Free Filthy Boss by Penny Wylder

have something to do with sex?"
    "I guess we'll have to see."
    He laughs, and it's the first real laugh I've heard all week. "Do I have anything important left today?"
    "Nope."
    "Then let's go." He grabs his phone off his desk.
    I take a moment to gather my things, "So where are we going?"
    "You'll see when we get there."
    I roll my eyes as we head to the door, "Really? You're going to play that game?"
    "My game, my rules." He says.
    "Our rules." Across the floor I see Jennifer, she's watching us leave together. I send her a smile and a wave to fight the sinking feeling in my stomach at her seeing us leave. It could merely be a coincidence that we're leaving at the same time on a Friday night. I take a breath. It doesn't matter. Jennifer's opinion of me isn't something I should be worrying about, and I push the disquiet out of my head. I can't tell Charles' he's been sulking if I slip into the same thing.
    Our hands tangle together in the cab as we head downtown, and I feel Charles kiss my hair. It strikes me, how normal this all feels. It's almost too easy. I remember when I asked him 'Do things like this really happen?'
    Apparently they do.
    "I like us like this." I say, squeezing his fingers between my own. "I like how easy it is to be with you."
    He doesn't say anything in response, only kisses my lips. There is no rush, no hesitation, just sweetness and light.
    That same raw feeling bubbles up in my gut, the one I felt when he met my parents. Like this is too deep too soon, moving so fast it's likely to pull me under. It's terrifying. I never thought I'd voluntarily drown.
    ***
    "W here are we?" I ask. It doesn't look like much, just a back street downtown. He gets out of the cab and points to a set of stairs. "We're at the beginning of the High Line. It's an old elevated railroad track that's been converted into a park. And it's one of my favorite places in the city."
    "That's amazing." I say.
    We climb the stairs and appear in a different world. Along this ledge above the city are paths filled with greenery and flowers. Strange statues and art appear at intervals along with views of downtown and glimpse of the Hudson. "I didn't know places like this existed in the city."
    His fingers curl through mine. "Most people don't when they first come here, which is why I wanted to show you."
    "Thank you." I tug on his hand, "It means a lot."
    He sighs, and pulls me over to the railing, overlooking an avenue filled with cars and people. This view sums up New York perfectly: beautiful and crowded and chaotic. "I know that I've been in my head. I'm sorry."
    "You don't have to apologize for that."
    "Being worried about something isn't an excuse for neglecting someone." He says, looking down at our entwined hands.
    I cock my head to the side, "We've had...frankly mind-blowing sex in your office every day this week. I wouldn't say you're neglecting me. Are we even far enough down this road to worry about that?"
    "I just wanted to say I'm sorry, and explain why I've been so worried."
    I prop myself up on my toes and wrap my arms around his neck. I pull his lips in for a kiss, and this time I'm the one who asks for entrance. I run my tongue along his, hopefully reminding him of other things that I've done with my tongue. "I told you, you don't have to apologize, but I always want to hear what you're thinking."
    "I've started digging deeper into Seattle's books. It's worst than I thought. It's not just that the spending is out of control, there's a bunch of efficiency issues that are causing us to lose money. I started looking into the other cities as well, and Seattle is just the one that showed up first. We're weak as a company, and as CEO I should have known that. I should have been able to see it earlier."
    "You blame yourself for this?"
    He lets go of my hand and turns out towards the city. "It's like history is repeating itself, just like Peter. I made these decisions and now the company is falling apart. If the investors see how