The Wrong Wife (Morally Grey Billionaires #5)(26)
I widen my gaze. “I’m not lying, I didn’t sleep with him.”
“But you kissed him."
I choke, then cough. Mira slaps my back, and I reach for the water and swallow down the piece stuck in my throat.
"Not exactly… I might have, uh, crossed the boundary of what’s professional, but he's the one who initiated it."
"Hmm." She has a speculative look on her face.
I wipe the tears that have rolled down my cheeks due to my coughing fit. "No, seriously, the man’s an animal."
"I see." Her lips quirk slightly. "I mean, I’m all for you riding that grumpy, gloomy, wounded warrior of a stallion. The sex will, surely, be an experience."
"He’s my boss. That would make things very uncomfortable."
"It's not like you’re sleeping your way into a job or anything."
I blush harder.
"Oh, my god! Did he offer you a job because you and he—" She pinches the fingers of her hands then brings them together. "Is that why he paid for your ma to stay on in the care home?"
"First, when it comes to Knight, it’s not like I have a choice. He, uh, made a move on me, and I couldn’t resist him. And he paid my mother’s bills because he likes to have a hold on me. He likes to manipulate people. That’s what he does. Also, this conversation is now giving me a headache, so can we change it?"
A line forms between her eyebrows. "But, Penny, you—"
My phone rings, thank god. I scramble off the barstool and walk toward the coffee table where I left it. "It’s Abby."
I bring her up on FaceTime.
"I’m so happy you’re taking the job." Abby’s features are wreathed in a smile. "This is going to be great! I know it."
Not sure she’d feel that way if I told her about all that transpired between her brother and me. Not that I’m going to… yet.
"Uh, yeah, I’m excited." I flash her a smile.
"You’re going to be good for him, Penny, I just know it."
"Um—" I clear my throat. "It’s not like I’ve been an assistant before or anything."
"But you’ve held down so many jobs, you have the experience to roll with the punches, you know?"
I wince.
She purses her lips. "I know Knight’s not the easiest person to be with, which is why you’re going to be great at being the intermediary between him and the rest of the office."
Mira walks over to glance over my shoulder. "Hey, Abby!"
"Hey, Mira. Gosh, you girls are hanging out together, and I’m so envious. I wish I could be there."
"You’re with your hot husband. Please. I’m sure you’d rather be there than with us," Mira scoffs.
A man’s voice calls out to her from off screen. Abby blushes a little, then turns to us. "Sorry, guys, Cade can be a little possessive."
"A little?" I laugh.
"Okay, okay, a lot." She chuckles. "Before I go, I wanted to invite both of you to our place tomorrow evening. We’re having a small get-together to welcome Knight back. Nothing fancy. Just a way of showing our thanks to everyone for standing with us while he was away, and… Uh… Also, so he can meet his friends again, you know?" She bites down on her lower lip. "He’s been spending so much time on his own. All he does is go to work, then go running or hit the gym, and come back home. He doesn’t socialize. Not even with Cade or Declan, and these are the guys he’d hang out with almost every evening. He’s changed so much." She hunches her shoulders. "I’m worried about him."
"You’re a good sister, Abby," I say softly.
She shakes her head. "If I were a good sister, I’d push him to go see a therapist, but if I do, he’ll only get upset and stop talking to me. So, I’m taking it step-by-step with him. Also, he works too much. He needs to unwind a little and take time off to relax, you know?" She nods at me. "I’m hoping you can help with this, Penny."
"Me?" I ask, surprised.
"You’ll be working with him, so perhaps, you can make him see sense?"
14
Knight
"I’ll meet the salesforce at noon. Cancel my one o’clock, bring forward my two o’clock, then I’ll meet the programming personnel at two p.m., followed by the meeting with my father at three, and—"
"Wait, was that to change your meeting to two p.m. or bring it forward, or—" She glances up at me and pales under the weight of my glare. "Uh, bring it forward. Got it."
Her hair has come undone from her messy bun and hangs in tendrils around her features. She’s wearing a skirt and jacket—pink, of course—which fits her curves like it was painted on. The buttons of her jacket strain across her ample bosom. The neckline dips enough to hint at the valley between her breasts. It’s a functional office suit, but on her, it might as well be a seductive evening gown. Clearly, she wore it to taunt me. She wore it, knowing I was going to be hard as soon as I saw her. In fact, my cock has been in a state of painful arousal since she walked into the room this morning—late, by a full five minutes.