Boss's Accidental Baby: A Billionaire Small Town Second Chance Romance (Secret Love) Read online

  “Exactly. Now, the next time you see him, pull up your big girl panties and ask that man out for drinks again. Oh, and don't wear panties, you can thank me later,” she told me with a wink.

  I gasped and slapped her arm. “I'm not that bold! What if someone else sees the goods? I'm not trying to advertise my business.”

  She guffawed and waved a hand. “Okay, then show up at his house naked under a trench coat; that way he knows you mean business.”

  I thought about it for a moment, thrilled by the idea that I could give Kit a sexy surprise, and then shook my head. “I'd definitely chicken out on the way there! It's a good idea to keep on the back burner though.”

  “Hey, I'm just offering some helpful advice on how to interest the man.” She laughed and then smiled at me sincerely. “But on a serious note, I'm happy for you. You deserve a man like Kit, one who will take care of you and he definitely will. Just remember not to let what other people may think get to you. Nobody's opinion matters more than your own. If you like him, screw what anyone else thinks about it.”

  I smiled warmly and hugged Georgia briefly. “Thank you. I can always count on you to tell me exactly what I need to hear and not sugar coat it. Next time I find myself in a predicament, I'm coming directly to you for advice!”

  “That's all I'm asking for, and you know my phone is always on, no matter the time of day. And we have to hang out more, too! Just because you've got this super awesome romance going for you, doesn't mean you can forget all about your best friend.” She pouted.

  I patted her thigh softly. “I could never forget about you! We'll have our own date nights once a week, starting tonight! Do you want to get take-out and watch a couple movies? I work tomorrow, but I can stay up until like eight or nine.”

  “Hell yeah! But I get to pick the movies!” she agreed excitedly.

  Later in the evening after Georgia went home, I found myself thinking about Kit. I wondered what he was doing and if he was thinking about me, too. It consumed my thoughts so completely that I actually texted him to ask him how he was doing. And that turned into several hours of texting. We made small talk about our lives and joked about stupid things. Eventually, Kit sent a sweet text about missing me and how much he looked forward to seeing me again. I considered telling him that I felt the same way, telling him how much I wanted to see him as more than friends. But I chickened out and instead texted him goodnight and wished him sweet dreams.

  11

  Kit

  I can't wait to see you at work today! Acacia had texted me this morning with a smiling emoji. It caught me off guard, but I indulged in her good mood.

  The feeling's definitely mutual. I'll bring the coffee if you bring your beautiful smile, I texted back as I shut my apartment door behind me.

  She texted back immediately. Who wouldn't smile with you around?

  The whole drive to work I couldn't stop thinking about her texts from last night, or the sudden change in her attitude toward me. It gave me hope that she'd changed her mind about us dating. I went to her favorite coffee shop and picked up her favorite coffee, and somehow managed to get there before Acacia. But when she showed up she was glowing and all smiles.

  “Good morning,” she greeted me warmly, touching my shoulder on her way past me to clock in.

  I followed her with the coffee in hand. “Your coffee, just the way you like it, and served with a smile.

  Acacia tied an apron around her waist and beamed. “Such a gentleman! Thank you so much. It's always nice to have a drink just as sweet as the person who bought it for you.”

  Her smile widened as she took the cup, our fingers touching as she did. I was elated when she held her hand in place for several moments as she fished something out of her back pocket and handed it to me.

  “I also have something for you. Read it later when you're alone, 'kay?” she told me as she slipped the piece of paper into my other hand with a wink. “Oh, and I had fun the other night; maybe we should do it again sometime.”

  Before I could answer, she walked past me with a final flirty smile and a soft brush of her hand on my arm. It left me pleasantly surprised by her blatant interest in me, and the casual way she made plans with me.

  I went about my business for half an hour, managing my employees until they were in the swing of things. Though it had been difficult to focus on anything with Acacia giving me a longing look every time our eyes met, and that breathtaking smile she wore whenever I spoke to her on the line. I watched her get flustered a few times, and I couldn't help but chuckle fondly whenever she became clumsy.

  When I finally had the opportunity to step outside for a cigarette break, I pulled the piece of paper Acacia gave me out of my pocket and smiled. Inside the folds, she had written a pros and cons list for our possible relationship, just like I had. On the cons side, where she'd written I'm your subordinate, she had crossed a line through it with an arrow pointing to I no longer care about this. And a few lines under it, she'd written Please ask me out again. I promise you'll like the answer.

  I took a drag off my cigarette and pulled my phone out of my pocket, more determined than ever to impress Acacia with her permission to go for it. For the next half an hour, I called around to make reservations for a date I felt worthy of her – or, as worthy as I could be. Eventually, just as I had gotten off the phone with the hotel, Acacia came outside for her break. She looked upset and it didn't seem like she'd noticed me sitting there at first, as she aggressively kicked a rock across the parking lot.

  “Are you okay?” I asked, startling her.

  She quickly turned toward me with her hand over her chest and exhaled heavily. “Oh, you scared me half to death! You can't sneak up on people like that.”

  I laughed softly. “I was out here first, but I'm sorry to have frightened you. Are you okay though? You seem upset.”

  She shook her head. “I'm fine, I just burned myself a little bit. I don't know what's gotten into me, but I've been very clumsy today.”

  I smiled at her fondly. “I've noticed. It's very cute.”

  Her eyes widened and she laughed sheepishly. “It's not cute at all! It's a safety hazard!”

  “A cute safety hazard,” I murmured, winking at her.

  She rolled her eyes and came closer to me, leaning against the wall. We sat in the silence that followed for a bit, Acacia's eyes falling onto me and then sheepishly looking away when she noticed me looking back.

  “I'm going to make another coffee run in a few. Do you want anything?” I asked, looking up at her.

  She thought about it for a second, smiled, and shook her head. “No thank you. If I drink any more caffeine today, I'll hurt myself again. The last thing you need is an energized klutz in your kitchen.”

  I nodded understandingly. “Fair enough. Do you want anything else while I'm out? I don't mind picking something up for you.”

  Again, she thought about it for a second. “I should be okay. But I appreciate you offering.”

  I stretched and on my way toward the back door, I touched the small of her back. “If you change your mind, text me. Oh, I read your list and you can count on me asking you again. And you better be ready to be mind-blown.”

  For the rest of the work day, Acacia and I kept coming together. One of us would initiate a conversation and we'd talk for a while; often our conversation would take on a very flirty tone. By the end of the day, I'd grown attached to the way she looked at me with bright eyes, pink cheeks, and a smile that could light up a city of millions. Her laugh was infectious, and her touch was electric – even if it only lasted a moment. The restaurant died down around nine-thirty and I decided to close down early for personal reasons, sending the other cooks home for some alone time with Acacia.

  We laughed and had a great time closing up the restaurant, ticking things off the list in no time. She mopped the floor while I wiped down the equipment. I put away the dishes she couldn't reach, and she took the garbage out. Everything was perfect and I never wante
d it to end. This time I had with Acacia showing an interest in me. After years of loving this girl, I finally got to see how she felt for me, too.

  By the time it came down to rolling the silverware, I was riding on such a high from her presence that my face hurt from smiling so much. Looking over at her smiling face across the table from me, I felt the pitter-patter of my heart erratically beating in my chest and embraced the feeling.

  “Hey, Kit?” Acacia asked as she put a set of rolled silverware into the tub.

  I smiled at her fondly. “Yes?”

  “Do you want to get drinks with me tomorrow?”

  My smile widened. “Actually, I have other plans.”

  I saw her face fall and immediately regretted the pause I took.

  “For you. I have other plans for you. We're going to dinner in the city, and I'm going to pick you up at seven. You need to pack an overnight bag, too. We're staying the night in my favorite hotel,” I explained, putting my hand over hers on the table.

  She beamed at me, and then her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. “Wait. Don't I work tomorrow?”

  I turned her hand over and traced small circles into her palm. “I got Stephan to cover your shift, and I put him in charge of the restaurant for the night to see if he can handle being my kitchen manager. So don't worry about it. All I need from you is for you to be ready by seven.”

  Acacia moved her hand into mine, lacing her fingers through mine. “And he's okay with it? I don't want to take his day off away.”

  I nodded. “He's been asking me about kitchen manager for a while now and he's very excited to have the opportunity to prove himself. Don't you worry about a thing, sweetheart.”

  Her eyes widened and then narrowed fondly as we made eye contact. “I will be ready by seven. Do I get any hints as to where we're going?”

  I shook my head. “Nope. It's a secret.”

  She jutted out her lip in a pout and batted her eyelashes at me. “Please?”

  I ran my index finger across her lip and smirked. “Nope.”

  “But how will I know what to wear if I don't know where we're going?” she asked, furthering her pout.

  “Think high-class cocktail party. That is your only hint,” I told her cheekily.

  She took her hand back and crossed her arms. “What if I guess?”

  I chuckled. “Even if you guessed correctly, I wouldn't tell you.”

  She gasped. “That's so mean!”

  “But well worth it, I promise. You're just going to have to be patient and trust me, sweetheart.”

  Again, her eyes widened and the smallest hint of pink returned to her cheeks. I couldn't help but wonder if it had anything to do with the pet name, and with the thought, I decided to solely call her sweetheart. Not only for the reaction she gave but for the fact that I'd always wanted to.

  We closed up the restaurant after that and by the time we were ready to go home, I started to feel upset. I craved time with Acacia more now than ever. Her interest in me had given me a newfound sense of purpose, and I wanted to spend all of my time in her presence. She calmed all of the dark thoughts in my head, silenced all of the anger I held inside of me; she made my heart beat in a calm yet erratic way.

  “Hey, Kit?” Acacia's soft voice called to me as I locked the front door of the restaurant.

  I smiled down at her. “Yes?”

  “Thank you,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around me.

  I held her tightly and laid my cheek on her head. “For what?”

  She pulled away and smiled warmly. “Just for being you, is all.”

  12

  Acacia

  I spent most of my day out shopping with Georgia for an elegant dress and something risqué to wear underneath it for my date with Kit. She kept going on and on about how excited she was for me. By the time she dropped me off at home, I was buzzing with excitement. For the next three hours, I prepared for anything to happen tonight. I shaved every inch of my body, lathered it in a sweet-smelling lotion, and stumbled into the complicated lingerie. Which ended up being a complete waste of time because I took it off after seeing it under the dress I chose, packing it away with my other clothes.

  It took me nearly as long, if not a little longer to do that than it did for makeup and hair. Unlike my normal everyday makeup and messy bun for work, I had put in extra effort making myself look nice. Glamorous makeup to accent my green eyes, plump lips, and high cheekbones. I took a straightener to my wild curls and French braided a crown around my skull.

  And by 7pm, I was staring at my reflection in the full-length mirror. The girl in the mirror looked completely foreign to me, dolled up and voluptuous in the floor-length black dress that hugged her curves and dipped to her sternum to show off full, perky breasts. Her legs looked longer in stiletto heels that peeked through on one side, the slit up her thigh giving her a Jessica-Rabbit vibe, and I felt proud to know it was me that stared back.

  Kit picked me up, completely baffled by my appearance, and we drove two hours to the city. It was incredibly comfortable, with laughter and music we both enjoyed. I asked a million times for hints to where he was taking me and he denied me every time, even when I tried to pout my way into it. But he was right to keep me in suspense because when we pulled into the parking lot of a five-star Italian restaurant, I nearly had a heart attack.

  “It's going to be too expensive!” I protested as we walked inside.

  He had chuckled and grabbed my hand tightly. “Don't worry about it, sweetheart.”

  Sweetheart. He'd started calling me that and it made my heart skip a beat every single time, filling me with a warmth I hadn't ever experienced with anyone but Kit. I tried –and failed– to keep him from seeing my flustered face each time.

  I'd been right about the price being outrageous, but Kit continued to insist that I get whatever I wanted – no matter the price. And he even scolded me when I tried to order the cheapest thing on the menu; eventually, I caved and ordered what I really wanted. I would never admit it to him, but he was right to make me and I couldn't help but moan softly when I tasted the food. He had chuckled when I looked at him sheepishly.

  “Are we having dessert tonight?” our waiter asked a couple of hours later, as Kit and I were staring at each other fondly, hands clasped tightly together.

  He gave me a questioning look and I shook my head, too full from dinner.

  “Not tonight, but thank you,” he told the waiter politely, handing him his card without breaking eye contact with me.

  “Dinner was lovely,” I told him once we were alone again.

  He smiled at me warmly. “The best I've had in a long time.”

  “It is a five-star restaurant, after all,” I added, laughing, and squeezing his hand playfully.

  His eyes narrowed sensually. “It has nothing to do with the restaurant or the food, sweetheart. Your company made the whole dinner a pleasurable experience.”

  I beamed at him. “Well, the evening isn't over yet, right?”

  “Not even close,” he agreed, rubbing his thumb over the back of my hand.

  We drove to another lavish location, a hotel with a breathtaking view of the city, and Kit chuckled when my mouth hung agape. He'd booked the penthouse room and had it set up romantically with roses, candles, and champagne. Immediately after witnessing all of his romancing, I felt the heat in my middle rise to encircle my entire being. I'd never wanted to be intimate with someone so badly. And I'd never wanted to be intimate with Kit more than I wanted to in that moment, something I'd fantasized about a million times in my life.

  “It's so beautiful,” I mused as I walked around the room with Kit following behind me. “I almost don't want to touch anything.”

  He grabbed my hand and pulled me against his chest. “The room pales in comparison to the beauty in my arms.”

  I scrunched up my nose and giggled softly. “That's so cheesy. But cheesy in the best way.”

  He smirked at me. “You're in for quite a cheesy ride
with me, sweetheart.”

  “Good,” I murmured, gingerly grabbing his chin as I placed a soft kiss to his lips.

  That soft kiss quickly developed into a heated series of passionate kisses and wandering hands, the soft sound of our quickening breaths and occasional moans the only sounds to be heard. I remember Kit and I kissing the night we went to the bar; it had been passionate but a little sloppy. Our kisses tonight were just as passionate, but more patient, more about genuine feeling than drunken lust. It felt like my heart was going to leap from my chest each time our lips met, and I started to feel like I would burn up as his hands wandered my body slowly.

  I felt his hand slip through the slit of my dress, fingertips trailing the skin of my hip until they grazed my ass. He grabbed it firmly as his other caressed my back, and I shivered sensually. In the warmth of arousal, I pulled him by the collar of his shirt to deepen our kisses, pressing my chest against his firmly.

  “Hold on a second,” Kit murmured against my lips as he moved his hands to my face. “I don't want you to think I brought you here just to sleep with you again, Acacia. We can just spend the night together without anything happening if that is what you want. Honestly, I just wanted to spend time with you outside of work.”

  I smiled at him fondly. “I know, and I don't feel pressured. If I didn't want to, I wouldn't have initiated anything, Kit.”

  He ran his thumb across my cheek. “You're so beautiful, you know that don't you?”

  I laughed softly. “I'm wearing a lot of makeup tonight, but thank you.”

  “And while you did an amazing job, I meant you always look beautiful. Even in a hundred-degree kitchen with no makeup on and a messy bun,” he mused, gazing at me with sensually narrowed eyes.

  I smirked, remembering the lingerie in my bag, and ran my index finger down his chest. “Wait until you see what I have in store for you tonight. How about you go get comfortable in the bedroom, and I'll meet you in there in a few minutes?”