The Boss Too: Billionaire Romance (11 page)

Jamie smiled and kissed his chest. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

He laughed again. “
You’re
incredible, Jamie. You’ve no idea just how unbelievable you are.”

She shivered and his arms tightened around her. “You cold?”

“A little,” she lied. But that wasn’t why she shivered. She shivered because of the rush of pleasure she felt when he complimented her.

Alex wriggled out of his shirt and draped it around her shoulders. “There,” he said. “Is that better?”

“Much,” said Jamie. Especially since she could now run her hands all over his arms and torso. She trailed her fingers over his bicep slowly and carefully, enjoying the hitch in his breath as she did so.

Alex kissed her forehead. “You are so beautiful, Jamie. Completely and utterly beautiful. You have one freakin’ hot body. Crazy hot!” He cupped her face with his hands. “I mean that.”

I don’t.
Jamie sighed thinking back to her sex dream and how perfect her body had been in it. “I wish I could believe you.”

“You should,” he said. “It’s the truth.” He ran his fingers through his hair, the tousled look only making him more incredibly sexy.

This wouldn’t last. She had fallen hopelessly for him, but he was only looking for an outlet of distraction. They would return back to work and she would just be his PA again, and him her boss. She sighed. “You want to know something?” She entwined her fingers together and rested her chin on her hands so she could watch his expression. She rolled so her tummy pressed against his hard, flat one.

“What?” he whispered.

“I had a sex dream about you the other night.”

His cock hardened against her thigh as his eyebrows rose. He grinned sexily at her. “Really?”

“I came in my sleep,” she told him in a breathy whisper. “Twice.”

“P-Pardon?” His cock understood what she had said, he just wanted to hear the words again.

“You’ve got skills, boy,” she teased and winked at him.

He groaned and cupped her derriere. “Is dream me better than the real thing?”

She tilted her head and pretended to think about it. “I’m not sure… Do you think you could show me again so I can compare?”

“Hell yeah,” he growled before his lips smothered hers and he took her again.

The storm had long since passed when they headed back to Alex’s father’s house. They drove with the sound of a radio station playing country music quietly in the background. Jamie dozed in the passenger seat, pleasantly exhausted and spent.

When Alex stopped the car Jamie realized they were back at the house. She sat up and blinked as she looked around.

“Jamie…” Alex stared straight ahead, his hands playing with the keys. He’d opened the garage door, but hadn’t driven the truck inside. “I want to apologize for what happened.”

“You don’t have to apologize.” Jamie reached out to touch his hand. “I was clearly a willing participant.” She grinned happily. “Both times.”

He moved his hands to the steering wheel, avoiding hers. “It can’t happen again.” Alex shook his head. “It didn’t mean anything. With everything going on, I needed a distraction. That’s all it was. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done it in the first place.” He refused to look her in the eye.

His confession hit like a punch in the gut. She swore under her breath. She should have known! All she would ever be for him was a good time on the side, a nice distraction from work. He wasn’t capable of caring for someone beyond that. He had probably opened up to her more than anyone else, so she should feel a sense of accomplishment in getting that from him. She had thought there had been more to it than sex when he had taken her under the bridge.
It’s just wishful thinking. Stupid thinking
. “Of course.” She swallowed. “I-I’m glad you told me. I’m not looking for anything. It won’t happen again.” And she’d freakin’ told him about her dream! She wanted to die of embarrassment.

He looked at her with what she could only see as pity. “Jamie—”

“Don’t. It’s fine.” She opened the truck door. “The neighbors are going to start wondering why we’re just sitting in the driveway.” She forced a half smile before getting out, leaving Alex sitting in the cab, staring at her with longing and regret.

The look on his face hurt her more than his words. She knew he’d never be interested in her. She was just a distraction. No one else was available and she was more than a willing participant. She had acted like a freakin’ dog in heat. And then asked for more!

What the hell was she thinking?

How in the world was she going to get through the next few days?

Jamie hurried into the house, thankful the door was unlocked. She raced up the stairs and to the bathroom. When she came out, she could hear Alex moving about in the kitchen and the clink of a glass on the counter. She lingered in the hallway, not eager to head back down to try and make small talk with Alex. She noticed only one of the doors on the landing was fully closed.

Curious, she moved to it and tried the door. It wasn’t locked so she opened it and looked inside.

It was covered with family pictures and posters of rockstars and baseball players. Jamie recognized a young Alex and Mark with their parents. Mark looked every bit the golden boy, while Alex always had a mischievous look to him. As the kids got older, the darker streak in Alex became much more evident. There weren’t any family photos after Alex’s mid-teens, but there were a couple more with just his parents and Mark as they got older. Jamie swallowed. Even though it had all been for Alex’s own good, she could understand his bitterness well. The photos reminded her of her own family photos. After she started gaining weight, her mother and sister had encouraged her to take the photo much more than be
in
the photo, so that their firstborn daughter disappeared after her twelfth birthday in the family photo album. 

She knew this was Alex’s old room. Mark’s room across the hall and beside the bathroom had suitcases spread all over the floor with clothes neatly stacked and sorted in them from his many stays to take care of his father. All the other rooms in the house had been updated into the 21st century, but Alex’s room was like a time capsule.

There was no sign of the powerful businessman she knew.

All she saw was just a regular teenager who liked rock music, sports, and video games. The desk was messy and cluttered, and looked like it was never used for its intended purpose. His closet drawers were shut haphazardly with a part of a shirt hanging out of one and a sock out of another, as if the teenaged Alex was going to walk back in and grab them for a quick change of clothes.

Jamie sat down on the bed and leaned back. Something crinkled underneath and she pulled out two magazines from under the pillow. One was a well-worn copy of
Playboy
and the other a worn copy of
Business Insider
, which looked like it had been stolen from the local library twenty years ago. She smiled. That was the Alex Reid she knew.

“Jamie?”

She jumped off the bed like she’d been doing something wrong when she heard Alex call her name as he moved up the stairs. The slightly ajar door burst open.

Alex slowly looked around the room before his eyes settled on her. His face told her nothing. He’d managed to mask every emotion and vulnerability. “Why are you in here?”

There was no accusation in his voice, and no emotion. If he acted mad, she could retaliate but this… this she didn’t know how to respond to. “I didn’t… I thought…” She sighed. “I was just curious.”

“It’s none of your business.”

She blushed at his bluntness. “You’re right. Sorry.” She moved to go back into the hall but Alex didn’t move from the doorway.

“I apologized for what happened. What else do you want me to say?”

That you want me! That I’m the best freakin’ thing that’s ever happened to you?
“Nothing. It’s fine. Don’t read into this. I just wanted to see why the door was closed.”

“Does it matter?” He shook his head and closed his eyes a moment, the strain of earlier returning. He flicked his hand. “Forget I asked. It doesn’t matter. Look, I just got a call from one of the investors on the new business deal. He’s going to pull out.”

Jamie listened to Alex talk but in the back of her mind she already knew what he was doing. He wanted to push her away, get her out of the picture so he didn’t have to feel guilty or awkward every time he looked at her while burying his father.

“… I need you to head back and take care of things. I obviously can’t. I don’t want to lose this guy. He’s one of the reasons the deal’s going to take off. You need to convince him to stay with us.” He checked his watch. “I’ll get you on the next flight. It’ll give you enough time to head back to the hotel and pack your things and then jet to the airport. Gina’s already booking your flight and setting up a limo to pick you up at the airport.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Sorry to send you off, after… well, you understand how important this is. And this is why I hired you, after all. So you could take care of things when I’m unable to. I’ve got the funeral. I need to write the eulogy. I can’t go back.”

“It’s fine.” She didn’t miss the relief that showed in his face when she agreed. “Just let me grab my purse and then you can drive me back to the hotel.” She would need to shower and pack, however, part of her was more than eager at the opportunity to run away from him and avoid dealing with what had happened in the truck cab.

“Mark’s on his way back here. So I can’t leave.” He checked his Rolex watch. “I’ve called you a taxi. It should be here any minute.” As if on cue, a horn beeped outside the house. “That must be it.”

“You’ll be all right, with the funeral and everything?” She closed her eyes. Why should she even care?

“I’ll be fine. Thanks.” He moved to the side to let her head downstairs. “Thanks again for coming. It was greatly appreciated.”

“Glad I could be here for you.” She brushed past him and pressed her lips tight together. The lump in her throat killed but she refused to let any tears fall. At least, not until she was back home in her own bed.

She was furious at Alex for basically tossing her out the door. However, she couldn’t argue because she was frantically running away as well.

Jamie arrived back at her apartment below Alex’s house late into the night. Exhausted, she crawled into bed with her clothes on and made sure to set her alarm so she would wake up on time. She needed to get off the emotional rollercoaster she had been on.

Too tired to even think anymore, she fell asleep and decided to deal with life in the morning. Alex, her family, the shambles of her personal life, could all wait. Nothing was going to change in the night so worrying wouldn’t fix anything. Sleep would.

The morning didn’t bring any added comfort but she did feel better. She dressed and headed into the office early. Ready to tackle work and lose herself in it.

If Alex needed her, it would only be work related from now on.

She scoffed. How many times had she told herself that already?

Gina came in and told her the investor was in Alex’s office.

She nodded and grabbed her file on the table. “Thanks, Gina.” She headed into Alex’s office and looked up in surprise. “Nicholas?”

“Hey, Jamie,” Nicholas said, just as surprised as she was. “What’re you doing here?”

“Alex—Mr. Reid asked me to speak with an investor who wasn’t sure he was interested in the project. I was just going over the file.” She glanced down again. “I didn’t realize it was you.”

He harrumphed. “Where’s Alex?”

“In…” She hesitated, unsure if she should mention Alex’s father. “Mr. Reid’s away. He asked me to talk to you. What’s going on?”

He grinned at her as she walked around and leaned against the edge of Alex’s large desk. “I’m having second thoughts… on my second thoughts now.”

She smiled. “Talk to me.”

“Over lunch?” He glanced around. “Things not working out between you and
Mr. Reid?
”

She felt her cheeks burn but she ignored it. “I told you Nicholas, I work for Mr. Reid. That’s it.”

He smiled. “A beautiful woman like you, and Alex hasn’t put the moves on you? That seems impossible.”

Jamie stared at him, wondering if he knew. She doubted Alex would say anything. Maybe it was obvious on her. She held his gaze, refusing to give away anything.

“Damn! You must be really good at your job for him not to risk losing you.”

Jamie chose to ignore his comment. “I thought you wanted to talk about the investment, not Mr. Reid’s, or my, personal business.” She kept her voice pleasant but there was no mistaking her tone.

Nicholas tugged at his earlobe. “My apologies. I didn’t mean—”

“How about we talk about why you are having second thoughts. Why the hesitation to invest the money?”

The conversation continued and Jamie kept it completely professional. Nicholas commented on her knowledge and apologized again and again for his comment about Alex and her. As they wrapped up, he tried again, “Jamie, I want to apologize again for my earlier comment. It was completely unprofessional and I am not the jealous type. I don’t know why I said what I said and I hope you can forget it or let it go.”

“It’s on the verge of sexual harassment, Nicholas.” She took a moment to gloat when his eyes grew big.

“I know. I know. It was stupid. I didn’t mean it against you. Alex just has a history…”

She raised her eyebrows and he stopped. “I’m going to give you a ‘by’ on this one Nicholas. One time only. You keep your name on the contract and when the deal makes you a few extra million, you remember I gave you a second chance.” She wasn’t sure why she was saying it, but she was using his mistake as a means to force him to not break his contract. Business at this level was lethal and by any means necessary she figured.

Nicholas chuckled and handed her a check. “You got it. But not because of what I said to cover my ass, but because you’re one smart businesswo—person. Alex is an idiot, but I’m not complaining.” He shook her hand. “The dinner offer still stands, if you’re interested in talking business or ever decide you want to look at running your own company one day. I can make that happen.” He smiled and headed out of the office whistling.

Alex flew back to New York a week after his father’s funeral. He looked exhausted and it didn’t seem to take much to tick him off, but he also seemed lighter now, as if a huge burden had been lifted off his shoulders. He asked Jamie to schedule plans to see Mark for dinner in New York in about a month, and to book a few days off over the fourth of July weekend to head back home. He told her nothing else, kept it professional, and Jamie decided she needed to do the same. Her heart disagreed but she tried her best to ignore it.

The incident in the truck was never brought up, and the awkwardness between her and Alex was less apparent as the days progressed. In private, they addressed each other casually and were cordial. Jamie hated that she couldn’t dismiss the feeling of longing she felt for him. No one made her feel as good as he did. Ever.

“Are you all right?” Gina asked Jamie after work one day.

“Huh? Oh, yeah, I am.” Jamie smiled at her weakly. “Sorry, I spaced out for a second. What were you saying?”

Gina shook her head. “You’ve been spaced out for way more than a second. You’ve hardly touched your drink.”

Jamie looked at the margarita on the bar top and realized that while Gina had already drank most of hers, Jamie had only taken a few sips.

“What’s going on?” Gina’s brow furrowed. “Is this about your sister’s wedding? Christine and your mother keep calling the front desk and I just take the message and then toss it in the bin.” She grinned, and then grew serious and tilted her head as she stared at Jamie. “Did something happen with Alex in Philadelphia? You’ve seemed off ever since you guys got back.”

“We’re not supposed to address our boss by his first name,” Jamie said automatically.

Gina rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. It’s after work, we’re at a bar, not the office, and I’m not talking about our boss. I’m talking about the man you have had sizzling sexual tension with ever since you started working there.”

Jamie flushed. “I wouldn’t say anything was
sizzling
between the two of us.”

“Then you are fooling yourself. And so is Alex.” She polished off her drink and looked around the bar.

“Look, even if there was anything between us, he’s my boss. I love my job too much to risk anything.” She held her hand up to stop Gina. “Nothing happened between us. And no, nothing is bothering me.”

“You’re delusional if you think there’s nothing between the two of you.”

Jamie sighed. “It’s not Alex, okay? Things are actually fine between us. It’s my sister’s wedding that I’m worried about.” She did feel guilty about the wedding and had spoken to her mother. She promised her mother that she would be there and wouldn’t cause a scene. “I don’t want to go. But at the same time, she’s my sister, you know?”

Gina nodded sympathetically. “Normally, I’d say you should go because it’s good to have a relationship with family. But in your case, I don’t know. Your family has done nothing to support you—hell, they have even tried to sabotage you—so why should you support them? You have a tough decision. I do think you have to go if you want to continue having a relationship with them, though. Show them you are better than what they think you are.”

Jamie could imagine her life without her family. They would no longer make her feel bad about her body. Christine couldn’t insult her anymore, and she would no longer have to see Stephen. She wouldn’t have to constantly witness her mother favoring Christine over her or her father favoring work over her. But she would miss other times as well. The times she and Christine used to gossip about boys and watch romantic comedies. Trying a new recipe with her mother, only for them to realize halfway through that they forgot a really important step and had to start all over again. Attending Broadway plays with her dad. Things had gotten really messed up with the wedding and the conflict about Stephen, but it hadn’t always been that bad. At least, she didn’t think so. “I don’t know,” she said finally. She sighed. Hiding wasn’t going to fix anything. Nor was not talking to her family. Look what that had done to Alex’s. “It’s so complicated.”

Gina nodded. “Family always is,” she said and grabbed Jamie’s drink to take a sip. “Except your family’s more complicated than most.”