Page 5 of Boss with Benefits (Boss of Seduction #6)

His favorite award-winning photograph was of an icy cavern. He had repelled down, dangling halfway between the top and bottom of the cave’s mouth. The icicles appeared as razor-sharp teeth. One wrong move and he would have plummeted to his death, impaled on one of those sharp icy stakes.

Another photo that filled him with pride was an exciting shot he’d snapped of an erupting volcano.

He’d gotten closer than anyone else, capturing the awe-inspiring beauty of nature at its most dangerous.

Most photographers he knew relied on giant zoom lenses.

Not him. He preferred to get close, to feel the raging heat.

After following his dream of snapping photos most were afraid to get, how could he possibly be satisfied with a safe (boring) life? Taking pictures of models didn’t have a chance of fulfilling him now. He needed adventure.

Everyone packed up and left... except for Greta.

Deep in thought, he didn’t realize she was still there until he was putting his camera away and her hand caressed his shoulder. “I always love working with you,” she said. “You are a genius, Bray.”

“Uh-huh,” he absently said, not really listening.

“We should go for drinks. Celebrate.”

That got his attention. The problem with Greta was timing. Either he was in a relationship or she was with someone. Although he tried not to mix business with pleasure, there were a few models he enjoyed on the side. He couldn’t hook up with Greta now; he wasn’t done with Jessica.

He raised an eyebrow at the beautiful model. “Celebrate?”

“Of course. It was an exceptional shoot. I feel it in my veins. This will be a famous ad campaign and will make us both incredibly wealthy.”

“We already are incredibly wealthy,” he said with a smirk. “How much money do you think you need, Greta?”

“All of it, darling. I want all of it.”

She pressed her big lips against his; he felt nothing. Nothing at all. Jessica had ruined him for other women by being the best damn kisser in town. The things she did with her talented tongue should be illegal in all fifty states.

The beautiful woman wiggling against him failed to produce a single sexual response from him.

She took a step back. “What’s wrong this time? I thought you were unattached like me?”

Sheepishly, he admitted, “There is... a woman.”

Greta rolled her eyes, and he noticed clumps of mascara stuck to some of her thickened lashes. Jessica’s mascara never clumped. Of course, she didn’t pile it on with a heavy hand. A little went a long way.

He busied himself with his equipment, taking the lens off his camera and putting it in the bag. “Sorry. You know me. I’m a one-woman man.”

“One woman at a time.”

He chuckled. “You got that right.”

“Unbelievable.”

“Hey, last time it was you. Remember? You were involved with a Greek tycoon.”

She smiled at the mention of her billionaire lover. “He was a great ride. It’s such a shame it didn’t last. What about you? Are you thinking of marrying this woman?”

The mere thought chilled his blood.

“Not in this lifetime. I told you before. I’m never getting married.”

“Good,” Greta said. “When you get tired of her, whoever she is, call me. Maybe I’ll still be available.”

“Fingers crossed.”

She placed a quick kiss on his mouth before her hand slipped down to pat his denim-covered butt. “Can’t wait.”

After she was gone, he finished putting his equipment away.

Thoughts of Jessica continued to plague him.

The truth was, he didn’t want to see her hurt.

If her ex took custody of their son, it would break her heart.

No way was he letting it happen. Even if she never had sex with him again, he wanted her to have her child. He wanted to see her happy.

∞∞∞

Later that night, Jessica went around the condo picking up toys until her living room was clean again. She’d forgotten how big a mess a little boy could make in a short amount of time. Tonight, performing the chore put a smile on her face and reminded her of how lucky she was to have him.

Once she was done, she poured herself a generous serving of white wine.

Sipping deeply, she savored the velvety smoothness flowing past her tongue.

It wasn’t too dry or too sweet. Perfect.

In passing, she reached for a book nestled on the shelf dividing the kitchen from the general living area.

The day had been long and fraught with emotional turmoil, leaving her feeling drained and frustrated.

At least it was over. Her bed was calling to her, but she needed to decompress before she could hope to sleep.

Reading was her usual refuge, a reliable way to relax and unwind.

She settled down on her modern gray couch for the evening and opened her book to where she’d left off last month.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t focus. She read the same sentence three times before giving up.

All she could think about was what the lawyer said about her chances of winning full custody. Fear rode her hard.

After placing the book on the coffee table, she went to the exterior wall, solid glass from floor to ceiling, and stared out at Seattle.

They weren’t very far from the Space Needle, the city’s most memorable landmark.

This view was the whole reason she’d bought a condo in the popular steel and glass building.

Other places she’d checked into had been cheaper, but she couldn’t resist the Seattle skyline.

It was amazing even at night, lit up like Paris.

A knock on the front door startled her. It was late, and she wasn’t expecting anyone.

With a sigh, she peeked through the provided hole.

Brady! Her heart thundered in her chest. They’d known each other for years, but he had never come to her house.

With the exception of last night, they had met at a hotel every time they had sex to keep things from getting complicated.

Why was he at her door now? What did he want?

He couldn’t possibly think they were going to have sex with Axl back home.

She opened the door with reluctance, knowing she didn’t look her best. About an hour ago, she’d washed off her makeup and released her hair from the stretchy black band she had slipped on that morning. She didn’t have time to check a mirror. Her hair was probably a huge mess.

“Hey there.” She pasted on a fake smile. “What’s up?”

Brady stepped inside without waiting for an invitation and looked around the immaculate tenth-floor condo. “Did you get your kid back? I don’t see him.”

“It’s late. Axl is safely in his bed, all tucked in and fast asleep.” She gestured for him to move all the way into the living room area. “Thank you for coming to check on us, but we’re fine.”

He shrugged on his way to the couch. “No big deal.”

“It was a very big deal to me, how you took charge today. No one has ever stood up for me like that. If it wasn’t for you, that no good deadbeat would have my son.”

“Happy employees do a better job than unhappy ones.”

She rolled her eyes. “First, I am not your employee. We’re partners. Make a note so you don’t keep forgetting.”

“What’s second?” he asked with a grin. He plopped down on the couch without waiting for her. “You said first . Usually, that means there’s a second point yet to be made.”

She sat next to him, so close their arms touched when she relaxed against the soft gray cushion behind her. Why did she feel like a nervous schoolgirl on her first date? “Am I just an employee to you? Is that how you see me?”

He turned his head, and their eyes locked. She realized her mistake then. Their lips were mere inches apart. If she leaned a little his way or if he leaned a little her way, their mouths would meet in what would undoubtedly be a heart-melting kiss.

“What did my law team have to say about your situation?” he asked in a raspy voice. “Were they any help?”

She rolled her eyes. “I didn’t meet with the team, actually. They had me talk to a Mr. Haverdash, and he wasn’t exactly optimistic about my chances.”

Brady’s jaw tightened. “They gave you the low man on the totem pole? Considering how much I pay them, they should have dropped everything to have a group meeting with you.”

“I was given a list of things wrong in my life that are right in Randy’s. He’s married, while I’m single. They have a house, and I live in this condo. Apparently, it’s a terrible place to raise a child. Mr. Haverdash also told me Randy has a steady job now.”

Brady gestured to her. “You have a steady job.”

“Mr. Haverdash told me to move into a house as soon as possible, and there was the extent of his advice. Oh, and I need to live like a saint until this is over.”

“A saint?”

“Yes, Brady. Randy’s lawyer is paying a private eye to pry into my life. Mr. Haverdash thinks the guy is already following me. Hopefully, he didn’t see me leaving your home this morning.”

Wouldn’t that be the kicker? Since the birth of her son, she hadn’t dated a single man. She hadn’t had sex with anyone. If she got caught using Brady to release built-up sexual tension, her life was over.

Fear gripped her by the throat. She felt like she would never breathe normally again. “I can’t lose him, Brady? My son is everything to me.”

He put an arm around her. “You aren’t going to lose him.”

She rested her head against his shoulder. “How do you know?”

“You are an incredible mother.” He placed his warm lips against her cool forehead. “It doesn’t matter what your stupid ex does. You are the superior parent by far. Your idiot ex didn’t want to meet his son until this summer. And now he wants Axl to live with him? Ridiculous.”

She bolted off the couch as if shocked by an electric current. “Wait! Randy didn’t want anything to do with Axl before now. Why the change? Why would he suddenly want to know the son he’s ignored for years?”

Brady shrugged. “No clue.”

“Maybe we should start digging.”

If there was a reason for the sudden change, a shady reason, she needed to find it. The answer could be key to winning the custody battle.

“What do you want me to do?” Brady asked. “I’ll help you in any way I can.”

“I don’t think there’s anything you can do.”

“What if I hire a private detective to follow your ex?”

That was a good idea, but...

“I need to hire my own detective,” she said. “If you hire someone, Randy’s guy might find out and twist it around so the judge thinks we’re sleeping together.”

“We are sleeping together.”

“No. We were sleeping together. Past tense.”

Brady groaned deep in his throat. He leaned back against the cushion with his fists over his closed eyes.

Just when she began to think he wouldn’t look at her again, he did.

His soulful gaze spoke volumes. “This sucks,” he said.

“We are so incredibly powerful together, and now we have to put what we were building on hold because your ex is an idiot?”

Building? She blinked at him. “It was just sex, Brady. We agreed. No strings.”

He nodded. “You don’t have to keep reminding me.”

“Apparently, I do. You keep trying to draw it out longer than the agreed upon two weeks. We’re partners. That’s it.”

“But we could be more.” He traced her lower lip with his thumb, and his intense gaze locked onto hers. “So much more.”

An invisible magnet pulled on her, and she desperately wanted to give into the desire burning in her soul. Her gaze dropped to his gorgeous mouth. The last two weeks spent in his bed, in his arms, had been incredible.

But kissing him now would be a huge mistake.

She slowly stood and moved to the other side of the room. “Let’s keep it professional.”

“Whatever.” He stood. “You can stay home tomorrow if you want.”

“There you go acting like my boss again.”

“Sorry. Habit.” He shrugged as he headed for the door. “But I do own forty percent more than you do.”

She threw her hands into the air. “You wouldn’t let me buy more than thirty percent of the business. I had the money, and I was willing. It’s not my fault you own more.”

“It was my idea. My business. Of course I want to hold onto the majority, and that makes me your boss. You knew the facts when you signed on.”

Jessica put a hand on his back and walked him the rest of the way to the door. Once there, she opened it before he could. Her fingers wanted to curl up in the fabric of his shirt and drag him back into her home. Desirable. He was insanely desirable, and her body ached to reunite with his.

Lucky for her, she was used to denying herself.

“See you at work in the morning,” she mumbled.

He turned to look at her.

She hoped none of her nosy neighbors saw him standing outside her condo door. They might get the wrong idea. Fortunately, the hallway was empty, meaning luck was still on her side.

She swung the door shut in his surprised face and went straight to bed. The sooner she was asleep, the better. Maybe in her dreams they could make love without consequences. They sure couldn’t get together in real life. Not now. Maybe never.

She headed to the bathroom for a cold shower.

And she wondered if she should listen to Brady about skipping work.

Should she play hooky tomorrow and stay home with her son?