Page 34 of The Billionaire's Assistant

I poured myself a cup of tea and placed a few ginger cookies on a plate. I was still nervous as I sat down, but once we started talking, I realized I was as comfortable with everyone else as I was with Mrs. Weeks and Robert. Somehow, the opulence didn’t bother me here like it had at the gala.

Ford ended up being the one to remind me how to do the basic stitches on my scarf, but he swore me to secrecy, since none of his friends knew he knit.

I enjoyed myself so much that when everyone started gathering their things to go home, I was shocked at how late it was. As everyone said their goodbyes and made their way to the door, Mrs. Weeks linked her arm with mine. “Do you have to rush off?”

I needed to get some sleep, but I shook my head. “No.”

“Good. I wanted to talk with you for a moment.”

“Is anything wrong?” I thought back over everything that happened that evening. Had I done something wrong? Had I offended her? She looked so serious.

“No, dear. Nothing is wrong. I had lunch with Miles today.”

“You did?” He hadn’t mentioned it, so I had assumed he’d come straight to the office from the airport.

“I wanted to talk to him about what happened at the gala.”

“Did you scold him for his behavior?”

“No, quite the opposite. I thanked him for taking out that bastard.”

I smiled and couldn’t help but laugh. “So you approve of him punching people at your fundraiser?”

“When it’s necessary.”

“So what happened that you needed to discuss with him?”

“Several things, but his being there with you was one of them.”

“Me?” I wasn’t sure I liked where this was going.

“Yes, you. I haven’t seen him look so happy with anyone in a very long time.”

“I really don’t think that you understand—”

She held it by hand. “Just listen. Miles is not the sort of man who’s going to easily make confessions or talk to you about how he feels.”

Heat rose in my cheeks until my face was burned. All I could think about were the things Miles had said to me earlier that day, things that had left me disheveled and barely able to stand. I remembered waking on his couch and sneaking out of work.

She narrowed her eyes and studied me. “I see things have developed since the other night. I got that sense from him, but he’s a little better at hiding it.”

What if she told him? “Please don’t—”

“He knows my suspicions, and believe me, I don’t intend to be talking about this to anyone but the two of you.”

“Why were you talking about me? I mean no disrespect, but why does anything that happens between us matter to you?

“Miles means a lot to me. You know he was engaged to my daughter?”

“What?” I was shocked. I would never have guessed he’d been engaged before. I’d assumed he’d always just enjoyed whoever he wanted in the moment.

“I see you didn’t know.”

“No, ma’am.” I wanted to ask what happened, but I held my tongue, waiting to see what she would say next.

“His mother and I have been friends for a very long time. She’d had it in her head that Miles and Emily should marry since they were kids. The fact that they had very different visions for their futures and had never been more than friends didn’t matter. Miles grew so tired of his mother’s pestering him that, despite have a huge romantic streak and wanting to find true love, he proposed to Emily, and she accepted to help him keep the peace.”

“Oh wow. What happened?”

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