Boss I Love to Hate An Office Romance - Mia Kayla Page 0,99

have at least gotten a better picture,” Brad chided, as if I’d been concerned about how handsome he was when I was releasing all my fury.

I scoffed, “Please, I made the picture better.” I picked at the last of the broccoli on my plate. Being so close to him and seeing him win over my family did weird things to me. It warmed my heart, but more than that, it turned me on.

Brad’s plate was spotless. He’d eaten like a pro, vegetables and rice and chicken. Judging by my mom’s beaming face, she was a Brad lover.

But she’d loved Jeff, too.

My heart seized, and I wrapped my arms around my stomach. I’d been here before. Right at this dining room table with all my family gathered. The only difference was the man next to me.

I dropped my gaze to the few broccoli florets on my plate, worried. Was I repeating history? I’d thought Jeff was a sure thing, and look how that had turned out. Brad was even less predictable and not long-term relationship material. If someone had asked me a year ago who would be marriage material, Jeff would’ve been my answer without hesitation. Guess I’d have been wrong there.

So, now, was I judging Brad without giving him a chance? Could we be good together? Could we possibly work?

I was confused as hell and still reeling over that kiss. I’d never met a man who had perfected the art of kissing as much as Brad had. I was sure he’d had lots of practice before me. Still, his kisses were unforgettable. I’d had to take a long, cold shower after he left my apartment the other night, and it had taken all my energy to pretend like that kiss hadn’t affected me when it affected every part of me, the hot parts that wanted more.

I squeezed his hand before standing up to grab the dessert in the kitchen. Marco stood also, and on our way in with tiramisu and lemon meringue pie, he bumped his hip against mine.

“I like him.”

I laughed. He never said that about Jeff. “And why is that?”

“He looks at you like you’re his whole world, and he would do anything to keep you in it.”

I stopped and blinked up at my brother. Marco had said the same thing before, but it was how I’d looked at Jeff, about how I’d loved him more than he’d loved me.

That made my heart skip two, three, four beats, and I knew then that I was in trouble.

Chapter 19

Brad

Talk about killing it.

Charles slapped my butt the way football players did as we made our way out of the boardroom. “You nailed it!”

I shrugged before heading to the elevator. “Like there was any doubt.” Because I sure as hell didn’t doubt myself. I had sealed the deal with Titan Press, which would expand our capabilities in the west and would eventually increase our bottom line by twenty percent.

“We’ll need to visit their plant within the next few weeks.”

The buyout and integration of their facilities into our infrastructure would take nine months to a year, and that was being optimistic, but I was determined to get it done.

I raised my fist to fist-bump Charles and walked into the elevator while he proceeded back down the hall to his office.

Boy, did that feel damn good, nailing this deal.

The doors shut but not before Mason slipped in right beside me.

Great.

Mason pressed his floor and moved to the back of the elevator. “Good job in there. You’ve always been good at that.”

“Thanks.”

Our relationship since that day we had our blowup had been awkward. We only spoke to each other during work, and at home, we avoided each other like a married couple in the midst of a bad fight.

“About the other day …” His eyebrows gathered in, and he let out a heavy sigh. “I’m sorry.”

I’d been waiting for an apology, but I had already forgiven him long before. Even when we were younger, my fights with my brothers hadn’t lasted long. Either we’d box it out, yell it out, or it hadn’t been a big deal to begin with.

This time, I was going to do what I wanted to do anyway, so it wasn’t worth the wasted effort.

“I understand your concern, but I’m not going to jeopardize work and what grandfather built for a quick lay.” Maybe, at one time, I had been that guy, but I wasn’t anymore. What Mason had to understand was what I had with Sonia was different. There