May rubbed her eyes and tried to focus on the computer screen. She’d been Administrative Assistant to the CEO of AdLoch for two months, two days, seven hours, and—she glanced at the clock on the wall—seventeen minutes. During that time, she’d worked overtime nineteen days and pulled a midnighter twice.
The job was challenging, interesting and the answer to a prayer. She needed this job. Like lives-depended-on-it needed. Today was likely going to be another midnighter—a day when she and Lochlan called in for dinner and worked until neither of them could keep their eyes open.
Not that the long nights were horrible. The last time they’d stayed late, they’d wound up getting into a huge debate over the Lucas Star Wars films versus the newer ones made since Disney took ownership. Lochlan claimed the originals were the best and the franchise had been destroyed by Disney. She disagreed. They’d actually lost an hour of work time arguing about it, looking up certain scenes online, trying to convince each other to their perspective.
It had been fun, but in the end, she’d felt guilty for remaining at work when she was needed at home.
May prayed all would be well tonight. This job kept her away from home too much, and it was putting a lot of stress on her already fragile mother. The string was stretched taut, and May knew it was just a matter of time before it broke completely. Unfortunately, May didn’t have a choice. They needed the money this job was bringing in—desperately.
The fact she loved working at AdLoch helped, but then…it didn’t help. She enjoyed being here, which made her feel guilty because she was needed at home just as much. May was torn in two, trying to fill the large shoes left by Sally, while at the same time not letting her family down.
She was burning the candle at both ends, which actually wasn’t as hard as it should be.
Because of him.
She was completely impressed with and in awe of her new boss, Lochlan Wallace. He was brilliant, handsome as sin, confident and rich, yet at the same time, he was approachable and real. He’d tried to warn her away at the beginning, claiming he couldn’t sugarcoat his requests. In truth, she’d loved that honesty and had been relieved by it.
Her last boss had equated youth to inability. He hadn’t exactly treated her like she was stupid, but there’d been a lack of trust in her intelligence, so he’d over-explained her tasks and limited what she was assigned. Every hour there had felt like five years.
AdLoch was the opposite. She was busy from open to close. Lochlan had handed her all of Sally’s roles and trusted that she could follow through. She was exhausted yet exhilarated, and the challenge fulfilled her like nothing she’d ever done.
The only downside to her new job was something that wasn’t Lochlan’s fault, something he would probably be mortified to hear, so she was careful to hide it.
Lochlan had a way of looking at her that had her imagining things that never occurred to her before…sexually explicit, kinky-as-hell things.
Even though she typically dropped onto the couch each night, tired beyond belief, the second she closed her eyes, he was there, tying her up, spanking her, pulling her hair, taking her over and over, hard and fast and glorious.
“May.”
She jerked at the sound of Lochlan’s voice next to her. She hadn’t heard him approaching.
She flushed, her cheeks heating under his intense gaze. “Yes, sir?”
She had no idea why saying those words impacted her so…roughly. It was a common enough thing to say to a boss. Perhaps it was his response to them. His eyes narrowed for just a moment, not in anger, but with some other emotion she couldn’t put her finger on. She thought it might be desire…or something more primal.
God, she really needed to get a handle on this.
May found it difficult to breathe when he was nearby. She licked her suddenly dry lips, scraping the lower one with her teeth, biting it nervously. His gaze followed the movement.
The first few weeks, she’d chalked up this damp-palms, light-headed feeling to nervousness, until she realized Lochlan didn’t frighten her at all. He turned her on.
“Do you have the Hilty file? I can’t find it anywhere.”
She nodded, forcing her eyes away to sift through a pile of folders on her desk. “I took it to make copies of the notes Sally made about the deal. I’m sorry I didn’t put it back afterwards.”
May held the file out. His fingers brushed hers as he reached for it.
“No harm, no foul,” he said with a smile. “You good to stay a little late tonight?”
Given the fact it was nearly five thirty and at least eighty percent of the employees had already called it day, she figured that was obvious.
She nodded. “Sure.” She would have to call her mother and run through the nightly routine for her. May had anticipated this, so she’d prepared a meal, something her mom would only have to heat up.
“Would you like more coffee?” she asked.
“No thanks. Thought I might grab a bottle of water from the mini-fridge in my office. Want one?”
She shook her head and pointed to the half-drunk water on her desk. “I’m fine.”
“You know, I’ve been meaning to talk to you.”
May drew in a slow breath. “Is everything okay?”
He held his hand up to ward off her concern. “Everything is great. That’s what I wanted to say. You’re doing a wonderful job, May. I hope you’re happy here. I know the hours are long, but—”
“I’m very happy. The work is much more challenging than my previous job, which was pretty boring.”
He grinned.
“Okay. It was a lot boring. Every day at AdLoch brings something new. And all the people who work here are really nice.”
“I’ve heard the same said of you.”
May was relieved to hear that. Part of her duties as Lochlan’s admin assistant included handling employees. Sally had warned her that as the company grew, she’d sort of assumed the role of HR naturally. Apparently, the older woman and Lochlan had discussed taking those tasks out of the job description for the new hire, but decided against it. Lochlan preferred having his “finger on the pulse of the office,” as Sally had explained. So she—and now May—dealt with employee issues, keeping Lochlan in the loop.
Fortunately, there hadn’t been much in the way of workplace drama yet. AdLoch rented out this entire floor of the high-rise, complete with a whole bank of offices lining the outside walls, as well as a larger, more open space in the middle that consisted of a long conference table, break room and about a dozen cubicles for lower-level employees. She and Lochlan worked in the large corner suite, but she spent a great deal of time out in the common area as well, communicating Lochlan’s directives, requesting information, and setting up meetings between her boss and the different departments.
Lochlan was a tech genius, and he’d certainly built something pretty wonderful. May was delighted to be a part of it.
Her cell phone rang. At her last job, she kept her personal cell turned off and stashed in her drawer. She’d done the same here for the first couple of weeks, but as her hours increased, so did her anxiety about home.
“I thought I turned that off,” she lied. May reached for it, intending to silence the thing, until she saw the number on the screen. “I’m so sorry. I have to take this.”
She kept her eyes averted, praying Lochlan wouldn’t be annoyed by her receiving personal calls at work. “Hello?” She paused. “This is she.”
Lochlan remained by her desk. She felt him standing there, nearby, as she listened to the 911 operator, her heart racing with fear as the woman told her about the fire in the kitchen of her apartment.
Apparently the fire was out, but police and firefighters were still there with her family. Her mother was distressed, according to the operator, so they’d called her.
“Is everyone okay?”
“What is it?” Lochlan murmured.
May looked up at him. “Fire,” she whispered as the operator said the police weren’t comfortable leaving her mother alone. “I understand. I’m leaving work right now. I’ll be there in ten minutes.” Ordinarily, she walked to and from work, the trip taking half an hour or so. This time she’d have to get an Uber. “Thank you for calling.”
She hung up and looked at Lochlan. They had a huge meeting with a client at ten a.m. tomorrow. The timing on this sucked.
“Mr. Wallace—” she started.
“Grab your bag, May. I texted the valet to bring my car around the second you said ‘fire.’”
“That’s okay. I can call a cab.”
Lochlan crossed his arms. “Get your bag.”
It was clear he wouldn’t take no for an answer, so she did as he said, retrieving her purse and her keys. Her hands were shaking despite her efforts to remain calm.
Lochlan took her empty hand in his large palm and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Who was that on the phone?”
“A 911 operator.”
“And what did they say?”
“There was a small fire in my kitchen. It’s out now, but my mother…” May swallowed, her throat clogged with fear.
“You and your mother live together?”
May nodded. She had been very careful not to bring her situation at home to work. Sally knew about it, but May had asked the woman not to tell Lochlan. Her personal life was just that—personal. It was important to her to maintain professionalism at work at all times.
Not that Lochlan hadn’t tried to discover more about her life. He’d asked questions occasionally, but she was very good at vague answers. Lately, he had stopped asking.
“I know you have a lot to do to prepare for tomorrow’s meeting. I can just…go home and…make sure everything is okay and come right back. You don’t have to come with—”
Lochlan was still holding her hand, and he used that grip to guide her toward the exit. He obviously had no intention of changing his mind about driving her by the time they reached the car and he opened the passenger door. If she weren’t on the cusp of a mini freak-out, she would have appreciated how sweet his Audi was.
He climbed behind the wheel. “What’s the address?”
She gave it to him, and she didn’t miss the slight frown that crossed his face. “You walk to work every day?”
May nodded, perfectly aware of what he was thinking. Her apartment was a fair distance from the office, and the neighborhood wasn’t exactly the best. Baltimore was one of those places where one block too far would take you from affluent to scary-as-fuck before you realized what had happened. She lived just on the border of scary.
“And on the nights we work late?”
May looked out the passenger side window as she lied. “I grab a cab.” She didn’t look back at him, pretending to be fascinated by the city streets.
She let the silence drag out another few minutes before chancing a peek over. Lochlan was staring straight ahead—and he looked pissed off. Had he realized her words were a lie? How could he?
May understood how dangerous it was to walk alone at night, but even with the nice pay raise, she didn’t have enough money to waste on cab fare. At least not yet.
Lochlan pulled up in front of her apartment building, claiming one of the spots vacated by a departing fire truck. There were still two police cars and an ambulance parked outside.
“Thank you for the ride,” she said. “I’ll try to get back to work as soon as I can.”
She hoped he would take the hint. The last thing on earth she wanted was for him to follow her inside.
When he opened the car door and stepped out, she realized she wasn’t going to get her wish.
“Mr. Wallace—” she started. She was anxious to get upstairs, but she was just as determined to keep him out.
“Lochlan.”
“What?”
“I want you to start calling me Lochlan.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think that’s…” It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him that wasn’t a good idea. Lochlan felt too personal, too close. Instead, she said, “Professional.”
“It is if I say it is. I’m the boss.” He gestured toward the front door of her building, his scowl growing darker when she opened the door without a key. “No security?”
“There’s a system, but it’s been down a few months. The landlord said he’s waiting on a part or something.”
May was perfectly aware that line from her dick of a landlord was bullshit, but given the murderous look on Lochlan’s face, she thought it best to give him some answer that might calm him down.
They walked up three flights of stairs to get to her place. May usually didn’t see the dinginess of the place, used to the ratty carpet, the broken elevator, the loose stairs along the way. As she rushed up, her eyes took in everything, imagining what Lochlan must be thinking as he followed.
When they reached her floor, the door was open and she could hear the raised voice of her landlord, smell the lingering stench of smoke.
“Shit,” she murmured. Jenks Peterson was an asshole on a good day.
She turned, intent on making one last ditch effort to send Lochlan back to the office.
She only managed to say, “Listen, I think…” before he walked by her and inside the apartment.
“Aunt May!” Little Chloe launched herself across the room, wrapping her arms around her legs. “The kitchen was on fire.”
“I heard. Are you okay, sweetie?”
Chloe nodded, and May let her gaze travel around the room. Her mother was sitting quietly on the couch, wringing her hands.
“I’m so sorry, May. I turned on the wrong burner, and the towel…” Her mother’s words faded away as May gently extracted herself from Chloe’s iron-tight grip so she could get to the couch.
She dropped down next to her mom and took her hands in hers. “It’s okay. It was an accident. Where’s Jenny?” she asked as she looked around the room, sighing with relief when she spotted her other niece standing in the corner, silent as ever. “You okay, Jen?” she called out across the room.
Jenny simply held her gaze, offering neither a nod or headshake. Hell, May wouldn’t mind if her mute niece flipped her the middle finger. At least it would be some sign of life.
“You’re going to have to pay to repair that kitchen,” the landlord said. “And it won’t be cheap.”
May stood and walked toward the kitchen, dreading what she was going to see.
It was pretty much exactly what she’d feared. The stove was a total loss, as was the counter next to it. One whole wall was charred, the linoleum on that side of the floor destroyed. The ceiling and the rest of the room were severely smoke damaged. They’d most likely have to gut the whole room and start over.
“I have renter’s insurance,” she said, not bothering to mention the high premium. May was going to have to adjust the timeline on her plans to move the four of them out of this dump. Six months to a new life now looked more like a year.
“I have connections to a construction firm,” Lochlan said. “I’ll place a call.”
May nodded, numbness covering her like a blanket. The past few years had been a constant roller coaster of emotions. So much so, she’d lost the ability to cry or rage.
“I have an approved list of people who can work in the building,” Jenks said belligerently.
“I’m sure you do. I’ll send you the information on my firm first thing in the morning. They’re one of the top five companies in the state. I doubt you’ll have an issue with them. And since May will be the one paying, the choice should be hers.”
Jenks narrowed his eyes. May was aware of the landlord’s “approved list.” It consisted primarily of his buddies who overinflated their prices, laughing all the way to the bank on the backs of the renters in the building.
May had always known Jenks was a blowhard and a bully, but his response to Lochlan’s presence merely confirmed it. “I’ll send you the approved list,” he repeated to May, ignoring Lochlan completely.
She gestured with a tilt of her head toward Lochlan. “I think I’d like his guys to do the work.”
“Ms. Flowers—” Jenks started.
“Then it’s settled. Is there anything else you need?” Lochlan’s tone was stern, dismissive.
Jenks was used to being the boss in the apartment building. He spoke, and he expected others to listen, so he clearly felt the need to exert his power in the face of Lochlan’s dominance. “One more problem in this apartment, May, and that’s it. You’re out.”
Lochlan took one step forward, the movement putting him in front of May, forming a wall between her and the swarthy landlord. She’d always acknowledged his size—Lochlan was built like a mountain, tall and wide—but she had never seen him use that height for intimidation. Right now, he was, and it was seriously impressive.
“I’d rethink that threat. Try to evict her over an accident and I’ll have the housing commission in here tomorrow. I saw several code violations just on the walk up here.”
Jenks took a step back, peering at her from around Lochlan. “We’ll talk tomorrow, May.”
The landlord realized he wouldn’t win tonight, not with Lochlan in the room. Which meant he’d give her twice the earful in the morning. So Jenks, the EMTs, and the two remaining police officers left, closing the door behind them, and drawing her attention back to the strong smell of smoke still lingering in the apartment.
Her mother sighed. “I really don’t like that landlord.”
“Mr. Wallace, this is my mom, Linda Flowers.”
Lochlan shook her hand. “Nice to meet you, Linda.”
“And you. I think I’m going to go back to my room and lie down, May.”
“That’s fine, Mom. I’m here. I’ll take care of everything.”
Her mother walked down the hall slowly, and May watched until she entered her room and shut the door.
May turned toward her nieces. “Why don’t the two of you grab sweaters from your room? We’ll have to go out for dinner tonight.”
Chloe danced down the hall, clearly excited about the upcoming Happy Meal. Jenny—as usual—slunk away soundlessly. Lochlan watched them leave with great interest.
“Thank you for helping me deal with Jenks, Mr. Wallace. He’s—”
“Lochlan.”
May sighed when he corrected her. “I told you I didn’t—”
“I know. Now say it.”
“Mr.—”
Lochlan placed one finger under her chin, drawing her eyes to his face. “Try again.”
He was barely touching her, but May felt as though she’d just received two-thousand volts. “Please,” she said. “I think we need to maintain…I mean…”
Lochlan bent his head closer, holding eye contact. The man must have been a snake charmer in another life. She was hypnotized, paralyzed. “Say it, May.”
“Lochlan,” she whispered.
He smiled, his light touch gone.
It took everything she had not to feel her chin to see if it was singed.
“My uncle Killian and his partner, Justin, own a construction firm. My uncle Sean works there as well. They can fix your kitchen up quickly and efficiently, and they won’t fleece you. I’m fairly certain the same can’t be said of your landlord.”
“You’re right about that. I appreciate you passing on the name.”
“Let me know if Jenks gives you any more trouble.”
There was no way in hell May would do that. She fought her own battles, and she’d already crossed too many lines tonight, bringing him into her home, calling him by his first name, letting him see…her life.
May glanced around the room and winced. The place was a mess, and while she wanted to blame the overabundance of firefighters and police tromping through, the truth was, it hadn’t looked that much better when she’d left for work today. May prided herself on keeping a clean apartment, but since starting at AdLoch, she hadn’t been here enough to keep it up to her standards. She’d tried to give the girls a list of chores, but her mother didn’t enforce it, so too many things had fallen to the wayside.
“Your mother and nieces live with you?”
May nodded.
Lochlan’s gaze traveled around the apartment, down the hallway. “Two-bedroom place?”
Damn. The observant man had even counted the doors.
She nodded again, deciding she could keep answering yes or no questions, or just do the full disclosure now and get it over with. “Yes. It was just me and my mom until six months ago. My brother and his wife were killed in a car accident, so the girls came to live with us. I gave them my bedroom, and until we can afford to get a bigger place, I just sleep out here.”
Lochlan looked around the room. “You sleep out here? On the couch?”
“I realize it’s not exactly ideal, but we’re making it work. It was one of the reasons I applied for the job as your admin assistant. The pay increase. Listen, I know I said I would take care of things here and return to the office later, but this could take a little while.”
Lochlan snorted. “Neither one of us is going back to work tonight.”
“I don’t want to keep you from preparing for—”
“I’m not leaving you alone in the midst of all this.”
May looked around. Apart from the smell of smoke, this was pretty much as good as her life got.
Regardless, his desire to help struck a chord deep inside. God, it almost made her want to step into his arms and sob like a baby.
She swallowed the emotion down. “I’m fine. Honest.”
Lochlan had a bad habit of ignoring her when she didn’t agree with him. “Grab the girls and your mother. I’m taking you all out to dinner. I know a place I think you’ll like.”
She shook her head. One of them needed to be practical. “But you have the big meeting with Charles Durwood tomorrow.”
“I’ve been in this business enough years to know what I’m doing, May. Don’t worry about it. I’ve laid most of the groundwork with Charles. Tomorrow, I just drive it all home.”
It was more than that, and May—even in her two short months of employment—knew it. “You’ve already gone above and beyond tonight. I don’t expect you to feed us as well.”
Lochlan pointed down the hall. Chloe and Jenny were heading toward them. “Go get your mom.”
May stopped fighting and did as he said. She peeked her head into her mother’s room, unsurprised to find her in her nightgown in bed, happily watching her favorite game show. “We’re heading out for some dinner. Want to come?”
Mom shook her head. “No, dear. I’m a bit tired.”
“Okay. We’ll bring you something back.”
“That would be fine, dear. That man with you…that’s your new boss?”
“Yeah.”
Mom smiled. “He looks nice.”
“He is. We’ll be back soon.”
Mom waved. “I’ll be here.”
May returned to the living room. “She’s going to stay in, so I guess it’s just the four of us.”
As they walked down several flights of stairs, Chloe rained down a million and twelve questions on poor Lochlan. She was inquisitive, tireless, and smart. May adored her energy, but she’d gotten more than a few emails from her first-grade teacher about Chloe losing her daily behavior stars due to constant talking or for getting out of her chair without permission to chat with her best friend.
May actually preferred those emails, as opposed to the ones from Jenny’s teacher. Jenny hadn’t spoken a word since her parents’ death. The guidance counselor at the school was trying to work with Jenny, claiming the young girl’s self-inflicted mutism was a serious problem, one that required real therapy with a psychologist.
May agreed, and had even called a few, but the hard truth was, they simply didn’t have the money to pay for it.
“Where are we going to eat?” Chloe asked as they climbed into Lochlan’s car.
So far, bless him, Lochlan had answered every single question patiently, looking somewhat amused. “My family owns an Irish restaurant.”
The sweet girl made a face. “What’s Irish?”
“Ireland is a country on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, and the people who live there are Irish.”
“What do they eat?” Chloe asked.
“Chloe, baby. I think you’ve asked poor Mr. Wallace enough questions.”
Lochlan glanced over as they stopped at a light. “Lochlan. And I don’t mind her questions. You never learn anything if you don’t ask.” For the remainder of the ride to the restaurant, Lochlan described Irish fare, proclaiming his aunt made the best bangers and mash in Baltimore.
Chloe giggled at the name, telling him bangers was a silly way to say sausage. He agreed with her.
As they passed through the front door of Sunday’s Side—the restaurant attached to his family’s Irish pub—May was assaulted by the delicious smells, her mouth watering, her stomach growling loudly.
Lochlan chuckled at the sound.
She shrugged good-naturedly. “Lunch was a long time ago.”
“You’re right. It was.” He directed them toward a booth. Chloe darted ahead of May, sliding in next to Jenny. Lochlan waited for her to slide in, then claimed the rest of the space next to her. Their close proximity reminded her of his size once more.
An attractive older woman approached the table. “What do we have here? A dinner party?”
Lochlan grinned. “Hi, Mom. Couldn’t get to the table any quicker?”
Lochlan’s mother laughed softly. “I wanted to at least give you time to sit down. Besides, you have to admit, Lochlan. This isn’t your usual crowd.”
“Mom, this is May Flowers and her nieces, Jenny and Chloe. May, this is my mother, Keira Wallace.”
Recognition dawned on his mother’s face as she reached out to shake May’s hand. “Of course, you took Sally’s place, you poor thing. How is my son treating you? Working you to death?”
“Mother,” Lochlan murmured in a low voice.
May laughed. “He’s an absolute slave driver. Keeps me toiling from dawn to midnight with only occasional breaks for bread and water.”
Chloe, too young to get the joke, tilted her head in confusion. “That’s not what you said at home. You told Nana he was really nice and not hard to look at. But I don’t know what that means. Looking at people isn’t hard.”
May felt heat rise to her cheeks as Lochlan and Keira laughed.
“Out of the mouths of babes,” Keira said.
Lochlan wiggled his eyebrows at May. “You think I’m hot?”
“This is an inappropriate conversation, Mr. Wallace.”
Lochlan’s body stilled, and she realized he was hell-bent on her calling him by his first name.
Keira saved her, glancing at the girls. “And how old are you two?”
“I’m six,” Chloe said, pointing to Jenny. “She’s eight. She doesn’t talk anymore.”
“Anymore?” Keira asked.
Lochlan’s gaze drifted toward Jenny as well. May could imagine him replaying the night so far, recalling Jenny’s silence. She searched for some way to explain the comment without hurting her young niece.
Chloe, however, was too quick. “Since our mommy and daddy died.”
Jenny’s expression never changed. The girl was locked down tighter than a vault.
“I see.” Keira’s eyes softened and, bless the woman, she guided the conversation away to something less painful. “And the two of you live with your aunt May?”
Chloe nodded. “And our nana. She left a towel on the stove and nearly burned the kitchen down tonight. She called 911 while Jenny tried to put the fire out with the fire extinguisher under the sink.”
That was news to May. “You did?”
Jenny didn’t even look in May’s direction, so she turned to Chloe for the answer. Chloe had become far too accustomed to speaking for her sister the past few months. She did so without the same pause or expectation that Jenny would speak up, as she had at the beginning. “Yeah. That tall fireman said she probably saved the whole apartment.”
“I didn’t know that.” May reached across, intent on touching Jenny’s hand. The girl anticipated her movement and slid her hands beneath the table. May swallowed down the slight. “That was incredibly smart and brave of you, Jenny.”
“It was,” Lochlan agreed.
Jenny’s eyes darted in his direction after he spoke, just for a split second, before staring at her lap again.
“So the apartment is okay?” Keira asked.
May nodded. “The kitchen has seen better days, but we were lucky it wasn’t worse. We’ll be fine.”
“Well, it sounds like you’ve had an exciting night. Here are the menus. I’m sure it won’t take Yvonne very long to get over here to take your orders. She and Riley have been sneaking peeks out here ever since you walked in with two kids in tow, Lochlan.”
May wasn’t sure what was so fascinating about that, but she didn’t question it.
Keira looked at her once more. “It was very nice to meet you, May. I hope we’ll see you and your sweet nieces here again.”
Lochlan took a few minutes to explain to Chloe what her options were on the menu. May tried to focus as well, but her attention kept drifting to Jenny.
The waitress, Lochlan’s cousin Yvonne, appeared and was introduced as well.
Chloe placed her order, telling Yvonne to bring the same for Jenny, who, of course, offered no complaint.
When it was clear May hadn’t even looked at the menu, Lochlan leaned toward her. “Trust me to pick something for you?”
She nodded, relieved. The shock of the evening was starting to wear off, visions of her kitchen engulfed in flames, little Jenny fighting to extinguish it, her mother on the phone with 911. She could have lost everything.
And everyone.
Lochlan placed the order and reached for her menu to hand to Yvonne. May’s hands were shaking again. She really needed to find a way to control that.
“Hey, Yvonne. I think Chloe and Jenny would love to meet Riley and see the kitchen. You mind giving them a quick tour?”
Yvonne was clearly surprised by the request, but she didn’t question it. Instead, she gestured toward the back. “Absolutely. Aunt Riley has a million questions for these two,” she said, though May couldn’t imagine why. “You girls game for the tour?”
Chloe hopped out of the booth excitedly, and Jenny followed.
Lochlan took her trembling hands in his. “May. Look at me.”
She did as he said, aware that her breathing was growing shallow. She was no stranger to panic attacks, but they always came in the middle of the night, when she was alone, when there was no one to see her freaking out.
She couldn’t do this here.
“I’m fine,” she said, willing the words to be true, repeating them in her head like a mantra. She lowered her eyes when Lochlan frowned. He wasn’t fooled.
“Look at me,” he repeated.
She forced her eyes back to his.
“Say my name.”
His request caught her off guard. In her head, he was always Lochlan, but she knew it was much wiser to keep their boxes well-defined and limited to the workplace. He was the boss. She was his employee.
The problem was, he’d come into her home, met her family, seen too many of her struggles. He was a decent guy. He wanted to help. Right now was a perfect example of that.
But she couldn’t accept it, couldn’t lean on him. She’d taught herself how to manage the day to day, how to deal with all the stress—Jenny’s silence, the shitty apartment, the long work hours, the lack of money, her mother’s…
May pushed that thought away, refusing to finish it. She tugged her hands away and straightened her back, taking in a deep, full breath of air. It helped her ground herself again.
“I’m fine,” she said softly, mostly to herself.
He studied her face.
Dammit. She hadn’t meant to say that aloud again.
“I can see that.”
For a moment, she thought perhaps he was speaking sarcastically. His expression changed her mind. He looked…curious.
“Jenny doesn’t speak at all?”
May closed her eyes, wishing they could go back to this morning when Lochlan only saw her as his assistant. The woman with nothing more pressing or important in her life than making his coffee, setting up his schedule, and dealing with the mail.
“May?” he pressed.
“Not since her parents died. Not a word. The guidance counselor at her school has been trying to work with her, but the woman’s time is extremely limited, and Jenny…”
“My aunt Lauren is a counselor. Would you be willing to let her see Jenny?”
“How big is your family?” She hadn’t meant the question as a joke, but Lochlan took it as such, laughing loudly.
“Huge.”
“I appreciate the offer, but…” May was treading on thin ice here. Lochlan was her boss. Her new boss. She didn’t want him to think she was complaining. “I haven’t quite worked out health insurance for the girls yet. They’d been on my brother’s, but obviously,” she took a deep breath and plowed through the rest quickly, “that ended after his death. I’m still waiting for the paperwork to clear through the courts to name me legal guardian. My brother didn’t have a will or anything and nothing in the judicial system ever moves quickly. After that, I’ll figure out the insurance.”
“Once that clears, they’ll be on your insurance from AdLoch. But that doesn’t matter in this instance. Lauren won’t charge you.”
Her eyes widened. It was too big a favor. He’d already offered his family to help with the kitchen repairs. Now this.
She shook her head. “I couldn’t ask her to do that. She doesn’t know me from Adam.”
“She knows me. She’ll want to meet your niece, want to talk to her. I know Lauren. She’s amazing with kids. Please consider it. After all, it’s not for you. It’s for Jenny.”
May narrowed her eyes. “You fight dirty.”
Lochlan’s smile was too charming. “How do you think I made my first million?”
“Just the first million?”
“I play to win…in case you haven’t noticed.”
“I noticed,” she said, just as Yvonne returned to the table with the girls.
Both of them were eating big dinner rolls dripping with butter.
“What about your supper?” May asked as they sat down.
“Riley told us fighting fires was hungry work and gave us a roll,” Chloe explained.
May grinned. “Now you were fighting the fire?”
“I helped.” Obviously, Chloe’s tale of the night’s adventure was getting bigger with each retelling, but May didn’t mind. Especially when Chloe took over the majority of the conversation during the meal, entertaining them with all the drama in her first-grade classroom. Lochlan seemed enthralled by it, asking questions and commenting.
By the time the meal ended, May felt stronger, better able to deal with things again.
Lochlan drove them home and insisted on walking them upstairs.
“Okay,” May said as they entered the apartment, handing the take-out bag to Chloe. “Take this to Nana, kiss her good night, and then get ready for bed. I’ll be there to tuck you in after I say good night to Mr. Wallace.”
Chloe skipped down the hall, Jenny following behind.
There was still a distinct smell of smoke in the room, and May wondered how long it would take to air the place out. It was starting to give her a headache.
She and Lochlan stood next to the door. “I can’t thank you enough for everything you did tonight.”
“I did very little, May.”
She didn’t think that was true at all. It had been years since anyone had extended a hand to her in kindness. Of course, when she considered that, she realized it was because she was too proud to ask for help.
“Tomorrow will be business as usual, I promise. Barring any more kitchen blazes,” she joked.
Lochlan didn’t laugh. He didn’t even crack a smile. “I’ll call my uncles about the kitchen repairs first thing in the morning. And I’ll give you Lauren’s number for Jenny.”
She nodded, perfectly aware that even if she assured him that wasn’t necessary, both things would still happen. “Thank you.”
“So, we have one more thing to accomplish tonight, and then I’ll leave.”
May frowned. “What thing?”
“Say ‘Lochlan.’ You did it once, but reverted back to that damn Mr. Wallace. Clearly you need to practice.”
Her shoulders slumped. The man hadn’t lied when he said he played to win. She blew out a frustrated breath but said nothing.
He persisted. “Sally always called me Lochlan.”
“That’s different.”
“How?”
“She was older, the two of you had worked together for years, and she—” Shit. May had nearly finished that sentence with she wasn’t attracted to you.
For a second, she thought perhaps she had said it. Or that Lochlan could read her mind because his eyes drifted to her lips…and she got the impression the attraction wasn’t one-sided.
She dismissed the idea. Her life was a mess and Lochlan had just gotten the grand tour. Her baggage had baggage. More likely, he just felt sorry for her.
“I’m not leaving until you say my name again.”
She shook her head, laughing at his persistence. “Part of me is compelled to teach you a lesson in accepting the word ‘no’ with good grace by making you stand there all night.”
He crossed his arms and, once again, she felt his size and strength. It was odd how he could increase his presence with just a look or that dominating stance.
When he didn’t speak, she felt the urge to fill the silence, to give him what he wanted…to please him.
Weary beyond words, she worried what she’d do if he didn’t leave soon. “Fine. Good night, Lochlan.”
“I like the sound of that. It’s getting better. We’ll keep practicing tomorrow. Good night, May.” His voice was deep and rich with a sexy rumble to it.
Lochlan left and she locked the dead bolt behind her. Something told her he’d paused in the hall to listen for that sound.
The girls were waiting for her in their bedroom, but she needed a moment to compose herself. She dropped down on the couch, staring into space, feeling completely unnerved.
“You can’t lose control,” she whispered to herself. “Don’t start wanting things you can’t have.”
Her life only worked if she maintained control, if she kept the status quo, putting one foot in front of the other in an attempt to make it to the end of every day without chaos descending.
Today had been chaos.
Tomorrow, she would get them all back on track.
She didn’t have any other option.