Page 3 of Boss with Benefits (Boss of Seduction #6)

She stepped through the frosted glass doors into their general work area.

A symmetrical arrangement of twelve desks, bustling with activity, occupied the room, neatly divided into two rows of six.

Brady, a firm believer in collaboration, preferred to have the heart of his operation—creative and business—pulsating in a shared space.

The dynamic team functioned as a well-oiled machine with Brady steering the ship from a spacious office on the right and her in a more intimate workspace on the left.

Brady thrust his office door open and stuck his head out, obviously waiting for her. “Where have you been? We have a problem and you’re taking a coffee break?”

She kept her lips compressed to keep from exposing their affair by telling him off. He knew darn well they had seen each other in the lobby. If he hadn’t been such a jerk in the elevator, she would have finished the ride up with him.

He had changed clothes in the meantime. The sight of him in his expensive custom-made suit had her nerves tingling with awareness.

In her opinion, the majority of men looked better in casual wear, but Brady was a striking deviation from the norm.

Cloaked in the deepest shade of black, the jacket pulled over his wide shoulders provided just enough space for his muscular arms to maneuver without testing the fabric’s resilience.

The trousers accentuated his hips and flawless backside.

What was wrong with her? Before hooking up with Brady two weeks ago, she hadn’t had sex since Axl was conceived, and rarely gave it a thought. Now, thanks to him, it was all she could think about. Everything Brady did was hot. How had she not seen it before?

She fanned her face with a client folder she lifted off Katherine’s desk.

While she was busy noticing what Brady was wearing, the sixty-ish secretary was noticing Jessica’s familiar attire.

“Hey,” Katherine said as she peered over the top of her red-rimmed glasses at Jessica. “Isn’t that the same outfit you were wearing yesterday?”

Jessica felt the blood drain from her face.

The secretary’s desk was covered with framed pictures of her grandchildren, too many to count. She didn’t enjoy cooking or crocheting or playing bingo like other women her age. Her main hobby was collecting and sharing gossip. Jessica did not want to become the woman’s next headline.

“My fault,” Brady said from his doorway.

They both turned to him in confusion.

He shrugged. “I messed up some paperwork and asked Jessica to pull an all-nighter to fix it. The client is coming here this morning, and I have to have everything ready for him.” He gestured to Jessica.

“When I got here at six, she was asleep at her desk. So I told her to go grab a coffee and wake up.”

Katherine’s eyes narrowed on his face as if she wasn’t buying what he was selling. “Why didn’t you tell her to go home to change? Maybe take a shower or a quick nap?”

His professional face returned in a flash with stoic resolve. “We have a client meeting this morning. Didn’t you hear that part?”

Jessica and Katherine exchanged amused glances.

“Office,” he said to her. “Now. Please.”

Jessica entered his lair with pursed lips.

She didn’t say a word until he shut the door behind them.

There was no need to give Katherine juicy gossip to spread around the office.

As soon as the door clicked, his hands were on her.

They slid around her waist, and he pulled her back against him, a tortured groan parting his lips.

His hot breath warmed her ear. “How am I supposed to work when all I can think about is you?”

At least she wasn’t the only one having trouble letting go.

She moved out of his reach and glared at him. “Keep it professional. Rule number three. Remember?”

He rolled his eyes. “Stop looking so damn sexy then.”

“Brady—”

“Relax.” He gestured to his custom-made desk: an artistic masterpiece chiseled from granite with their logo attached to the front in polished gold metal: two letters partially entwined with a circle around them.

EI, which stood for Elite Images. “Can you pick out the models for the mattress ad? We need to make a decision, and you’re so much better at this stuff than I am. ”

Was he trying to flatter her? That wasn’t his usual MO, but anything was possible. Brady liked to keep people off balance so they were easier to deal with. She knew that better than most.

He opened a folder and spread photos of models in front of her, both male and female.

She tried to picture them in silk pajamas.

The models would be playing a loving couple on a Sunday morning with a newspaper, a cute dog, and breakfast in bed.

It only took a moment for her to zero in on her two favorites.

She placed a young man with a golden halo of hair next to a stunning woman with longish brown curls.

“I like these two,” she said.

“See?” Brady smiled. “You always know which models to use. It’s a natural instinct with you.”

“Thanks. I think.”

He winked at her and grinned so big that his dimples deepened beneath the facial fuzz. “Are you sure I can’t convince you to join me for a little afternoon delight?”

She sighed. “You’re breaking a cardinal rule again, Brady. At work, we work. We don’t talk about personal stuff. In fact, there isn’t even any personal stuff to talk about anymore. Last night was our last night. Remember?”

“Not if I can talk you into one more time. Then tonight can be our last night together. Get a sitter or sneak me in after the kid is asleep.”

She started to list all the reasons why they shouldn’t have sex again. The intercom buzzer interrupted her before she could begin, and Katherine’s voice came over the intercom. “Jessica, your nanny is on line one.”

“Thank you, Katherine.” Jessica put the call on speaker. “Go ahead, Bridget. I’m here.”

The sound of loud sobbing caught her off guard.

She and Brady exchanged concerned glances.

A wave of fear crashed into her. “Bridget, what’s wrong? Is Axl okay? Did something happen to him?”

Words came out between sobs. “Your ex... lawyer... want Axl...”

Jessica stiffened. “Are you saying Randy wants to take my son from me?”

“Yes! He and his wife... they p-pushed me… out the door. I am... calling… from my car. They won’t... give him to me.”

“No, no, no, no, no!” Jessica’s eyes filled with hot tears at the thought of losing her little boy. The bottom fell out of her world. “Give me a second to call Randy. Don’t go anywhere. Okay? Just sit in your car and wait.”

She dialed her ex’s number with trembling fingers. When the coward answered, she started yelling. There wasn’t time to plan what to say. Her emotions took over. “Randy, you have no right to keep my son from returning home!”

“Our son,” Randy said in a calm, controlled voice. “And I have a lawyer that says otherwise. He’s getting a special order so I don’t have to return Axl. Then we’re taking you to court, and I’m seeking full custody.”

Spiraling out of control, Jessica’s vocal cords froze. She didn’t know what to do. Should she drive to Randy’s home and take her son back by force? Should she contact a lawyer? If she lost Axl, she didn’t think she could survive the pain.

He was a little boy, and he needed his mother.

He needed her .

Brady held a finger up to keep her quiet, and he took over.

“This is Brady, the photographer Jessica works for, and I have a team of attorneys, best in the state, just dying to take someone to court. If you don’t hand the boy over to his nanny within the next two minutes, the police will be at your door in ten.

You will be arrested for kidnapping. Then my law team will make sure Jess keeps sole custody of her son.

When they get done with you, you won’t be trusted with a dog, let alone a child. ”

Randy sputtered, “H-how d-dare y-you! I will—”

“Your two minutes started twenty seconds ago,” Brady said in a clipped tone. “I’m picking up my cell to call the police.”

Jessica stood frozen in place with her eyes wide and unblinking. She held her breath. Her entire future hinged on what would happen in the next few seconds. Fortunately, people were afraid of Brady’s money and connections.

He hung up on Randy and dialed Bridget.

“Do you see Jessica’s son?” Brady asked. “That SOB should be—”

“I see him!” Bridget shouted. “They just opened the front door and let him out.”

“Get him!” Jessica yelled. “Hurry, Bridge! Grab him and call me back once you have him safely in the car.”

They listened together as the car door shut.

Muted voices could be heard in the background, but they were too far away to make any of the words out.

Scared witless, Jessica held her hand up, and Brady took it.

He squeezed her flesh, reassuring her without saying anything.

She didn’t know what she would do without him on her side.

“Got him,” Bridget said. “And we are pulling away from the house now.”

Knowing Bridget would have them on speaker in her car so she could drive, Jessica called out to her son. “Axl baby, can you hear me?”

“Mommy!”

A huge smile came to her face, even though the incident had left her shaken. Hearing her little boy’s voice filled her with joy, but she wouldn’t relax until he was back in her arms. “That’s right, little man. It’s me. Can’t wait to see you.”

“Bridge is bringing me home, Mommy.”

“I know. That’s why I’m so happy.” Tears rolled freely down her face, and she collapsed in the chair across from Brady’s desk. Her legs felt like rubber and refused to hold her up another second. She forced herself to sound carefree. “Did you have a good time at your dad’s house?”

“We went to the zoo, and I saw monkeys and tigers and bears.”

Her fingers curled into fists, and she covered her mouth for a second to keep a rogue sob inside. It would upset him if she fell to pieces while on the phone with him. “Can’t wait to hear all about it, but I’m at work, honey. I’ll see you when you get home.”

Brady pushed the button to disconnect the call as soon as they said goodbye, and that was when she broke.

The tears continued to flow. The fear of losing her son hit her hard.

Brady opened his arms to her, and she ran into them.

Her entire body quaked, threatening to shake apart.

He held her tightly as she cried until she didn’t have any tears left.

“I want you to talk to my law team,” he said near her ear. “I meant it when I threatened to turn them loose on your ex. Go talk to them. I’ll call to let them know you’re on your way, and I’ll meet with the clients alone. It’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure?” she asked. “What if they’re busy with another client?”

“I pay them a huge retainer each month so they won’t be busy when I need them.”

She placed her lips on his for a long, slow kiss.

It was against her rules, but he deserved a little extra consideration.

In fact, she decided to take back her earlier argument against them hooking up again.

“We can’t do anything tonight since Axl will be home,” she said with a slight quiver in her voice.

“But I want to be in your bed one more time someday soon. I’ll get a sitter, and we can have a proper goodbye. ”

His jaw tightened. “I didn’t offer to help you out to get sex.”

“I know.”

“You don’t owe me anything.”

“I know,” she repeated. “I want to be with you... one last time.”

If his law team kept her from losing her son, she would owe him the moon. She kept that to herself. Brady’s pride wouldn’t allow him to accept anything from her in return.

After another quick kiss, she left his office with her purse trapped beneath her arm. This morning her biggest problem had been how she would get over Brady. Now she had to worry about losing the most important person in her life. Her son.