Page 40 of The Wrong Boss

People saw that. Rome had seen it, and he’d come around and forgiven me for quitting. My father had given me a shot at his company when I’d been looking for something new. Loyalty begot loyalty.

Sure, I wasn’t the most generous man in the world. I was a hard boss to work for, and I had exacting standards. I didn’t trust easily, and I’d never been one to think that intimacy and love were anything other than a Hallmark lie. I had my flaws, just like everyone else.

But once someone gained my trust, I was loyal to the core.

So how could I eventhinkabout Carrie in any way but as an employee? How could I allow myself to get caught up in the panic of her injury, in the magnetism of her presence?

She wasn’t special. This wasn’t some soul-deep connection. It was a flash of lust, and I wouldn’t let it change me.

“Next time you’re in a car accident,” Dr. Harnell told us both, “I suggest going to the hospital.”

“Right,” Carrie said, a tight smile on her face. As the doctor packed his things up, she grabbed her own purse. “I’ll head down with you,” she told the doctor.

“I’ll call you a car,” I said, grabbing my phone.

“Oh, that’s okay.” She waved me off. “I’d rather take the subway.”

“Carrie,” I warned.

“Mr. Christianson, please. The subway is just fine. I’ll see you in the morning.”

We stared at each other for a beat, and I couldn’t help thetug in my gut. Frustration lanced through me, because I couldn’t figure out why this woman had such a hold on me. It made no sense. Yes, she was beautiful. Yes, she had strength that I admired. Yes, she made me laugh.

So what?

“See you in the morning,” I replied, and I let the two of them find their own way to the exit.

I was halfway through my second drink, my feet kicked up on the coffee table, when Alba reappeared in the living room archway. She crossed the space and poured some bourbon into a glass before dropping an ice cube into the amber liquid, then turned around to face me, the glass dangling between her fingertips.

I leaned forward and grabbed the bundle of wedding invitations off the side table beside me, studying them. “You’re happy with these now?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“And the florist—what was the problem there?”

“Cole.”

“I’m sorry. I know I should have listened. You had to hire someone new?—”

“Cole.” Her voice was quiet and hard.

I turned to meet her gaze. “Yes?”

Her blue eyes were steady as she met my gaze. Unflinching. She was strong too—I should’ve remembered that. It wasn’t just her appearance that had attracted me to her.

But when she spoke, I felt like I was talking to a stranger. “I’m not the type of woman who expects complete loyalty from her husband. I know how these things go. But I wouldappreciate it”—she held up a hand when I tried to interrupt her, so I closed my lips—“I would appreciate it if you waited untilafterthe wedding to have any dalliances.”

“Alba,” I protested. “I’m not— It’s… You’ve got the wrong idea. Carrie is my employee.”

“That’s another thing that I would point out, but I’ll let you handle the consequences of your own actions. All I ask is that you don’t make a fool out of me. Especially not seven and a half months before our wedding day.”

Her words were a slap in the face. A heavy silence settled between us.

I took a sip of my drink. “Are you saying you’re expecting me to cheat on you?”

“I’m saying that I have realistic expectations for any union, and ours is no different. But I won’t tolerate being the butt of anyone’s joke.”

Heat rose up my neck. Her words stung. Was that really what she thought of me? When I spoke, my words were clipped. “Alba. I’m not, and I never have been, unfaithful.”

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