Page 88 of Taming the Boss

“It went well. They’re honestly great guys. I mean, sure, they were probably on their best behavior since I was the new dude, but it almost felt natural with them. I don’t know how. And their wives are sweet and their kids are adorable and… If I hadn’t found Owen and you, I would’ve been eaten alive with jealousy that they had so much more than I’d ever had.” A quick laugh left me. “But I have you two so what the hell could I ever be jealous of?”

“Speaking of sweet…” Maddie trailed off as she cupped my cheek. “Though you definitely tried to hide that part of yourself at first.”

“I was anything but sweet before you and my boy. Trust me. I just didn’t grasp how unbelievably lonely I was.” I rubbed her knee. “You showed me what I was missing. What I could have if I just, I don’t know, gave a little and stopped being a prick.”

“Well…” She laughed. “You were kind of a prick when you first marched into the flower shop. But it didn’t last long. Just like I said early on—when you learn better, you do better, and from the little bit you’ve shared with me, your parents were no prize.” She ducked her head and gave me a shy smile. “Maybe now it can be different.”

“It already is. Because of you.”

Already the three words that my new brothers offered their wives so easily burned on my tongue. But I didn’t want to say them here when it could be construed as just gratefulness. I was absolutely grateful, but I wanted her to understand that whether it was happening quickly or not, I understood what I was feeling.

And nothing else was shading that emotion. We had become a couple lightning fast, yes, but this was the real fucking thing.

No doubt there.

She leaned in to frame my face and kissed me once more, but when she went to untie my pajama bottoms, I stilled her hand. Much as I hated doing it, I had more to say.

“Tomorrow, I’m going to go see my dad. I hope you will come with me.”

“Oh, God, yes, of course. I wouldn’t miss it. I’ll just ask Reagan to stay with Owen. She won’t mind. She already loves him too.”

“Well, she has good taste, as do you.” I filled my hands with her hair and ranged my body over hers, nudging up her nightshirt to settle against her as if I’d been doing it forever instead of mere days. I kissed my way down her throat, letting her strawberry scent inflame me as it always did. “And you also taste fucking amazing.”

“You’re just a little biased. As am I.”

She rolled against me, lifting her legs to wrap them around my waist. My already hardening cock notched against her damp slit through my pajamas. But I didn’t slide forward because I didn’t trust myself to make it good for her after all the alcohol I’d consumed. I was also tired as hell after the emotional wreck of a day.

“You also taste like hops,” she teased.

“Had my first four Guinness tonight. I think it was four. Kinda lost track..” I chuckled against her skin, nuzzling her with my fading energy. “And scotch and mixed drinks and maybe something else too before that so if I fall asleep, I’m sorry.”

“No apology needed. Did it help?”

“Honestly, I didn’t need it in the end, but I suspected I would. Damn, you feel good.”

“Same.” She scooped a hand through my hair then feathered her fingertips down the back of my neck.

The next time I opened my eyes, the room was bathed in sunshine.

And bells were going off.

Or, as it turned out to be, the bells were the unfortunate choice for a phone alarm I’d set the night before on my way home so I didn’t sleep the day away due to a hangover.

I wanted to speak to my father if he was at work today. I knew some people were taking the day off to make the holiday into a four-day weekend, but we’d lost enough time already.

Waiting wouldn’t make this any easier.

I lifted my head and looked around blearily, shoving my hair out of my eyes when Maddie came in, toting Owen in her arms. “Oh, look, Daddy’s finally up. We made pancakes for breakfast if you’re hungry before we go see your father.”

Groaning, I rolled on my back and flung my arms wide. “Did you make coffee too, I hope? I need about a gallon to go with my ibuprofen.”

She winced in sympathy and put her finger to her mouth to shush Owen when he started a babbling happy conversation with the spotted fish he was clutching. “Headache?” she asked gently.

“Yeah. Think next time I’ll skip the libations.” I sat up and held open my arms for Owen. And for Maddie too, which she swiftly grasped and came to sit beside me in bed.

Owen climbed onto my lap and then he flung himself at my chest, making Maddie laugh as he pushed me down to basically clamber onto me. I hugged him tight, tickling him to make him giggle before I did the same thing to her. Then I planted kisses all over both of their faces. “Your laughter is the best.”

“Which?” Owen demanded, still giggling and returning the favor by tickling me too.

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