Free Brushing Off the Boss: A Half Moon Bay Novel (Entangled Bliss) by Annie Seaton Page B

hours, and she looked up as he pushed the door open with his shoulder, carrying a small plastic crate full of mail, two paper bags, and two cups of coffee.
    He looked around the empty gallery, moved across to the door, and locked it. “We’re closed for lunch.”
    “Are we?” Sienna raised her eyebrows at him.
    “Yes, we are. I’m the boss, remember?” He lightened the words with a big smile and put the mail on the desk before carrying the crate to the door leading to the studio. He looked over his shoulder at her before he opened the door to the studio. “I hope you like chicken.”
    Sienna turned the closed sign around on the front door and reluctantly followed him. “It’s a shame to close now. The streets are full of tourists.”
    “They have to stop for lunch, too.” Jack put the crate on the floor and moved the blanket from the sofa to clear a space for Sienna. “You have to eat. You run around and use up so much energy. I don’t know how you do it.”
    Sienna sat beside him, keeping some space between them, and looked at the heart-stoppingly gorgeous man leaning casually back on the sofa as though he didn’t have a care in the world. Picking up her coffee, she looked at him over the rim of her cup. “Telling me what to do again, Jack?” She shook her head with a half smile. “You’re going to learn the hard way, and it won’t be pretty.”
    One corner of his mouth quirked. “I’m tough. And you do work too hard.”
    She avoided looking at his broad shoulders and the T-shirt straining over them. He picked up one of the bags and looked inside before handing it to her.
    “Thanks.” She shot him a grin. “You worked hard this morning too, Mr. Assistant.”
    “Totally out of my work ethic.” Jack took a bite of his sandwich and his gaze settled on her as he chewed. “The gallery had a good buzz, though.”
    Sienna dropped her gaze, ignoring the little shiver that prickled her skin, and looked inside the sandwich bag he’d handed her. “What do you mean? Out of your work ethic?”
    “I saw what working too hard did to my father.” She lifted her eyes to meet his, and found it hard to hold his gaze. She dropped her eyes. The fluttery feelings running around her insides were something she wasn’t used to and something she didn’t like.
    Hunger. It was the smell of the fresh bread doing it to her. She unwrapped the sandwich and broke off a small piece of bread and put it in her mouth. She glanced up again, and her stomach clenched as his gaze dropped to her lips and stayed there as she chewed.
    Right. Enough was enough . She pushed up to her feet and stood in front of him with her hands on her hips.
    …
    “What’s wrong?” Jack sat up straighter. “You don’t like your sandwich?”
    “Will you be serious for one minute?” Sienna stomped her foot, but the soft flat pump made no noise on the wooden floor. Jack put his sandwich down. He gave her his full attention before she lost her temper. She’d worked hard this morning, and he had to remember that he was the one making the most money from the gallery, her planning and hard work, and the sales she made. He must check how much his company was paying her. He’d thought of that as she’d flitted around this morning. She looked like a butterfly darting from one end of the gallery to the other, as colorful as the pieces she had so artfully arranged on the shelves. Flat black shoes and shiny leggings sat beneath a loose multicolored sheer top draping down to her elbows. Her feistiness, her energy, and her volatility hid how petite she actually was. Her personality was big enough to more than make up for her lack of size, and she was absolutely beautiful.
    “Stop gawking at me. It makes me uncomfortable.” She glared at him, and those spots of color appeared high on her cheeks again. Her dark eyes glittered.
    “Sorry.” He hadn’t meant to make her uncomfortable, but he was enjoying the view. “Did I ever tell you that you remind me of