Page 43 of Off-Limits Bosses
At the far end of the expansive and swanky gallery, I spotted Sierra standing by some of her work. She was dressed in a simple sand-colored gown, but was as stunning as ever. Her hair dropped over her shoulders in loose curls and her skin was glowing. Despite being surrounded by pure wealth and extravagance, she still stood out from the crowd.
I nodded in her direction and smiled, and she returned the gesture. She was busy speaking with a few people, and I didn’t want to interrupt. I was technically working, after all, and I needed to act like it. I’d get a chance to speak to her later.
For now, while I waited for the inevitable requests from our guests, I walked around slowly, looking at the pieces on display. I kept my phone close for any emergencies, but mostly figured that this was a chance for me to breathe. Nobody was going to run up and tell me about problems with towels or ask me to make last-minute changes to trips.
“Interesting, isn’t it?” Landon’s voice suddenly came from beside me and made me jump.
“Oh, uh.” I looked up at the painting, a landscape of a hidden beach, and pulled myself together. “Looks like a great place to… hang out, you know?”
I winked at him, and caught the way one corner of his mouth lifted into a small smile. “I’m not too sure. That’s a lot of sand to deal with, isn’t it?”
I thought of the day I’d been with Nolan. Sand did, in fact, get everywhere. That wouldn’t stop me from doing it again.
“Actually, I think it’d be worth it,” I said, before my phone vibrated. I checked the screen. It was one of the VIPs, asking for a wallet that had been left in the limousine. “I’ll see you again later. Don’t escape in the meantime.”
When I left Landon’s side, I noticed Nolan on the other side of the room, peering in his direction. I gave Nolan a quick little teasing wave when he glanced toward me, and continued on to the staff exit. It didn’t take long to find the wallet and take it to the VIP who had forgotten it. The smile I offered her when I handed it back was genuine.
I was having fun with this, far more than I thought I would or should have. Maybe it was a little bit dangerous, but that just made the whole thing more exciting for me.
Sierra was now standing by her pieces alone, and she gave me a look that clearly meant she was calling me over. I did just that, dancing toward her with a wide grin and amusement on my face.
I wrapped her in a quick hug. “Hey, look at you, having your work in a place like this! Congratulations. It’s crazy. Actually, no, not really. You deserve to be here.”
“Thanks,” she said, but it seemed like there was something else on her mind. “I have a question for you, though.”
“Yeah?” I asked curiously, noticing that there was a hint of judgment in her eyes.
“What the hell are you doing?” The question was an urgent, hissing whisper, before her voice was slightly louder. “And don’t say you don’t know what I’m talking about. I can see the way you’re acting with those two guys, and how they’re looking at you.”
“I know,” I said, slightly embarrassed. “It’s probably not the smartest.”
“It isn’t,” Sierra agreed, crossing her arms as if she was preparing to chastise me. “Are you crazy? Isn’t this theexactopposite of what I told you to do? Didn’t you agree you’d end things with your boss and avoid romance at work? Now you’re withtwobosses?”
“Technically, Nolan’s not my boss, he’s the chef,” I pointed out, even though I knew that didn’t make very much of a difference in Sierra’s eyes.
“It doesn’t matter,” she said, crossing her arms angrily. “You’re playing with fire, and you know it.”
“Come on, it’s not that serious.” I was well aware that it actually was, but I was feeling defensive. “Okay, maybe it is. But you have to understand. There’s something here, something more than just messing around.”
“Is it more important than your job?” Sierra pressed, now starting to seem more than a little frustrated with me. “Because that’s what you’re putting on the line here. Your entire career. Is this ménage a trois worth it for you? Worth losing all of it, for a little attention from some handsome men?”
“That’s harsh,” I sighed, even though I knew she was saying it for my own good. “Look, I can’t explain it to you. It’s just like, there’ssomethingabout being with them. Both of them. Landon makes me better at my job, better at being me. Nolan, well, I can let loose with him. Let go of all control, you know? I don’t know.”
I didn’t mention Bryant. I didn’t really know what was going on with him myself, and Sierra definitely would let me have it if she was aware there was a third guy. I was already being crazy enough in her eyes with two.
Sierra’s eyes softened somewhat, though she still didn’t seem convinced. “So, you’re not going to break things off, then?”
“I don’t know,” I answered honestly. “But I don’t think so.”
“Okay, well, I guess I won’t be able to change your mind.” Sierra uncrossed her arms and patted me on the shoulder. “But you know where I am if all of this comes back to bite you in the ass.”
That made me laugh. “Yeah. I guess it wouldn’t be that bad to run a frame shop and go to some cool exhibits.”
“I do feel like I might need an assistant,” Sierra mused. “Pretty sure you’ve got those kinds of skills down now, don’t you?”
“You have no idea,” I answered, glad that the tension was broken now. “The other day, someone asked me to ship new tablets for an entire meeting within a few hours. I got it to them with time to spare. You might say that I have become a goddess of fulfilling the requests of the wealthy.”
“Oh, fancy pants,” Sierra said with a lot of amusement in her voice.
