Page 12 of Boss with Benefits (Boss of Seduction #6)

Three days later, Brady realized he hadn’t seen any indication of anyone following Jessica.

It was a good sign. Still, he worried about her to the point of distraction.

He couldn’t work. Couldn’t sleep. Her custody problem tormented him night and day.

He had to find a way to help her keep her son before it was too late.

The bad idea he’d hinted at with Deacon in his last office visit lingered in the back of his mind.

Should he do it? Should he take such a huge risk?

He stepped out of his office and looked over the seated employees to view Jessica in her office.

Since the door was open, he could see her sitting behind her desk.

She was on the phone, tapping her pen against the wood surface.

It was a nervous habit she often displayed at work. He secretly thought it was adorable.

Her golden hair fell in waves over one shoulder. He remembered how silky those strands felt between his fingers, and he wanted to experience that feeling again. If he implemented his risky plan, he’d be able to touch her whenever he wanted.

A few of his employees looked up at him with the same unspoken question in their eyes.

They obviously thought he wanted something.

He shook his head at them and moved closer to Jessica’s office door.

Feeling awkward, he rapped his knuckles against the wood twice to let her know he was there.

When she glanced up, he gave her a curt nod.

She said goodbye to the person on the other end of the line. “What do you need?” she asked before clearing her throat. Another nervous habit. “I have a lot on my plate today. Do you need something?”

He entered the office and closed the door behind him. “I need to know how things are going with you. Have you talked to my law team again? Do you have a plan yet?”

She leaned back in her chair and sighed. “No. I haven’t spoken to Mr. Haverdash since our first meeting.”

“What about a house? Are you still pursuing that?”

“I have a real estate agent looking, but she wasn’t exactly encouraging. It’s a tough market, and I can’t just buy any old stupid house. I have to find one in a good neighborhood with a nice backyard and decent schools. That might take some time, more time than I have.”

He took the chair opposite hers with the desk between them and stared at her in silence.

The weight of the upcoming custody battle was already taking a toll on her.

He was used to seeing her positive, upbeat side.

The woman practically glowed most days, and her smile could light up the darkest of tunnels.

Today, she appeared on the verge of tears.

“Is there anything I can do?” he asked.

She shook her head. “Nothing.”

“Maybe you should take some time off.”

Her head snapped up, and she glared at him. “Are you suggesting I quit working? How would that look to Randy’s lawyer? Mr. Haverdash told me Randy has a steady job, and my position here is about the only thing I have going for me at the moment.”

He hadn’t thought of that. He’d offered her a mini-vacation because it would give her extra time with her son. But she was right. The court would probably see it as her not being serious about providing for her child.

“If you need to use me as a character witness, you know I’ll do it.

” He circled her desk and pulled her to her feet.

With his hands on her shoulders, he gazed into her beautiful blue eyes.

They lit up like pools of living water. “I can tell the judge how hard you work, and I can swear you’re a great mother.

I’ve never seen a woman more devoted to her kid. ”

She smiled, and he relaxed.

“Thank you,” she said. “I may have to take you up on that.”

“It would be my great pleasure.”

He kissed her.

When she didn’t pull away or protest, he kissed her again. The second kiss lasted longer, and his tongue teased her slightly parted lips. Passion erupted in his gut. He couldn’t hold back. His hands slid down to her shapely butt, and he squeezed the pliable flesh, bringing her closer to his desire.

His groin tightened. He wanted her more than he’d ever wanted a woman. What was it about Jessica Bishop that set his good intentions on fire? If he didn’t have her back in his bed soon, he’d lose his mind.

She pushed him away. Gently.

He took a step back, and his arms dropped to his sides. “What’s wrong?”

“I am swearing off men until this whole mess is over. Remember the detective?”

“I don’t think anyone is watching you. I’ve been on the lookout for someone suspicious.”

“Maybe not, but I can’t take any chances. Axl is more important to me than anyone or anything.”

Envy filled his heart, and he wondered what it would feel like to have someone feel that way about him.

His own mother hadn’t cared enough to keep him safe from an abusive father.

In his thirty-two years, he hadn’t experienced love with anyone.

Unless you counted the rabid fans of his work who sometimes stalked him.

“He’s a lucky boy,” Brady said.

“I’m the lucky one.”

Her radiant smile caught him off guard, and he plunged ahead without thinking.

All he wanted to do was rescue the beauty standing before him from disaster.

She was a good mother and deserved to keep custody of her only child.

If he couldn’t make it happen with his connections and money, what use were they?

“Grab your purse,” he said.

Her eyes widened. “Where are we going?”

“I think I have the perfect house for you. If you like it, you can move in right away.”

“Really?” He nodded, and she threw her arms around his neck. She squealed, “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”

One hug from her meant more to him than all the accolades and awards he’d gotten from his photographs. He had a crazy idea dancing around in his head. If he went through with it, his whole world could come crumbling down. His plan was quite possibly the most reckless thing he’d ever done.

But she was worth it.

With his hand on the small of Jessica’s back, he led her out of the office.

Hopefully, he wasn’t about to make the biggest mistake of his life.

∞∞∞

Jessica gasped when Brady opened the front door, and she got her first glimpse of the house’s interior.

With an open floor plan and a multitude of amazingly tall windows, the place dazzled like bottled sunshine.

In fact, she suspected it was brighter inside than outside.

She walked straight into the great room.

Turning slowly in a complete circle, she took in the spacious kitchen, living room, and dining area.

“I feel like I’ve stepped into a magazine layout,” she said in a breathless voice. “Was this place decorated by a professional? Do you know?”

He grinned, folded his arms, and leaned against one of the pillars supporting the high ceiling. “A top-notch interior design team did all of this. I’m glad you like it.”

“Like it? I love it!”

“Good.”

She lifted a book off the coffee table and pointed to a pair of black sneakers in the corner. “Someone lives here. I thought you told me I could move in right away.”

“You can.”

“But if someone lives here—”

“I live here.”

Her jaw dropped. “No, you don’t. You have a studio apartment. I’ve been there. Remember?”

With a sheepish expression, he shrugged. “You know how much I value my privacy.”

“You have two homes?”

“The other one is closer to work.”

She blinked at him, totally flabbergasted by his deceit. “I can’t believe you had me stay on a folding bed when we could have spent the night here.”

“I didn’t want anyone to know where I live. Not even you. This is my sanctuary. I come here to get away from everyone. If people learned my address, there would be paparazzi and curious art lovers and maybe stalkers here every other day.”

“Well, I’m flattered you finally trust me.

” She gestured to the house. “Are you suggesting I move in here while you stay in your studio? How is that supposed to help me? Any detective or lawyer worth their salt will find out this place belongs to you and not to me. Then it will look like I’m sleeping with my boss. ”

Brady motioned her to join him on the beige sectional sofa.

They both took a seat, side by side. She scooted a few inches away from him to give them each enough room to breathe.

He kept his eyes forward for a second, and she imagined he was trying to pull his thoughts together.

Brady liked to run what he wanted to say through his mind before it came out his mouth.

She’d learned that long ago. It was a good idea.

When he didn’t do it, he usually said stuff he shouldn’t.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t always time to think before speaking.

He turned his upper body so he was facing her, and she saw a touch of fear in his eyes.

That scared her; she’d never known Brady to be afraid of anything.

He had a reckless heart and an impulsive nature she envied.

Before Axl’s birth she had enjoyed throwing caution out the door on occasion.

Now she focused on her little boy and tried to do right by him. He was all that mattered.

“I know how you can win this custody battle,” Brady said.

“How?”

“Marry me and live here.”

Her eyes narrowed as she waited for the punchline. There was no way Brady had just proposed to her. Even a marriage of convenience was out of the realm of possibilities. Brady was a confirmed bachelor and would rather die than give up his freedom.

“What did you say?” she asked, shaking her head. “I must have water in my ears from the shower I took this morning. There is no way you are suggesting we exchange vows.”

“Marry me,” he repeated. He took one of her hands between his. “You don’t want to lose your son, and I don’t want to stop having sex with you. Yet. It’s a win-win.”

She shot to her feet. “You are out of your freaking mind! Think about what you’re saying. We work together. We’re partners. If we get married, we’ll kill each other within the first week.”

His jaw tightened. “Do you want to keep your son or not?”

She glared at him. “There has to be another way.”

“There isn’t. Randy is married, so you need to be married.”

“His lawyer will point out I got married to keep custody. It won’t work.”

Brady stood. “It will work, because it’s going to look like we got married before Randy made his move.”

“How is that possible? Do you have a time machine?”

“No. I have a judge who owes me. He’ll marry us and backdate the paperwork.”

“Isn’t that illegal?” she asked. The last thing she needed was to get involved with criminal activity. “Isn’t it fraud?”

“We aren’t hurting anybody.” Brady explained, “My judge friend will simply say he forgot to turn in the paperwork. I think he would normally have a week or so. Maybe it got lost on his desk. He’s a busy man.”

“There is nothing more important to me than my child.”

He nodded. “I get that.”

“When Axl was born and they handed him to me, I looked down at his precious face and fell in love. You don’t know what it’s like. You’ve never had children. This incredible feeling made my heart swell, and I knew I would do anything for him.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard that can happen.”

His tone barely held an ounce of interest, but she didn’t let it deter her. She had to make him understand so he wouldn’t do anything to ruin her life. Or his. Of course, he wouldn’t mean to hurt her. Guys like Brady didn’t do damage on purpose. They were just... thoughtless.

She stared deep into his eyes. “I made a vow to my son the first time I held him. I promised to always take care of him to the best of my ability. My days of dancing on bars and hooking up with strange men ended the moment he was born.”

Brady made a face. “That’s a shame.”

He still didn’t understand, so she tried to put it another way to help him relate. “Remember when you told me how much you love photography? It’s your passion? Your reason for living?”

He nodded. “Yeah. So?”

“How would you feel if something happened and you couldn’t create your art anymore? What if it was taken from you?”

Although Brady owned the majority of their advertising agency and took hundreds of shots of models every month, his heart didn’t seem to be in it anymore. He could do things with a camera most photographers couldn’t imagine. They called his work ‘cutting edge.’

“I’d be lost,” he admitted. “If I couldn’t see the world through a camera lens and show people what I see, I’d be lost.”

“You love it, and you would do anything to keep it going.”

Once again, he nodded. “What’s your point?”

“Your great passion for photography pales in comparison to how I feel about my son. Losing him might literally kill me.”

He squeezed both her hands between his. “I promise it won’t happen. No matter what I have to do I will make sure you do not lose your son. Now trust me and say you’ll marry me as soon as I can arrange it.”

Her numb lips moved over the words she dreaded saying. “I will marry you.”