Millionaire Romance: In Love With My Boss - A Contemporary Romance (Millionaire Romance, Contemporary Romance, Comedy Romance Book 1) (20 page)

Melone requested a ticket to return to Chicago ASAP while she enjoyed another day with Andrew. They took the Cog Railway to the top of Pikes Peak where she lost her breath, literally, at the incredible scenery and high altitude. The total trip was three hours and way less jumpy than climbing the unstable side of the mountain to the waterfall. Regardless, Jennifer decided that she wouldn’t have traded either memory.

Once she and Andrew returned to Chicago, everything seemed to fall into place in a way no one could better ask for. Andrew was a great partner to the firm. His contacts helped establish a list of potentials to contact for the possibility of establishing a new office for the company in Colorado since two large contracts were coming from the state.

They had been back for two weeks when Jennifer found herself at a bar taking her lunch alone near N. Michigan Ave, two blocks from their building. Andrew stayed to finish a preliminary screening with a man interested in the Colorado position. They were looking at office managers first, someone they would correspond with on a daily basis to oversee the new office’s function.

At the bar, Jennifer pushed around several greasy potato skins. They were loaded with sour cream, parsley, bacon bits, butter, garlic, and onion. It wasn’t the type of thing to eat if she planned on keeping her feminine curves, but every once and a while she had a hard time saying no to fattening grease. Well, it happened more than every once and a while, but that was neither here nor there.

She sipped on a refreshing Coke beverage and relaxed to soft house music playing in the background. Her phone buzzed. It was a text from James: [Taking lunch. Where are you?]

She responded to the text absently and within the minute, she received a response back: Join you?

Of course, James was always welcome to her lunch. He arrived within five minutes. That was a bit fast considering she was sure that he walked, but she sat the thought aside and welcomed him with a friendly hug.

Since the trip to Colorado, James had been noticeably less
bossy
and way friendlier than before. He stopped calling her Angel, which she was more certain was out of respect to Andrew than anything. Somewhere she felt a tinge of remorse but figured it was all for the best. He never mentioned Katie though, and Jennifer never brought it up. Far be it from her to sprinkle salt and lime juice on a fresh wound. She was confident he’d heal and find another woman.

As James settled into the space beside her, he placed an order and asked for beer.

“Do you have plans for this weekend?” He asked after a long drink of the beer once it arrived.

Jennifer decided on a potato wedge and nibbled on the end as she considered his question. Andrew mentioned taking her out on the lake.

“Andrew wanted to take me to the lake,” she said with a shrug.

James glanced towards her, and then took another drink. She heard him breathing heavily beside her. “You two are getting close. Is it serious?”

Jennifer chuckled. As far as she knew, they had a
very
promising future. Andrew didn’t seem like the others. He was looking for more than fun and seemed like he wanted to settle down. That initially shocked Jennifer. She thought men his age were at their prime and wanted anything but being tied down.

He was helping her to see that Dick, the previous scumbag, was just that. There were many men who could care less about sleeping with every woman they came across—and plenty did. They wanted a family, a wife, and someone to share their life with. She still wasn’t sure if Andrew was telling her that was what he wanted, but whenever they talked about the future, which surprisingly happened to be often, she felt excitement. That was a good thing.

“Well, I think we’re official,” she answered to James. He nodded somberly.

“I finally returned the ring.”

Jennifer looked at him. She thought she saw remorse and deep sadness.

“Is that good? I think that’s good,” she attempted to console. James only nodded again and this time, he gave a deep, mournful sigh. She touched his arm gently.

She wanted to soothe him, instead, what she had held in for so long sprang up out of curiosity. “What did you ever see in her?”

The question shocked James. At first, he only stared, wide-eyed. At length, the look faded, and his face relaxed. He shrugged.

“I thought I saw a friend.”

Jennifer nodded. She could relate to that. Dick was supposed to be her friend. She
thought
they were, but then the rules must have changed and she never got the memo. Jennifer smiled suddenly. Two weeks ago she would have nearly fainted at the conversation they were having now. It was so real and genuine; James never spoke to her at length about personal affairs. She always assumed he was just that much of a professional. Since Andrew came into the picture, he seemed to relax and allow her to see glimpses of the man she was sure he was outside of work. She liked what she saw.

“Been there before,” Jennifer said flatly with a dry smirk.

James looked at her. “Really?”

She nodded and told him about Dick. She was honest, leaving some of her more personal feelings out, but she explained that Dick had hurt her heart and was the last serious man she had dated while she worked with him.

James listened silently, and never interjected a comment, not even once. When his food came, he chewed on it sparingly, seemingly too involved in her tale to fully devote himself to the lunch. When she finished, he sighed.

“What a dick.”

Jennifer laughed. “Tell me about it.” She sniffed and straightened her back, looking at James. “You and Katie argued all the time. I mean,” she made a strained face, “
all
the time. Where you really going to propose?”

James laughed at her question. After a pause, he nodded. “I guess love is blind, eh?” They chuckled together. James took another drink and a deep breath. “I thought the problems were because I worked too much. I thought maybe she would ease up if I committed to her more.”

Swallowing, Jennifer leaned on the table. For the moment, she forgot James was her boss, the man she had fawned over for the last three years. He was just a man, a friend. She felt his pain and touched his arm again with a grimace.

“I’m so sorry. You know, I think I was way too harsh on you.”

James raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

“I didn’t realize you were going to propose. I would have done the same thing, ditched town, gone to see my friends.”

“Beloit’s a hell of a lot closer than Jersey.”

“My closest friend is in New York City.”

James laughed. “Point taken.” After a moment, he faced Jennifer and turned serious. “I didn’t handle it right though.”

“You were hurting.”

“That’s not an excuse to treat you like I did.”

She watched James closely. It wasn’t like him to be so insistent on being the one at fault.

“Can I be honest with you?” James asked after she had returned to her plate. More than a minute of silence had fallen. Jennifer nodded and met his eyes.

“Sure thing. What is it?”

“At the Courtyard in Colorado, you asked me something. Do you remember what?”

Jennifer chewed her lips. She remembered asking him many things about scheduling, meetings, emails, etc.; but, she was certain those types of questions are not what he was referring to. The only thing that came to mind was the evening he came to her and offered her the raise. Her mouth began to dry.

She forced a swallow but couldn’t get the lump to move. After a sip of Coke, she couldn’t taste which it was anymore, she asked in an unsteady voice, “You mean when I asked you about us?”

James nodded. “I told you I thought we were always just good business partners. Remember that?”

She nodded, palms beginning to sweat. Of course she remembered that. Just two weeks before she would have cried. At that moment, she had only felt a sense of relief. Now…well, now she didn’t know what she felt.

“I wasn’t completely honest.”

The glass nearly slipped from her hand. In fact, it did, just a little bit. She was in the process of trying to set it back down, so it was hovering over the bar surface. When it fell, it landed squarely, and some of the dark cola hit her skin. She didn’t feel the wetness, only heat rushing her face. Her heart was speeding fast down a one lane road of confusion.

James watched her. He was waiting. It took every bit of effort she had within her body to force her eyes to his. She didn’t say anything once she met his baby blues. She only stared.

“I never thought pursuing something other than a professional relationship with you was a good idea.” He took a thick gulp of air. He seemed just as unnerved as she was, like he was forcing himself to say something he had sworn to secrecy. “You’re such a competent woman that I didn’t want to offend you.”

Jennifer searched his eyes. What was he saying exactly?

“The truth is,” he paused for a brief second, taking a breath, “I never known how to tell you the feelings I’ve had for you.”

Jennifer heard herself gasp.

“I never loved Katie. I was just trying to replace the feelings I had.” Jennifer blinked. Her mouth and throat could have been the Sahara desert; she was certain she tasted sand and grit on her tongue.

“I mean, she knows nothing about my business,” James scowled, “she never liked my benefit—thought it was too much of a waste of
good
money. She ditched me so many times for my events, and you were always there. You always came through for me when I needed you the most.”

It was true. Every single word of it, but Jennifer couldn’t confirm it for him. Her head was too busy swelling.

“You wait to tell me this
now?”
Jennifer realized too late that she sounded angry.

James faced her more completely. “I wanted to come back and tell you the
moment
I saw you, but I thought it’d be best to wait until after the meeting.”

The real surprise.

“Then I saw you with Andrew and…” his voice trailed. Jennifer had no idea what to say. Her mind was officially blank, and the only words that formed were a repeat chorus of ohmygawdohmygawdohmygawdohmygawd.

“I wasn’t going to say anything. I wanted to be so happy for you,” James shook his head, “But I can’t keep silent anymore. I’m in love you, Jennifer Rhodes.”

What Now?

The Next Book in the Series!

Oh my goodness?

What just happened?

Jennifer thought she had been in love with the same man for the past three years, the man she had been working with for the past
five
: James Melone.

It’s only until Andrew Wiles arrives that she realized she didn’t know anything about the man she worked for. She decided to lay aside the fantasy she had for her boss and pursue something with the newest addition to the partner in the growing firm.

Only now that she’s ready to move forward, James has confronted her with the most startling news of all: He’s loved her from the very start.

What should she do? Should she ditch Andrew for her one true love or should she stay true to the new feelings she developed for the new partner? Find out in the next book:

In love with my…
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About the Author

I currently live in Mexico along the Pacific Coast of Oaxaca where I listen to the nearby waves crash along the shoreline for inspiration and meditation. When I'm not writing, I'm freelancing, where I ghostwrite books for other people who love my style.

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