I won’t make that mistake again.
“You’re absolutely right,” I say.“You’re my—”
“Don’t call me Mr.MacLaine or Mr.Finn or anything ridiculous like that.”
“—boss.I work for you.And I apologize for putting you in that position.”
I hear the lack of conviction in my own voice.I’m embarrassed.Humiliated.Turned on.So turned on that I’m turned around.So turned around that I don’t know if any of this was real or if it was all in my head.
My empty head.
“You didn’t do anything wrong,” he says.“I was the one who put you in a position…”
“Thank you,” I tell him, knowing we need to wrap this up before I start sobbing.Nobody wants a sobbing, lovesick housekeeper.Oh, shit.Here comes the embarrassment and humiliation again.“Thank you for giving me the opportunity for this job.”
“Emma—”
“I need to get dinner started and finish scrubbing the porch.”I pull at the knob and the door swings wide.I gasp.A huge blond man stands there with his hand raised, knuckles poised to knock on the door.
“Hi.”He doesn’t miss a beat.“I’m Kevin.”
“Hello.I’m Emma.”
I race past him and run from the horse barn, my cheap canvas sneakers slapping against the flooring, the smell of grass and horses enough to choke me.Outside, a strong wind has whipped up, blowing dust everywhere.Dirt hits me in the face.
Perfect.
Back to reality.Back to the job.
I’m not the kind of woman who kisses Mr.Perfect and gets a happily ever after.I’m the kind of woman who has to run away from the hottest kiss of her life just so she can get hit in the face with a clump of dirt on her way to hose down a porch.
I gulp down air, hoping it will cut off the sob before it starts.
What am I going to do?Have I already ruined everything?
I run inside the house, into the kitchen, and start the water to boil.I grab the potatoes from the pantry and get to peeling.I have no idea how many spuds to peel.Does Finn eat a huge portion of mashed potatoes?Of course he does.
He has a big appetite.
I throw the peeler in the sink and hear it clatter.My fingers curl around the countertop as I balance on my hands.I let my head fall forward, and watch a few tears drop to the marble.
From here on out, I have one goal.And I better be smart about it.
My goal is to keep this job.And how will I do that?By making sure my employer doesn’t regret bringing me into his home.By doing everything exactly right—never make a single mistake—so he won’t have an excuse to fire me.
Not your man.Not your family.Not your home.
This is your job.
CHAPTER 34
Finn
“Dafuq, bro?”Special K’s body fills the doorframe.He glares at me.
I turn away and collapse on the couch, then drop my elbows to my knees and my face to my hands.
He sits down next to me, silent.
