Page 60 of Help Wanted

Had he really said he’d never sleep with an employee? In front of the employee he had slept with? It was his parent’s fault. They made him crazy. He couldn’t think straight. He couldn’t imagine what Kenley must be thinking.

He hadn’t wanted anyone in his family to know about Kenley. Not because he was embarrassed. Hell, she was wonderful. Any normal family would have welcomed her with open arms, not scorned her as some kind of illicit temptress.

As it was, he should have come clean when his mother called them out, but fear had held him back. Not fear of his mother or what they might think, but fear that if he announced their relationship formally it would mean more to him than he wanted it to.

He should have found out what she wanted. He should have told her how he felt. Instead she was gone and he was back to being the boss.

When he got called back to his sister’s room, he waited his turn to see the little person who was his niece. She was tiny and loud, and he was won over instantly. He wished Kenley had gotten the chance to see her. Thinking of her standing by his side made his heart hurt.

“Did you know your brother is sleeping with his secretary?” his mother asked Sidney, who raised her eyebrows.

“You didn’t,” she said. He couldn’t answer her.

While his mother and father talked in high voices to the baby, Sidney motioned him closer.

“Is it true? You slept with Kenley?”

“Yes.” He let it out with a sigh. Why not admit it now? He’d been planning to tell Sidney at some point. Just not right away. Not when he could still smell Kenley’s sweet perfume on his shirt. “And then I said I didn’t, right in front of her. I didn’t defend her to Mom and Dad. She made a run for it and I’m worried I might not see her again. What if she doesn’t come back to work? What am I going to do?”

“If I hadn’t had another human being pulled out of my uterus I would get out of this bed and beat you silly.” He didn’t know what was worse, the threat of a beating or any talk of his sister’s uterus. He knew he deserved whatever punishment she dished out.

“I panicked,” he admitted.

“You probably should have introduced her as a friend or a girlfriend, and not even told them she worked for you.”

“Yeah. That would have been better. I didn’t think of that.” He frowned and tried to change the subject. “She’s beautiful, Sid.” He nodded toward the baby.

“I think so too.” He relaxed, having managed to steer her to another topic. “You need to go fix this thing with Kenley.” Or maybe not.

“What should I do?”

“Do you like her?”

“Yes.”

“Do you want to be with her?”

“Yes.”

“Find her and tell her how you really feel about her.”

He let out another sigh.

“That might be a problem. I don’t know how I really feel. I mean last night everything seemed clear, but now it’s kind of complicated.”

“Don’t be one of those guys who wanted the girl until he got her, and now just wants to get away.” He wanted to defend himself and tell her he wasn’t doing that, but maybe it was true. Not because he wanted to move on, but because he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to keep her and he’d find himself back in the position of wanting someone he couldn’t have. He didn’t want to go back to being that person again.

“She’s my employee, Sid. What if it doesn’t work out? It would be uncomfortable for both of us.”

“You’re assuming it’s not going to work out. And even if it ends, it doesn’t automatically mean you can’t continue to work together. We had a stressful relationship and it didn’t get in the way of our working relationship.”

If she’d planned to make him feel better, she’d struck out. Working with Sidney—while easier in some ways—also meant he had to agree to things he might not have agreed to if they hadn’t been related. It also meant seeing so much of her that the sound of her voice sometimes made him nauseous.

“You need to at least try. Go talk to her.”

She was right. Regardless of what happened, he needed to make things right. After all, he’d taken her virginity. No. He hadn’t taken it. He hadn’t even known it was up for grabs. This was on her. She’d hoisted her virginity on him, ambushed him with it even.

He rubbed his forehead. Was he really blaming her for this? He needed to do better. He’d wanted this woman since the moment she’d walked into his office. He’d gotten her and now he was… what?