Page 48 of Lying to the Boss

I walk to his bed and lie down, sighing when it hugs my body. Not just the mattress, but the fluffy comforter. I sigh and close my eyes.

Chapter Nineteen

Lane

I hear his soft snores before I see that he’s sleeping. A smile tugs at my lips as a warm feeling settles in my chest. I lay my tie across the chair in the corner of the room and turn to look at him.

He’s lying on the bed with his feet on the floor, arms spread out wide. There’s a peaceful look on his face, his chest rising and falling, slow and steady.

I finish undressing and pull on a pair of cotton pajama pants, nothing else, then make my way over to him. I stare down at him, my body filling with a strange sort of euphoric feeling that I’ve never experienced before.

He’s adorable. Sweet. Kind. Sexy. And right now, entirely vulnerable. Though, when it comes to his body, he has been pretty open.

I lean over him and start to undo his pants, pulling his shirt out and undoing those buttons too. It’s not until I start tugging off his clothes that he wakes up, gently stirring.

“Let me get you undressed,” I say softly.

He smirks, waggling his brows, which makes me laugh because I can tell he’s still half asleep.

“We’re going to bed,” I say.

“It’s like eight o’clock,” he whines.

Roughly, yeah. Maybe closer to nine now. Still, it is earlier than I’m sure he goes to bed. Not too early for me. It’s about my bedtime, too.

“Yes,” I say as I pull him up by his arms and take his shirt off, sliding it down his arms before tossing it onto the floor. His undershirt comes next, and then I help him to his feet and get his pants off, leaving him in nothing but his boxers.

He sways on his feet. I can tell he’s exhausted. A mix of alcohol, food, and work got to him. Happens to me too, which is why I try to stick to my routine.

I pull the blankets down, guide him into the bed, shut the lights off, and crawl in beside him. He cuddles against me, his body warm and soft. I hold him tightly, even though I know he isn’t going anywhere. He’s already snoring softly again, sleeping deeply.

I lie awake for a while, my mind going over a million different scenarios.

Yet there’s one that I keep coming back to.

A life with Tage.

What would that look like?

Would we stay here? The other house? Buy a new one?

Would he keep working for me? I doubt he’d want to quit, but would he want to stay in the same position? I could find him something different…

Would it always be like this?

Why am I thinking about this right now?

We aren’t even together. It’s strange that I’m just latching onto him like this, when I’ve never done anything like this before. I don’t do serious relationships—or romantic relationships of any kind. I don’t even date. Hookups are where I draw the line.

Yet Tage caught my attention in a different way, from the very beginning.

I look down at him, faintly making out his profile in the dark. The house is quiet, nothing but the sound of his soft breathing can be heard.

This is nice. I like this. I could get used to this.

Sharing my life with someone isn’t a goal I had. It wasn’t much of a thought at all. I was fine with how things were. I didn’t feel like I was missing anything. But when I’m not with Tage, I notice it. It was small at first, but then it turned into a large, gaping hole.

I haven’t told him this, of course. It’ll scare him away.