
“I guess you’re about to find out.” He opens the door and walks out, leaving me alone in the bathroom.
My heart leaps. He likes me too! And he’s still going to train me and let me be in the company! I throw my arms out to the side and spin around. That was a mistake since my feet are still wet and the floors are marble. I slip and barely catch myself. Now the adrenaline is flowing too. I almost hope Dev will be out there doing another one of his stupid sneak attacks. I will totally be ready for him. Ka-chow! Judo chop!