Page 60 of Boss's Baby: A Fake Fiance Romance

“Don’t I know it. This whole thing with you and I is because of all that. Thought it was fun at the time, but little did I know it’d come back to bite me in the ass.”

“Bite you in the ass by having to hang around with me?” Her smile let me know she was only joking.

“Well, that’s one of the few bright spots.”

“Seriously, that’s a lot of women over the years. Do you even know how many?”

“I tried to count once, but the number got a little blurry once it was past fifty.”

“Past fifty. Can’t even imagine.”

“Number’s definitely higher than that. But it’s been a while since I’ve lived that kind of lifestyle. But I’ve still got the reputation, of course.”

“I know you talked about how you found something special about all of those girls, but still. A bunch of them had to feel like they’d been used.”

“No doubt about it.”

“And that doesn’t bother you?”

“Didn’t bother me. Not at the time. Back then I figured we were all having fun, enjoying each other’s company until it hit its expiration date.”

“And I’m going to guess you were the one who decided when that happened.”

The traffic picked up as we drew closer to downtown, and I slowed the car to move along with it. “I felt like I had a vibe for those sorts of things. And what’s worse than dragging something out longer than it ought to be?”

“One more guess—you didn’t always end things with heartfelt conversations over a cup of coffee.”

“I tried. Most of the time I wanted to be straight with the girls. But you know how it can go.”

“I do. Having your heart broken by Josh Taylor was something of a tradition around town.”

I shrugged, knowing she had me figured out. “I was better after the military, believe me. But then again, going that long being surrounded by sweaty dudes in the desert—well, I had my moments of relapse.”

“I know—I saw the gossip sites.”

I grinned. “Never thought you’d be the type to read that stuff.”

She appeared flustered, like I’d busted her. “I mean, not usually. But how can you not when it’s about a guy you knew back in the day?”

“Fair enough.” I resisted the urge to give her more shit about it.

Cassidy glanced out the window, her eyes on the shops and townspeople. “Here we are, then. Two people looking back on a dating life they have no idea how they got into, wondering what to do next.”

“Yeah, you’re right about that.” Well, not exactly—I was well aware how I got into it. But I knew what she meant. “And it’s ironic.”

She turned her attention back to me. “What’s that?”

“It’s when something is the opposite of what you’d think.”

She narrowed her eyes and smiled—a very cute smile, I should add—before reaching over and playfully swatting me on the arm. “You know what I meant, dick.”

“Sorry, I couldn’t resist.” Story of my life, really. “Seriously, though. It’s ironic that for the two of us, marriage might be the best thing we could possibly be doing. I mean, with other people.”

“Naturally.”

“I’d be settling down with someone, getting serious like Dad wants.”

“And I’d maybe be lucky enough to find a guy who can keep up with my ambition. Maybe even lend some moral support every now and then. You’d be surprised, but even in New York guys like that are hard to come by.”

“Right. The ambitious dudes I’ve met all seem to be the types who couldn’t give a shit about anything other than adding the next zero to their bank accounts. Kind of a sad way to live.”

“And you’re not like that?”

“Like to think I’m not. I mean, don’t get me wrong—I love to kick ass at work, and being the man in charge has always been my dream. But there’s more to life than that. Don’t want to be one of those guys who looks up one day to find that he’s missed out on everything because he was always worried about the next financial quarter or expansion or whatever.”

Cassidy cocked her head to the side, as if impressed by what I’d said. “Does this mean Josh Taylor himself is thinking about settling down? Can’t believe I’d ever live to see the day.”

“Well, let’s not get too carried away.” I pulled the car into an open spot and killed the engine. Moments later the two of us were out on the sidewalk among the Christmas lights and bundled-up pedestrians. I went on with what I was saying. “It’s only that, I don’t know, maybe my Dad has a valid point in his request before I take over the company.”

“About getting married and starting a family?”

“Yeah. He loves the company, no doubt about it. But he’s always said that me and Sam and Mom, we were really what made him get out of bed in the morning. I always got the impression the company was a means to an end for him. Maybe it’s a little extreme in the way he’s pushing me, but it makes a certain kind of sense.”

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