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He turns to face me, smirking, and I blow out a breath, impressed despite myself at his cheek. “Do you take perverse pleasure in calling me out on my bullshit?”
His smirk transforms into a grin. “Of course. I rarely get the chance.”
I cross my arms over my chest, wavering on how much to divulge. It’s not that I can’t trust him. But this thing between me and Emma… I have no idea what it is. “Angelina already reamed me out earlier,” I tell him, not really answering his question.
“Oh, I’ve dealt with her plenty over the years. Surprisingly, Dad didn’t sic her on me during the wedding planning process. Guess he wanted to chew me out personally.”
I nod, hating how Dad always had it out for him. “Do you think if that paper hadn’t published that article about you at that party, we’d even be here right now?”
“Huh?”
“Like maybe he wouldn’t have been mad enough then to make you marry Serena. And if you hadn’t been engaged to her, Archer never would’ve married her and been disowned. It’d be him with the apartment. With everything.”
He shrugs. “It’s possible. But you’ll kill yourself with the what-ifs.”
He’s right, but I can’t quite let it go. “If you could go back, would you have gone to that party?”
His brow furrows. “What’s this about?”
“I’m just curious.” Emma said I shouldn’t blame myself for inheriting everything, but I wonder if he regrets the way it went down.
He’s quiet a moment, turning to the window again. “If that’s what set this all in motion, then yes. That’s how I ended up meeting Mackenzie. And I can’t imagine my life without her now.”
“She means that much to you?”
“She means everything,” he says seriously, his normal joking manner gone. He eyes me carefully. “Really, what’s this introspection about? Did Angelina say something?”
“No. Not about all that, at least. She’ll tell the press nothing’s going on.”
“Is there something going on?”
I scuff my foot against the floor, leaving a dark smudge. “Not when the photo was taken.”
“Why are you being so evasive?”
I throw my hands up, an unsettling weight in my stomach dropping at being called out by him. “Because I don’t know what I’m doing. I kissed her last night. And then again this morning. Right after I told her we had to stay extra professional so another picture like that doesn’t happen.”
He waves a hand, as if dismissing my concerns. “The press will think whatever they want, no matter what you say. Don’t let it affect your private life.”
“It’s not just that. I’m her boss. It’d be wrong.”
He rolls his eyes. “You’re not some middle-aged horndog taking advantage of the girl in his department who’s half his age.”
“It could affect the company.”
He grins good-naturedly. “You’re the owner and CEO. You can do what you want.”
I shake my head, sensing any argument I give him will be quickly met with a counterargument. “You don’t have any reservations?”
“Hell, no. If you have a connection, don’t worry about whatever titles you think are getting in the way. Boss, employee. Billionaire, regular girl.” He lays a hand on my shoulder, the weight of it reassuring. “At the end of the day, I know how hard it is to find something real for people like us. And I watched you two at dinner last night. There was a spark there. I liked her. Mackenzie liked her. Serena did. And Archer’s a grump, so you can’t count him.”
My lips twist, unable to help myself. The way he describes it seems so easy. But he’s not the one living my life. He wouldn’t have to deal with the repercussions, the fallout if I pursued something with her and it all went belly up.
An affair with my assistant would undermine my credibility and respect at Bishop Industries if it was discovered. I already checked HR’s policy, and it’s definitely not allowed. How will it look if the top person at the company flouts the rules? And if it’s confirmed by the press, would it affect our image? Our reputation? Our stock prices? There are so many factors to consider.
“Don’t deny yourself happiness,” he says, watching me closely. “You don’t seem like your usual self.”
There’s no denying he’s right. But it’s impossible to be my normal self with everything in my life that’s changed. “Thanks for the advice,” I tell him, wanting to drop the subject. There’s only so much a guy can take in one day. “Ready for lunch?”