Page 23 of My Not So Wicked Boss (My Not So Wicked 3)

“Do you think Chloe could watch Henry for a few minutes while I speak to you in my office?”

I didn’t think that would be an issue other than I feared to be alone with him. He made all my dormant senses flicker back on—like he pushed the power button on an old computer and my operating systems were slowly but surely coming back online. My brain was trying desperately to manually override the system. I didn’t have any use for flutters and raised pulses. I certainly didn’t need the longing for slow kisses. I had forgotten how much I missed them. I needed it to stay that way, but every time I looked at Miles, I found myself aching for warm lips—his lips.

No. No. I couldn’t afford to think like that. I wouldn’t think it.

“Sure,” I stammered, trying to get thoughts of kissing Miles out of my head. “Chloe, would you mind playing with Henry for a bit?”

She looked up from the train wreck Henry just initiated and grinned. “Nope.”

“Thank you, we won’t be long,” Miles added.

I followed Miles out the door and down the hall, taking note of all the black and white photographs of London that graced the walls. “Are these yours?” I asked.

Miles stopped and admired one of the River Thames. “They are. My friend took these and gifted them to me before I left.”

Friend? Was this a woman friend? “Sounds like a good friend.”

He rubbed his lips together. “She can be when she chooses.”

So it was a she. I got the feeling there was more to the story, but I didn’t ask. I was determined to not only keep our relationship all business, but I meant to keep him at arms-length, just like every other man in existence.

He gave the picture one more good look and sighed absentmindedly. “Shall we head to my office?”

I nodded and followed, but not before catching the signature—PW with a heart around it in the corner of all the photos. Interesting.

Miles pointed out his bedroom, guest room, and gym on the way to his office that honestly blew me away. The entire back wall was a window with the most gorgeous view of the nearby meadow. Not to take anything away from the beautiful landscape, but it had nothing on the large free-standing white board filled with the outline of his book. I tried not to stare, but Isabella’s name and her being held captive jumped out at me. I knew it.

Miles flipped the whiteboard around. “Sorry, I’m not ready to share her story with anyone yet. And I’ll need you to sign an NDA before I do.”

I found it intriguing that he called it her story. It sounded almost as if he were talking about a loved one. “Of course.” I turned my gaze back to the window. “I didn’t mean to pry.”

“Not to worry. I shouldn’t have been so careless. I’m not used to sharing my space.”

My head drifted in his direction. He was laying out what I assumed was my contract on his desk. “Are you sure you want Chloe and me living here?”

He set the papers down and, instead of looking directly at me, his eyes roved down the length of me. I looked down at my long sleeve tunic and leggings wondering if maybe I’d dripped food on them. I would have hoped my daughter would have mentioned that. I didn’t see any stains. So why was he staring at me so intensely? And why wasn’t he answering my question?

“Aspen,” he did that name whispering thing again that made my senses go into overload. “I . . .” he looked between me and the contract and back to me again. He clenched his fists and inhaled and exhaled enough to make his shoulders rise and fall. “The answer to your question is yes, Henry needs you.” He sounded determined. But he asked me in return, “Are you having second thoughts?” Did he want me to say yes? I swore his eyes were half pleading with me to say exactly that while the other half begged me not to change my mind.

My thoughts, as always, turned to Chloe and what this job meant for her. It didn’t matter that I would have to bury deep any stirrings for Miles I might have. Or that for the first time in several years I could picture myself searching for the key to unlock the bolt on the door to my heart. Once again, the key would remain safely hidden.

“No.” No second thoughts here.Chapter EightI was getting a lot of strange stares from my coworkers—my soon-to-be ex-coworkers—when I walked into the bank Monday morning, late, with the cutest three-year-old boy dressed in shorts. I really needed to talk to Miles about getting this little man some pants. I didn’t see any in his drawers when I got him ready. The autumn days and nights could get downright cold here. It could even snow. But then again, it was Colorado, so there could be days where it was warm enough to swim outside. You just never knew.

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