Page 84 of My Not So Wicked Boss (My Not So Wicked 3)

Chloe took Henry from me and gave me a mischievous grin.

“Just take one of Miles by himself, or how about I take one of you, Molly, and Miles,” I suggested.

“We’re old news,” Molly commented. “The two of you will garner much more attention.” She wiggled her brows.

Miles whispered in my ear, “Just one, please?”

“Fine,” I sighed through my shivers.

“Close together,” Oscar instructed.

Miles put his arm around me, and I looked up at him as he gazed down at me. I didn’t realize Oscar had even snapped a picture.

“If that doesn’t say it all.” Oscar showed his phone to Molly who fanned herself. Oscar held the phone up to us and he was right, my feelings were spelled out in one look. It said, I’m willing to climb the wall again. Will you be my climbing partner? Miles’s gaze said, What am I going to do about you? That was a good question.

Penelope thought she had the answer to it. She decided to pay me a visit after everyone left and it was only Henry and me. Henry had fallen asleep on my couch while we watched Toy Story. I wouldn’t have answered the door had I known it was her. I thought maybe it was Chloe or Miles, but I should have known better since they both had keys to the cottage. I supposed it was wishful thinking. I was anxious to see how their night had gone. Chloe had texted me some pictures of some of the other dads getting autographs from Miles. A lot of men did read his books, but you wouldn’t know it by the women who followed him online. You would have thought he was writing romance novels.

When I opened the door, Penelope was standing there with mascara stains under her eyes. “Can I talk to you?” she hiccupped.

I felt sorry enough for her that I let her in.

She settled into the comfy chair across from the couch where I sat watching over my slumbering angel.

“Why are you here?” I asked, point blank. I wasn’t going to pull any punches with her.

She wiped her eyes and flipped her angular hair. “I came to warn you that this isn’t real. The Miles you think you know is a façade.”

I tried not to squirm in my seat. I didn’t want to give her the satisfaction of knowing her words bothered me. “What makes you say that, other than your jealousy?”

“You think I’m jealous of you? I do photoshoots for Vogue and Cosmopolitan. I travel the world capturing the rich and famous. Why would I be jealous of a childminder?” she choked.

I folded my arms. “You tell me.”

She pulled her thin black sweater around her. “I’m not jealous,” she lied, “because this isn’t real. Miles loves his work and freedom. And I don’t care how much you resemble his precious Isabella; he’ll always love her more than you. You don’t know him like I do. He runs from commitment at every turn. You should have seen the state he was in when he got landed with his nephew.” She pointed at Henry. “He’s all kisses and stories now, but mark my words, it won’t last. As soon as he can, he’ll ship the brat off to a prep school.”

“Don’t call Henry a brat,” I snapped at her. I wasn’t going to let anyone talk about my Henry that way.

She sneered at me. “Yes, I saw that picture you drew. The one Miles gushes over like you’re bloody Picasso. But I see right through it. You think loving his nephew will make Miles love you? By his own admission, he’s not capable of loving anyone but himself.”

“That’s where he’s wrong.”

Her laugh bordered between mirthful and evil. “Listen to you. You are a naïve poppet.” She stood up. “Do yourself a favor and open your eyes. As soon as he doesn’t need you anymore, he’ll move on. He always does.”

I stood too, ready to see her out. “It sounds like maybe it’s you who needs to move on.”

My words were much braver than I felt. What if she was telling the truth? His words kept playing in my head that he didn’t want to hurt me and all he could offer was friendship. Maybe this was why. But it didn’t add up. His actions said otherwise. Take tonight, for example. He saved my daughter from devastating disappointment. And he loved Henry. I saw it in eyes. Sophie wouldn’t have left Henry to him if she thought he was incapable of love.

Penelope’s lips curled into a snarl. “Don’t worry about me, love, it’s you who has the most to lose here.”

Would I be the loser again?Chapter Thirty-TwoI didn’t sleep well at all, so I gave up tossing and turning around five in the morning and decided I would properly thank Miles and make him some orange scones for breakfast. By all accounts Chloe had the best time. Apparently, Miles was the life of the party, getting them all to do a Congo line and the Macarena. Chloe giggled in my bed about it until she fell asleep there. She hadn’t done that in forever. I watched her sleep most of the night as Penelope’s words ran through my mind. It wasn’t only my heart on the line, it was Chloe’s too. I could tell she was becoming fond of Miles. That she wished for a father figure like him in her life.

---