Free Christmas with the Boss by Annie Seaton Page A

hand. Dominic curled his fingers
around hers and didn’t let go.
     They sat on the sand together as the sun climbed quickly in the
morning sky. He didn’t tell her what was in his head, or a feeling within his
heart; he had no proof and he didn’t want to sound crazy.
    “This is the first time I’ve had that board out since then, and he
obviously had the last laugh. I suppose the soap dried up and as soon as it hit
the water, it got slippery.”
    Last night he’d pulled back when she’d mentioned going inside. He
knew she was attracted to him and he’d run. It was all too complicated; being
her boss and the crazy situation at the beach cottage that he still couldn’t
get a handle on.
    The sun caught her beautiful green eyes as she turned to him. His
confusion dissipated like the spray above the waves as she steadily held his
gaze. Instead of pulling away as he expected, she reached up and cupped his jaw
in her hand.
    “Forget about the board. Falling off didn’t hurt me. I’m sorry about
your cousin. It must have been so hard for you.”
    Dominic let go of her hand and put his arm around her shoulders. He
didn’t want her to move away. Her bare thigh was pressed up against his and
what he wanted was only a breath away. He dipped his head, closed his eyes and
lowered his mouth to hers.
    Maybe it was a kiss returned because she felt sorry for him—maybe
not. All he knew was that her lips were sweet beneath his and he explored her
mouth gently. She sighed his name and her breath whispered against his lips.
Jilly reached up and her fingers tangled in his wet hair as she pulled him
closer. There was more than sympathy in her response. He groaned against her
mouth and pushed her gently back on the sand.
    By the time he had kissed her lips, her face, and then slowly slid
his lips down her neck to that sweet spot he had noticed in the shadow of her
collarbone, she was arching against him. Dominic lowered his hand to slip it
inside her bikini top and cupped her breast in his palm. He held the full mound
gently and rubbed his thumb across the rigid peak, smiling as she murmured with
pleasure against his neck. He lifted his head and looked down at her, her eyes
were wide; she looked more alive than he had ever seen her. Passion filled her
eyes and a slow smile tilted those lips that had been against his neck a few
seconds ago. He leaned on one elbow as he circled her nipple with soft, lazy
strokes before he bent and took it into his mouth. Her skin was salty as he
licked and sucked each breast. Her fingers drifted down his back and pulled at
the waist of his board shorts and rational thought fled as his cock hardened.
    The sharp bark of a dog brought him to his senses and he pulled back
and straightened her top.
    He rolled over and sat up and looped his hands around his knees.
Luckily the dog had run ahead and the couple walking along the beach was still
a couple of hundred metres away. Jilly sat up and brushed the sand from her
shoulders.
    He stared out to sea, breathing deeply as the couple walked along
the beach towards them.
    Not a word was spoken.
    ##
    Jilly folded her arms across her chest. Her heart was beating at the
rate of knots and she flicked a glance at Dominic. He was staring out to sea;
his jaw hard. His gaze steely. So many sensations ran through her; it was more
than the physical. Somehow she knew that they had connected on a deeper level
than sheer physical need. If it hadn’t been for the dog barking, he would have
been inside her by now. She craved his touch and shivered as he shifted his
position and put more distance between them.
    The dog bounded up to them, a huge black thing with floppy ears and
loose jowls. She laughed as it nuzzled into her neck, the same place that
Dominic’s lips had been only minutes before. She jumped to her feet as the dog
played around them, and she knew the exact second that Dominic turned to look
at her, even though she wasn’t watching him. She felt his eyes on her