“Hmmm…what time is it?” I asked, feeling embarrassed, shifting back to my seat. Oh God! My head was on his shoulder, but for how long? But he’d let me rest there.

Leaning over, he brushed the corner of my lip with the tip of his index finger. “Drool much?” he chuckled.

Mortified, I ran the back of my hand over where his finger had just been.

“I was just joking,” he teased, nudging my shoulder. “I just needed an excuse to touch you.” He winked.

My eyes grew wide with an irritated frown, but what could I say after that. Though I was flattered, he was too smooth with his words, and I wondered how many girls’ hearts or pants he’d sweet-talked his way into.

“Sorry to wake you, but we’re landing,” he continued.

“Okay,” I nodded and smiled, trying to remain professional, reminding myself why I was there in the first place. New York was three hours ahead so it was already dark. By the time we got to our hotel it would be close to eight. Looking below, I could see the dazzling, colorful city lights in “the city that never sleeps.” I could feel the excitement tingling through my stomach, spreading through every part of me.

After we landed, we went to retrieve our bags and got into the same taxi. We were headed to the same hotel, that I knew for sure as I looked at my itinerary and placed it back into my workbag. My heart raced from excitement, and every fiber in my body had awakened as I looked out the window, knowing that I was where I’d always dreamed of being.

Max must have noticed my excitement. Placing his hand on my shoulder, he gave me a warm smile. I gazed back into his eyes, and held them there a little bit longer than I had expected to. I couldn’t turn away as he locked me in place. I didn’t know if it was just being inside the small space with him or the city, but whatever the reason, my heart tingled with bliss. I wanted to hold onto this feeling just a while longer, until reality settled back in.

Suddenly, the driver honked his horn, cursing out loud as he jerked the car to the left and back to the same lane. “Everyone okay back there?” he shouted.

“Don’t you lock your doors?” Max asked, growling in anger. I felt him shudder while I was in his hold.

“Sorry!” The taxi guy yelled.

Had Max not grabbed me, my head would have pounded against the window. Not only that, I had unintentionally pulled the door open by grabbing the door handle, which was the first thing my hand grabbed for when the cab swerved. The seat belt would’ve held me in place, but half of my body would have hung out the door; the thought alone was terrifying.

Thank goodness Max had fast reflexes. From the gravity of his speedy pull, my breast collided against his firm chest, and my head slid perfectly into the empty space between his head and shoulder. I sucked in air when I noted how my arms were draped around his neck.

“It’s okay. You’re safe,” he said softly, caressing my back.

Unable to respond, my body shivering was my answer. I was in his hold, and he was in mine. It felt so right, and yet it felt so wrong, but I welcomed it because at that moment I needed to feel safe, and he provided that. When I tried to pull back, he wouldn’t let go. Unable to fight his strength, I relaxed and allowed the beat of my heart to become steady again, but it couldn’t. Now my heart hammered from our bodies molding together. The truth was, I was happy he didn’t let me go.

Since I hadn’t moved a muscle, my nose and my lips were still glued to the side of his neck. How manly and sweet he smelled. I fought with all the willpower in me, when what I wanted to do was to open my lips and indulge myself with a taste of him. When he turned his head, I inhaled a deep breath. A bubble of want was building up too fast. I could feel myself losing control, especially when his warm breath tickled the side of my face.

“Are you okay? That was pretty close,” he whispered softly, every puff of air when he spoke tantalizing me.

Afraid to part my lips to speak—for they would definitely rub against his soft skin—I nodded.

“We’re here,” he whispered again, letting out a soft sigh, seemingly fighting something himself.

When his hand gently slid off my back, he directed my body forward. I was afraid to look him in the eyes, afraid of what emotion I would see in them, so I rooted my eyes to my shoes, feeling overcome with several emotions I desperately needed to control. The door swung open and I stepped out with my workbag.

“Thank you,” I said to the bellman, but I wasn’t sure if my words escaped my mouth. Not only did the icy, cold breeze make me suck in air abruptly, it stung my cheeks and my hands. Next thing I knew, Max’s arm was around my shoulders, guiding us through the entrance of The Plaza Hotel.

Though I knew I shouldn’t let him hold me that way, my legs were unsteady from what happened in the cab, so I allowed it until we reached the front desk. There we went our separate ways to check in.

“Hello, and welcome to The Plaza Hotel. Do you have a reservation with us?” the lady asked sweetly.

“Yes,” I replied, and gave her the information she asked for.

While I waited as she clicked away on her keyboard, I looked over my shoulder and saw Max standing by the sofas nearby, checking his messages on his cell phone. He had already checked in. That was fast. Was he waiting for me? It was totally unfair. Why did he have to be my boss’s son? And why did he have to make my heart skip a beat? Apparently I wasn’t the only one. He was oblivious to the ladies passing by, smiling and checking him out.