Arrogant Boss

“Yep.”

“Aren’t you curious?”

No. Just ashamed and wallowing in self-pity.

“A bit.”

“Check it,” Turner said and returned to his book. I smiled at his unruly mop of hair and his disinterest. Time to bite the bullet… I unlocked my phone.

Julian: I’m guessing you’re in somewhat of a delicate state today.

I could feel the heat that flooded my cheeks at his observation.

Emily: The most delicate of states, yes.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Julian: Does it help if I say I am too?

Emily: Sure, but I’m guessing you’ve already completed your morning run.

Julian: …

Julian: I plead the fifth.

I sighed and put my phone down on the counter. He was being nice about it, but I’d still made a fool of myself. I’d have to apologize or find some way to backtrack from the sex-crazed, lustful, clearly too infatuated woman I’d been last night. We’d been on two ‘outings’ that I had staunchly refused to call dates earlier.

Yeah, I had been in crazy territory last night.

My phone buzzed again.

Julian: Promise me you won’t spend the day overthinking.

Hah. Was I that obvious?

Emily: Considering I was probably underthinking yesterday, I better make up for it today.

Julian didn’t reply.

No, instead he called me, his name flashing across the screen.

Hell. Could I not answer? Would that be suspicious? My mind raced. In what situation could you text, but not talk on the phone? Someone who was in a library could. Could I say that I was?

“Who’s that?” Turner asked, peering over at where my phone was aggressively blaring.

“A friend I met out last night,” I replied. Hopping off the stool, I headed for the door to the backyard. “I’ll take it out here.”

Turner nodded and returned to his book, and I thanked my lucky stars that my brother was not the nosy type.

With a nervous hand, I pressed answer. “Hey.”

Julian’s tone was teasing. “I was starting to wonder if you were ever going to pick up.”

“I was considering not to. You know, since my bags are fully packed and the car loaded up. I’m leaving for Canada later today to start a new life.”

His laughter reached me through the phone. “It’s cold up there this time of year.”

“Shoot. I’d forgotten to pack my ski things. Thanks for reminding me.”

“You know, I was really surprised to see you there last night.”

“I can imagine it was quite a shock,” I said and took a seat on one of the lawn chairs. The sun hadn’t yet passed the roof of our neighbors house, and the backyard was a tad chilly.

“Happily surprised,” he amended. “I had a good time.”

“Despite the fact that I acted like a drunk sorority girl?”

“Because of that,” he said. “I have a suggestion.”

“What?””You said you might’ve saved some time for me this weekend. Let me swing by your place later with a box of donuts. Ensure you’re actually okay.”

I laughed weakly. The offer of delicious, sugary and fried treats beckoned before me like the gates to heaven. But I felt hollow and my head still ached like a mother-lover, as my grandma would have said.

“Technically, we spent time together yesterday,” I pointed out. “That was our once a week.”

“Are you turning down food? Ace, now I know you’re actually sick.”

“Just hungover. I’m going to recuperate and spend some time with my brother, but I’ll see you later this week. Perhaps I’ll be the one bringing you some donuts.”

“I look forward to it.”

“Bye, Julian.”

“Bye.”

Perhaps I had pushed too hard. But how could I resist teasing her after what she’d said to me on Saturday?

Hearing her say that she wanted me was perhaps the single biggest ego-boost I’d ever experienced in my life. Lord knows I wanted her, wanted to make her smile and laugh and gasp in my bed. Now, if only I could get her to say it sober…

Given her dedication to her job, I knew there’d be a backlash of some sort. That’s where the donuts came in-I would try to bribe her out of her shell with gooey goodness and let her know that she had nothing to worry about. But that had failed.

Thoughts of Emily distracted me from the things I actually had to do, like running a company or lecturing my brother. At least I had help with the former, but trying to talk sense into my old-enough-to-know-better brother?

I was entirely on my own.

Ryan sank further into one of the chairs in my office. “Come on, Julian. You’re being unreasonable.”

I raised an eyebrow. “How am I being unreasonable, exactly? For requiring you to have accomplished something to get your trust fund?”

“Look, it’s not what Dad intended when he gave you the reins, and you know it.”