Page 35 of It Must Be Love

I would miss catching glimpses of Amias, but maybe that was healthy for me. With the break from Nolan and Kara, and leaving Midas, I'd be free of my crush entirely. It would be like when I was in California, where I could forget about Amias and not have to see him with a different woman on his arm.

"I wanted to talk to you after what happened at The Langham," Amias murmured, surprising me.

"Why?" I asked, perturbed. It had nothing to do with him.

"Your friend was very angry."

I shrugged, and when Noah made an irritated sound, I cooed at him.

"You're very good with him," Amias remarked.

I still refused to look at Amias.

I was so tired of myself. Of all this emotional drama that I seem to have going in my life. I wanted to be free of it. I wanted to live my life…one that seemed to have stopped three years ago when I moved to Boston to take care of my father. No, to be fair, my life had stopped when I was eighteen and had been in that car accident.

"I like babies."

"You want to have babies?" he asked huskily.

The question shocked me, and I turned now to look at him. He was close to me; I could see his eyes clearly. My lips parted, and I watched him stare at them. I knew nothing about sex except some mild groping that took place while I was in high school. I'd thought I had plenty of time to get laid, but then I had my accident, and…since then, there hadn't even been mild groping. But he was looking at me with…desire? I was probably imagining it. I knew what he thought about me and more importantly, how I looked.

"Someday." I stroked Noah's back as I rocked him.

Jess and Ethan came up to us, and Noah immediately went to his mother.

"Thanks so much," Jess said. "And for last week when you took care of him."

"Best babysitter in the world," Ethan complimented.

I felt a little embarrassed. Is that who I was? A babysitter? Like the help. What was I doing with my life?

"Jess, Ethan, Noah is adorable," Amias praised.

They both gushed. "Isn't he just." Jess kissed her son. "Well, we need to go before he becomes overtired and starts to howl."

"Yeah," Ethan agreed. "Well, I'll see you all next year when I'm back at work."

"No," Jess groaned. "I'm not looking forward to that."

"How long is your maternity leave?" Amias asked.

"I quit. I'll go back in a year. I wanted to be with my baby. It's too hard, you know." Jess smiled at Noah. "I know, I know it's not what career woman should do."

"Hey, when they say women should be able to choose, I think we should be able to choose to stay home if we want," I assured her. "Or maybe sometimes men can stay home. I worked with several women in California where their husbands quit their jobs. It's all good, and we have to do what works for us as a family."

Jess leaned to kiss my cheek. "Naya, you're pure gold."

I smiled shyly. Ethan gave me a hug. "See you next year."

I felt guilty. I'd have to call him after I talked to Amias and tell him I was leaving Midas. He'd understand, and he'd never stand in the way of my career progress; I knew that, but it would be bittersweet.

I felt an arm around me, and I froze. "May we talk?" Amias asked.

"Sure."

He gently led me outside the conference room and pressed a button on the elevator. He dropped his arm and now put it on the small of my back as if gently leading me into the elevator. I felt like I was both burning and freezing at the same time. Why was he touching me? I remembered one of my wet dreams featuring Amias and felt a throb between my legs. I could smell him, almost taste him.

You're not sixteen, Naya, you need to get over your stupid crush. He's not interested in you.

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