Boss On A Leash: A Single Dad Billionaire Romance, Kara Hart [free ebook reader for iphone .TXT] 📗

She’s sharp. That’s why I hired her. Sometimes, it gets me into trouble.

For a second, I hold my real feelings back. Allowing my wild ideas to linger for a few days is a much safer plan. Then again, if they tell Jim, they’ll be out of jobs too. For once, I’m not stuck with the burden of deciding my next move. I can just do it.

I suck in a breath of fresh air, closing my eyes to briefly envision myself on Mount Rainier. My legs are crossed, and I’m starting to feel my inner Zen give me the confidence and creativity needed to face these people honestly. Whatever that means.

“The magazine isn’t going to happen,” I say.

It’s a declaration. A big fuck you to the board.

They don’t seem too impressed.

“Oh, I get it. You’re acting like an idiot now,” Sandra groans.

Brian stands, mouth shaped like a sad rainbow. “I’m with Sandra, man. I rescheduled shoots for this. Unlike you, I have bills to pay.”

He’s on salary.

I meander through the two, getting my checkbook out from the top drawer of my desk. “How many zeros do you two need to keep your mouths shut?” I ask.

Brian exhales. “You’re really not going through with Momma Bear?”

The name makes me cringe.

Chuckling, I sign two checks and write a number with a lot of zeros. “If this isn’t enough for your time, I’ll get you another one in three months. Just keep your lips sealed.”

They’re all accomplices now.

Sandra’s eyes fall on the number. “I just want to get this straight. You’re giving us ten grand to help you get laid?”

“It’s for Sammy,” I say. “She needs a good role model in her life.”

My team leader twitches. “That’s a good answer. I don’t buy it.”

“Then rent it out until you can afford it. My daughter adores Ali,” I say. “But she’s been very adamant about keeping me in the friend-zone.”

“There are better ways to impress a woman,” Sandra groans.

I realize how pathetic I look, but they don’t understand. There are rules to this thing, and now I’m caught in a web of promises I won’t be able to keep. Everyone wants to steal a piece of me. Everyone, except Ali.

“I have to be very careful about this whole thing,” I say. “I’m not allowed to call her.”

Brian quickly pockets the check before I can take it back. “Are you ten years old?”

He’s right. The game we’re playing is stupid and childish. But she seems really adamant about staying away from potential boyfriends. What else can I do? She makes the rules, not me.

Sandra interrupts before I can respond. Eyes wide, she plants her hands around the edge of my desk. “Well, you’ll have to tell her about the idea,” Sandra says.

I glance at Brian. He’s keeping his mouth shut.

Sandra’s confidence solidifies, and she crosses her arms. “You have to, Marc.”

Exhaling, I give a grin that immediately falls short. “I was hoping I didn’t have to,” I admit.

Frustrated, Sandra gives up arguing. “Fine. We’ll do it your way. But when this thing falls apart and she’s running out that door at the party, don’t come running to me for help,” she says, stopping a moment to catch her breath. “Oh, and since you’re keen on being a hopeless sap for the rest of your life, the best way to get her in bed is to get to know her. You know, listen to her problems. Take her to the dog park. Let her play with your new dog.”

Oh, right. I bought a dog.

It’s not a bad idea. “Noted,” I say.

I watch as Sandra disappears down the hall.

I’m stuck with Brian again. Fun.

Grabbing my bag, I tuck in my chair and nod toward the door. “I’m going home. I’ve got a dog, a wild daughter, and a couple thousand problems to fix.”

Brian beats me to the exit. “Not yet,” he says. “Come on. You faced Sandra. Now you have to face me, your best friend. You like this girl?”

I deflate, mimicking Julius Cesar’s betrayal. “Et tu, Brute?”

It doesn’t make him laugh.

“Maybe you should let this thing go,” he says.

I frown and push my weight against the door, but he gets his arm in between the exit in the nick of time. “You know how much I want you and Sammy to have a better life,” he says. “She deserves a mother. A good one.”

There’s a but coming. “But?”

He takes his arm away. I could run, but it’s better to face whatever it is he has to say. Relaxing, I take a step back and motion for him to continue his little advice column.

“I just want to make sure you’re not rushing into anything,” he says.

I think back to the night I took Sammy to buy her first dog. We’ve had such a hard time moving around, flying from city to city, and searching for a home that the look of excitement on her face took me by surprise. It’s almost like I woke up the night I saw Ali. For years, I acted like a business zombie, and now that I’m aware of all the crap I need to change, I’m seeing how big a job that might become.

My sister died, but she left me a gift. Regardless, it hurt like hell. It changed the course of my life, too.

Since then, I’ve dealt with the loss by remembering her image and living up to the standard she’d want for her daughter. It’s been difficult, but I’m learning to take the hard moments in stride because Sammy is the best thing to have ever happened to this world. I will not let my sister down. I can’t afford to let that happen.

“Trust me. This one time, put aside those doubts,” I say.

“You’re a wild card, Marc.”

I scratch my head. “Nah,” I mutter. “I’m putting those days behind me. I just want to put everything in my life together. Maybe this is a miscalculation, but I think I want to see it