Page 22 of Starting Over with Her Billionaire Boss

She knocked lightly on the door before entering. When Mr. Westerhouse looked up from his desk, his expression was unreadable. “Good morning, Kinsley,” he said, his voice even.

“Good morning, Mr. Westerhouse,” she replied, trying to keep her tone professional. She handed him a stack of papers. “Here are the reports you requested.”

Daegan took them, barely glancing at the first page. “Thank you.”

An uncomfortable silence stretched between them, the events of Friday hanging in the air. Kinsley shifted on her feet, unsure of what to say. Mr. Westerhouse seemed equally at a loss, his eyes darting back to his computer screen.

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll get back to work.”

He didn’t respond. His fingers tapped against the desk, eyes fixed on the screen with a sharpness that felt dismissive. Kinsleyclosed the door softly behind her. She’d barely walked the few doors down to her own office when her phone started ringing.

She hastily answered it. “This is Kinsley.”

“Kinsley, this is Tina. Did Brian ever get back to you about your house?”

“Yeah, he actually stopped by this weekend,” Kinsley said, her eye catching Mr. Westerhouse coming through the doorway. Her heart skipped as her grip tightened on the receiver.

“Oh, that’s good. Does it seem like he can help?”

“Yeah, I think we’re going to move forward with it.” Kinsley’s finger played with the phone’s cord as Mr. Westerhouse walked to her desk, the folder in his hand held a little too tightly. He plopped it down, his eyes brushing past hers as though contact might ignite something neither of them wanted to face. Then, just as quickly, he was gone.

“That’s wonderful. I can’t wait to see what you do with the place! Old Victorians are my favorite. I—” Tina paused. “I’m sorry, Kinsley, I have to go. I forgot I have a conference call in five minutes.”

“Have fun,” Kinsley laughed.

“I wish,” Tina said before hanging up.

As Kinsley set down the receiver, she looked down at the files he’d left her. The air between them was certainly different. Thicker. Perhaps this was how things should be.

The day dragged on, the tension palpable. As evening approached, Kinsley gathered her things, eager to escape the suffocating atmosphere. She knocked on her boss’s door to say goodnight.

“I’m heading out,” she said when he called for her to enter. “Is there anything else you need?”

Mr. Westerhouse shook his head, eyes glued to his computer monitor. “No, that will be all. Goodnight, Kinsley.”

“Goodnight, Mr. Westerhouse.” The formality had turned bitter on her tongue.

As she walked out into the humid evening air, Kinsley couldn’t shake the heaviness that had settled over her. Things had changed, and she wasn’t sure they could ever return to how they were. They didn’t need to. Soon, the contractor would start the renovations, getting her one step closer to quitting this job to start her bed-and-breakfast. Despite that, once a cherished reminder of her family, the house now felt like a wedge driving them further apart with each passing day.

But I’m not giving it up.

The next morning,Daegan arrived at the office early, hoping to get a head start and clear his mind. However, the events of the previous day and the overheard conversation still weighed heavily on him. As he settled into his chair, he couldn’t shake the feeling of unease.

Morning passed in a blur of emails and phone calls. Before he knew it, it was time for his meeting. Daegan gathered his notes and made his way to the conference room, where Lourdes, Kinsley, and a few others were already seated. He paused at the door, as nervous at choosing a seat as a child on his first day of school.

He slipped into the end seat near Lourdes and adjusted his tie. It had been fine all day, but suddenly it felt too tight around his neck.

“You took her from me,” Lourdes whispered with a side-eye.

“What?” Daegan adjusted the height of the seat.

“Kinsley. She was supposed to be mine.” Lourdes turned to him with a smile. Her banter was all in good fun.

“You weren’t here.” He glanced toward Kinsley; her chin rested on her palm as she reviewed her notes on her laptop. “I really needed a personal assistant. Executive decision,” Daegan stated, his cheek tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“I heard the two of you went for coffee last week.” She gave him a gentle nudge with her elbow. He turned his head to see Lourdes’ squinted eyes—a silent dare.

“It was just coffee,” Daegan said, though his voice carried an edge even he couldn’t ignore. “Now she knows where to get the good stuff.”

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