Beneath Her Bastard Boss

Chapter 35

Roman didn’t expect Blair to barge into his office. Well, that wasn’t entirely true.

The second he left her and Kara, he knew she’d be pissed. Knew by the way her eyes had flared. After Kara looked at them too long meant she’d put the pieces together. He should have been more careful. He should have walked in like he always did, like she wasn’t the only thing occupying his mind, like he hadn’t spent the last few nights tangled up with her, tasting

her.

But he couldn’t, not now. He wanted to shout it from the rooftops, but she wanted to hide the fact they were together. It wasn’t sex to him. Roman wanted more than an affair. He had been planning this too long for this to be anything but serious. He just needed to convince Blair of that.

So, no, he wasn’t surprised when she shoved the door shut behind her, arms crossed, eyes sharp and full of fire. He wasn’t surprised when she cut straight to the point. “You gave us away.” (

Roman leaned back in his chair, exhaling through his nose, schooling his expression into something calm, unreadable.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” A lie. Because he knew he had seen her reaction and Kara’s.

She narrowed her eyes. Stepping closer, he could see the frustration rolling off her in waves.

“Kara noticed. She saw it, Roman. The tension.”

She was right. Of course she was. But he didn’t give a fuck. He was still pissed that she had wanted to be dropped off a block from the office.

“The way you acted. You walked in, handed over the mail, and didn’t even say good morning to me. No hello, nothing. And she knew. It was that obvious.”

He wasn’t a great actor. If he had been he would have been on fucking broadway. Roman sighed, rubbing his jaw, finally looking at her. “I wasn’t thinking about it like that. I’m not used to hiding my relationships.” Or my feelings. But in some ways, he was doing that with her. Not telling her how he felt. Yes, they communicated, but not about their… his feelings. Would she run? Did she feel more? He wasn’t being fair. She wasn’t ready. He had a lot longer to know how he felt.

That made her bristle. “Exactly. You weren’t thinking. And now she knows about us. She won’t say anything, but it’s only a matter of time before other people pick up on it, too. If we couldn’t even hide…” she waved a hand between them, “this in just one morning.”

This.

His jaw tightened. “This?”

Blair faltered. “You know what we… are doing together.”

He did. More than she realized. He wanted her to see it as more than just casual.

Roman tilted his head. “What is that?”

There was something unreadable in her expression. A hesitation she was trying to mask.

She sucked in a sharp breath, pulse hammering. “We’re scratching an itch.”

It wasn’t true. Not for him.

And he hoped to god not to her.

the floor, hitting the window as he stood abruptly, closing the space between

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Chapter 35

a breathless

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see the tight pull of her jaw as she lifted

afraid

That did it.

His lips crashed onto hers, all control snapping in a single moment. He didn’t want her scared of him. He wanted… needed her to want him as much as he wanted

him back without hesitation, fingers threading into his hair, her body pressing into his like she couldn’t

to break her rule about having sex at

idea how much worse it was for him.

dragging his mouth

The door rattled.

apart. Roman was well aware Blair didn’t want to be caught

lips quickly, trying to catch her breath just as the door swung

Standing in the doorway, her expression perfectly composed, except for

her, Kara looked horrified, mouthing, “I’m sorry” as he waved her away.

Jessica had already stepped inside like she

said smoothly, tilting her

Blair stiffened beside him.

himself to breathe, to shake off the haze of Blair.

You know me. I never needed an invitation.” Yes, she

seen you in a year, and now you think you can come and go from my

but Roman could feel

gaze flicked to Blair, like she had just now decided to acknowledge her

Blair stayed perfectly still.

vaguely between them. “But let’s be honest, Roman. It’s history repeating itself. We

lower, sharper. “We’re done,

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Chapter 35

completely unbothered

your little secretary to leave so the adults

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to reminisce. She was here to cause trouble if she couldn’t get

turned to him, expression tight. “I’ll be at