Do Me Right (De Toi à Moi #1)

Eight

Miss Kitten was in Ryder's lap, purring contently. "She's not gonna want you to leave," I chuckled, bringing my cup of steaming hot tea up to my lips. I took a careful sip and looked up at him.

"I can always take her home with me," he said with a smile. He scratched her behind her ears, earning a satisfying deep purr from the little white ball of fluff.

"I don't think Carrie will like that."

Ryder laughed, the sweetest sound filling the silent room and then he reached forward and put his cup of coffee on the table. "I should probably go check on those parfaits, right?" When he pulled Miss Kitten off her lap, she tried to climb back up, but he pushed her down again. She stared at him as he strutted into the kitchen.

"Come here," I chuckled, picking her up and setting her down on top of my thighs. "You like him, don't you?" I asked quietly, knowing Ryder would be able to hear me if I talked too loud. Miss Kitten meowed, bumping her head against the palm of my head before looking up at me with her big, bright eyes. "I know, so do I." Sighing, I scratched behind her ears. "More than I should, probably." I laughed and shook my head. "It's crazy, right? I've only known him for a week and I don't even know him that well. But I just -"

"Here we are!" Ryder returned with two plates, each containing a delicious looking chocolate parfait, one scoop of vanilla ice cream and a couple pieces of fresh fruit. He took his place beside me again and placed both desserts on the coffee table. "I'm quite proud of these," he said with a nod of his head, staring at the treats.

"They look absolutely delicious," I confirmed. He looked over at me and smiled. "It'd be a waste to just leave them there though so why don't we dive in."

Ryder's eyes momentarily sparkled with amusement. Yes i'd love to dive in with you, they seemed to say. But he kept his mouth shut and as quickly as I'd seen it, it was gone. I sighed, reaching for a plate. What was between us anyway? Was it just sexual? I wanted it to be more, but I knew how inappropriate this was and how messy it could be if things turned sour along the way. I could lose my job.

"Are you okay?" Ryder suddenly asked as I was halfway through my dessert. We'd been sitting there in silence, the only sound to be heard was Miss Kitten's soft purring and occasional meow to ask for more of Ryder's attention.

"Yeah, I'm fine, why?" I flashed him the best smile I could muster, but it didn't pass the test. He pushed his plate back onto the table and turned to face me. "Honestly."

"Something's bothering you."

I snorted. "What are you, a psychiatrist? I'm fine, Ryder. I'm just tired."

"I know that when a woman says that, she's never just tired," he chuckled. When he realized I wasn't laughing, he cleared his throat. "Belle," he breathed. Leaning in closer, he placed a hand on my arm. "What's on your mind? You can trust me."

"I don't even know you," I whispered. I kept my gaze down, staring at a spot on the floor that looked a lot like a wine stain. How had I not noticed it before? "I mean, you're my boss, Ryder. Doesn't that concern you? You shouldn't even be here, we never should have -"

"Belle, sometimes two people are drawn to each other, it just happens. Neither of us had a choice in it. It's messed up, I know. And I know it bothers you but it just is. We can make things work. Professionally and personally."

"Make what work, exactly?" I finally looked up at him. "What are we to each other, Ryder? Apart from boss and assistant. I've known you for a week. We've never even been on a date or anything. We just... had sex. And now you're here and it's, t's confusing."