Page 55 of Nanny for the Bossy Billionaire

“Reid…”

“Please just go.”

Her chin quivers as a tear escapes her eye. “Reid, I won’t let you treat me like this. The fact that we are in—” she pauses for a beat, “—in whatever this is doesn’t mean you can treat me however you want.”

“Well, then maybe we should end this.”

Her face goes blank. “What?”

“Yeah, this relationship was a bad idea from the start. It’s probably about time we put an end to it.”

“So you’re breaking up with me?”

“Can we even call it that? We were never really together in the first place.”

“Is that really how you feel?”

“Yeah.”

She wipes the tears off her face, stands up straight, turns around and walks out of my room.

I am alone and all of a sudden I feel like puking because she’s left me. Which is stupid, because I’m the one who told her to go.

My heart is breaking for more than one reason. Naomi has come to mean a lot to me in a short period of time. Now I’ve lost not only her but my company as well.

I can’t believe I just did that. I have no control over what’s happening in my professional life right now, but I do have control over me and Naomi. I just let things get out of hand.

I’m sure that if I went back to her with my tail between my legs and apologized she would take me back, but I’m not going to do that. Like I said, it’s probably for the best. Especially because she’s been asking questions, the answers to which I’m not ready to give her.

It’s not like she’s been digging; we’re in that part of a relationship where you want to learn everything you can about the other person. She’s asked me about Ethan’s mother. I gave her a roundabout non-answer. Another time she asked me about the mysterious person who calls my phone from time to time. Again, I gave her another non-answer.

I’m satisfied that I was able to deter her. I don’t think she even suspects that the two are related.

There is a secret I’ve kept for a while now, and with friends like Gabriel and Calvin it hasn’t been easy. I haven’t told anyone and there is a reason. To be honest, for a while I totally stopped thinking about it. I am, after all, the king of compartmentalization, like my mom used to say before she died. I pushed all of that mess out of my mind, and have liked my life the way it has been as a result.

Only, I’ve been thinking about it more since Naomi and I started seeing each other. It had become clearer to me as time went on that if we continue to date, I would have to tell her the truth, and I don’t know how she would react. She would probably see me differently, and I don’t know how I would feel about that.

It’s probably safer for everyone involved if we end things. It would be even better if she gets the apprenticeship with Gabriel. That way she’ll leave to pursue her dreams. If that happens at least something good can come out of all this. Then there’s an added benefit of her not being in my space, because I don’t know how I’m going to be around her without being with her.

Whatever happens, the time between now and when she leaves is going to be torture for me.

Oh joy…

19

NAOMI

Reid Harris is many things. Intelligent? Yes. Caring? Yes. Caustic? Yes. Stubborn? Oh, hell yes. I could go on, but the one thing no one would ever say about him is that he’s erratic. The man is as measured a person as I’ve ever met. Which is exactly why him breaking up with me the way he did makes absolutely no sense.

I’m aware that people have their moments. No one is perfect. So, I assumed that after he had had some time to cool down, he would come back and apologize.

That didn’t happen.

That night at dinner I don’t think he looked at me even once.

Ethan even picked up on the energy around the table, because he shrunk in his seat the whole evening.

Two days have passed and Reid is pretty much pretending like I don’t exist. On the surface, he seems fine. He treats me like he does everyone else he employs, which has never been the case.

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