Page 97 of A Million Times, Yes
“That mindset is a responsibility you’re taking on, and I don’t want you to.” I let go of her hands and held the sides of her forehead. “You can’t control what she does and how she acts. That’s completely on her—and I didn’t want you to take that on when I suggested she take the job. HR is aware of the personal connection and that she needs to be held to the same standards as everyone else in our company and will be treated like every other employee.” I tilted her face back. “I need you to know that in no way will her behavior or decisions ever reflect on you.”
She nodded. “Have I made you regret hiring her? I feel like I was just far too honest, and all these emotions are pouring out of me, and I probably shouldn’t have said any of this, and—”
“I knew most of this going in. This isn’t the first time we’ve talked about your mom, and I have zero regrets that my team hired her. I just want you to know even if something happens—something fucked up, whatever it is, whatever that looks like, if it even looks like anything at all—it will not affect us.”
Instead of waiting for her to respond, I pulled her against my chest and wrapped my arms around her and held her. I pressed my lips to the top of her head and breathed her in. “Do you believe me?”
“Yes.”
I leaned back to look at her face. “Do you?”
“Yesss.”
“Good. I’m glad that’s resolved.” I reached for her hand. “Now, as long as you’re ready, it’s time to go. Bruce is waiting for us outside.”
It took a few seconds before she said, “I’m ready.”
I made sure her face agreed with her statement, and then I led her out of my bedroom and through my condo, taking the private elevator to the first floor and outside, where the SUV was parked. Bruce had the back seat door already open, and I gave Maya my hand, helping her climb in first before I got in behind her.
Once we were settled, my arm went around her shoulders, my lips close to her ear. “You look gorgeous.” Something I hadn’t told her when we were in my walk-in closet; the conversation then hadn’t given me the right kind of space to say it. But now that the scenery was a little more relaxed and I’d gotten one hell of a view when she’d stepped into the SUV, I could really tell her how I feel. “That dress”—my gaze dropped down to her chest and to her thighs where the bottom had ridden up—“I can’t wait to take it off with my teeth later.”
She patted my leg. “You will not be ripping this one off me. Get that idea right out of your head, mister.”
A warning, since the last dress she’d worn, a week ago when we’d attended a gala she’d been invited to by the conglomerate that owned her rehab center, had been shredded off her body. A tearing that had started in the elevator on the way up to my condo, with the rest of the fabric torn off in my foyer.
I moaned. “I make no promises.”
“Your extracurricular fantasies—let’s call them that—are starting to become expensive.”
“I’ll buy you a hundred new wardrobes, Maya. Fuck, I’ll buy you an entire clothing boutique.”
She smiled as she looked at me, shaking her head. “The rich. There are no limits ... are there?”
“Not when it comes to you.”
My phone chimed, a sound that was unique and assigned, which was the only reason why I reached into my pocket and took it out, showing Maya the screen before I connected the call. I hit the button for speakerphone so Maya could hear too.
“Hi, Grandma.”
“How’s my darling boy?”
I smiled. “I’m with Maya. We’re headed to the groundbreaking ceremony for our new affordable-housing project.”
“That’s one of the reasons I’m calling. I haven’t seen Maya in two days, and I was getting worried. Or rather, I was worried you were keeping my favorite gal in hiding and you weren’t going to let her out of your grasp.”
“She’ll be back tomorrow, Grandma. She’s had the last two days off.”
“I was hoping I’d see her before I got discharged.”
I held the phone between us. “You’re not getting discharged for another week, though, correct?”
“Yes, darling. Just one more week with my precious Maya.”
I chuckled. “Grandma, just because you won’t be in the rehab center anymore doesn’t mean you’ll stop seeing Maya. Knowing the way my girl feels about you, you’ll be spending plenty of time with her.”
Maya grinned and nodded.
“I certainly hope that’s the case. You must bring her to our weekly lunches, my darling. And she’ll be attending our holiday gatherings, of course.”
