Page 41 of Runaway Bride for the Boss

My brows steadily climb at each word out of her mouth. “Are you finished?” I ask when she seems to run out of steam. “I’m going to let the fact that you came into my office with such disrespect go because you’re my little sister.”

She starts to argue, and I raise my hand up. “I love you Andrea, but you don’t get to dictate what I can or cannot do. I’m fixing your roof tomorrow, and the day after that you and Autumn can move back into your apartment. That said, anything that does or does not happen between me and Autumn is none of your business.”

“But she trusts me to pr—”

“She’s a grown woman who can make her own choices. You don’t need to storm in here and make a scene to protect her. She doesn’t need protecting from me.” At least not in the way she’s thinking.

The truth is after last night – and the almost accident of me fucking her with no protection – I’ve been out of my mind. I never make mistakes like that. One of my first rules in life is no glove, no love. There’s no way I’d risk impregnating a random woman who might try to use a Beaufort baby to rope me in. No fucking way.

I wasn’t really thinking. I hardly think when it comes to Autumn Montgomery, and I was shocked to the core at my carelessness. When I finally came to my senses, the first thought that came to my mind was would it really be so bad?

The thought of her growing belly, carrying my child, made the animalistic side of me awaken. It made me realize that I definitely need to stay the hell away from her before I do something we’ll both regret. So why in the hell did I call to a drugstore this morning? Then leave my house to drive on unsalted roads to go to said store and shop for fucking nail polish…

Autumn has a vice grip on me, and I haven’t even had her yet. Not really. So just minutes before my sister marched in like the hounds of hell were on her heels, I’d changed my mind. I’m keeping her and to hell with the consequences.

I’ve been obsessed with thoughts of her since she had bumped into me last year. I spent months searching for her; and now that I have her in my grasp, am I really going to fumble it by being indecisive? Hell no.

I don’t know what expression Andrea sees on my face but she gasps – quite dramatically I might add – and takes a couple of steps back from me. “Alexander Fitzgerald Beaufort,” she says again, but this time the bite is gone from her voice. “I never thought I’d see this day.”

“What day?” I ask, exasperated from this entire interaction. She shakes her head slowly, then gives me a mischievous smile. Like she knows something I don’t. “What?” I ask again.

“Nuh huh. Figure it out yourself.” And with that she spins around and marches out of my office the same way she had marched in. Just as I let out a sigh of relief, the little troublemaker pokes her head through my door.

“Make sure my apartment is fixed tomorrow. I love Mrs. Staten and her delicious meals, but it’s a pain having to drive into town every day.” Her head disappears momentarily, and then she pokes it back in again.

“What now?” I groan.

“Did you know that Autumn doesn’t have a way of getting around because her car stopped working just as she got into town? I think it must’ve been fate. If her car hadn’t stalled in the middle of the interstate, she wouldn’t have taken the turn for Brattleboro.”

“What are you getting at?” I demand.

“I got her car towed into Fletcher's Auto Repair. She’s waiting for her first paycheck, which she’ll get by the end of thisweek to visit the shop to fix the car. If you want to do something about it, now’s your chance.” She leaves; and after a few more minutes, I decide she’s not coming back.

I pick up my phone and dial the owner of Fletchers.

“Mr. Beaufort! To what do I owe this honor?” Leo Fletcher’s voice is inflected with fake cheer.

“My sister had a car towed into your shop about a week ago. Fix it by the end of the day and send the bill to me,” I say without a preamble.

He goes silent for a moment “Are you sure about that? I personally checked out the car when I realized who had it brought in; and I gotta say, the thing is on its last legs. It should be scrapped…unless you want me to do a total overhaul and order new parts.”

“Do that,” I say. Somehow, I doubt Autumn will accept the gift of a new car graciously. I had to damn near threaten her to accept the phone.

“The car can’t be ready by today; it will take a while for the parts to get here and—”

“How long is a while?” I interrupt.

“Three weeks.”

“No, you have until the end of this week,” I insist. He splutters indignantly, so I repeat myself. “The end of the week, Leo. Don’t disappoint me.”

“Yes sir,” he mumbles and I hang up.

CHAPTER 24

AUTUMN

Iagonize over the damn polish all morning and almost wear a hole in the rug in my room from pacing back and forth. What does it mean? Why is he being so nice to me? Is it because of last night?

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