Boss I Love to Hate An Office Romance - Mia Kayla Page 0,89

forget Sonia’s flushed cheeks, my semi-boner also gave it away.

“Hey.” I waved a hand in an awkward greeting and ran it through my hair. “Welcome back stateside.”

His eyes flickered between Sonia and me, and in that instant, I knew he already knew. That Mason had gotten to him first.

“Thanks. So, what’s changed since I’ve been gone?” There was a careful undertone in his voice, careful not to give away that he knew because he did. Charles knew everything. It was why his daughters couldn’t get away with anything.

“Hey, Charles.” Sonia teetered on her heels. “How was your, uh … honeymoon?” She shrank into herself.

“Sun was shining; wife was happy. What more could I ask for?” Charles threw Sonia a smile, but then his eyes slid to me, and his smile slipped.

Charles was the scary brother, never emotional, even-keeled. When he got mad, it was a brewing silence, the kind of anger that was silent but deadly. All you wanted to do was talk yourself out of the mess until he said everything would be okay.

Sonia shifted forward and clutched the roses in one hand and tried to hide it behind her.

Isn’t she cute?

“Can I order you lunch? I’m about to put in an order for Brad at Sunrise Diner. Did you want anything?” Her eyes skittered around the room, landing anywhere but on my face, and all I could think about was how close I’d been to kissing her, to tasting those beautiful, succulent lips again.

“No, I think I’m good,” he answered her, but Charles’s focus remained fixed on me.

Then, he flipped like a light switch, eyes light, and addressed Sonia, “But can you make a posting on our website and submit a newspaper post for Kristin?”

“Kristin?” I asked, wondering what had happened to Mason’s secretary. Maybe she wasn’t coming back because of his annoying ass.

“Yeah.” Then, like a coin toss, he was back to brewing Charles, his eyes steady on mine. “She’s decided to stay at home with her new baby, and she won’t be coming back to work. We’ll need to find a replacement immediately.”

“Will do.”

Sonia was almost to the door when I called out, “Thanks, Sonia.” Because I wanted the last word with her. And I’d officially lost my balls.

The door shut, and Charles and I were left alone. My big brother and me.

“So, is there something you have to tell me?” Charles adjusted the chair facing my desk and plopped down.

Tell him? There was so much I wanted to tell him, but I didn’t want to risk sounding like a pussy, looking like a pussy, and worst of all, I didn’t want him to disregard my need for Sonia, just as Mason had.

I scratched at my temple. Why did it feel like I was in the principal’s office?

He lifted an eyebrow, and the silence choked the air out of the room. Charles did that. With one stare. Maybe it was the fatherly stare, that innate look that frightened not only the children, but adults, too.

I sat behind my desk, dropping my head against the custom-made mahogany wood. “I know you know, and I know what you’re going to say, so why should I waste the effort or your time?”

“I want to hear it from you, or do you want me to just repeat Mason’s version?”

I could hear Mason’s voice in my head, picture his animated face, his over-the-top hand gestures … and so I began. Again.

I told Charles everything. I started at the beginning and told him how Sonia had helped Sarah get her pads; how, in turn, I had promised her that I would accompany her to the wedding and how it had been the game changer for me. I told him I liked Sonia, more than I ever had any other woman. That there wasn’t a waking moment that I didn’t think of her and how I had spent most of my days wondering how I could ask her out and tell her how I feel but was afraid of rejection. I told him that I was obsessed with kissing her, and if kissing her was all I would ever do in life, I would die a happy man.

I laid it all out on the table, looking at my hands, at the pen marks on my desk, my mouse pad with our logo, anywhere but his face. I was being a coward, afraid to see contempt, disgust, or even disbelief because I had never been more honest than I was being right now. And