Under The Mistletoe With My Boss

a's

ead me

t's not normal. Not un

rk, emails, reminders, calendar alerts, and one mes

ree

g, impeccably dressed boss b

down my spine.

e notifica

xan

his morning. Please come directly to

rops through

" I whisper

d I forget to send the quarterly file

aside and sit up,

ely remember sending because I'd been half-asleep, too tired to tak

ight beneath Alexande

o

o

o

akes as I c

t is... my

e

la

alf-

sleepy

rangled sound that

God..

est so loud it hurts. M

, no, n

, like maybe the universe decided

o

shows 'Delivered' to

Ry

ce-first into my

a time machine to go back and slap last-night me for trusting

heart pounding,

saw

ally s

me. Or worse... he'll

crashes over me. I jump off th

ou have to fix this.

oss? The man who runs an entire corporation? T

. Anderson' even in emai

time to see

e a functioning adult, get to the office, and someh

tas

lit a fire under me: shower, hair, makeup, an

d keeps replaying the i

His name..

n the toast as I

t he be

hinks it was

some unprofessional me

, this is

t, and start speed-walking down the stre

ly than caffeine ever could. But it doesn't calm me. My anx

, walking straight into the el

levator's door opens on the exec

st me slowly suffo

to appear composed. I run into Hazel, one of my c

it takes to survive today, as always, Lyla," h

a nod. "

I walk toward his office door.

er's voice says, d

ply and push

h his lerfect posture, suit immac

because he always

omething is... tigh

g, Ms. Ander

eady. Too stead

ng," I

o the chair.

ike jelly, and sitting is safer tha

and sits across from me.

ke much of

ot even remotely flirty. He looks like a man try

" The pause is tiny, but it slices the air. "

o fast I swear steam mig

wasn't... I was half-asleep and exhausted, and I meant to send it to my fiancé,

s a han

rson. It'

th so fast my

his throat, clear

e is tired." His jaw flexes just a little. "And for the sake of p

so intensely I

se. Thank you,"

lly, every word chosen like he's defusing a bomb, "if such... pe

"Triple-checked. Hundred-checked. I'm

corner of his mouth. Not a smile, j

mo

again as if forcing himself back into CE

he word s

up, bro

thank you," I murmur. "Fo

pau

It is my responsibility to maintain a professional en

but

olute

ay that steadies me in

you," I

re we

ly as if determined to yank us bot

go over the quarterly figures

t, we're back

ets, deadlines, and reports. And Alexander is..

st night nor one a

ad, praying my cheeks stop bur

ng ends, he cl

e all. And M

es

hter workload this

"I... I

"Good. You'r

my things, and w

to my desk, Haz

U FI

e

Someho

ze

ll me ev

e

l trying not

a row of lau

r, bury my face in

ved...

e wors

't mention the

eird. Didn't smi

ct, controll

kes me even more aw

hard I try to sh

going to haun