Page 18 of The Boss Problem

9

SEAN

Monday morning dawned unnecessarily bright and clear, and when I woke up, I did so with a groan.

I was aware that I was as hard as a brick. I groaned and ran my hands over my face. I’d had a very erotic dream involving Chloe, and I’d enjoyed every minute of it.

Chloe had been in bed with me, her head thrown back, and her white blouse was open at the buttons, exposing her perfect tits. Her breasts, round and full, were in my hands as she moaned while I took one nipple in my mouth—tasting her, licking her—while my hand pinched her other. My cock was ready, and slowly, very slowly, I nudged her thighs apart. She was so wet, moisture pooling when I reached for her clit, and I felt a sense of triumph.

She wanted me too.

And then I had woken up.

I felt an odd emotion. Something like a sense of frustration because my dream wasn’t done yet before another thought hit me.

Chloe can’t be mine. But I’m going to see her every weekday for the next six months.

When I registered that, there were no further questions. I knew exactly why I was ticked off about it. And I knew exactly how to make myself feel better.

Going to the bathroom to take care of it, I ended my feverish dream with a quick shower, damn sure that this strange dream would never happen again. What the hell was my mind doing? I never had sexual dreams about women I hadn’t slept with.

Chloe is just like everyone else, I reminded myself as I got dressed and walked into my kitchen for some coffee.

I didn’t need yet another woman to prove Dad’s words right.

When I had been younger, Mom had had an affair. When she got pregnant, she had to do a paternity test, which told Dad everything he needed to know. The child was determined not to be Dad’s, and Mom walked out on us and moved in with her new man.

In the days after, Dad constantly reiterated to me that loyalty was nonexistent in today’s world.

I didn’t believe him.

I married Helen, and unfortunately, in two years, she’d proven Dad right—loyalty didn’t exist anymore.

It was six a.m., and as the espresso machine ground the beans, I checked that Lucas was still asleep. He still had half an hour of sleep left before it was time to wake up for school. His face was small, peaceful, and I lingered by his bed for a minute, wishing he could look quite the same when he was with me.

I exited his room quietly and picked up my cup of espresso. I sat down at the long dining table and looked through the messages on my phone. I found one from my ex-wife and another one from my half-sister. A woman I’d met once, at Dad’s funeral—Erin. Mom’s other child. I had no plans of ever talking to her, so I ignored her text and scrolled to Helen’s.

Helen:Something’s come up. Call me.

I downed my espresso and went back to make a second one, steeling myself before I had to speak with her.

Second cup of espresso done, I called her. She answered on the fifth ring, just as I was wondering if I should hang up.

“Hello?” she said, sounding breathless. “Thank goodness you called. I have some exciting news.”

I waited. She had never needed me to speak much.

“He proposed!”

I closed my eyes for a second. I had known she would get married soon, but this was even sooner than I’d expected.

“Congratulations,” I said, my voice dry. “I hope you’ve made a better choice this time.”

“Oh, Sean,” she said, sounding upset. “I’m sorry. I?—”

“It’s okay,” I cut her off.

She had been very apologetic once she realized I never cheated on her. And promised to be faithful, going forward. But we both knew that she wasn’t happy with me. I worked long hours during our short marriage since it had been the start of Lead Capital Group, and I was in meetings with my business partners and clients more often than I was at home with her. I’d told her that it would get better with time, but she had assumed something entirely different about my absence.

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