Page 27 of My Not So Wicked Boss (My Not So Wicked 3)

I tucked some hair behind my ear. “I appreciate that.”

He tilted his head as if he could read me like a book and knew how uncomfortable I was around him. More like how uncomfortable I was because I wanted to be comfortable around him. “I do hope we will be friends.”

I shifted in my chair. “I thought you wanted to keep a purely professional relationship between us.”

“I do,” he was quick to say. “But,” he leaned in closer, “coworkers can be friends. Can they not?”

“You’re my boss,” I stammered.

“I do hate that term. I would much rather think of us as partners.”

“Partners?” My voice hitched up a notch.

“You are helping me raise my nephew and run my business, which is why I wanted to talk to you.”

“Great. What can I help you with?” I needed this meeting to end ASAP before I passed out from all the shallow breathing I was doing.

His demeanor said he knew he was having an effect on me. He was probably used to it. After all, women did hand him their panties. Not sure why that was a thing. I mean, were they handing him used underwear? That was plain gross. Or did they buy a spare pair? In that case, what a waste of money. Nice undies weren’t cheap, which was one of the main reasons I switched to granny panties. They were economical and comfortable. Six in a pack, you couldn’t beat that.

“We’ll get there.” He held out his hand. “Let us first agree to be partners and friends.”

I stared at his hand, biting my lip. My head was saying proceed with caution, like, lots and lots of caution.

“Come now, what are you afraid of?” He extended his hand farther.

Him. Definitely him.

“Aspen,” he whispered.

My eyes drifted up to meet his thoughtful gaze. He was studying me like a final exam. “I don’t think it was by chance that we met.”

“I don’t either,” flew out of my mouth before I even knew I thought it.

Miles liked my response very much based on the way he leaned in closer. “Perhaps we could start there then.” He inched his hand forward.

My hand started creeping its way toward his. Miles tried not to stare at it, his eyes fixed on mine, begging me to trust him. I wasn’t sure why it was so important to him. My hand did eventually land in his. But he didn’t grasp it right away. It was as if he was giving me the chance to rescind if I wasn’t ready. How he knew me so well, I wish I knew. When my hand remained, his gently but firmly enveloped mine. It was no ordinary handshake; it was more like fusion—two things coming together to create a single entity. It caused massive stinging sensations, and worse, a clue to where the key to my heart was hidden. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know where it was, so I pulled away.

Miles exhaled audibly. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” I responded though I wasn’t sure what he was thanking me for.

He clapped his hands and rubbed them together. “Let’s get down to business now, shall we?”

That sounded safer. “Yes.”

“My publisher has informed me that I need to be more diligent about keeping up my social media presence and answering my electronic fan mail. I was hoping you could help me with both.”

“Sure. Do you have a form letter you send out or do you respond personally?”

“I have a template you can use, but if the email is particularly touching, feel free to improvise.”

“That could be dangerous.”

He chuckled. “I trust you.”

Again, that could be dangerous. “Do you have a site I can log in to?”

He reached over and retrieved a MacBook off his desk and a piece of paper. “You can use this for any business you conduct on my behalf.” He held up the piece of paper. “I’ve listed all my logins and passwords.”

I took both items. “Do you have any ideas about how you would like to present your brand online?”

“If it were up to me, I wouldn’t be on social media. I find it trite and impersonal, but my publisher and adoring fans think otherwise, so any suggestions you have would be most welcome.”

My first suggestion would be to stop thinking we were all adoring him, though it was probably true. “Can I think about it and do some research?”

“Of course. I would expect nothing less.”

“Is that all?”

“For now.”

I stood up and he followed.

“Good night, Miles.”

“Good night, Aspen.”

“I’ll see you in the morning.”

“I look forward to it.”

Me too.Chapter TenNanny life was the best kept secret. Never in all my years of working did I ever arrive at work with anyone as happy to see me as Henry was when I crept into his room early Tuesday morning. He had just woken up, but as soon as he saw me, he jumped out of bed and ran to me. “Nanny!”

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