Page 24 of Starting Over with Her Billionaire Boss

Kinsley sat stiffer than usual in the chair, not quite knowing whether to speak up or wait for her boss to break through the dense, awkward silence. She’d never seen Mr. Westerhouse exhibit this sort of temper before.

The man thumbed through the papers Kinsley had handed him. “Do you want the good news or bad news first?” he asked as he reviewed the printouts, voice unamused.

“Bad?” Kinsley asked. The scent of his cologne gently wafted toward her from the other side of the desk.

“We have to be at the Seattle office by noon tomorrow,” he bit out.

Her brow shot up. “We?”

“I’ll need your help with preparing for this meeting. Taking notes, maybe making a few phone calls while we’re there.” He looked up and their eyes connected; he had been careful not to let that happen all week. “I need you there with me.” Those words, somehow, sounded different—like a hint of longing was trapped inside.

Her breath caught as neither of them looked away. Those warm brown eyes held her captive, making it easy to forget the careful barriers she’d built over the past week. Her mind screamed at her to check the time, to remember the betrayal, but she found herself leaning toward the pull of his gaze instead. It was dangerous, this warmth blooming in her chest. She needed to focus, to remember the house, the feeling of being used. But all she could think about was how much harder it was to ignore his physical presence when he was so close to her. The past few days had made it easier, but with just one look all that progress was crumbling at her feet.

Mr. Westerhouse of course seemed unaffected. “I wish it wasn’t such short notice,” he continued, eyes darting back down to his papers. “We’ll leave tonight on a red-eye, be gone Friday and Saturday, and then return here on Sunday. Can you swing it?”

“Tonight?” Kinsley felt like a child the way she kept asking instead of answering, but she was still trying to catch up with the past sixty seconds. A few days away with her boss? The thought made her stomach flip. Being alone with him… She wasn’t sure if she was strong enough.

She wasn’t sure if she wanted to be.

“I’ll pick you up at seven and we’ll take the jet. It shouldn’t be too bad. Just wear something comfortable for the flight.”Mr. Westerhouse offered a brief smile before frowning at one particular document his eyes were scanning.

A weekend trip? Alone? Every fiber in her being screamed to say no. She couldn’t risk being alone with him for so long—not after everything that had happened. And yet, her mouth remained stubbornly closed, the words she wanted to say locked behind the warmth in his gaze.

“I guess this will give me time to read one of the books I borrowed,” Kinsley joked weakly, wishing she had the courage to object.

“Now that’s looking on the bright side, Kins.”

Kins.There it was again. Her cheeks warmed as her fingers rubbed the leather of the chair.

“What about the good news?” Kinsley was almost afraid to ask, but it would be unprofessional of her to miss a beat in their conversation.

Mr. Westerhouse spun in his chair, setting the paperwork on top of a growing stack. He stood slowly, eyes locking onto hers as he circled the desk. Each step seemed deliberate as he stopped by her side. His presence was magnetic, pulling her toward him in a way she couldn’t explain. She tensed, wondering if he felt it, too.

Her boss smiled. “There’s something I want to show you,” he said, voice softened. It was a sharp contrast to the tone he’d been using on the phone two minutes earlier. He moved closer, the distance between them shrinking as his gaze fell over her face. “It was important to my father, and it still is to me and the company. It’s something we hold close.”

There was something else behind his eyes, something she couldn’t quite read. Was this part of his plan to get closer to her? To gain her trust? Whatever it was, Kinsley had to remember one thing—her home was not for sale.

The driveto the edge of town was only fifteen minutes. As they passed through, Daegan noticed there were more boarded up businesses than the last time he had come out this way. It couldn’t have been more than a month.

“Why won’t you tell me where we’re going?” There was an element of concern in Kinsley’s voice, though it didn’t phase Daegan much. He knew she was safe.

“You’re fine,” he reassured her as he made a turn. Daegan pulled into the shelter’s back parking lot, claiming a spot near the volunteer entrance. “This is the regional shelter. They provide meals and beds for those in need, including a food pantry and other social services. Over the last few years, it has been essential to not just the town of Trueport, but also the rest of the county. Westerhouse Investments Group has been a major contributor to this cause since my father created the company.” Daegan’s voice softened, his gaze dropping to the steering wheel as the memories resurfaced. “It was very important to him to give back to those less fortunate, especially those in the community. Every week he would come to the shelter to help out, whether it was organizing the pantry, serving food, doing laundry, or anything else. He made sure the kitchens were always fully stocked. Donated large quantities of clothing, toys for kids, any other items that would help. He didn’t want people in the community to go without.”

“Your dad had a good, kind heart,” Kinsley said quietly.

“He would always come back from this place with a smile on his face and such a humble demeanor. Always said that it takes so little to make such a big impact. Even a kind gesture can makesomeone’s day. An uplifting meal that costs so little can nourish not only the human body, but the human spirit.”

“That’s quite…deep.”

“But also true,” Daegan added. “He would try to get us kids to go too, but we were selfish young boys that didn’t quite understand just how well-off we were. I see it now, of course. Looking back, I wish he’d been harder on us and forced us to go with him—to get us to see the reality of the world. But back then… I was an ass. My mother would help, though. It’s still a passion of hers to help others.”

“Where does she live now?” Kinsley asked. He wondered how she knew his mother wasn’t a local anymore. Laurel, perhaps.

“After my father passed, she spent a lot of time visiting her sister out west in Montana. Big Sky Country became her muse, you could say. Or perhaps it was her therapy and way of coping with things. She still owns a condo here in town; it’s small but it’s enough for her when she wants to come visit. She never stays long, though—her heart is in Montana with Aunt Tilly. Out there she thrives.” He paused. “I miss her, but how could I be upset?” Daegan felt a tug of a smile, thinking of how excited his mother got to show him what she and Tilly had created this time.When the sky is endless, the possibilities are too,she would say.

“Do you visit her often?” Kinsley’s tone was sincere.

“Not as often as I should.” He paused, the envelope in his desk at home weighing down his thoughts. “Now that you mention it, her home isn’t terribly far from our work this weekend. If we are going to be out that way…” His voice trailed off as his eyes drifted over to meet hers.

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