Page 33 of Off Limits (Alpha Billionaire)

“I wasn’t sure,” she confessed. “We have things we need to talk about first, I think.”

I held out my hand to her. “We do. Come downstairs with me. We can have some wine and clear the air.”

“And then?” she asked.

“And then we will figure out this whole sleeping in the boss’s bed situation.”

She smiled as she climbed out of her bed and took my hand. “I have a better idea.”

She continued walking, and now she was in the lead. She didn’t go very far. My room was only across the hall. She dropped my hand before she crawled in the middle of my bed. She crossed her legs and patted the mattress next to her.

With a shrug, I kicked off my shoes and climbed up next to her. I wrapped around her so her back was against my chest. My arms wrapped around her. “Is this what you were thinking?” I nuzzled my face against her hair.

“This is nice, isn’t it?” She leaned into my caress.

I hummed in agreement.

“I want to tell you more about Ryan, but I don’t want you to get mad at me. But I also want to know about Max’s mother.” Her voice was soft and quiet.

“I’m sorry about earlier. That was uncalled for.”

“I get it. I didn’t tell you I knew him right away. But I also didn’t think it was going to make a difference. As soon as I realized it would, I told you.” She spoke fast, even though her tone was still quiet.

I didn’t speak. It wasn’t my turn to talk but to listen.

“I… I worked for him. He was my boss.”

My arms stiffened, but I held my temper, and I continued to hold her.

“I did things I wasn’t proud of, but I’m out of that kind of work. And I tried to distance myself from him.”

“And then I bring him into the home where you work, where he can threaten you again. I’m so sorry, Jessica. And then I blamed you for my reaction.” I was quiet for a while. “I won’t bring him around again. No more golfing mornings to discuss business. I don’t want someone you don’t trust here.”

“You’ll do that for me?” She twisted so that she could look into my face.

I cupped the side of her cheek and lowered my lips to hers. Her kisses turned my brain off and my body on. “Of course I will.” I turned her so it was easier to reach her lips. There was some jostling around, and we fell to our sides, legs twining together. I would do anything for this woman.

I brushed her hair back and continued to press small kisses to her lips and face.

“You are making it difficult to focus,” she said with a light giggle.

“Then don’t think and just kiss me,” I told her.

She pushed back from my embrace. Her eyes were serious. “Did you love Max’s mother?”

“What’s this about, Jessica?”

“I don’t think it’s fair for you to get angry about my past when I don’t know yours,” she said.

“You’re right. You’re right. I was not in love with his mother, but I was prepared to make a life with her because of him. When she up and left, I was concerned, but not heartbroken. If she had taken Max with her, that would have been different. I love my son. He was a complete surprise, and I do not regret anything that led up to his being in my life.”

Jessica continued to look into my eyes. I don’t know what she was searching for or if she even found anything.

“I have feelings for you that I never experienced with Max’s mother, if that’s what you want to know.”

Jessica bit her lower lip and nodded. “Yeah, that’s what I wanted to know. I had feelings for Ryan, and he ruined them.”

“Do you have feelings for me?” I asked.

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