I shrug. “Gramps asked me to. He wants grandkids and I enjoy giving him what he wants.”

Tiffany doesn’t like sex, but we agreed we would adopt as there are plenty of children who could use a home.

Couldn’t believe the little minx talked me around to it. Tif went with me to a shelter and saw me interacting with the kids. During the car ride home, she told me I wasanimatedand in myelement.

After some thought, I agreed. I like kids. I want my own. I won’t make the same mistakes my father did and end up raising a prick like me.

Thomas stands and drains his cup. My cousin hates me, but apparently, he loves my coffee.

“Something is not right with this picture.” He sets the mug on the countertop with a little more force than necessary. “I’ll find out what it is, and when I do, I’ll ruin your ass.”

The Near Miss of a Direct Hit

Genesis

Ipressthephoneto my ear and hunker in my cubicle.

“He’s here,” I say as quietly as I can. It wouldn’t do for everyone to learn of my connection to the new owner.

Though Natalie doesn’t help keep things on the down low when she screeches, “What?” into the phone like a rattled parrot.

Too bad she’s at home with her sick three-year-old son instead of in the cubicle next to mine. We could have gone to the restroom for a good heart-to-heart. With Nat and I being two of the three women at STS, it is unlikely anyone would disturb us there.

I’ve talked to Nat about it, and we both agree that sometimes we feel like a dinghy in a sea of men.

In most IT companies, the opposite sex dominates women, three-to-one. It gets frustrating sometimes, but at STS, the men treat Nat and me as part of the team.

There’s only one guy we work with, Greg Sumpter, who still acts like a throwback from the Stone Age. He’s of the opinion that women should stay at home, cooking, and cleaning while the big powerful man (insert grunt) goes out in the world and hunts... I mean,works.

Thank goodness he’s on vacation with his family. I couldn’t take his attitude and (possibly) dealing with Royce at the same time.

I saypossibly,as why would a CEO come to my floor? Even Mr. Brown, my direct boss, is too low on the food chain for him. Royce will more than stay ensconced on the executive floor with the higher ups like Mr. Gray, the VP of Operations.

Here’s hoping, right?

“Damn, Gen. Just... damn. I thought he wasn’t flying in until Monday?” Nat sounds more dismayed than Ishouldbe.

Royce, like a healing preacher, cured me from thinking about Matt by fucking my ex-fiancé right out of my system. I can definitely recommend mind-blowing orgasms as a restorative against heartbreak.

Well… I still think of Matt.Sometimes.But instead of nightmares, I reminisce about the good times if I hear a song on the radio or come across a movie we watched. Then I think about Royce and how I wish we could have continued our relationship—

Relationship? Are you crazy? If he had felt anything for you, don’t you think he would have looked for you?

Maybe. But then again, Royce didn’t want strings, and neither did I. Still, I barely made it out of his room without kissing his lips like some role reversal princess, trying to wake the handsome prince.

I swear, walking away from him was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. It wasn’t just the sex, although that was spectacular, it was in the way we communicated. The way we were in sync. The way he’d made me let go...

I’m not ready to see him again. I’m not ready to see him—

“Are you ready?”

“No. Not even.” I shake my head even though Natalie can’t see me.

How do I act? I mean, the man owns the company I work for.

Well… he doesn’t own it. His family does.

That doesn’t release me from the embarrassment I feel at having slept with my boss three times removed.