Page 6 of Boss of Attraction
Declan laughed. “Oh, I’ve tried. I thought it would be fun for us to work together, but you know him. He’s set on changing the world.”
“Yeah, he wasn’t receptive when I mentioned it either.”
We stopped at his cubicle, and he grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder. “Well, I hope you have a good weekend. Don’t work too hard.”
“You too.” I grinned. “The bar is important, but you still need to find a little time for fun.”
“I always do,” he replied with a mischievous gleam in his eye and headed toward the elevator.
The aromaof freshly baked bread hit me the moment I walked in the door. It was almost seven, so Ryan and Morgan would be showing up any second. The three of us got together for dinner at least once a month, and on those nights, my personal chef, Jasper, would stay to serve our meal instead of simply preparing food for me to eat whenever I got home.
I knew my kids probably had better things to do than have dinner with me on a Friday night, but I was grateful they took time out of their busy, fun-filled schedules to hang out at the house. The truth was, the only time I wanted to be home was when they came over. The quiet got to me when I was alone, weighing me down like a suffocating blanket.
It had been five years since Melinda had passed away, and the void she’d left could still be felt. She had been the heart and soul of this house, filling it with happiness and love. Without her, everything seemed just a little bit colder. I’d considered selling the place and moving into an apartment closer to my office, but I worried about how Ryan and Morgan might feel about me selling their childhood home. It was filled with a lot of happy memories for them.
I climbed the stairs and dropped off my bag in my office before going to my room to change out of my suit. When I made my way back downstairs, I went to the kitchen to check on dinner. As I rounded the corner, Jasper greeted me with his usual smile as he put the final touches on our meal.
“Good evening, Sean. Dinner should be ready in about ten minutes.”
“Thank you,” I replied, peeking in the oven. “It smells amazing, as always.”
Jasper nodded appreciatively. “I’ve prepared your favorite, sir. A roasted chicken with rosemary and thyme, garlic mashed potatoes, and steamed vegetables.”
“And your famous rolls?” I asked with a grin.
Jasper was an incredible chef. Everything he made was excellent, but those buttery rolls were my weakness.
He chuckled. “Of course.”
A couple of minutes later, I heard the front door open.
“Hey, Dad!” Morgan called out.
I turned around to see my daughter walk in. She was dressed in a floral sundress, and her light brown hair was piled high in a bun that looked haphazard but probably took her a long time to do. Morgan was a social media influencer, so her appearance was always carefully crafted and photo-ready. I didn’t fully understand everything that went into her job, but I was grateful she’d found something that made her happy, and I would always support whatever she wanted to do.
“Hi, sweetheart,” I said and wrapped her in a big hug. “How’s it going?”
She squeezed me tight and then pulled away. “Things are good. Been busy.”
We walked to the dining room and took our usual seats. “Yeah? How’s your fashion channel going?
Her eyes lit up with excitement. “I hit a million followers last night, and I’ve been offered some amazing sponsorships lately. Plus, I have some exciting collaborations lined up for the next few months.”
“That sounds great,” I said, proud of her accomplishments. “You’ve worked hard to build your brand, and it’s paying off.”
Just then, Ryan walked in. “Damn, it smells good in here. I’m starving.”
“Hello to you too,” I chastised playfully.
“Hi, Dad.” He leaned down and wrapped an arm around my shoulders before sitting beside me. “Hey, sis. What have you been up to?”
Morgan smiled at her brother. “Oh, you know, the usual. Traveling, attending events, taking pictures.”
“Living off Dad,” Ryan added.
Morgan glared at him. “He paid for your apartment at one point too.”
“Yeah, when I was in college. You’re twenty-five and he’s still paying for your place.”
