Page 30 of The Swap After Hours

Donovan shut off the car and took his seat belt off. When he reached for the door handle, I stopped him with a hand on his arm. I regretted the tightness I saw around his eyes when he turned to face me.

Over dinner it felt like we’d turned a corner in our relationship. Maybe not quite friends yet, but something more than only boss and employee and now, I worried that I’d messed it all up. He glanced down at where my hand was on him and when he looked back up, I could have sworn I saw a flash of heat along with a healthy dose of wariness.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have invited myself here to meet your mother. I don’t want to do anything that makes you uncomfortable. If you’d like me to wait out here in the car, I will.”

His mouth pinched into a tight line and his nostrils flared as he let out a deep breath but then he seemed to relax. “I suppose after watching me get head, meeting my mother should be no big deal,” he said dryly.

I pulled my hand away from his arm, sure my face was going to burst into flames. “I…I’m?—”

His mouth lifted on one side in a teasing smirk that sent a kaleidoscope of butterflies swarming inside my belly. “Relax, Trevor. That was a joke. My mom wants to meet you. She would have my hide if I made you wait out here. Besides, I’m sure you can hook her computer back up much faster than I can.”

“Oh, uh, okay. If you’re sure,” I replied lamely.

“Come on. I’m pretty sure she’s already spotted us.”

My eyes darted toward the house where I saw a curtain swaying in the window. Light spilled out onto the porch as the front door opened revealing a beautiful woman with long blonde hair. She smiled happily, waving to us as she walked down the steps.

We climbed out of the car and Donovan hurried forward to greet his mom. I hung back, watching as the two shared a warm hug. He said something to her that made her laugh, a cute little dimple winking at me from her right cheek. She leaned back, cupping his face in her hands. It was obvious that they were very close. My eyes moved to the front door, wondering if his father would come out next, but it remained empty.

“Trevor! I’m so glad to meet you.” Before I knew what was happening, Elaine was sweeping me into a big hug. Thankfully, Doug’s family were a touchy-feely bunch, so I was used to stuff like this. I hugged her back, my eyes meeting Donovan’s over her shoulder. His expression was guarded but curious as he watched us.

“The pleasure is all mine,” I assured her.

She took a step back. “I hope I didn’t pull you two away from anything important.”

“You didn’t. We’d just finished dinner,” he answered.

Concern etched across her face. “Another dinner meeting? You work too hard, sweetie. Trevor, tell my son he works too hard.”

I smothered a laugh as Donovan explained, “It wasn’t work related, Mom. We were simply having dinner.”

“Just the two of you?” Elaine blinked, eyes that looked exactly like her son’s darting between the two of us, then a slow smile spread across her face as she looked back at him. “That’s wonderful.”

Donovan frowned at her. “Mom,” he issued in a low warning.

Her face was the model of pure innocence. “What? I’m happy you’re finally getting away from the office and spending some time with a friend, that’s all.”

“Mhmm. Why don’t you show us where you want your computer.” Donovan rolled his eyes, but he smiled when she looped her arm through his.

“I’ve got everything out in the barn already, I just don’t know where any of it goes. I should have labeled the wires before I unplugged them, I suppose.”

“We’ll get it all sorted out,” I promised.

Elaine flashed a grateful smile. “So, you used to be in IT? How did you end up working as a personal assistant instead?”

I grinned. “Oh, that’s a great story.” Donovan shot me a warning look, but I ignored him, launching into the story of how we’d first met. By the time I’d finished, we’d made it to the barn and his mom and I were both laughing.

“I can’t believe you took notes for him. Most people probably would have left right away.”

I shrugged. “He looked like he needed the help.”

Donovan scoffed. “If you two are done discussing me as if I’m not here, maybe we can get to work?”

When he went to open the door to the barn, Elaine leaned in and whispered to me. “Don’t let my son scare you off. His bark is a lot worse than his bite, but I bet you already know that by now, don’t you?”

My gaze turned to the man in question. “Yeah, I’m starting to see that.”

The barn turned out to be an art studio that any artist would be envious of. Easels, light boxes, a kiln, and welding tools took up a good portion of space, and the shelves that lined the walls were chock full of art supplies. “Wow! This place is amazing,” I exclaimed.

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