Page 49 of Taming the Boss

Much better all around if I found someone on my own. Someone I could trust with my son. Someone who would stick.

But I wanted fucking Maddie. Already she occupied my mind too much of my waking moments—and she’d even found me in sleep. Even before today, when I’d felt her wetness and had just inhaled the briefest hint of her intimate scent.

Now I craved more.

I wanted everything.

I carted in two loads of groceries and stacked them on the counters in the kitchen then returned for the last one as the rain started up yet again. But I stood in front of the open trunk, the groceries getting wet, while I stared up at windows of the second floor and imagined her in one of the bathrooms, furtively taking care of what I’d started.

My dick pulsed. That was my job, and I’d fucking handle it. But first, I’d spell out what I had in mind so we were clear on every level.

If she agreed to work for me, she’d be agreeing to the rest too. And if not, better I knew now.

But I needed to seal the damn deal. One way or another, I had to convince her to work for me. To stay with us. Even if it might turn out to be the last thing I ever did if her big brother the cop found out and made my life a living hell.

Worth it.

Before the endless rain ruined my suit, I grabbed the last two bags and shut the trunk. I was in the kitchen still putting away items when Maddie came in with Owen on her hip once again and carted him over to the counter. “What’s for lunch?” she asked, setting him down on a stool.

I started to toss back a smart ass response then I remembered she’d agreed to nothing yet. Of course, I hadn’t actually posed a question. Just made demands couched in innuendos.

“What would you like?”

She ruffled Owen’s hair and cocked her head. “What do you feel like?”

“Sketti and hot dogs.”

Oh, yay. But I refrained from comment.

She grinned. “You’re game to try that, huh? Not toaster waffles? I had a feeling that was top of your list.”

“Breakfast,” he announced then he shifted to look at the clock at the wall. “It’s way past lunch.”

“Wow, you can tell time too?”

He nodded proudly. I had to admit I was proud too. My son was smart. I didn’t know what was the usual age to learn such things since I’d never spent any time with children, but he certainly seemed advanced to me. Maddie’s reaction seemed to indicate the same.

I turned back to the refrigerator to remove the package of hot dogs I’d just put away and then took out the box of spaghetti from the nearest bag. Then I stared at them. Shit, did I even have any pots and pans?

Of course not, because I never cooked.

“I’ll handle it.” She stood and brushed past me to start sorting through the cabinets, although she swiftly realized what I just had. “No pans?” She went through a couple of the lower cabinets, banging the doors shut with an air of frustration. “Nothing?”

“I don’t cook, so no.”

“You couldn’t have informed me of that before, so we could’ve picked up some pans in order to, you know, actually make food?” She blew out a breath and quickly wrenched up her damp long, wavy reddish gold curls into a knot on top of her head. “I’ll go back and get some. It won’t take me long.”

“You don’t have your car, remember?”

“What, I can’t borrow the Jag?”

I swallowed hard. Actually, she could. Just we’d settled on nothing, and she was pissed at me. For all I knew, she’d get in the car and decide I could go fuck myself.

“You could,” I said slowly. “Or I could just order.”

A wrinkle appeared between her brows. “Order pots and pans? From where? And why, when I could just grab what we need?”

We. I was already becoming addicted to that word.

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