Page 6 of Silver Fox's Twin Babies

My brain felt like it was catching up too. My thoughts were racing, but my movements were slow. I traced my eyes back up to her face and she stood with her hands folded in front of herself staring at me. “I have to run.” She swallowed hard and her cheeks flashed. She looked flustered.

“You were expecting me?” I asked, confused.

“Mr. Chaney told me to expect you.” Her eyes flicked to the clock on the wall and she blinked hard a few times.

“Is everything okay?” I asked, and my shoulders relaxed a little. She seemed as nervous as I felt. I didn’t realize she was Jacob’s assistant; Erin said nothing about it. The history between us was thick and rich with so many not-safe-for-work memories. I wasn’t sure if we were going to be able to put that aside to work together.

“Uh, yes.” She nodded, but there was something there. My dick twitched as she got more flustered. I imagined her getting flustered by me, turned on a little. Maybe her body was reacting to being near me again after all these years, the way mine was to hers.

“Something’s wrong. Tell me,” I said, and I tucked the tablet under my arm and crossed my arms over my chest.

Amber’s cheeks were rosy now. She fiddled with the hem of her jacket, the way she did when she had something to say but she was scared to. I’d seen her do it a million times. I hadmemorized her like the lyrics to a love song I would never forget. She was imprinted on my mind.

“It’s just that, well, sir…” She pressed her lips into a line and pulled the jacket down again. “Jacob and I have this arrangement. I’m a single mom and I have to take care of my children, so he gave me?—”

I waved my hand and she stopped. “Whatever arrangement he had stands.” I smiled and winked at her, feeling my body kick into overdrive at her nervous energy. It turned me on, the embarrassment, the vulnerability. When we would role-play she would get so flustered, and I loved it. Seeing this—her real embarrassment and nervous energy—had my dick swelling.

“Thank you, sir,” she said, and I swore she curtsied. Then she turned to go and I called after her.

“Amber …”

She stopped to turn back to me and her hands were on her jacket, tugging at the hem again. “Yes, sir…” The way her voice rose at the end, the question in her tone, made me want to command her to come back and bend her sexy body over my temporary desk, but I wasn’t getting those vibes from her—yet.

“Stop calling me sir.” I winked again and her lips flushed darker. “Please. I’m not replacing Jacob. He’ll be back when he’s recovered, and I’d much prefer the sound of my name on your lips…Not ‘sir’ or ‘Mr. Montgomery.’ Oh, and if it’s possible, would you be able to work through lunch? Maybe later tonight too? I need help to catch up.”

“Oh, uh…Yes, of course.” Her forehead wrinkled and her smile faded into nervousness again, but she really had no choice. I really did need the help.

“Good, you can go.”

She nodded but she said nothing as she scurried away, and I watched her hips sway back and forth. How lucky of a man was I? After all this time it felt like fate had intervened in my life toput her in my direct path. I walked to Jacob’s chair and sat down, but when my eyes fell on the picture of him and Erin together on their trip to Hawaii, I felt guilt needle at my conscience.

Fate would never harm my brother just to align my path with Amber’s again. And I could never wish harm on my brother just to get a chance to see the woman I had been in love with all those years ago.

But that didn’t mean I couldn’t enjoy working with her or trying to rekindle a flame that had long since died out. Amber Lawson and I were going to work together as two professionals under one roof. If something more came from it, so be it.

And maybe I hoped it did.

5

AMBER

“Are you okay?”

Shelby’s voice made my head pop up. For the past five minutes my face had been buried in my hands, elbows firmly planted on my desk. Out of the hundreds of employees here at Montgomery Enterprises, I was one of the lucky executive assistants who had their own private office. Shelby slipped in and shut the door behind herself.

“No, are you kidding?” Seeing Evan at my house the other day when he delivered the twins’ birthday gift from Jacob and Erin was a shock to my system. Mom had to stay on to help clean things up because I required a hefty dose of alcohol and a hot shower to shake the nerves. What if he’d seen the twins?

“It was nearly eight years ago, Amber…” Shelby walked over and sank into a chair across from my desk and sighed. “Besides, he came home with that bimbo on his arm, and when he left it was on bad terms, remember?”

Shelby was partially right. Jacob confessed to me six months later, when I confessed that Evan was the father of my babies, that the reason Evan had been sent off was because of his philandering, though that wasn’t the official reason. Jacob wasembarrassed. I was too. I’d been a part of that, though I didn’t think Jacob had all the facts. But who was I to correct him? Especially when he’d given me a much-needed job…

“Okay, but he’s back, Shelby. And yes, he was back years ago and worked in Crescent Springs, but not here. Not under the same roof. Not with me reporting to him.” I’d been caught off guard by the whole thing, and since this morning when he asked me to work late, I’d been stuck in fight or flight.

“Well, he’s hot. Would it be so bad to entertain him again?” She winked at me, but I wilted. I knew what she meant, and I’d seen the desire in his eyes. While I would love to throw myself at him because that sex was so amazing, I just couldn’t. I had children to think of now. Children I didn’t learn about until after he’d been gone a few months. Children I hid from him with Jacob’s help because Jacob knew how irresponsible his brother had been.

By the time both of us realized Evan had grown up, he had moved on. He was with someone else who worked in the company, and I demanded that Jacob keep my secret. He did so begrudgingly, but with my protection in mind.

“So Vera has to do flash cards with Parker.” I pulled the key out, avoiding her gaze, and slid it across the table. “She doesn’t have to do that, but her homework only takes her like five minutes. So I make her do it instead of me so they collaborate. Then Parker just has a few math sheets to do after that. He’s pretty quick with it. After dinner they can play video games.” I forced a very fake smile and Shelby rolled her eyes as she took the key.

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