“I came out of one of my group sessions,” he finishes.
I nod.
“You weren’t CEO then.” I run my fingers through his long hair, tossing aside the hair tie he used to hold the bun together. “You still had this long hair.”
He chuckles. “I wanted to blend in. Not as Neil McKenna Senior’s son, but as just another counselor. I rebelled against taking on the CEO position for more than a year.”
“Why?”
“Because my main focus has always been to help people who’re like me. I thought I could do that by working directly with them and not by taking on a role that has me stuck behind a desk for most of the day.”
“But you would be helping more people in higher positions. You’ve been able to make McKenna Rehab so much more in such a short span of time.”
Sighing, he rubs his chin with his hand.
“What’s that look about?”
“I sometimes wonder if I did the right thing. If I’m doing the right thing.”
“With the expansion?”
He nods.
“We took McKenna from five clinics to fifteen, spanning from the West Coast to the East Coast. So far, we’ve been able to help thousands more, but my fear with this next move is that it will come back to bite me in the ass. I don’t want to get so big that we become just another impersonal rehab facility, rotating clients from one month to the next but never really servicing them.”
Leaning down, I kiss his soft lips. The earnestness in his gaze pulls me to kiss him again. He’s so genuine and sincere. I wonder how I could’ve ever let my mother’s accusation cast doubt on my feelings for him.
“You are helping them. Just like you did that time you went out in the middle of the night to help that guy.”
He frowns before recognition dawns on his face.
“I bet that’s not the first time you’ve done something like that.”
“It’s not,” he confirms. “He needed me.”
“How’s he doing now?” Neil hadn’t told me much about the guy who called that night. All I knew is that he’d been working with Neil and had been doing fine but had a relapse.
Neil shrugs. “Not bad. He’s doing the work required. I think that last time scared the shit out of him, and he decided to take his recovery seriously. But time will tell more than anything.”
There’s skepticism in his voice, but a lining of hope accompanies it.
“You’re still deciding on whether or not to take this deal?”
He pushes out a heavy breath. “Yeah, but I don’t have much time. If we go through with it, the board wants to make the announcement at the annual holiday party, which is only a few weeks from now.”
“Sounds like you need to decide soon then.”
“I do.”
The worried expression on his face tugs at my heartstrings. I know he intends to do good and help as many people as he can. There’s an enormous amount of stress that comes with that desire for someone in his position.
“Let’s see if I can help take your mind off of things for a little while,” I say in a husky voice before lowering and pressing a kiss to the side of his neck.
His hands, which continue to remain on my waist, move underneath the sweater I have on. His fingers roam up my torso, cupping and squeezing my breasts.
Meanwhile, I undo the belt buckle and button holding his jeans together, before lifting my hips to pull him free of his pants. For the rest of the night, we pleasure one another until falling into an orgasm-induced sleep.
Chapter 13
