Page 37 of Off Limits (Alpha Billionaire)

I got Max buckled into the extra car seat in the back of my car and slid behind the wheel. He kept chanting ‘pool’ over and over again.

“Let me tell your daddy what we’re doing, okay?” I asked as I made eye contact with him through the rearview mirror.

I’m taking your son and running away, I texted.Clara is being particularly mean this morning. She is yelling and playing victim and threatening me. I got a room at the Valley Verge Hotel. Max and I are going swimming. I’ll keep you posted.

17

DYLAN

Kissing Jessica before I left for work was as natural as breathing. I was going to have to take the necessary steps to make sure she understood that she was much more than just some nanny I was having a fling with.

As I navigated the curving roads out of the gated community and to the office, my thoughts shifted from family bliss to work. More specifically, where the two collided. Jessica had confessed there had been a working relationship and more between her and Ryan. They had been lovers.

My jealousy needed to take a back seat to the rest of the information she had shared with me. Ryan scared her. He could be pushy. It was actually effective in business, but had he taken it too far in their relationship?

I couldn’t shake the feeling that I needed to manage this situation. This wasn’t a case ofso what, my girlfriend used to sleep with a business colleague. This was more.

I huffed out a grunt, almost a chuckle. Girlfriend. If that’s what I wanted from Jessica, I was going to have to tell her. And if that’swhat she was to me, I was going to have to support her emotional needs. Again, home and work collided. If she was afraid or had legitimate concerns about a work partnership, how did I support her and still do what was the best for my business and investors?

“Good morning. I didn’t expect you this morning,” Sarah teased.

“Why do you say that?” I asked.

“You never take time off in the middle of the week unless it's a childcare issue, and those never seem to get settled in a single day,” she said.

“I didn’t feel like working.” I shrugged as I passed her desk and continued into my office.

“I certainly understand that feeling.” She followed me in. “You have emails and only a few calls that need your attention. I’ll let you catch up, and then let me know when you’re ready, and I’ll give you all the scoop.”

“We have a scoop?” I looked up from setting my stuff down. “What do you mean, scoop? I’m out for a day, and suddenly, something happens?”

“Ah, if only it were that interesting,” she said with a sigh. “Just chatter over the Carmichael Proposal. Mr. Thompson with Frisco Investment Banking had some concerns. You’ll see it in your messages.”

I pushed the slips of paper around on my desk. I saw the one from Thompson, but there were calls from a few other key players.

“This looks more involved than one person having some questions,” I admitted.

Sarah was shaking her head and crossing her arms. “Trust me, it’s much ado…” She unfolded her arms and flapped one hand about. “These little old men are more up in each other’s business than a bunch of gossiping grannies. That’s pretty much all this is. Mr. Thompson didn’t like that you weren’t immediately available to answer his questions, and so instead of waiting and sending you an email you could answer in the evening, he had a temper tantrum. I swear, Max is better behaved than this man. He needs to learn some emotional regulation. I bet he yells at teenagers who work at fast food restaurants.”

“You assume someone like Thompson eats fast food?” I laughed. I knew what she meant. The man was short tempered. Max did display better emotional regulation.

Unfortunately, I was raised by a man who responded more like Thompson with emotional outbursts and anger. It was hard to identify in myself but embarrassing to witness in others.

I clearly owed Jessica another apology. My behavior the previous day in the car had been an old-school male tantrum. I needed to start taking the same lessons as Max for self-regulation. I should buy her a present.

Sarah huffed. “He wields power like a weapon and holds it over people with threats. I told him he wasn’t allowed to speak to me like that. I’m sure you have a demand for my termination in your messages somewhere.”

“Don’t worry about it. I will speak to him,” I grumbled. It wouldn’t be the first time I’d have to tell him he can’t boss my employees around or be rude to them. My business ran because of the work Sarah did.

“I’ll leave you to it,” she said before she turned to head back to her desk.

I was going to owe her an official apology as well. I’d have to go shopping on my way home. I knew exactly what to get each of them.

I stared at the phone messages. Thompson left a couple, and then there were calls from Gonzales and Robertson. Gonzales tended to be reactionary. Robertson was younger than me and pragmatic. I called him first.

“You never should have taken a day off. Heck, never sleep and never go home,” he started as soon as I asked what the commotion had been.

I chuckled. “That man spends more time on a golf course than I do. Next time, that’s what I’m telling everyone. I’m out of the office for golf.”

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