Page 28 of The Powerful Boss She Craves

Alta was Thadie’s friend, and the wedding party had nothing to do with her, so she should just leave the subject alone and shrug off Micah’s casual dismissal.

But it still made her stomach knot and her lungs burn. And, even if she’d had a right to an opinion on Thadie’s and Alta’s friendship, she knew that she didn’t have the confidence and self-assurance to defend her judgement.

Before Pillay and her experience with the Human Resources people at Le Roux Events, she’d been able to stand up for herself, to defend her point of view. Ella knew that she wasn’t the most confident person in the world but at least she’d been able to function. These days, she over-analysed everything and overreacted and, whenever she found herself at odds with someone about something—even something as small as Alta’s and Thadie’s relationship—she felt like a balloon collapsing in on itself as it lost air.

She hated it, hated feeling less than, feeling small, rejected. Hated that even the smallest thing could affect her so much.

Needing to leave, Ella spun round, climbed into her car and pulled on her seatbelt, forcing it into its catch. She turned the key in the ignition but it didn’t catch, so she banged her fist against the steering wheel and cranked it again.

‘Ella, hold on! What’s going on?’ Micah demanded, bending his knees to look through the open window.

‘Nothing,’ Ella muttered. It was a weak response, a cop-out, but what else could she do? Blub on his shoulder, moan about how unfair life was, how she was still affected by Pillay’s actions, howless thanshe felt? He’d find excuses and explanations and then pat her on the shoulder.

No, thank you.

Just once, just once in her life, she wanted to feel less isolated, to feel as if she had someone on her side, someone who always took her seriously and cherished her. But that wasn’t going to happen, not any time soon. And Micah wasn’t that person. Shaking her head, Ella turned the key again and this time the car fired up. Ignoring Micah, she slapped it into gear and turned to look behind her so she could start reversing.

‘Come back inside, Ella.’

She heard the irritation in his voice, along with a healthy dose ofI don’t know what just happened.

Ella pushed the button to raise her window and ignored him calling her name. She reversed, shoved the car into gear to go forward and out of the corner of her eye saw Micah slap his hands on his hips, confused.

Talking wouldn’t help. This was her issue, not his, and he was her lover, not her therapist. No, it was better to leave, to deal with her feelings in her way and on her own. After all, it was what she did best.

She was tempted to stop and explain but he wouldn’t understand. Nobody did. So she drove on.

CHAPTER EIGHT

MICAHTHREWUPhis hands and watched Ella roar down his driveway, gravel kicking under her tyres.

Why was she upset? Micah replayed their conversation in his head, frowning. She’d told him Alta didn’t like Thadie and he’d disagreed. He honestly didn’t know how they’d gone from what he thought was a minor difference of opinion to her belting away from him.

Women.They were complicated characters.

Micah heard his name being called and spun round to see the twins hurtling across the lawn towards him, Thadie trailing behind them. He understood three-year-old boys. Sexy, complex woman? Not at all.

Micah dropped to the balls of his feet, opened up his arms and braced himself for the attack. As they connected with him, he gathered them up, tucked them under his arms and spun them around. They yelled their approval and, when he felt himself getting lightheaded, stopped. They demanded more and, because he was a sucker, he did it again.

When he dropped them to their feet, he noticed twohadidahspecking at the grass on the far side of the lawn and suggested they try and catch the birds. They never would, but it would give him the chance to talk to his sister.

When they were out of earshot, Micah turned to Thadie. ‘For someone who is getting married soon at a still-unknown venue, you are looking remarkably relaxed.’

Thadie raised her shoulders. ‘Me worrying about it won’t help. And I have a feeling we will find a venue.’ Thadie tucked her hand into his elbow and rested her temple on his bicep. ‘I like Ella, Micah.’

He knew she was fishing for more information on whether they were more than work colleagues, but he wasn’t going to touch that comment with a barge pole. Yes, he liked Ella but she hadn’t changed, and wasn’t going to change, his mind about marriage and commitment.

As she’d slid behind the wheel earlier, he’d caught something in her eyes. Hurt and sadness... Had he let her down in some way? He couldn’t think of what he’d said to make her feel like that. It couldn’t be because Alta had come onto him and Ella was that insecure or petty. No, her pain went deeper than that...

And why did he care? She was leaving. They couldn’t have a relationship because he didn’t deserve one, but neither would he risk hurting her in any way.

But, damn, no woman had ever tempted him this quickly and this much.

Thadie tapped her sunglasses against her bicep and pulled her lower lip between her teeth. She glanced at the twins, who were on their bellies trying to stealthily approach the birds, and gestured to the bench underneath his favourite oak tree. ‘Let’s sit down for a moment.’

He knew that tone of voice and recognised the look on her face. She had something on her mind, was wrestling with a decision. They sat down on the bench and he flung his arm around her shoulder. ‘What’s up? How can I help?’

‘I’m thinking of asking Alta to step down as my bridesmaid.’

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