Page 25 of Off-Limits Bosses
I kept holding on to Landon’s arms as if that would somehow help me focus, and I was staring at his shoes. They were perfectly shined as always, with not a single scuff mark or wrinkle to be seen.
“Listen, we need to talk,” I finally said, letting go of him and marching toward the high-back chairs in the corner. I sat down in one, and waited for Landon to take his seat in the other. He was still studying me with concern in his eyes, and I desperately wanted to leap across the distance between us and bury myself in his arms. But I couldn’t do that.
Sierra was right. I needed to stick to my ethics. I had to be professional. I couldn’t let any feelings get in the way of my career.
“I’m on the edge of my seat here,” Landon finally said, and I noticed that he meant it pretty literally. “What’s going on?”
“My job is very important to me,” I started, hoping that the necessary words would come as I spoke. “Like, a lot. I don’t want to lose it. I’m good at it. Maybe even great. It’s definitely the best job I’ve ever had.”
Landon didn’t say anything yet. He was simply listening, and I felt completely stupid trying to explain myself. It was like nothing was coming out the way I wanted it to.
“So, I think…” I paused and steeled myself. “I think we need boundaries. Whatever this is. I just… It can’t. You know?”
Landon got up, and I followed, though standing a few steps away from him. If I got too close, I knew that I would give in to my desires, and then all of this would be for nothing. He turned to face me, and I could see that there was something conflicting in his eyes. Like he was struggling with something.
“I’ve been thinking the same thing,” he finally admitted, and I was surprised at how much those words stung. “None of this should have happened. It’s… inappropriate at best.”
I nodded slowly. “So, you understand?”
“Except—” He breathed, taking one step closer to me. “I can’t get you out of my head. Every day, I just want to see more of you.”
“Landon,” I tried, but he shook his head and kept speaking.
“What are we supposed to do, Adriana?” he asked, and I simply didn’t have an answer.
I couldn’t argue with him, either. I felt the exact same way. I even saw him in my dreams, reliving that elevator experience constantly. At work, I was constantly drawn to him.
Landon took another step closer. I knew that I should be moving away, but I didn’t. I stayed rooted to the spot. I didn’t have the mental strength to stop him again. The desire was simply too strong.
He reached for me, and I let him. He put his hands on either side of my face, and leaned down.
His kiss was soft and deep, one that held all of those feelings in a single movement. I couldn’t stop him. I didn’t want to. I leaned into it, closing the distance that I had tried to make between us.
By the time I left the office, I had fewer boundaries than I came there with, and I realized that it was going to be harder to let go of Landon than I thought.
In the morning, I woke up early to get ready for the trip to Monterey Bay with Nolan. We’d be there at least until the afternoon, which gave me a bit of time away from Landon to think and to pull myself together.
I walked out to the parking lot, where Nolan was waiting by a shiny black Mercedes Benz. It seemed like it was only him, which I found slightly odd. I knew he’d planned a trip, but had no idea what it was actuallyfor.Still, I had assumed that there would be a whole team from the kitchen that would have joined us.
When I reached Nolan, he was swinging the keys and smiling; an unexpected expression for him.
“You look worried,” he pointed out. “You think I can’t drive?”
“I mean, I’ve never thought of you as existing outside of a kitchen,” I answered, glancing around at the parking lot. “Anyone else joining us?”
“This trip doesn’t need a whole team,” Nolan said as he opened the passenger’s side door for me. “Just one assistant is enough. And that’s you. You’re welcome to complain, but you’ve already agreed to come.”
I waited for him to get in before I replied. “You’re making this sound like it’s going to be awful.”
“Maybe,” he shrugged as he started the car. Soft jazz music filled the air as we pulled out of the parking lot. “Or maybe it’ll be the best time of your life. You’ll find out when we get there.”
That made me curious. I’m sure he wouldn’t be driving out for something personal during work hours, and Landon definitely wouldn’t let me tag along if that was the case. So this had to have something to do with the kitchen, or maybe with a specific request from a guest. But why would Nolan need an assistant for that?
“Don’t worry, I don’t have any nefarious plans,” Nolan teased, glancing at me as we got out onto the road. “It’s all quite above board. No strange illegal happenings here.”
“Well, I’m glad you clarified that,” I chuckled, already feeling more comfortable. “But why take me? Why not someone who’s qualified?”
“I wanted to show you a few things,” Nolan explained, even though that didn’t really clarify much. “You need to get to know my work better if you’re going to do your job at the level you areexpected to. And, while you’ve shown you at least knowsomeof the very basics, that’s just not enough.”
