Wanting My Assistant

Chapter 34

   The coffee shop is a little busier than normal this morning. I promised Vanessa that I'd finally meet her for our usual coffee and breakfast. The second I walked through the door, she threw her arms around me and didn't let go until I told her I couldn't breathe.

   She had already ordered our food and drinks so she just led me over to the same booth we sit in every morning and she sat me down.

   She's been railing into me about what happened the past week for about thirty minutes now.

   "How does that even happen? You told me you don't like him!" Vanessa exclaims, taking a large sip of her frozen coffee.

   "I don't." The words fall from my mouth in defense. She doesn't have to know.

   Vanessa gasps, "You're defensive! You totally like him. Girl. Why didn't you tell me?" She takes a large bite of her bagel, staring at me with those big brown eyes of hers. In all honesty, telling her would end my tolerance. She pushes everything, and sometimes, while that is a good thing in most situations, does not work for feelings.

Vanessa doesn't really understand my thinking and I definitely don't understand hers, but telling her my feelings would be a death sentence for me. She freaked out the time I told her I was dating Ryan. I don't want her to get all crazy if she really knew.

When I don't respond to her question, she waves a hand in the air, dismissing the question with a sigh, "Whatever. Tell me what happened after I left," she grins at me, taking another bite of her bagel.

The memory fresh in my mind arises again and I can feel the heat spreading across my cheeks. He stayed the whole day with me. Holding me close and telling me things about when he was younger. In return, I told him the good things I could remember from my childhood.

We did that for hours. Hours together. Just staying in bed and cuddling. It was amazing. I wish we could take days off again to do that. Hearing Dawson tell me all about his childhood with the light in his eyes and a warm tone to his voice made me never want to leave. I never wanted him to leave.

But after dinner, he kissed my forehead and told me he had to go back to his apartment. Watching him get dressed, to know he was leaving, made my chest ache. I didn't want him to leave. Not then, not at all.

I couldn't stop him from leaving. Even though he seemed to hesitate when he hugged my body to his before he left, pressing his lips to my skin, lingering there for enough time to make me want to beg him to stay.

   Soon enough, after at least ten minutes of just hugging him, keeping him close to my body, enjoying his scent, he slowly pulled away and left me. Standing in my apartment. In his shirt. Staring at the closed door. My heart ached. Knowing he had left.

   Without much thought, I placed my hands on the flat wood of my apartment door and rested my head against it. My eyes were closed and in that moment, I wish he would have came back to hold me longer.

I know I could never have that type of relationship with him. He's an amazing, smart, good looking, down to earth, billionaire. I'm just his assistant.

Vanessa waves a hand in front of my eyes and I blink, coming back to the present. She sighs at me. I remember she asked about what happened after she left.

"Oh—Sorry. Well, he held me for a while longer and then made me dinner..." I trailed off, the faint memory of it all seemingly so far away now. Was he doing it out of guilt? Did he only go because Vanessa begged him?

Vanessa sits up a little straighter on her side of her booth, "And?"

"And then he stayed the night with me..." the fresh memory brings a small smile to my lips, my cheeks warming as I remember his soft touch.