Page 11 of Boss with Benefits

“Apparently, I do. You keep trying to draw it out longer than the agreed upon two weeks. We’re partners. That’s it.”

“But we could be more.” He traced her lower lip with his thumb, and his intense gaze locked onto hers. “So much more.”

An invisible magnet pulled on her, and she desperately wanted to give into the desire burning in her soul. Her gaze dropped to his gorgeous mouth. The last two weeks spent in his bed, in his arms, had been incredible.

But kissing him now would be a huge mistake.

She slowly stood and moved to the other side of the room. “Let’s keep it professional.”

“Whatever.” He stood. “You can stay home tomorrow if you want.”

“There you go acting like my boss again.”

“Sorry. Habit.” He shrugged as he headed for the door. “But I do own forty percent more than you do.”

She threw her hands into the air. “You wouldn’t let me buy more than thirty percent of the business. I had the money, and I was willing. It’s not my fault you own more.”

“It was my idea. My business. Of course I want to hold onto the majority, and that makes me your boss. You knew the facts when you signed on.”

Jessica put a hand on his back and walked him the rest of the way to the door. Once there, she opened it before he could. Her fingers wanted to curl up in the fabric of his shirt and drag him back into her home. Desirable. He was insanely desirable, and her body ached to reunite with his.

Lucky for her, she was used to denying herself.

“See you at work in the morning,” she mumbled.

He turned to look at her.

She hoped none of her nosy neighbors saw him standing outside her condo door. They might get the wrong idea. Fortunately, the hallway was empty, meaning luck was still on her side.

She swung the door shut in his surprised face and went straight to bed. The sooner she was asleep, the better. Maybe in her dreams they could make love without consequences. They sure couldn’t get together in real life. Not now. Maybe never.

She headed to the bathroom for a cold shower.

And she wondered if she should listen to Brady about skipping work.

Should she play hooky tomorrow and stay home with her son?

Chapter Three

The next morning, Jessica dressed in a rush and quickly gathered her stuff for work. She slid her phone into her purse and glanced at the clock over the mantle. Bridget would be arriving in ten to fifteen minutes. If for some reason their nanny couldn’t make it, Jessica would take Axl into the office with her.

She considered herself fortunate to have abosslike Brady. Whenever she was forced to bring Axl to work, Brady wasn’t just tolerant of the situation. He took advantage of it. If his schedule permitted, he entertained her little boy for hours. Their rapport was understandable, considering Brady could be a child at times, like most of the men she’d encountered. He was an adult... until he came into contact with a video game. Then he instantly became a ten-year-old.

Jessica mentally bounced from one option to the other concerning work. Should she go? Or should she say home with Axl?

She hesitated, and her gaze drifted to her son.

He sat at the glass kitchen table on a booster seat eating his breakfast. It was a bad-for-you sugary cereal she usually didn’t allow, but today was special. His first morning home deserved a celebratory meal. Tomorrow she would cook up something nutritious.

Perhaps she should stay home with him for one day. For the first time in years, she didn’t want to go to work. She’d cometoo close to losing him yesterday. Brady had offered her a free day at home, so maybe she should take him up on it. If she lost custody, she would wish she had spent every available second with her baby.

Did staying home from work make her a good mother? Or a bad one? She considered calling Brady’s lawyer to ask him and realized she should put Haverdash on speed dial.

“Are you going to work, Mommy?”

She gazed at Axl’s adorable face, her mind a total blank.Wasshe going to work? That was the sixty-four-million-dollar question. “Do you want me to go?” she asked.

“No. I want you to stay home and play with me.”

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