Unlocking my Boss’s Heart (Romance in Sweet Comedy #4)

11. Celia

Chapter eleven

Celia

S ince returning from the Waltons’ estate a few hours ago, I hadn’t accomplished much. My thoughts kept drifting to Anton. I had a feeling he wouldn’t want to talk about his father’s illness or show any emotion, especially not to me, but this had been a big scare for him.

I’d felt the urge to wrap my arms around him in a tight hug to make him feel better, but I was glad I stopped myself on time. That wouldn’t have been appropriate for a boss-employee relationship.

Despite the vulnerability of the moment, he was still my boss. That reason, however, didn’t stop my heart from fluttering and my stomach from tingling. His quiet voice had rumbled through me like water cascading down the mountain, settling in the pit of my stomach. Then, inappropriate thoughts about our current relationship accompanied those feelings, curling my toes with excitement.

Going to see him had been a bold and foolish move. I couldn’t stop thinking about the slight smile on his tired face and how good it had felt to be by his side and talk to him. I was tempted to text him to find out how he was doing, but I didn’t even have his number.

Perfect, Celia. This is a good way to get him out of your mind so you can concentrate on work.

When I opened our apartment door, Maddison was watching TV. She paused the show. “Hey, how was work?”

“Not very productive. My thoughts have been scattered since we spoke before I went to Anton’s family home.”

Maddison frowned. “Yeah, you don’t look so good.” She patted a spot near her on the couch for me to sit. “What’s wrong?”

I sighed and sat beside her. “I’m confused.”

Out of nowhere, tears welled up.

I hardly ever cried. Why these tears now?

Maddison wrapped her arm around my shoulder. “You’re confused about what?”

The reason sounded stupid to me, so how much more foolish would it appear when spoken aloud to someone else? But this was Maddison. Whatever it was, she would be there for me. She would support me no matter what.

“I think I have feelings for Anton.”

Maddison's eyes widened in surprise, and a slow smile spread across her face. She leaned back against the couch, a look of amused disbelief lighting up her features. Her lips parted as if to stifle a laugh, and she shook her head slightly before raising her eyebrows in mock exasperation.

“Girl is that all?” she exclaimed, making me feel more stupid. “I knew that ever since I saw him in this apartment. The sparks were flying between you two.”

“Really?”

“Yes. If anything, I’m surprised it took you this long to admit it to yourself.”

“I don’t–”

“You both have feelings for each other,” she insisted.

My heart did a little flip-flop.

“You think Anton likes me? It doesn’t seem so. He’s proper all the time. I’m the one constantly forcing his hand. Maybe he just tolerates it because he’s polite.”

She had a huge grin on. “ The whole reason I moved here is to practice law, Maddy. And rise to be one of the top ones . Those were your exact words.”

I frowned. “What does that have to do with anything? That goal is not to the exclusion of…” I trailed off, not having a clear idea of what I wanted with Anton.

“Of having feelings for your boss, of dating your boss, of straddling your boss, of having sex with your boss, of—”

“-stop, Maddy.” She stopped.

Her words brought warmth to my cheeks, a surge of embarrassment washed over me. I crossed my arms defensively over my chest, trying to protect myself from the overwhelming vulnerability this conversation brought on.

“You’re all talk, no action. One would think you have this huge dating profile, but you don’t. You work your life away—normal full-time job, then trying your hand at acting and auditioning when you’re off. How about you put yourself out there and date so that you can actually speak from experience?” I asked her.

“My turn will come,” Maddison stated simply. “Right now, we’re talking about you. You should tell him.”

I shot her an incredulous look. “You’re out of your mind. He’s my boss! And let me quote you: He is The Anton Waltons! And what if he doesn’t feel the same way? I can’t embarrass myself like that.”

“So, you’d rather live in the unknown and torment yourself, as you have all day, by the look of it?” my cousin said, gazing knowingly at me.

“Okay, let’s say he was interested in me. The Human Resource twins and their friends already think I got the job as a favor, and not a nice kind of favor. That’ll just add gasoline to the fire.”

“You know that you’re not in your small Texas town anymore, right? This is New York City, where you grow a thick skin. I know it’s not easy with the likes of those two women, but you have to forget about them.”

“Right.” I wasn’t convinced I could do that.

“It would take a lot of work on both Anton and you—”

“Would you please stop with this Anton and me talk? He’s off-limits, out of my league, my boss…. I can list many more reasons that put an X on the idea of him and me as a couple.”

“Well, you can’t speak for him, though. He might not see you as out of his league.” I rolled my eyes at that notion. She added, “I know you don’t believe me, but from what I saw, he wasn’t looking at your employee badge, if you know what I mean.”

“Oh, Maddy! You’re not helping.”

I got up, feeling the weight of exhaustion settle in. My tired brain needed a break, and I hoped a good night’s sleep would help me focus on work tomorrow.

“I don’t know. I’m off to bed. Maybe my little crush will fade into oblivion by the time the sun comes up.”

“I hope so, for your sake, Celia. Sweet dreams.”

Walking down the hall toward my room, I knew Maddison's “sweet dream” wish, included Anton.

When I arrived at work the following day, I took the elevator in the parking lot instead of the one in the lobby, hoping to see Anton’s car parked. Unfortunately, his designated space was empty. The disappointment that washed over me was huge. Everyone knew he was the earliest to arrive—a trait that surprised us all, given that he was the boss.

My phone rang, displaying an unknown number. I hesitated, trying to figure out who it could be.

Unless….

I answered the call too quickly. “Hello?”

“Celia?”

“Olivia?”

“Yes, it’s me. Mr. Waltons asked that you and the rest of his team meet at his apartment for case planning. I’ve emailed you the address. There’s no need to show up at work this morning.”

“Oh, thank you.”

And just as abruptly as the call had come in, Olivia hung up.

I stared at the phone in my hand. The elevator dinged, and the doors opened to the sixth floor where I worked. I took a deep breath and pressed the elevator button to take me back to the parking lot.

Reading through Olivia's email, I found Anton’s address. Rather than trying to figure out what subway route to take, I opted for a taxi. Less than half an hour later, the taxi dropped me in front of Anton’s apartment building.

The Manhattan apartment building stood tall, its sleek, glass fa?ade reflecting the city’s skyline. Modern and luxurious, it featured floor-to-ceiling windows and a chic, minimalist design. I entered the marble-floored lobby adorned with contemporary art.

Approaching the concierge desk, I was greeted by a uniformed man with a blank, professional expression.

“Good morning, I’m here to see Mr. Anton Waltons.”

“Is he expecting you?” the man asked.

“Yes, Celia Adams.”

He handed me a clipboard and a pen. “Sign your name.”

Glancing at the clipboard, I saw two other names and signed mine below theirs.

The man pointed to the elevator. “Press penthouse 1.”

“Thanks.”

Stepping off the elevator, I found myself in a large foyer with only one door. I walked toward it and rang the doorbell.

Silence followed. Just as I was about to press the button again, a muffled voice came through the door. “Come in.”

I pushed open the door and stepped inside.

The ceiling soared at least twenty feet high, and large windows covered almost every square inch of the wall opposite the front door. Everything from the paintings to the sculptures to the furniture screamed elegance and sophistication.

Anton sat on a couch, iPad in hand. He was dressed casually, and his hair was messy, as though he had run his hands through it many times.

He smiled as I approached him. “First person in.”

“I got to work earlier than usual, so I’m here early, too.”

He stood, digging his hands into his pants pockets. It was the second time I’d seen him in anything other than a suit or slacks and a button-up shirt, but he looked equally striking.

I looked around the room with interest. “Do you live here alone?”

A pathetic attempt to find out if he was dating someone. Even if he said he lived alone, that didn’t mean he wasn't in a romantic relationship. However, if he said “yes,” this infatuation I had for him would start to fade away.

“If you don't count the hundreds of books collecting dust in my study, then yes, I live alone.”

I raised a brow. “That’s a stretch. I know we lawyers have to read lots of legal books, but counting upwards of hundreds of books? I bet that’s exaggerating. Especially in this age where all legal books can easily be found online.”

“It’s not a stretch, and I’m not exaggerating.”

“Really? As someone who is a connoisseur of books and had my own tiny library back in Texas, I’m good at approximations.”

Why was I arguing with him about something as stupid as this? I should shut my mouth, sit down, and wait for the rest of the office team to arrive.

“You like to jump to conclusions, don’t you?” He smirked and folded his arms.

I gave him a challenging look. “Fine, then show me.”

We walked through a hallway and past a few doors before we got to one with double doors. He pushed it open, and I gasped.

Tall shelves full of books went from corner to corner and went from the floor to not quite the ceiling—but impressive, nevertheless. The books numbered in the hundreds. A desk stood at the corner of the room with a few files on it.

“Believe me now?” Anton asked with a smug smile.

“Touché,” I said, impressed.

I wondered if this was what Belle felt in Beauty and the Beast .

I picked the first book closest to me. It was the third edition of Frankenstein , with a vintage cover, brown, weathered paper, and bound with strings. It was my turn to smirk.

“What?” he asked.

“These aren’t law-related at all.”

“I didn’t say I had a hundred legal books. I said books.”

He crossed his arms over his chest, and I couldn’t help but notice it only made his muscled arms and chest more visible through the taut material of his shirt. I quickly looked away. His physique wasn’t helping my quest to remain immune to him.

“Do you even have time to read non-law-related books? You told me you couldn’t finish Rain Soldier .”

“I could make the time if I cared to. I prefer the classics; Rain Soldier isn’t high on my taste list.”

“Yet, you’re representing the author,” I teased.

“His publisher is paying good money.” His eyes twinkled, and a pause ensued between us.

I walked further into the library, relishing the sunshine and the open space. Looking through the glass window, I couldn’t see Central Park, but I knew it was somewhere behind the building across from me.

“How’s your dad?” I finally asked the question that had been on my mind.

His lips thinned. “Stable. His first attempt at physical therapy is this morning. We’ll see how that goes.”

“That’s good. A step forward.”

I turned and went to one of the shelves, smiling over my shoulder at him.

He followed me. “It is. By the way, I liked that you came to the house. Thanks for being there, Celia.”

It wasn’t what he said but how he said it that made my heart leap. He was closer than I had expected when I turned around. He slowly leaned in, resting his arm against the bookshelf behind me. The air became tense and thick. He was close, so very close. But I didn’t back away, even though my mind screamed at me to do so.

My eyes flickered to his mouth; I wanted to kiss Anton, here, now. With fear of what that could mean pushing at the door of my reasonable mind, I tried to steady my raging heart. But the next thing I knew, I moved and pressed my lips against his. It was a brief kiss, but heavenly, nonetheless. A second later, Anton pulled back, the shock plain on his face.

Had I misread his intention? There was no way I could ever look him in the face again.

I started to move out of his space, but he said a single word. “Celia.”

That stopped me.

My name sounded so sweet on his lips, the type of sweetness I’d never known I could taste with my mouth closed. This douceur was deep within; I didn’t understand what it was all about. I could only describe it the best I could.

His eyes searched mine. Their moss-green hue had shifted; I couldn’t tell what color they were now. But I knew he was going to kiss me. The distance between his face and mine decreased gradually, and when his lips touched mine, the swirling in my chest descended deep into my hips. I readily responded to the unhurried, exploratory kiss.

He brought his hands from the shelf above me to my lower back and held me close. I reveled in the press of his body against mine. My hands automatically rose to his shoulders as the kiss grew deeper. It was as if he was thirsty and was drinking out of a refreshing jar of water.

After a while, we broke the kiss, both breathless.

He gave my lips soft pecks. My heart pounded, and my cheeks heated with a flush. I smoothed a strand of hair behind my ear.

His eyes met mine. “I've wanted to do that for a while,” Anton murmured.

His hands cupped my face as he looked deep into my eyes.

The doorbell rang, and we stiffened—a reminder of our position as employer and employee.

I pulled away, but he steadied me and kissed my forehead. “Don’t say anything,” he instructed, his voice husky. “We’ll figure it out,” he stressed before leaving to open the door.

I straightened the imaginary creases on my clothes. My heart was racing, and the kiss lingered on my lips, sparking a whirlwind of emotions. The warmth that had spread from my core and radiating out to my limbs, now changed to a cold stark of reality.

He said we would figure this out…. What did this mean for my career?

The unknown battled in my mind with the hope for something more.