“You are not allowed to quit in a Dear John letter.” I say this carefully. Controlled. She’s not allowed to resign at all, but one thing at a time. “And you don’t really want to, so I think it’s more accurate to say that you were looking to get my attention with a stunt.”

I give her half a beat to absorb that. Another chance to breathe in her lovely scent.

She stutters and blinks at me. “It’s not a stunt. I cannot work for you.”

“Why not?”

“Because…” She trails off, then laughs. “For lots of reasons, but let’s start with, you just threatened to spank me!”

“I promised to spank you, and only if you hit me again. Corrective consequence.”

“I don’t need correction! Who are you, and what did you do with Jacob Lowe?”

I release her wrist, only to catch her face with my hand instead as she tries to look away. I cup her cheek, my thumb dragging along her jaw. Fuck, I like making her shiver. Why wasn’t I doing this for the last two years?

Morals. Workplace harassment rules. A desperate need not to lose her, although look where that got us.

Right.

“I’m the same man you’ve always known. But right now, I’m not your boss. You quit, remember? And you quitting unleashed a different side of me. So it’s not what I did with Jacob Lowe, sweetheart. It’s what you did to him when you told me you wouldn’t be returning after the holidays.”

She gasps.

I’ve never wanted to kiss her more, and I have wanted to kiss her plenty. I just didn’t have the balls to do it before.

It’s time for that to change.

I lean in and just barely graze her lips with mine.

She shudders and stiffens.

“Shhh,” I say, soothing her. I back off, holding her face between my hands. “I’m not going to kiss you properly until you relax. But if I’m your boyfriend for the week—”

“For the night. You need to leave tomorrow.”

“Can’t do that. There weren’t a lot of tickets left for me, so I’m returning to Conception Ridge at the same time as you.”

“What?” Her gaze is wide, her panic clear.

I’ve never been so turned on in my entire life.

This is why you can’t have her, Jake. You’re playing with fire, and Sienna is too sweet and innocent for your particular cravings.

She’s not moving. Not breathing. I’m not sure she’s thinking. Her pupils are dilated, her lips parted. She’s completely still.

Tell her, you fuckhead.

I can’t.