I Do The Boss: Billionaire Romance (Managing the Bosses Book 5) (6 page)

"No. Only when you don't expect it." He pressed his teeth into her before reaching around and pressing his fingers to her swollen skin. "Come for me a few more times. I want to memorize the sound of it."

"Fuck," she whispered as her body followed his command without question.
             

Jamie woke the next morning to find the bed empty beside her, but a little note on a piece of red paper fluttered down from Alex's pillow as she reached out for him.

A smile touched her lips as she lifted it to read three words.
I love you
.

"Mmmm, me too, baby." She tugged the covers up and let out a content sigh, glad for a long night pressed to the bed beneath her man. It set things right, and whereas no one could possible understand why, she was good with it. "Now to deal with my family."

A groan left her as she pulled herself up and took a quick shower. There was far too much to do that day in the office to call in and head over to her mother’s, not to mention the fact that no one would be there. She'd have to catch them after work, maybe for dinner.

With Stephen having gone to the press, her mom and dad must have known. Why hadn't anyone called her? It's not like they would be okay with his actions. At least her father wouldn't.

She blow-dried her hair and put on a simply black dress and some red jewelry for accent. After walking Jake around the backyard for a few minutes, she had a piece of toast and drove to work in silence. The horrors of her past rolled over her, one shitty memory after the next. Her mother had never been accepting of her, and though there was a slight break in her berating over the last eight months, Jamie came to realize that it was namely due to her mom's desire to impress Alex. Everyone knew Alex Reid and wanted his attention. It would seem her own mother was no different.

How her father could stand to be in the same house with her was a mystery. Jamie refocused as a large semi pulled in front of her on the freeway, causing her to swerve and almost hit the guy to her right.

"Shit!" She hit the brake and gained control of the car before pulling into another lane and working to slow her racing heart. "Crazy idiot. Jeez. You didn't see me?"

She drove by the truck, looking back at him to make sure he knew she was pissed. Not that it mattered. He didn't pay her a bit of attention.

"Typical." She pulled off the freeway and parked in the large garage beside Reid Enterprises, but didn't get out right away. The fear of almost dying on the road left her a little itchy and agitated. Her phone buzzed, and she checked it to see her mother was calling. "Not happening."

She dropped the phone in to her purse and got out, walking to the building and through security before her phone rang again. She pulled it out, half expecting it to be her mother, but found her dad was now calling.

"Dad?" She pressed the phone between her ear and shoulder and got into the crowded elevator. She caught her father mid-sentence.

"...she's not going answer just because it's me. Oh, hi, Pumpkin. It's Dad."

"I know, Dad. I have your name plugged into my phone." She closed her eyes. Why didn't she just let him go to voice mail? She could hear her mother in the background, bitching up a storm because she answered her father's call and not her mother’s.
Damn it to hell.

"Oh, right. Sorry." He cleared his throat and said something Jamie couldn't understand. "Have you read the paper lately, Jamie?"

"Yes." She let out a long sigh. "I can't talk about this right now, but I'll be by tonight to figure it out. It's rather disturbing, to say the least."

"Yes, I would agree." His voice grew dim and her mother's filled up the line.

"Why did you answer your father's call and not mine? Something could have been wrong. Not that you care," her mother barked into the phone.

"I was in the security station at work, Mom. It wasn't meant to be—"

"Did you really let Stephen film you guys having sex?" Her mom was being entirely too loud.

Jamie clicked the off button and dropped the phone in her purse as her cheeks burned. Today wasn't going to be as bad as yesterday if she could do anything about it. She'd fight with her mother later that night over Stephen's lies, but not in the middle of an elevator full of people.

Kristen glanced up as Jamie walked into the office. "You look like you've already had a day and a half."

"I have. Almost died on the freeway, and then I accidentally answered a call and it was my mother." Jamie forced a smirk as she pressed her forearms to the front desktop. It was odd not seeing Gina sitting there as she had since Jamie started with Alex. Far longer than that, but either way... it felt as if something was missing.

"What happened on the freeway?" Alex stopped in his doorway and nodded for her to join him.

"It’ll get better. I promise." Kristen patted her arm and offered a warm smile.

"I sure hope you're right." Jamie walked into Alex's office and dropped her stuff in the nearest chair before walking to him and sliding into his arms. "I almost got in an accident. Stupid 18-wheeler pulled into my lane and didn't even notice me there."

"That's not good." He brushed his fingers by her cheek. "You're okay, though?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She pressed her hands to his chest and rubbed softly. "I need a vacation. Promise me we can take a few days off soon and start planning the wedding. It would be great to have a time table. It would give us something to look forward to, or at least me."

"Me too, baby." He leaned down and brushed his lips by hers. "Although, after last night, I think the thing I'm looking most forward to is tonight."

She chuckled. "Oh? You think you're getting a repeat?"

"I'm hoping so. It's all I've thought about half the day." He ran his hand over the curve of her rear and squeezed as the phone buzzed behind him.

Kristen's voice filled up the office. "Mr. Reid, I have Milla Wynn on line one. Would you like to take the call or should I—"

"I'll take it. Thank you, Kristen." He brushed his hand down Jamie's neck and pulled her in for one more kiss. "I love you. Have a great day today, and don't be a stranger. Tell that boss of yours to back the heck up."

"Never. I like him right on top of me." She gave him a cheeky grin before turning, grabbing her things, and moving to her office. Alex almost always had a good day, but it was his outlook on things. She would work hard to do the same; besides, she needed all the "good" she could get.

She was having dinner with her family that night.

*

Jamie lifted to her toes to try to locate the key that usually rested on the doorjamb of her parents’ front door, but came up empty. She knocked and rang the doorbell, which she hated doing. It felt too much like she was some stranger rather than their daughter.

Her dad answered the door, and by the tight grimace on his face it looked like the party had most likely started without her.

"Hi, Pumpkin." He opened his arms and gave her a hug before nodding toward the kitchen. "Your mother is in rare form tonight. She's upset about you hanging up on her. Go fix it."

"Right." Jamie dropped her purse on the dining room table before walking into the kitchen. Her mother had her back to her and seemed to be looking out into the backyard through the small window above the sink. Her apron was tied around her narrow waist, and her black pencil skirt fit her perfectly. Why she dressed up even though she wasn't working any more was odd, but just something she'd been doing for years. "Mom?"

She whipped around and her expression soured immediately. "Is there a reason you hung up on me this morning? Did your father and I teach you nothing in the way of manners?"

"I was in an elevator full of people, Mom. Your voice was carrying and the last thing I needed was for the people I work for to know that my family had laid me out for the slaughter once again." Jamie ran her fingers through her hair and wondered why the hell she thought coming over here was a good idea. It wasn't. It never was.

"Poor pitiful you." Her mother made a fake crying sound. "Regardless of why Stephen felt the need to do something so stupid, it's still publicity. We've had four calls today from various new papers and magazines asking about you and Alex. It's actually kind of fun. Nice to be recognized for being someone important."

Jamie bit her tongue as she watched her mother move around the kitchen, lost to her fantasy of being a beauty queen for the world to adore.

"He degraded Jamie, and he's going to retract those statements." Her father walked into the kitchen and crossed his arms over his chest. "You're being ridiculous about this."

"Dad’s right, Mom. Alex met with our lawyers today over all of it, and we'll be filing a slander suit against Stephen and the magazine in the next few days." Jamie pulled out her phone, but kept her eyes on her mother as she whipped around again.

"What? That's stupid. Any publicity is good publicity. Don't you know how this works? So what if you're a sex-starved whatever he called you? It makes Alex look like a great guy to stoop down to your level and lift you up. You're going to have a great story to tell one day. Stop ruining it for yourself, for us." Her mother moved to stand across the breakfast bar for her and slapped the countertop. "It's going to work out just fine."

"No, it's not, and you're being ridiculous. Dad's right." Jamie lifted her phone to her face, checking for Alex's text that he promised her he'd send. She wanted an update on his meeting with the lawyers, but the day simply got away from him. They hadn't been able to do much more than exchange a quick kiss before she headed toward her parents’. "Where is Stephen?"

"Not here. I kicked him out after everything happened." Jamie's father moved behind her and squeezed her shoulders. "Suing him is the best course of action. This place is turning into a three-ring circus. Your sister hasn't been over in a few days, and honestly, I'm getting worried about her."

"You two are just ignorant. I don't see what the big deal is. Really." Jamie's mother shrugged, wiped her hands on a towel, and walked out of the room. "Christina's just upset, as she should be. Stephen tells the world the truth, and he's degraded because of it."

"I'm going home." Jamie got up and turned to face her father. "You should have divorced her. She's fucking crazy."

"Watch your language, but I'm starting to agree with you." He shook his head. "I don't know what's gotten into her. What Stephen did was wrong, no matter the reason for it. He's sick, and you keep on top of Alex to make sure he presses charges. If he doesn't, then I will."

"Thanks, Dad." Jamie hugged him tightly before walking to the door. No dinner or real conversation, and yet it was time to go. She'd not been welcomed there by anyone but her father anyway.

"Hey. He doesn't have a tape, right? I mean... if he does, I just want to prepare myself for what could happen." Her dad opened the door and gave her a sad smile.

"No, unless he recorded us when I was unaware. He was my boyfriend, Dad. We slept together. Am I really having this conversation?" She turned and walked to her car, lifting her hand as he called after her, wishing her a good evening and offering encouragement.

She called Alex on her way home, and was relieved to have him answer the phone.

"Hey, baby." His voice was deep and filled with weariness.

"Hey. You coming home soon?" She turned onto the freeway and put the heater on, cold, though she shouldn't have been.

"No, but I'll snuggle up to you when I finally do get home. I'm working up the numbers for the accountants who are coming by tomorrow. It's almost time for second-quarter reporting." He let out a sigh. "You at home?"

"Just leaving my parents’."

"How’d that go?"

"About the way it always goes. Horribly. My mom is thrilled for the attention from the media, and my dad's disgusted."

"Jeez. Were Stephen and Christine there?"

"No, which is probably a good thing. I probably would have taken a kitchen knife to him. Sorry bastard. How dare he lash out like this? I never did anything to him, Alex. Never." She pressed her fingers to her mouth and tried hard not to let herself tumble headfirst into depression.

"People who are jealous do crazy things. Take Nicholas for instance. He got Gina to turn her back on me completely. The woman had been with me since the day I opened the damn doors. It's sick, but they crave attention, and they'll get it no matter what they have to do. Stephen is obviously sick. We're not going to let him get the last word, though. I spoke with my attorneys today, and they're drafting the lawsuit. I'll put in a call to him shortly and let him know that I'm after him."

"Let Stephen know?" Jamie felt an arrow of concern drive through her center.

"Yes. He's my old friend. Asshole. He isn't just attacking you, baby, though that would be more than enough to have me come after him. He's attacking me too. You're mine and by making you look like something you aren’t; he's painting a picture about me too."

Jamie let out a sigh and pulled into the circle drive in front of their house. "Why can't we just have a normal, quiet life? Why is everything about our reputation and yet half of it isn't within our control?"

"Because I've worked hard to turn nothing into something. That always gets people's attention. I wasn't trying to collect accolades or be in the spotlight. I just wanted to prove to myself that even though my childhood was shit, I could rise above it, and I have. I hate that all this drama comes with it, but it does. You knew that when we started dating. Just hang in there with me, and we'll figure it out as we walk through the minefield together."