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.”

prince once more. “Let me escort you

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

the crowd, Keira tried to ignore the lingering heat in her veins, the memory of his arousal against her, the dangerous way her

the gala as his assistant, nothing more. There was no way she was going to end up in his bed. No

ordered a whiskey neat, knocking it back in

she told the bartender, avoiding Alexei’s

sight, studying her with those penetrating

unresolved tension.

the dance floor-”

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

“You felt it too.”

You’re a

wasn’t just talking about

she said carefully, “was a biological reaction. Your

“That’s not what this

out too quickly. “Just don’t make it weird. Monday morning, we go back

time to see the bartender

dropping lower.

when a nearby couple glanced their way. “There’s you, there’s me, and there’s a whole lot of professional boundaries that should

body radiating toward her. “We both know that’s not

hammered against her ribs. “Back off,

you’re afraid you might actually feel

plaything.” She set her glass down with more force than necessary. “I know men

up. “Men like

waiting to serve their needs.” Her voice sharpened. “News flash, Your

“Keira.”

me. Because from where I’m standing, you’ve never shown the slightest interest until tonight, when suddenly you’ve got a hard- on pressing against my hip

expression darkened. “You think I would destroy our working

She crossed her arms. “Go put your power