Page 21 of Protected By My Playboy Billionaire

“Hardly.” Yes. I take a deep breath, catching a trace of the light perfume she’s wearing. “I simply don’t want any distractions in the workplace.”

“Of course not.” She shakes her head and steps forward. “Ryan just wanted to take me out for lunch.” She pauses, probably because of the look I give her. Take her out for lunch? The fucker.

“Ryan took you out for lunch.” The words fall off my tongue like poison.

“Yes. I skipped breakfast, and he offered to get us lunch. I didn’t think it would be a problem.”

“You’ve been here for two days, and one of my most valued employees is already treating you to lunch.” I cross my arms to hide the fists I’m making.

“I guess I just make really good impressions.” A small nervous laugh escapes her.

“So it seems.” The memory of her spilling coffee on herself the first time I saw her flashes through my mind. Her phone beeps, and she quickly fishes it out of her pocket. I’m tempted to tell her how impolite it is, but her scowl stops me. Whatever the message is, she’s not thrilled about it. “Whatis it?”

She shakes her head and looks up at me. “It’s nothing.”

I’m already out of my chair, shortening the distance between us. I see her take a sharp breath before lowering her hand with her phone to her side. I stop in front of her so close that we’re almost brushing up against each other as I look down at her.

“What is it?” I ask again, but she simply lowers her head.

Why the hell would she tell you?

“I told you, it’s nothing.” Her voice is barely audible.

I gently reach out, place a finger under her chin, and lift it, forcing her to look up at me. Her chest moves up and down as her lips part. There’s something in her eyes, familiar and dark, something I’ve felt since I laid eyes on her. Desire.

“Don’t be afraid to approach me,” I remind her of my words. “Don’t be afraid to talk to me.” I almost laugh at myself. I’ve done nothing but scare her away, and now I’m telling her to open up to me. She must be thinking the same thing because her brows knit together. I let out a sigh and drop my finger, hopingher head doesn’t follow it. I know I need to address what happened last night, but I’m not sure how to broach the subject without making things even worse. “I owe you an apology.” That should do it.

Elana’s eyes widen. “What for?” I don’t want to scare her away or scare her into telling me what made her scowl at her phone. I don’t want her to be so uncomfortable around me that she doesn’t even want to be in my presence. And things are headed that way if I don’t do something about my behavior.

“About last night. I was… out of line,” I admit, the words feel foreign on my tongue. I’ve never apologized to anyone for anything, let alone for being out of line.

“I’m sorry, too.” She nods slowly. “I should have been more careful. It won’t happen again, I promise.” I want to let her know that if it were up to me, I’d have her changing in my room from now on.

“I don’t want you feeling like you have to apologize for making yourself at home.” How do I explain this without actually explaining it? “I didn’t get angry because you left the door open. I got angry because…” Because it made me want to rip the rest of your clothes off, and I couldn’t…. shouldn’t. “Because I’m not used to this.”

“Seeing women shirtless?” Her giggles make some of the tension evaporate. I love her giggle, even if it’s at my expense. I scoff with a smile. “Oh, so they do work, after all.” She rests her hands on her hips.

“What?” I narrow my brows.

“Your cheek muscles.” Her voice booms through the office. “You never smile, so I thought they might be defective. Good to see that they’re in excellent shape, just like the rest of you.” Her smile drops, and her hand flies to her mouth.

“Just like the rest of me, hmm?” I raise a brow, aware of the smirk tugging at my lips. Would you like me to show you the rest of me? Unlike her, I know how to keep my thoughts to myself.

“Please, I’m sorry. That was so inappropriate.” She buries her hands in her face and shakes her head, her ponytail spilling around her. I grab her wrists and gently pry her hands open. The feel of my hands wrapped around her wrists sends immediate warmth to my dick.

“That was very inappropriate indeed.” I move closer to her, her wrists still trapped in my hands. Her pupils immediately dilate, and her gaze drops to my lips. Hiding her arousal is a skill she clearly doesn’t possess. How cute. But as I catch myself rubbing her wrist with my thumb, I realize I’m no different.

Chapter ten

~ELANA~

His hands around my wrist are gentle yet firm. His thumb is tracing delicate patterns on my skin, igniting a fire that courses from my arm to my tummy. I’m locked in his gaze, our chests almost touching. I should be getting used to him being so close to me, but I’m not. Every look pins me in place, and every touch sends electricity through my body. I fight to keep my breath steady, knowing that I’m failing. My eyes are on his lips that slowly curl upwards. The world disappears, and there’s nothing but him. Why isn’t he moving or doing anything? He’s just staring at me, something dark playing in his eyes.

A sharp knock on the door shatters the moment. Shit. Adrian releases my wrists, his expression shifting from intense to composed instantly. How does he do that? I step back, my heart still racing, as he moves away from me. I immediately miss the feel of his hands on my skin and lift my hand to my other wrist.

“Come in,” he calls out, irritation lacing his voice.

The door slides open, and Melissa pokes her head in, a stack of papers in her arms.