Page 29 of Second Chances with my Billionaire Bosses

“Nothing was good enough for her.” With a long sigh, Maxie forced herself out of our holds and stood up. “We should all get some sleep. We still have a long way to go before the ranch is operational.”

Arlo was fast to his feet and he immediately tugged her into his chest.

“You’re not doing anything until we know you’re healthy again. You need more rest and that’s the only reason we’re not going to push you to tell us more.”

She looked like she wanted to argue but she managed to hold it in.

“Okay.”

Shep stood up and stretched.

“Which one of us do you want to sleep in here with you?”

Her head snapped around to face him.

“What?”

“One of us is going to stay in here with you to make sure you’re okay. I won’t be able to sleep if I can’t stop worrying about you, sweetheart.” He saw her start to argue. “Humor me? Please, Maxie.”

She visibly gave up, her shoulders sinking. Looking around at the three of us, she shrugged and then pointed at me. Her cheeks were already red and splotchy from crying but they went even redder.

“I’m okay, though.”

None of us felt the need to argue with her. Arlo and Shep both kissed the top of her head before leaving me alone with her. I could tell she was uncomfortable and didn’t know what to do with me staying in her room with her so I gently took her hand and pulled her to the bed. I knew I was probably pushing my luck but I couldn’t imagine being in the same room and not holding her. I stretched out on top of the blanket and held it up for her to climb in.

She let out a soft sigh but she slid under the blanket, staying as far from me as she could. When I wrapped my arm around her and tugged her into my side, she gasped.

“What are you doing?”

I smiled into her hair.

“Holding you. It’ll make me feel better.”

“Why?”

“Besides the fact that you’re a beautiful woman and holding you would make any man feel like a million bucks? I want to hold you, Maxie. Maybe it won’t make everything better for either of us but it’ll feel fucking nice anyway.” I held her even tighter, bundling her and the blanket in my arms. “I should’ve held tight ten years ago. I’m sorry I didn’t, sweetheart.”

She was quiet for a long while and I eventually thought she’d fallen asleep. Then, in a soft, shy voice, she spoke.

“Maybe it’ll make some things better.”

CHAPTER 21

Maxie

“We need fucking curtains.”

I opened my eyes and winced at the hot sun pouring in through the six-foot-tall windows. Had I been sleeping through that amount of sunshine every morning? How many mornings? My brain struggled to get started but as I processed what had woken me up, Rhett’s voice, it kicked my brain into overdrive. Rhett was in my bed. Technically, it wasn’t my bed, I guessed, but he was in the bed I was sleeping in.

I slowly rolled my head to the side and the sight of him stretched out next to me was a lot for my poor mind to handle. On his back in just a pair of flannel pajama bottoms, Rhett had his arms folded behind his head with so many arm muscles on display that I felt my mouth water. Even the small tufts of hair in his armpits were somehow attractive. His eyes were still closed tight so I had the chance to check out the tattoos covering his upper chest and arms.

I recognized traditional Navy tattoos, not unlike the ones my brothers bore, and several I wanted to trace with my fingertips to find where they ended. The crisp black lines were beautiful over his tan skin and I wondered for a moment what I would look like with a tattoo. My mother hated tattoos. Even her golden boys, Mills, Tate, and West, hadn’t escaped her harsh judgement for the tattoos they’d brought home. The tattoo I’d want came to me instantly, and no matter how much I knew it would never happen, I couldn’t help picturing the art I’d want of Bob’s handsome face. He was where I felt the safest. He would be the only thing I’d want on my skin forever.

Bob. I sat up with a gasp and already had one leg out of the bed when Rhett’s arm snapped out and wrapped around my waist to tug me closer to him. He only seemed satisfied once I was half ontop of him. His eyes stayed closed but his lips were tipped up in a sexy grin.

“It’s too early for you to start worrying about things, Maxine.”

I braced myself with my hands on either side of his head and he didn’t hesitate to adjust me so that I was completely on top of him, my knees on either side of his hips. I sucked in my stomach and arched my back so I wasn’t resting my weight on him.

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