Page 19 of Wrong Idea

Something Harrison and Grant would not only disapprove of but surely commit me for.

I had no idea what had come over me. The only thing I could think about was being able to return to her place and how to make that happen. When Max was in the bathroom, changing into her uniform, I slipped her house key off her ring and right into my pocket. Now I just had to figure out how the hell to get it back to her.

“Of course. Also, Stan wanted me to let you know that housekeeping will be up here in thirty minutes,” she shared.

“Perfect.” I could feel the tension in my shoulders start to give way. I’d been counting down the minutes for the manager to let me know when Max would be heading up.

“If you needed help tidying up, I could?—“

“You can clock out, Miss Bell,” I cut her off because I was not going to risk her trying to misbehave once again.

“Thank you, Mr. Storm.” Her lips pursed before she turned around. “I’ll see you in the morning,” she called out, but I didn’t bother to respond. Not when my head was filled with nothing but Max.

Things had escalated quickly this morning. I’d been on cloud nine when I returned to the resort, only to find Harrison pissed the hell off I had taken so long and had forgotten to get everything I had promised.

Once I was sure she had left, I stood up and changed out of my suit and back into my athleisure wear. I had no idea why I was keeping up the charade. I should have just told her who I was.

She would understand, wouldn’t she?You really think so?a little voice in my head asked. I shut my eyes and breathed in through my nose, then I scowled. She thought I was an asshole. A boss jerk who was mean to everyone who came in contact with him. As much as it killed me, she wasn’t wrong.

I’d been a pain in the ass since this project at The Crown started. Who was I kidding? I was always difficult to deal with. As much as I hated lying, I needed more time. I needed to convince her, show her I was different when it came to her. There was something inside me that had come to life when I walked into that massage room three days ago.

Something I hadn’t known even existed in me that she had brought out. Something that was possessive and greedy for her.Obsessed.I ran my fingers through my hair and tugged at the strands. I needed a haircut, but doing that reminded me of just a few hours earlier when Max had her fingers in them, tugging as she came apart. A wolfish smile appeared on my face.

I am seriously fucked.

She was my employee, way too young, sweet, and innocent for me. Not to mention, she thought I was someone I wasn’t. There was no way this thing could end well, but fuck me if I wasn’t going to try, because there was no way I could imagine my life without her.

I stood and double-checked the app on my phone, making sure all the cameras were set up where they should be, before I slipped out of my office. It was wrong to watch her, but it was like I needed to. I had already ordered some of the same little cameras that were easy to hide anywhere you wanted so I could place them in her apartment. I’d definitely lost it. I headed to an empty office down the hall to wait. My entire body felt like it was on pins and needles waiting for Max to show up, and when she did, it felt like I couldn’t draw in a complete breath of air.

Then I saw her.

Max opened my office door, and I zoomed into the camera to get a better look at her face. Jesus, she was pretty. Max had tossed her hair up in a bun at the top of her head since we said goodbye. My fingers itched to snap the hair tie off and watch her wavy tresses fall down around her face.

She rolled in the cart and looked around the space with curiosity. For a moment, she didn’t move. She simply looked around the space. I wondered if somehow, she had figured me out. Did she know I was the same man she had called daddy earlier?

I had no idea what woman could be more perfect for me. With Max, there was no doubt she was mine. I just had to figure out how to talk her into it and let her know who I really was. She walked to the back of my desk, and when my eyes caught a picture frame I kept on the highest shelf, my stomach cramped in my gut.

“Shit,” I whispered.

It was a picture of my brothers and I on a hike up in Yosemite. The three of us had grown out our beards and were wearing sunglasses, but there would be no way to explain that to her if she recognized it. Thankfully, being her height, she didn’t pay any attention to it. Instead, she bent and picked up the trash, taking it to her rolling cart to discard it and add a new bag.

She got to work, and I couldn’t get myself to blink. Even watching her clean was fucking entertaining. Hell, if she asked me to watch grass grow next to her, I would be fascinated by every expression that played out on her face. She finished all too quickly, and I hated it. I didn’t want her to leave, but I knew she still had things to do.

Thankfully, we had set up a time to meet. I shut my eyes after she left and let my body relax. I hadn’t slept since I discovered she was one of my employees. With her on my mind, I fell asleep with a smile on my face. And thankfully, I was smart enough to set an alarm. When it rang, I got up and moved to set up a little surprise for my girl.

I paced from one tree to another for thirty minutes.

I had flowers in a vase and cookies and coffee waiting for us, but she still hadn’t shown up. It was a couple of minutes beforeeleven. It was still early, and who knew if she would be able to slip away? A noise caught my attention, making me stop dead in my tracks.

My heart felt like it was about to climb out of my chest. Why the hell had I asked her to meet me on the resort grounds? Anyone could walk by us and recognize me. It wasn’t like I was even trying to wear a disguise. I was simply out of my usual suit and tie that everyone was used to seeing me in. But all those worries and apprehension melted away as I noticed her coming closer. The moon was full and bright, casting her in a silvery light. I hurried towards her, and without thinking, I picked her up and swung her around. Her laughter clung to the air as she held on to me, hugging me back just as tightly.

“Fuck, I missed you,” I groaned, pressing my lips against her temple before pulling away.

“You did?” She looked straight at me, and it felt like she could see through me, right to the center of me, and somehow still liked what she saw. I nodded.

“I did,” I admitted. I was coming on strong and probably way too intense, but I couldn’t stop myself from being honest. Maybe it was because I was already lying about who I was or omitting the truth.

“It’s only been a couple of hours.” She blushed.

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