Page 54 of My Not So Wicked Boss (My Not So Wicked 3)

She had me laughing, remembering some good times. “All right. While we were doing some research on the Ranch today—which, by the way, this book is going to be killer good, but I can’t tell you about it. Anyway, it struck me today that I’ve never been emotionally intimate with someone of the opposite sex. And worse, I don’t think I know how.”

Emma was awfully silent on her end, which had me pulling up my knees, feeling stupid for sharing so much of myself.

“I’m just being dumb,” I tried to play it off.

“Not at all. I’m just trying to figure what to say. I think you may be on to something regarding the first thing you said, but I do think you know how to, you’re just too afraid to try because everyone is afraid of the unknown. The question is, do you want to try?”

I rested my head on my knees. “Maybe.”

“With Miles?”

“Can you be emotionally intimate with a man and remain only friends?”

“I suppose it’s possible, but . . .”

“But what?”

“If there is a spark there, I can imagine that will get difficult. What brought about this change? I thought you were upset with him?”

“I was, but he apologized, like sincerely apologized. What’s more, he’s trying to be better. And he cares about what I think. Maybe it won’t last and I’m just being foolish like always where men are concerned.”

“Aspen, you can’t think like that. If you want to be emotionally intimate with someone, you have to trust them until they give you reasons not to. Maybe Miles is the real deal. As your boss, he had no reason to apologize to you.”

“He’s the first boss who has treated me like an equal. Actually, he treats me like I’m better than he is.”

“That’s because you are.”

“Thanks, friend. How are you feeling?”

“Like I’m pregnant with twins, but the doctor told me to take B6 and Unisom at night and it’s given me some relief. At least I’m down to puking only a couple of times a day.”

“I’m sorry this has been so rough on you.”

“It’s worth it. It’s kind of like your situation. You have to go through all the pukey stuff knowing eventually you are going to get what you always hoped for. In my case, two beautiful babies. In yours, you will finally get to know the joy of real love. Whether that is with Miles or someone else. But if you feel like it’s Miles and you’re supposed to give it a chance, don’t let that stupid piece of paper get in your way.”

“It’s a very important piece of paper and my livelihood. And it’s more than the paper; he said he wished the circumstances were different and he was different.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means we will be staying friends. Which is good. You can never have enough good friends.”

“You’re lying. The Brit is getting to you.”

“I hardly know him.”

“It doesn’t take long. When you know, you know. All it took for me was one phone call with Sawyer.”

I remembered her gushing about him after the said phone call and about their date that never came to be because the unthinkable happened when her mom died and Sawyer, in a weird twist, became her stepbrother. We watched Sawyer and Emma for a year as they tiptoed around their feelings all while becoming “best friends.” She never said it, but we all knew Emma preferred him over any of us. No one could blame her. He instinctively knew how to take care of her. He knew her. Kind of like how Miles seemed to know me. Or was that Isabella? I wasn’t sure.

Maybe now was a good time to tell Emma about Miles’s family. “I’m happy for you, Em. But Miles didn’t have me sign that contract just for the fun of it. His mother,” I whispered, “was the nanny to his older brother.”

“So?” Emma questioned, but then it dawned on her. “Ohhhh. Was his dad married to another woman?”

“Yes, and Miles’s mother ran away, so Miles’s father never knew about him until he was in his late teens.”

“Holy crap! Talk about a soap opera.”

“Exactly, which is why Miles doesn’t want a scandal with his nanny.”

Emma thought for a second. “Yeah, but neither of you are married. Unless he is. Is he?”

“No, but you don’t need to be married for scandals to occur and . . .”

“And what?”

“Well, there’s this woman, Penelope Williams, who he’s friends with. She’s constantly posting on his social media and he has several of the photographs she’s taken hanging up around the house. You should look her up. She’s based out of London and extremely successful and talented, not to mention striking. Not like gorgeous, but I could see why Miles would be attracted to her. I get the feeling there is unfinished business between them.”

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