Page 29 of Off Limits (Alpha Billionaire)

“She never listens when I tell her to go away. Always vigilant. Now, go talk to Jessica before she leaves.”

“Thank you, Mom. I love you,” I said, pressing a tender kiss to her cheek before heading upstairs in search of Jessica.

Jessica stood in the nursery, her features etched with determination as she folded clothes with practiced efficiency. A suitcase lay open at her feet. The pale afternoon light filtered through the window, casting a cool glow around her. She looked up as I entered, her gaze a mixture of apprehension and resignation.

I swallowed hard, my chest heavy with conflicting emotions. Her confession about Ryan had shaken me to the core, stirring up a storm of doubts and insecurities I never knew I harbored. But even amid the chaos of my thoughts, one thing remained clear—my feelings for Jessica were undeniable, irrevocable.

The sight of her preparing to leave sent a pang of sorrow through my chest, but I refused to let her slip away without a fight.

“Jessica,” I said, my voice barely a whisper, “please don’t go.”

She paused, her fingers stilling on the fabric she held. “Dylan,” she murmured, her voice tinged with sadness. “You don’t want me here, not after what I’ve told you. You made that pretty clear. I understand if you need time to process everything, and I should call the placement agency.”

I closed the distance between us, my heart pounding with every step. “No, Jessica, you don't understand,” I insisted, reaching out to gently cup her face in my hands. “Yes, what you told me about your past, it threw me off balance. But it doesn’t change how I feel about you.”

Tears shimmered in her eyes as she searched my gaze, seeking reassurance, understanding. “I don't want to cause any complications for you, especially with your business dealings. And I know this is going to influence your decisions.”

I shook my head, my thumb brushing away a tear that slipped down her cheek. “Jessica, you are not a complication. You’re… you could be everything to me,” I confessed, my voice raw with emotion. “And that’s intense. And as for Ryan, well, I trust you. I trust your judgment, your intentions. If he wants to bad mouth you or try to convince me that you’re?—”

She put her fingers over my mouth. “I don’t want to talk about Ryan. He is from my past, and I really would like to leave him there. I didn’t tell you right away because I wasn’t certain whether I should. And then he made threats, said he would ruin whatever life I tried to have. I was too scared to say anything. I need this job. I don’t want to mess it up.”

“You need the job? This is all about your job?”

“No,” she said. She stopped folding the clothes and her shoulders dropped. “Until last night, yes, it’s been about keeping my job. I’m not gonna lie when I say last night was amazing and wonderful and scary.”

“Scary? What we did was scary?” I asked.

“What we did was great. The implications are scary. Dylan, I slept with you, and you’re my boss. You have to be aware of the implications of that. I’ve made that mistake before, and it was a mistake. A huge mistake. I had to change everything about my life, the kind of work I do, where I live. And so yeah, maybe I didn’t tell you when the man who ruined my life showed up in your kitchen.”

“Are you saying sleeping with me was another mistake?” That familiar tightening of anger in my chest was back.

“I don’t want it to be. I don’t want what’s happening between us to be a mistake. I want it to be something wonderful.”

The tightening in my chest evaporated. I leaned down and claimed her lips. Together, we were something wonderful.

14

JESSICA

Iwanted to melt into Dylan’s embrace. His lips were a soothing balm to my jangled nerves. I wanted to stay in his arms and forget about our little misunderstanding. His lips were the best apology I could ask for.

I heard Max stirring in his room.

Dylan broke the kiss with a groan. “You unpack. I’ll get Max,” he said.

I looked down at my suitcase. I was almost completely packed. I didn’t have very much, and the rest of my belongings were in a small storage unit in Marina. It was out of the way, but it was all I could afford. Had I been too quick to react and expect that I was about to be fired?

I pulled out the shark dress I had considered wearing that morning. As I slid it back onto a hanger, I decided I would wear it the next time Max and I went to the aquarium.

Dylan stepped back to where I was putting my clothes away. He had a sleepy Max in his arms. Max blinked and rubbed his eyes.

“We’re headed downstairs for a snack. Come find us when you’re through here,” Dylan said.

I nodded and watched them leave. Letting out a long sigh, I realized I needed to be careful. I was already falling in love with the two of them. Someone was going to get hurt. Since I was the employee and this wasn’t my home, I was pretty sure it was going to be me.

I sat on the floor of the closet after I had everything put away. I looked up at my few meager belongings hanging there. I was done. I needed to zip up my suitcase and tuck it away, but I needed this moment of quiet.

Dylan and I had made up, but I still felt vulnerable. Part of me understood why he was angry with me. I hadn’t been truthful about knowing Ryan when first asked. I had left and met Ryan in a hotel bar where more secrets were made.

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