Page 53 of Taming the Boss

As if I could trust him to be honest. It wasn’t as if criminals would tell you they were a threat. But he didn’t feel threatening. He just seemed a little lost and lonely and out of his depth and okay, maybe controlling, but he wasn’t over the top with that all the time. Maybe the sex thing was just a…quirk.

Yes, a quirk. That was how I’d think of it until I knew more.

I absolutely would not ask Reagan. She was even more suspicious than I was, and that was saying plenty. Maybe I’d ask one of my friends at The Mason Jar. Most of my college friends I’d stopped keeping up with in recent months because I was working so much.

I could ask Honey, I supposed. Although she was Christian’s girl, so even though she was close to my age and likely knew more than I did about such things, I wasn’t certain I could trust her to keep my secret. She was a new mom and super nervous about well…everything. She’d probably figure like Reagan that I’d soon be in a web of criminal activity that I’d never be able to untangle myself from unless they moved fast.

Hell, maybe they were right.

“Baddie?”

I tossed my now empty Goldfish bag in the trash can and turned to Owen. “Yeah?”

“Still hangry.” He turned over his now empty cracker bag over the counter and nothing came out but crumbs.

“Yeah, it’s getting closer to dinner time than lunch. I don’t know when the pans will be back.” I blew out a breath and sorted through the remaining grocery bag, yanking out a box of Froot Loops Owen had said he wanted. “How’s this for a snack?”

Though, shit, I had forgotten the damn milk. I wasn’t going to tell Jude, because I had no clue what his solution would be. It would be needlessly difficult, I was sure.

Instead, I pulled out my phone and opened my DoorDash app. Yay, more on my credit card. Whatever. With the day I was having, a credit card bill was the least of my worries.

Within two minutes, I’d placed an order from a nearby convenience store on Main Street, and while I was at it, I ordered a couple frozen meals. Jude had a microwave and paper plates, so if need be, at least we’d have dinner.

It wasn’t as if I had to stay here. Even without my car, I could just call Rea. She’d come get me if I asked. But that would lead to many questions I wasn’t prepared to answer.

Or even knew how to answer.

Not to mention, I felt responsible for Owen now. I couldn’t leave him here on his own. At least not yet.

In the meantime, while we waited for DoorDash, I took Owen into the sitting room we’d been in earlier that day and unearthed the remote from a stand-like thing on the coffee table. We’d just settled on the couch to watch TV when goosebumps popped along my arms. I was freaking freezing.

What did Jude keep his AC set on in this place? The Antarctica setting?

I rose to go back in the kitchen to find the HomeGoods bag. He’d dumped it on the counter without putting anything away. Owen’s spotted fish was on the counter next to his stool but I guessed he might want to hold onto the giraffe toy instead, so I grabbed that along with the movie night throw.

Ha, movie night. With Jude, it’d probably be porn.

Yet I wasn’t running. So, what did that say about me?

Curiosity killed the cat, remember?

The doorbell sounded. I hurried to answer it, first dumping the throw and giraffe on the couch by Owen. He grabbed both as I rushed to meet the DoorDash guy, who was unnaturally flirty with me as I tried to grab a couple bucks for his tip.

“Nice place,” he said, looking around as I fumbled for cash. How much had my order been? I didn’t even recall. “Your parents’ place, I’m assuming?”

“No, not her parents,” Jude said smoothly from behind me, stepping up to hand the guy a clutch of bills that far exceeded even the bill, never mind an appropriate tip. “Have a nice night.” He accepted the bag the guy held and took my hand, tugging me inside.

Then he shut the door practically in the dude’s face.

“DoorDash?” He shook his head, peering in the bag. “Milk? Frozen meals? You didn’t get enough at the store?”

“I have no pans, remember?” I snatched the bag from him and marched down the hall to the kitchen as the telltale Bubble Guppies jingle played. Yay me for knowing the Nick Jr. schedule, thanks to my nieces and nephews.

“You will soon. Caro is gathering what you requested now.”

Once in the kitchen, I set the milk on the counter next to the Froot Loops box and hurriedly dumped the four frozen meals in the gigantic, mostly empty freezer. At least he’d remembered to put away the rocket pops and the toaster waffles.

“Did you have her get some sex toys while she was out too?” I slammed the freezer door shut.

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