60

"But you treated me badly for the first year, sending me off on impossible tasks and hurling insults at me," I complained, eager to hear his answer but he just trailed a finger across my chin and put a knee on the ground to balance himself on the mosaic floor.

"I was trying to fight against my feelings for you. I didn't want a relationship, most especially with my secretary. It was unethical and besides, I still wanted freedom."

"So what changed?"

"Simple. The deal." He shrugged and smiled at me, but I just returned a blank gaze and he sighed. "It was a wake-up call for me. Life had thrown me a deadline, and there were no acceptable excuses so I had to ask you. I wouldn't have asked anyone else," he explained and his gaze flickered to my lips.

I sucked in a breath and matched his gaze, my focus moving between his eyes and his soft lips. They looked so full and inviting, and when he leaned in, I met him halfway. Time stopped when his lips met mine, but the flutter only intensified in m