Total pages in book: 55
Estimated words: 51530 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 258(@200wpm)___ 206(@250wpm)___ 172(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51530 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 258(@200wpm)___ 206(@250wpm)___ 172(@300wpm)
The party sounds great and Tommy and I will be there. Maybe the four of us can get together the night before. How about a playdate? The boys can play and you and I can catch up over a bottle of wine. Let me know. I’ll make your favorite. 😉
And of course there is a winky face emoji glaring at me at the end.
I drop the offending phone and huff. The audacity. I mean really—responding to a six-year-old’s birthday party invite is not the best time to try and get a booty call.
I’m still stewing fifteen minutes later when Isabella walks in. “Hey, Lilian! How’s it going?”
I sigh in frustration. I want to talk to someone, but it can’t be Isabella. She’s a good friend, but she’s also Ford’s sister-in-law. Heck, it’s not a good idea for anyone here at work to know what happened between us. Before I can answer her, she looks at me worriedly. “What’s wrong? Is Lucas working you too hard? I know he’s trying to find a replacement for you-know-who.”
Normally I would laugh. It’s funny that no one mentions Lucas’ ex-assistant's name. Not since the day she was let go after trying to mess with her and Lucas’ marriage.
I shake my head. “No, Lucas is fine. It’s Ford that is driving me crazy. I’m thinking about seeing if I can just move over to work for Lucas and let Ford find himself a new assistant.”
I’m only half joking. I actually thought about it last night. If Ford starts seeing someone, could I still work for him? Maybe I should talk to Ford about working for Lucas instead.
Ford sticks his head out his office door. “I heard that, Lilian, and you can forget that happening. You’re mine.”
Issi’s eyes about pop out of her head as she looks at her brother-in-law and then at me. The possessive tone in his voice has me twitching in my seat. I swear it’s like he’s claiming me just by that look he’s giving me.
To cover up my heated cheeks, I roll my eyes. “Sure, ‘cause you’re the boss of me...”
Ford stands to his full height. “I am your boss.”
Issi looks between Ford and me with a curious expression on her face. Ford throws his hand out, pointing to his door. “Lilian, can I see you in my office please?”
I look down at my desk, shuffling through papers and trying to act like I don’t hear him.
His voice is even more demanding the second time around. “Lilian. In my office… please.”
I huff a breath, put my hands on my desk, and push myself up. Grabbing his phone, I mutter to him. “Sure, BOSS. I’ll be right there.”
Issi is watching us closely, smiling. I almost forgot she was standing here. “You here to see Lucas? He’s on a phone call, but you know he’s told me to never make you wait. You can go on in.”
“Thanks,” she tells me.
I walk past Ford without looking at him. He shuts the door behind us, and I swear I hear him lock it.
“You’re mine, Lily.”
He says it gruffly, his voice filled with possessiveness, and my whole body reacts to it. My nipples pucker, and there’s a throb in my lower belly that only one thing—one man—can cure.
I turn, ready to deny him, but the look on his face is full of seriousness. “Is this because of Ollie?” I blink in confusion, and he continues. “Are you distancing yourself from me because I have a son?”
I gasp. “I love Ollie. You know I do. Heck, Ford, that’s crazy talk. Ollie is a plus for you, what are you thinking?”
He lets out a breath, and his shoulders drop. “So it’s me. I’m the reason you don’t want to be with me.”
I blow out a breath, not prepared for this conversation in any way. “Ask me how many people I’ve had sex with.”
He grimaces, and his hands fist at his sides. “I don’t want to hear about you with another man.”
I hold my fingers up. “Three. One was when I was 19. One when I was twenty-five, and well, you know the third one.” I take a step toward him, still clutching his phone in my hand. “Ask me how many vacations I’ve been on? How many times I’ve done something that was just for me?”
He tilts his head. “How many?”
“None. Never. My whole life I've committed to doing the right thing—the responsible thing. I told myself that I was going to do things different now.”
He reaches for me and then at the last second drops his hands. “So what? That’s all this weekend was to you? You wanted to do something forbidden and irresponsible so you slept with your boss?”
The way he says it does make it seem forbidden, but why does it feel so right?
“Listen, I think this is going to hurt Ollie, and that’s the last thing I want to do. Plus, I don’t know what’s going to happen. If Carrie moves to Georgia…” My voice trails off because I can’t bring myself to say it.