Page 55 of Taming the Boss

Chapter 13

She avoided me the rest of the night. And then the next day and the day after that and then one more day for a bonus. My house was so huge, we didn’t have to ever even spend time in the same wing.

I’d left her a credit card she could use for her needs without dipping into her personal money. I assumed from my AMEX notations about charges coming in that she’d bought herself some clothes.

She hadn’t gone home yet to the best of my knowledge, since she’d ended up here without planning ahead. I wasn’t sure what she was doing about her job at the florist, since Dare hadn’t yet confirmed that her car was finished, due to an influx of customers ahead of the holiday. But now the 4th was coming up and she’d mentioned fireworks in passing to Owen the other day.

Did she still intend to take him? Was I even allowed to attend?

I didn’t know what the score was on a number of levels. I supposed that turnabout was fair play.

But from the cartoon jingles I often heard coming out of the sitting room, I knew she was watching them with my son.

Every now and then one of them would laugh or tease each other while I worked on FHK paperwork at the kitchen counter, keeping my distance not because I wanted to, but I thought if I stayed away until she indicated she wanted to talk, maybe she was more likely to stay.

Who could blame her for maintaining her distance?

And the frozen dinners she’d gotten worked for me, other than the occasional takeout meal or bowl of cereal. I made do just fine. The container of berries she’d gotten was soon emptied, so on one of my trips out, I’d stopped to pick up some fresh local ones from a roadside stand.

Maybe at some point she’d share them with me. A guy could hope.

But my hope was fading with the passing days. Between the two sexual contact near misses and the agreement I’d demanded before truly spelling out every part of whatever this was, then the leaving Maddie and Owen in the store without a full explanation and sending Caro out to get pans and dishware, the entire day we’d spent together had been a clusterfuck.

Caro had returned a few hours after she’d left, a blue Care Bear with a rainy cloud on his belly stuffed in the top of one of the paper bags she toted in. I’d tucked it in a cabinet to give Owen at a later time when he was in a better frame of mind. Or when I was.

On the evening of the day we’d spent together, more or less, she put Owen to bed in his room and laid out some clothes for him for the morning. I didn’t lay out clothes for him since he’d indicated he could handle it himself, minor issues aside, but she’d clearly wanted to try, so why not?

I had no way of knowing how that had gone, since I’d left her to her own devices for the few days since.

That first night, she’d also plugged in his carousel light and the spin of the colors on the ceiling was soothing when I checked on him before bed, only to find she’d tucked him in with both his new giraffe toy and his new fish. And in sleep, he clutched one on each side.

Every night after, she’d turned on his carousel light before he slept. I knew because I always looked in on him, even if I didn’t dare push Maddie in any way.

At least she was still in my home.

I had no clue how to handle any of the rest of it. I didn’t want to scare her off, yet I also didn’t want her to think I was bailing on her again. So, I tried to stay nearby if she had any questions, but I was giving her plenty of space to think or…whatever else.

Resolutely, I forced myself not to think of what else she might be doing.

I was unnaturally relieved that she’d asked that first night which guest room she should use, or even if I wanted her in my room. Of course, I fucking did since I’d been walking around with a semi since that afternoon when I’d made the mistake of touching her when I couldn’t finish what I’d started.

When my toddler son was sitting right there in the backseat. What the hell was wrong with me?

Too many things to calculate.

My sleep every night since had been restless. But yet again, the ball was in her court.

The day before the fourth, I woke early. I rolled out of bed and forced myself into the shower. Normally, I rose even earlier than this, but after the lackluster better part of a week without much sleep to speak of, I was dragging.

And she’d made no attempt to speak to me since her bomb that my son had likely been verbally abused, at the very least.

But I couldn’t claim to be surprised.

You’ve given her no direction, just a bunch of half-baked demands that anyone would freak out about.

I was trying something new for me—following her cues. I didn’t like not taking control one bit, but if it meant she wouldn’t run from me and never speak to me again, well, I could deal with it.

Not like I had a ton of choice in the matter. She was the one in the driver’s seat right now.

---