Beneath Her Bastard Boss

Chapter 159

Her brain was frying itself. He’s a man, right? Men get hard over anything and everything. A stiff breeze. A suggestive text. With Alexei, even a fly landing in the right spot. So, it means nothing. Right?

The way he was looking at her… that didn’t feel like nothing.

He had never made a move on her before… True, the invisible sign that appeared above her head with “Back Off” written on it might have something to do with it… She had never seen it, but both her sisters had told her it often appeared high, bright and in flashing neon. It didn’t really, but it was the vibe she gave off. It was a standing joke in their family.

But their cousin Laura was totally the opposite; she was a lifelong member of Sluts Are Us.

“Alexei,” she whispered, not sure if she was warning him or asking for something she couldn’t name.

He drew in a sharp breath at the sound of his name on her lips. His hand tightened on her waist, drawing her infinitesimally closer.

“We should stop,” she said, but made no move to pull away.

“Yes,” he agreed, his voice rough. “We should.”

Neither of them stopped dancing.

Around them, the music continued, people were oblivious to the silent battle taking place on the dance floor. Keira felt caught in a current, pulled toward something both terrifying and inevitable. This was not safe.

She’d set professional boundaries with Alexei. But those boundaries had never accounted for this. For the way her body responded to his

touch, for the electricity that sparked between them when his gaze met hers.

“The song’s ending,” he said, a hint of regret in his voice.

Reality crashed back in. Keira stepped back slightly, breaking the spell. “Good. I need a drink. A stiff one. Make it a bucket.”

His lips curved into a knowing smile. “Running away, Warner?”

“Tactical retreat,” she corrected, smoothing down her dress with hands that weren’t entirely steady. She just couldn’t look at him. “There’s a difference.”

the perfect prince once more. “Let me

her hand on his arm, careful to maintain distance between their bodies. She had, from very early on, called him Alexei, but by using his title now, she was reminding herself

they moved through the crowd, Keira tried to ignore the lingering heat in her veins, the memory of his arousal against

his assistant, nothing more. There was no way she was going to end up in his bed. No matter how much he fried her brain

She ordered a whiskey neat, knocking it back in one swift

the

her line of sight, studying her with those penetrating eyes. The air between them

unresolved tension.

on the dance

floor,” Keira cut him off. “Just some… biological reaction. Happens to the best of us.

“You felt it too.”

I get it. You’re a man. Men are basically walking hormones. No big

wasn’t just

“All I felt,” she said carefully, “was

tightened. “That’s not

don’t make it weird. Monday morning, we go back to normal. You being all princely and demanding, me telling you when

turned away in time to see the bartender discreetly move down to serve other guests, leaving them in

scared,” he said, voice dropping lower. “What’s between

couple glanced their way. “There’s you, there’s me, and there’s a whole

closer, the heat of his body radiating

hammered against her ribs.

afraid you

assistant, not your plaything.” She set her glass down with

shot up. “Men like

the world revolves around them. Who believe everyone and everything is just waiting to serve their needs.” Her voice sharpened. “News

“Keira.”

slightest interest until tonight, when suddenly you’ve got a hard- on pressing against my hip during a waltz. Forgive me

I would destroy our working relationship

a man who’s used to getting what he wants.” She crossed her arms. “Go put your power point into another woman’s socket, because I’m not buying what