Seduced by the CEO (13 page)

Chapter
Twelve

Micah followed Kristin into her house and shut the
door behind them. The last place Kristin had wanted to go was to the hospital,
but she’d gone. For her son. Hayden had watched as her ex doted on his new baby
like a proud father would and rubbed it in her face that he had a girl and she didn’t.
The guy was a complete dick.

“No more family get-togethers.” She went into the
kitchen and opened the refrigerator.

“Babe, if I had known it was going to be like that, I
would have stolen you away at the hospital and fucked you senseless.”

“I’m not in the mood.” She grabbed two beers and
handed him one.

“Yes you are.” Micah grabbed her arm and pulled her
toward him. He’d seen her struggle with the situation all night. He wrapped his
arms around her, hoping that he could get her mind off it. Maybe give her some
comfort, even though he didn’t know how. “You just need to talk about it
first.”

She laid her cheek against his chest. “I don’t want to
talk about it.”

“Then stop thinking about it.”

She pulled back. “He’s not a good father. When Hayden
was born, he didn’t even come to the hospital. His mother came in like she had
every right and told me she wanted a paternity test. She didn’t believe her son
could be that stupid.”

Micah rubbed her arms. “She was just trying to protect
her son. He is stupid, so he needs someone to.”

She pulled away from him and reached for her beer. “He
didn’t have anything to do with Hayden the first year of his life. We got
married, but he was in college. He spent most of his time partying and I had to
take care of our responsibility alone. I was trying to finish high school, my
parents were mad at me, and my decisions…”

Micah popped open his beer, deciding to allow her
pity-party to go on for a few more minutes. “It’s hard raising a child. He’ll
find that out sooner or later,” he said.

“You’re supposed to side with me, Micah.”

“I am.” He sighed. “When Malibu Barbie doesn’t want to
change diapers, he’ll have to. When she decides she needs some ‘me’ time, he’ll
have to give up his ‘me’ time to babysit. It’s going to happen.”

“He’ll hire a nanny.”

“I doubt he can afford it. Her upkeep probably digs
deep into his pockets.”

Kristin met his eyes. There was so much hurt there.
She put on a brave front, but he could see it. And he hated it. Going
Neanderthal on Rick and kicking his ass for hurting her seemed like a great
idea at the moment. Kristin was understanding and caring, supportive even
toward a man she despised. Micah had watched as she stood off to the side while
Hayden held his baby sister. She would do anything for her son, including
reliving the pain that she’d felt so long ago just to make sure he was
comfortable. Unlike the women that only wanted money, Kristin was selfless and
caring when she didn’t have to be.

“You talk like you’ve got some experience.”

Micah sipped from his beer. “I do.”

She fiddled with the rim of her beer bottle. “Did you
have a Malibu Barbie, too?”

Micah sighed. “Something like that.”

He saw the question in her eyes, but he wasn’t about
to talk to Kristin about Molly. That topic was off-limits.

“When are you and Emma leaving for Japan?”

He smiled. “After I come back from Texas.”

“You’re going to Texas?”

He nodded. “You want to go with me?”

Kristin sighed. “Micah…”

“It’s only for the weekend.” He drank from his beer. “It’s
my dad’s birthday. I’m guilted into going.”

He honestly wanted her to go with him. He wanted her
to go to Japan too, but he understood her reasons for saying no. He waited for
her to speak.

“Do I get a break from work?”

“Yes.” He smiled. “Trevor found my financial advisor
and we handed him over to the feds. He’s embezzled from a few of his clients
and is going to be going away for a while, so right now, there’s little work
for you to do for me on the side. Well, the paid kind.”

She rolled her eyes. “Let me check with Hayden. I
doubt he’d want to see me with the new baby around, but it never hurts to ask.”

“Your son doesn’t like his father as much as you
think.”

“How do you know?”

“Because he’s too much like you.”

That made her smile, which was what he wanted. He
grabbed her arm and pulled her to him, pressing her body against the cabinet.

“How come you never got married or had children?”

Just like that, his smile faded. “I don’t want to talk
about it.”

She tilted her head to the side. “Why not?”

He backed away. He never told anyone the extent of what
Molly had done to him, only that she’d cheated with every dick that walked by.

“Micah?”

“Drop it.”

She crossed her arms. “Why is it that we always talk
about me and never about you?”

“Because you are the one who needs to talk.”

“I don’t need to talk. I was perfectly fine with going
to bed the moment I came home.”

“You wouldn’t have slept.”

“What’s going on, Micah?”

“My past is none of your business.”

“Fine.” She shook her head. “You want to be that way,
then fine. But don’t expect me to bend over so you can fuck me anymore. I’m
tired of the games.”

She left the room and Micah couldn’t bring himself to
follow her. Instead, he grabbed his keys and headed for the door.

****

Friday eventually came and Kristin didn’t know what to
do about her situation with Micah. He’d invited her to Texas, and she was
willing to go, but the offer evidently looked like it was off the table. Why
did he have to be that way?

A knock sounded at her office door and she granted whoever
it was entrance. Micah stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

“I need to talk to you.”

Kristin sighed. “Sit.”

He stood. “I have a ticket for you if you want to go
to Texas. Nothing has changed. I’m not talking about my past. Take it or leave
it.”

“You sound like you really want me to go.”

“Take it or leave it.”

He gave her the ticket and left. Kristin groaned and
pressed her fingers against her forehead. The flight was leaving in three
hours. Which meant she needed to close down her computers and leave, if she was
indeed going.

She didn’t know how to get Micah to open up. He stayed
away most of the time and talking about his past wasn’t an option. He basically
didn’t trust her enough to share the details. That realization hurt.

“I am going with you, Micah,” she said to herself.
“You’re going to realize you can trust me, because I think I’m falling for you.
Arrogant attitude and all.”

She stood and reached for her purse. After situating
everything in her office, she decided to head out.

“Mr. Bosk, you are so funny.”

Kristin glanced over to see a lady reach out and brush
her hand along Micah’s arm. Micah smiled at her and mumbled something that made
the woman giggle. Kristin slammed her door a little harder than necessary,
drawing their attention. She met Micah’s eyes for a brief minute and gave them
her back as she locked her door.

She was not the jealous type. Her history with her ex
said as much. Kristin had rolled with it until she realized she deserved
better. Wiggling her key in the lock, the folder she held slipped from her
grip. Papers flew all over the hallway.

“Fuck.”

She stopped jiggling her key and bent to pick up the
mess. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Micah standing there with his
Southern Barbie, watching her. It was on the tip of her tongue to say
something, but she didn’t. Once the papers were in order, she set them next to
her feet and tried working on the door again.

“Why don’t you check on that,” Kristin heard Micah
say. “I’ll be out of town for a few days. You can leave it for me at the front
desk.”

Kristin pulled her keys from the lock and retrieved
her stuff from the floor. She didn’t bother looking up as he passed.

“Oh, Ms. Marsh?”

Kristin glanced over her shoulder.

“I need to see you in my office before you leave.”

“Yes, sir.” She rolled her eyes and stood, following
him to his office.

He barely had time to sit down before she started in
on him. “Are you fucking her, too?”

He glanced toward the door. “Sit down.”

“I’d rather stand.”

He sighed. “Sit, Kristin.”

“Don’t tell me what to do. I don’t even know why I bother
with you anymore. You’re a lousy human being, an even worse companion, and I
can’t stand to look at you right now. If you have something work-related to
tell me then go ahead. Otherwise, I’m leaving.”

Micah rubbed a hand over his face. “I invited your son
to go with us to Texas. He is supposed to meet us at your house in an hour.”

She stared at him, trying to reign in her anger. “Do
not use my son against me. Why would you invite him? You don’t know him.”

“I invited him for you.” Micah raised his voice. “You
are always harping on about him choosing his father over you. I’m giving you a
fucking weekend with him—away from his father. The last thing I expected was
for you to bitch about it.”

Kristin gripped the chair in front of her. “Well, you
being nice is out of character.”

“I think I’ve been nothing but fucking generous to
you.”

“Only when it suits your mood.” She shook her head.
“I’m tired of the games. You can do whatever the hell you want because you sure
as hell won’t be doing anything with me.”

She left his office infuriated. He’d invited her son.
It had to be a ploy to keep her from backing out on him. She punched the
elevator button and waited impatiently for the doors to open.

Micah came up beside her and she huffed a breath,
punching the button again. He kept his hands in his pockets, staring straight
ahead. “The games you insist I’m playing are a figment of your imagination.”

“I’m taking the stairs.” She headed toward the stairwell
and Micah followed her. “Leave me alone.”

“Not until we get a few things straight.” He grabbed
her arm and whirled her around to face him. “You do not get to call me those
names and get away with it.”

“Well, you do not get to use my son against me. It’s
not about me spending time with him or all the bullshit you proclaimed. You
wanted to make sure I didn’t back out on you because of the fight we had last
night. Which, by the way, was uncalled for.”

“It was not uncalled for because it was none of your
business.”

“And that attitude makes you the pompous jackass that
you are.” She jerked away from him and turned. She hadn’t made it down two
steps before he grabbed her arm again. “Let go of me.”

“Not yet.” He turned her around and met her eye to
eye. “Nobody knows the true story behind my relationship with Molly. No one.
For you to think that you have some special privileges because we’re fucking
each other is highly delusional.”

“I don’t think I have special privileges. If that’s
what you think about me, then you don’t know me at all.”

“Why do you give a fuck?” He let her go. “Why do you
care about what happened in my past?”

“I don’t.” She wanted to scream her frustration at
him. It didn’t matter what happened in the past, but that he trusted her enough
to tell her about it. “It doesn’t matter.”

He stared at her. “Then why are you making a big deal
about it?”

“Because I mean nothing to you and that scares me.”
Kristin turned and continued down the stairs, noting he didn’t follow her this
time. She was too angry to cry, but her heart broke into a million pieces,
nonetheless.

She didn’t know how she’d survive the weekend.

****

Kristin sat as far away from him as she could and
still be on the same private plane. Micah tried his best to keep from staring
at her, but his mind and his thoughts wandered to her regardless. Hayden had indulged
himself in a game of Rockband, which took up most of his attention.

Micah stood and headed to the back where Kristin sat.
He sat next to her and stared at Hayden as he played the fake guitar.

“You do not mean nothing to me.”

She shook her head. “I’m tired of talking about it,
Micah. Let it go.”

“Not until we get a few things straight. You knew from
the beginning I don’t trust people. All my life I’ve given out trust only to be
stabbed in the back. If this thing with my financial advisor doesn’t prove it, nothing
will.”

“And why don’t you trust me?”

“I do. You wouldn’t be this close to me if I didn’t.”