Page 3 of Second Chances with my Billionaire Bosses

His smile was slow as he stood too close. Deep blue eyes with long, black lashes crinkled in the corners.

“Where’d you run off to?”

“That’s none of your business.” The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. I regretted them instantly and stepped back, waiting for his anger and coldness to strike.

Rhett didn’t react the way I expected him to, though. His grin widened and he stepped even closer.

“That doesn’t mean I can’t be curious, Maxine. And I am. So very curious.”

I stared up at him, my brain struggling to make sense of the man in front of me. The beer had loosened my tongue enough that it moved without much thought.

“Don’t be. And don’t call me that. My name is Maxie.”

He ran his eyes from the top of my head to the tips of my feet and back again. Leaning in even closer, he rested his hand on my waist as he whispered, “I can’t help being curious about you, sweetheart. Never could. And you used to like when we called you Maxine. What changed?”

I heard footsteps approaching over the sound of my blood rushing to my head and whipped away from his touch. I’d put a solid ten feet between us when I realized it was Arlo and Shep approaching. My brain sent out a warning to the rest of my body. Being alone with the three of them was a bad idea.

“No one else is going to help you clean up?” Arlo shot a scowl back towards the house. “Not a lot has changed around here, huh?”

I ignored him and went back to picking up, hoping and praying they wouldn’t continue speaking to me. The beer had gone to my head and I was feeling things way too close to the surface.

Shep moved with me and I watched in shock as he started picking up trash. Then I noticed they all were. I stood there like an idiot, watching them until Arlo noticed me staring and walked up to me.

“What’s going through that head of yours?” His mouth lifted on one side in a vague smile. “I can’t say I expected the same sweet smile you used to give us but I expected something a little warmer.”

Shep joined him. “You’re going to be working under us, Maxine. We might as well go ahead and get used to each other.”

Rhett moved behind me and I felt his breath on the back of my neck. “It’s been a while but surely you haven’t forgotten how much you used to like us. We haven’t changed.”

I tried my hardest to control my emotions. “It’s just been a long day.”

Rhett grunted. “Little liar.”

I spun around to face him, my control slipping. “What is wrong with y’all? It’s been ten years and you show up, thinking I’m going to be over the moon excited to see you? Do you not remember the last time you were here? Clearly, you don’t. If you did, you’d know why I don’t want anything to do with you and you’d leave me alone.”

Instead of pulling away, Rhett got closer. “We’re getting right into it, are we?”

“Apparently, we have to. The last time I saw the three of you, it was after I spent the night taking care of your drunk butts and—”

Shep interrupted me. “It was the morning after you came to our camp and we kissed the hell out of you.”

I blushed hard. “Yes. That. And then you told me you didn’t remember much from the night before but it was a giant mistake and you left. You never visited with Mills again. So, excuse me if I don’t seem eager to work under you, or spend time with you, or even look at you.”

Arlo grabbed my hand and turned me to face him. “You were eighteen. We had no business touching you.”

“But you did.” My voice shook and shame came down on me hard. I took a deep breath and started backing away. “Sorry. I… Just forget it. I have to go.”

I turned and took off at a sprint across the ranch, my flight response as healthy and present as ever. I ran straight to my small cabin at the back of the ranch and locked myself in. Iwasn’t sure of the last time I’d let my emotions get the best of me but I couldn’t believe they’d been around for all of five minutes and my resolve had crumbled that fast. I was in so much trouble.

CHAPTER 3

Rhett

The Mays’ house needed a lot of work before we’d happily call it a home but it was better than nothing. I sat in a worn recliner across from where Arlo and Shep sat on an equally worn couch. We’d have our own stuff delivered in a few days but the old furniture was good enough for sitting and drinking.

I stretched my legs out in front of me and grimaced when I felt dirt and who knew what else under my bare feet. “I’m not drunk enough to not mind the state of this house.”

Arlo grunted and looked around.

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