AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My breath hitched. I did want to sit on his lap. I wanted to straddle it, actually. But I hadn’t realized it was written all over my face. I couldn’t do it, though. It would be too intimate and I knew I would lose more than my job. I could easily lose my heart to this man.
“We really shouldn’t,” I said. “I’ll just sit right here.”
I tapped his knee with my own, forcing him to make space on the seat for me. He pressed the countdown button and wrapped his arm over my shoulder.
Click!
Oh boy! I knew his one-arm hug would look suspicious to anyone glancing at the picture. It would look like we were a couple. I should do something silly, something that wouldn’t seem too intimate. I turned to face him and stuck out my tongue. Except, he turned, at the same time, and my tongue pressed against his bottom lip.
Click!
Oh no! That was bad. So very bad. Colton’s eyes bore into mine and the fire behind them nearly burnt me. Then he placed both hands on either side of my cheeks and pulled my face to his.
Click!
Oh, forget it. I melted in his arms and kissed him back. I released all the tension I held in my shoulders this past week from lying to him, and finally allowed honesty to pour out of my mouth. The truth was that I wanted him. I couldn’t deny it any longer. But I couldn’t have him. Not as Ava and definitely not as Frannie. But as the lady in red at the office party, maybe, just maybe, I could have him for a minute. I sucked on his bottom lip and moaned into his mouth. He moved one hand through my hair to grab the back of my head, while the other pulled me closer from the waist. A harsh breath escaped his lips for a moment and he breathed out, “Ava.”
Another woman’s name on his lips, at a moment when I gave myself to him, destroyed me. So, I pulled away.
“We should get the pictures before anyone else sees them,” I said, and pulled back the curtain to the photo booth.
The booth printed the photo and I tore it from the machine. My stomach sank as I looked at our faces. Desire, impatience, hunger. It was all there. But so was the chasm of my lie. He wasn’t kissing Frances Netto. He thought he was kissing Ava Grady. My eyes watered and I walked away.
“Ava,” Colton called, but I ignored him. I knew that if he looked into my eyes at that moment, he’d see the truth. That I was a fake.
“Hey, darling!” A hand reached out and squeezed my shoulder. “I don’t think you’ve taken a picture with Santa yet.”
I didn’t turn around, but I knew the voice belonged to Clive. My back stiffened. Oh, no! If Clive looked directly at me, he would certainly recognize me. I closed my eyes and prepared to ignore him when another voice boomed from behind. “Get your hands off of her!”
Oh great! This was far worse. Clive yanked his hand back and stammered, “Yes, sir. Of course.”
Humiliated, I ran down the hallway and into the washroom. Grabbing the sink with both hands, I dropped my head and panted. I tried to steady my breaths, but it was no use.
Oh, god! What did I do? I’ve brought the entire office’s attention to myself. Now everyone must think something’s going on between Colton and me.
A knock sounded at the door and it opened slowly. I knew it was him, even before his brown Italian leather shoes appeared next to the sink.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
I nodded. “Fine, thank you.”
“Ava,”
“Please,” I begged. I couldn’t bear to hear that name on his lips right now. “I can’t do this.”
“Do what?” he asked, taking a step closer.
“Pretend anymore,” I cried, and let out the sob I’d held back for so long.
“Ah, sweetheart,” he said, putting his arm around me. I turned toward him, and he lifted my chin with his finger. “I don’t want to pretend anymore, either.”
I didn’t get a chance to ask him what he meant because he brushed my hair back and devoured my mouth before I could even form the words. Emotion took over reason and I needed to feel cared for right now more than anything else. I cupped the back of his head and held on as tightly as I could. Moving his mouth to my ear, he whispered. “Come with me.” He opened the washroom door and reached back to grab my hand.
“I’m not ready to face them,” I said.
“You have nothing to be embarrassed about. I’m the one who caused the scene. But we can go back to my office if you prefer.”
I nodded and followed him out the door. Fortunately, the hallway from the washroom to his office was away from the party, and no one saw us enter.
