Page 29 of Flirting with my Billionaire Boss

Skipper pulls his head up, and there’s something in his mouth.

“Drop it,” I command. The last thing we need is for him to eat something weird and to throw up all over the place again.

He releases whatever was in his mouth, and it hits the marble floor with a soft clink. That doesn’t sound like something edible. I stoop down to see what he dropped, and my heart stops. It’s my grandmother’s ring. A priceless family heirloom. I’d been planning to give it to my future wife one day. My mom gave it to me, hoping it would end up with Jenni. I’ve been thinking about giving it to Callie.

How did this get in Callie’s purse? I feel sick. The only explanation I can come up with is that she took it and put it in there. Just like Natasha. I’m the biggest fool alive. How could I have trusted Callie? She probably needed extra cash for the baby. Anger and betrayal build inside me until I feel like I’m ready to scream. Was my grandmother’s precious ring about to end up in some pawn shop?

I’d let myself start to fall for this woman, and all along she’d been playing me. If she wanted wealth, she could have had it! All she had to do was be patient, and I likely would have proposed. Then all my property would have been hers anyway. There was no chance of that happening now. Not after a betrayal like this.

What else had she taken? I went back to my room where I kept the precious family jewels in the closet. I punch in the combination to the safe I bought after Natasha stole from me. The combination was my parents’ wedding anniversary. I had it written on a slip of paper in my desk. Callie could have seen it there if she’d wanted to snoop. I hadn’t labeled what the numbers were for, but she could have found the safe and put two and two together.

I open the safe and take inventory of the contents. Nothing else seems to be missing. I’d had the ring out yesterday because I was thinking about using it to propose to Callie. I must have forgotten to put it back in the safe. Either that, or Callie had found the combination. I was so stupid to put it down on paper. I was afraid I’d forget it, and I didn’t think Callie would figure it out. I’d trusted her. She didn’t seem like the type to steal, but then again, neither did Natasha. I’m clearly not very good at spotting a thief.

Dread fills my heart, causing it to grow heavy. I’ll have to let Callie go. I hate this. It’s tearing out my heart to admit it, but I can’t have her around if she’s stealing from me, betraying me like that. The only thing I can do is tell her to pack her things and leave. But before I do that, I change the combination to the safe. This time, I change it to Skipper’s birthday.

13

CALLIE

“Where’s Weston?” I ask Martha.

“He went to get Skipper to let him out.”

“He should be back by now.”

“What’s the rush?” Martha asks.

“I’m hungry. I’ve got to eat for two, and you can’t let a pregnant woman go without food or terrible things will happen. You don’t want to see me when I’m hangry. You’ll be scarred for life.” I pace back and forth in the kitchen. “What’s taking so long?”

“Why don’t you just go back there and find him if you want to hurry things up?” Martha suggests.

“Great idea,” I say. I go down the hall and call out to him. “Weston?” Skipper comes running from his master’s room. “I thought you were going out, boy.” Maybe Weston is in his room since Skipper had just come from there. I don’t usually go into Weston's room because I want to give him as much privacy as possible. You know, to build trust and whatnot. But I’m hungry, and he’s taking forever. “Are you in here?” I don’t see him.

But then he steps out of his massive closet. How do I know it’s massive? Okay, I poked my head in once. That’s how I know. I didn’t dig around or anything, but I was curious to see how big it was.

His face is normally warm and welcoming when he sees me, but he looks downright hostile right now. “We need to talk.”

“What’s wrong?” I’m assuming something is wrong because he looks like he’s a king ready to chop off some heads.

“I found out who’s been stealing all this time.”

“Who?”

“Don’t play games with me, Callie. It’s over.”

“What are you talking about?” My heart pounds. It’s almost like he thinks I’m the one who’s been stealing all this stuff. But that would be nuts. I’ve never stolen anything in my life.

“I found my grandmother’s ring in your purse in your room.”

“What?” Confusion swirls through me, quickly followed by a nice, big dose of panic. “I don’t know how it got in there. I’ve never even seen your grandmother’s ring.”

“You don’t get to lie to me anymore. Pack your things because I can’t have a thief in my house.”

“I’m not a thief, I swear!” How could I convince him I’m telling the truth? “I would never steal from you. I love you, Weston. Don’t you see that?” Why hadn’t I told him before now? If only I’d been more verbal about what I’d been feeling, then maybe he’d trust me enough to know I’m telling him the truth.

There’s a fire lit in his eyes. “It’s too late for that now. You have to leave.”

“And go where? You told me this is my home.”

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