Page 5 of Boss Unavowed (Boss 2)

“Thanks...”

One of the employees, Marcus, poked his head in and scanned the room, zeroing in on Farren.

“Miss Fields, hey, I could use some help in the security room. It looks like one of our clients has a hack attack, and Ron isn't here yet to get into the account. Do you have a minute?” he asked, grasping the edge of the door frame.

“Sure, Marcus, lead the way. And please, call me Farren,” she said.

She waved to Rita and Cameron on her way out, trying her best to give Edith a half-hearted smile, but the conversation she’d just overheard was already starting to burn a simmering hole inside her.

She went up to the security floor to check out what was going on. It was still early, and none of the team had arrived yet. She made quick work of securing the client server and set it up for the team to track the source of the attack before heading back down to her office.

When she got to her desk, she could hear a muffled conversation through the wall coming from Rogan's office. Edith hadn't wasted any time, and Farren found herself standing just outside the door that separated her office from his, trying to get a better listen.

“They really want you there, Rogan. It'll give the company a sense of assurance to see you there personally. It makes them feel like they're important enough to us to offer only the best. And Rogan, you are the best,” Edith was heard saying.

“It's not necessary to sell me on the reasons I should be there. I'm well aware,” Rogan answered in a self-assured tone.

“Great! So I can plan on you being there, then?” she asked.

A pause of silence came, and Farren held her breath without realizing. Would he agree to go? She silently begged him to say no and feared the worst if he said yes.

He verbalized a frustrated sigh. “I'm afraid I have to. It would give me a chance to handle some other business while I'm there.”

“Excellent! I'll have my assistant book the hotel, along with a meeting room. I trust we’ll take the company plane?”

“That will be fine.”

Farren could hear Edith's heels clicking across the floor, then stop.

“Looking good today, by the way, Rogan. Blue is a good color on you,” she said, and then Farren could hear the door to his office open and Edith's footsteps trail off down the hall.

Farren sunk her back against the door. He was going on a trip to New York with Edith Underwood, a woman who had her sights set on him and believed she had everything Farren didn't to satisfy him.

What was worse, she knew what varied interests he’d had in women. She wouldn't soon forget the parade of beauties he used to bring around, even right there in the office.

Then things had shifted. There had been an unspoken attraction between them for quite some time before things had heated up on a business trip to Italy last year. That was when she had unexpectedly gotten pregnant with Harley.

Now, he'd be going on a business trip with Edith. He hadn't given her any reason to doubt his devotion to her, but she also felt the emotional distance that had wedged between them since Harley was born. Last night had been their first time being intimate since she’d given birth, and she hadn’t even been in the mood for that at first.

She reached to pull the side door open, and he looked up, taking notice of her as she did.

“Hey baby,” he greeted her, but he seemed distracted with his eyes quickly returning to the screens of his computer.

“Hey,” she replied in a meek, timid voice.

“Did you need something?” he asked, still focused on the screens.

Her heart sank. It wasn't that long ago he'd have dropped everything to reach for her when she came in.

“No, I just wanted to see if you knew what time you'd be home tonight. I was thinking of spending some time with Gramma when I go pick up Harley.”

He nodded and spared a quick glance at her.

“It'll probably be late, so go ahead. Tell her hello for me,” he said, then turned back to his work.

“Okay,” she mumbled, pulling the door closed.

She was at a loss with all the questions going through her mind, but they all boiled down to one: was she losing him?

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