Blind Date with my Billionaire Boss (Blind Date Disasters Book 5) Read online

“You’re welcome. I know I’m early, but I figured you wouldn’t mind.”

  “Not at all. I’m glad you arrived before everyone else.”

  We strolled down the hall to a large family room with wall to ceiling glass windows that overlooked a humongous backyard. I’d been to this home on many occasions as it was the house Charlotte and Easton grew up in. Both lived elsewhere now, but their mother had remained in this house. Easton stood with his back to us but turned when we walked into the room. He’d changed out of the suit he’d worn this morning into a pair of dark blue jeans and a charcoal gray polo shirt with short sleeves, showcasing tan forearms.

  He took me in as if seeing me for the first time, his gaze taking in every inch of me, not in a creepy way, but in a manner that seemed almost curious. Or perhaps he was contemplating something else that had nothing to do with me. I was probably making up stuff in my head because I was attracted to him.

  But every time we were around each other, there was this unexplainable energy between us. I’d denied it up until this point, but I couldn’t deny it anymore. It was there whether I liked it or not.

  My face flushed as our gazes locked and my stomach did a somersault. Having this much contact with him in one day was overwhelming, but once everyone else arrived, we would drift off to our different groups.

  “Hey, Maya.” His gaze lingered on me for a touch longer than was appropriate for a boss and his employee, and the air in the room thickened.

  “How are you?” I asked.

  “Great.”

  Charlotte looked between the two of us as if she couldn’t quite figure out what all the tension was about, but I knew. The face painting earlier this morning nearly undid me. Being that close to Easton. Having his full attention. He was a different person, almost. More relaxed. Strangely nice.

  “You look…good,” Easton said, eying my purple sundress. It had yellow flowers, and the contrast of colors was eye-catching.

  It felt as if I were under a microscope, and I glanced away, unable to look him in the eye one moment longer. “Thank you. You look great as well.”

  Charlotte snickered. “Love the compliments between you two. Keep it up, guys. You’re doing well.” She smiled like the cat that ate the canary, and I wanted to slug her, but I kept my temper in check since it was her birthday.

  She cleared her throat. “By the way, Maya, there’s something I have to tell you.” She winced as if knowing I wouldn’t like what she was about to say. “Just don’t…kill me.”

  I turned towards her, startled. “What?”

  She twisted her hands in front of her, looking sheepish. “Remember when I told you I’d go with you to your doctor’s appointment?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, Mom needs me to go with her to visit Nana at her assisted living facility. They need to make a few decisions about her care, and she wants me with her.”

  Disappointment washed through me because I’d been counting on her support, but I understood that family business had to come first. It just stunk to have to go to the appointment on my own. It wasn’t that I couldn’t. But I was nervous about what the doctor would say. I licked my lips and did my best to smile. “Of course. No problem. Your mom and grandma need you.”

  “It’s just…I know you wanted someone there. I feel bad.”

  I glanced at Easton and then back at Charlotte, feeling uncomfortable that she was bringing this up in front of him. “It’s not an issue. Don’t worry about it.”

  A furrow appeared between Easton’s brows, and he stepped closer. “What kind of appointment is it?”

  “Just a regular medical appointment. It’s not a big deal.” I laughed nervously and folded my arms around my waist. “I guess I hate seeing the doctor.”

  “I’ll go with you,” he said without hesitation, and then his eyebrows flew up as if he’d surprised himself by offering.

  The doorbell rang, and Martha, her mother’s housekeeper, went to answer.

  “That’s not necessary,” I said. “It’s not a big deal.”

  He opened his mouth to say something, but the sound of voices cut him off. A few of Charlotte’s friends walked into the room. They were loud and boisterous, and there were plenty of hugs to go around. I wasn’t sure how I felt about Easton going with me to the appointment, but I was relieved by the interruption. He probably didn’t mean it and would soon regret making the offer. I wouldn’t bring it up again. He would most likely forget about it, anyway.

  More guests arrived, and before we knew it, the house was full of people ready to celebrate Charlotte’s twenty-sixth birthday. Several groups ventured outside to get air, and just as I’d thought, Easton stayed inside, while I went to the backyard with three friends Charlotte and I knew from high school.

  The evening went by quickly, and at one point, I found myself alone for a moment. Glancing around, I noticed all the brand name clothes and expensive purses. Some of it was ridiculous, but I didn’t let it bother me. I had many memories of hanging out with Charlotte in her backyard, so this home was familiar territory. I didn’t feel out of my element per se, but I would never have the wealth her family had. Not that I felt the need for that kind of money. I didn’t.

  Most of her friends were wealthy except for me, but I was perfectly content with what God had given me. I never pretended I was anyone other than who I was. Money didn’t make a person more important in my eyes, and, thankfully, Charlotte was the same way.

  I glanced at the window and my gaze landed on Easton, standing with a group of ladies inside. The women appeared engrossed in whatever he was saying, and a feeling of defeat washed through me. I let out a breath. He obviously loved the attention, and that was another reason I couldn’t be with him. He’d never be content with just one woman.

  “You’re looking at those women like you want to jump them. Do I sense a little jealousy?” Charlotte appeared at my side and glanced at me out of the corner of her eye.

  I frowned and gave her a look that said give me a break. “Really, Charlotte? Are you still riding that train?”

  “Oh, come on. I saw the way you were staring at each other earlier. Plus, he offered to go with you to your doctor’s appointment. Easton never does anything like that. Not even with the women he dates.”

  I opened my mouth to disagree and then shut it. A part of me agreed with her. Easton’s behavior was peculiar, but I refused to let myself go down that road. As far as I was concerned, he was still the coldhearted bully I knew in high school. Okay, so maybe I’d seen another side of him lately, and clearly, we had chemistry, but it wasn’t enough for a relationship to work. I couldn’t let my mind go there. “Your brother and I have nothing in common.”

  As if sensing we were talking about him, Easton glanced out the window and our eyes collided. My heart stopped for a beat, and at that moment, I wanted to crawl under a table and hide, to find a place to conceal myself where his intense gaze wouldn’t affect me like this. I hated feeling out of control, and he definitely made me feel that way.

  He waved to the women in his group and then strode in the direction of the back door. The women looked disappointed at his departure, and a few acted like they might follow him, but they wavered long enough that they missed their chance.

  Charlotte leaned in. “Prepare yourself. He’s coming out here to talk to you.”

  “He probably just needs some air.”

  “No, he wants to talk to you. I know my brother.”

  “I doubt—”

  “Turn around so he doesn’t figure out we’re talking about him,” Charlotte said, clutching my arm. She turned me so we both faced the expansive green lawn full of towering oak trees.

  “Oh, brother. Why do we have to do this?”

  “Because we’re playing it cool.” She clung to my arm and gave me a knowing look. “I don’t say this to discourage you, Maya, but Easton could get any woman he wants. You’ve got to up your game if you want to win him over.”

  I laughed outright and glanced
up at the sky, trying not to let my friend annoy me. “Who says I want to win him over? He’s my boss, for goodness’ sake, and last time I checked, that means he’s unavailable.”

  “I’ll tell you a secret,” she said, letting go of me, but then she pinched my arm playfully. “There’s no policy against inner-office relationships at Project Helpers.”

  My brows lifted because I didn’t believe that for a second. “Are you sure?”

  “Yep. I looked into it before I set the two of you up.”

  I didn’t recall seeing anything about relationships in the employee manual, which was odd, considering I was in human resources. George hadn’t spoken of it in the trainings he’d done with me. If Project Helpers allowed that, surely, I would know about it. “I’m not so sure about that.”

  “Ask George Layman. He’ll tell you.”

  “You’re pulling my leg.”

  “About what?” The deep husky voice belonged to Easton, and we immediately turned around to face him. She was right. He’d come straight to us without stopping to talk to anyone else. It didn’t completely surprise me, but I still couldn’t allow myself to think it had anything to do with me.

  “Oh, nothing,” I said, trying to sound nonchalant. “We’re just having girl talk.”

  “Do me a favor,” Charlotte said, glancing at Easton. “Keep Maya company while I go talk to Jane. I haven’t had a chance to say hello yet.” She didn’t wait for him to reply, but took off in the opposite direction.

  My mouth dropped open, and I wanted to run after her to give her a piece of my mind. She had to stop doing things like that. Didn’t she consider how embarrassing it was to be put on the spot? I glanced at Easton and gave him a tight smile, feeling extremely uncomfortable. I didn’t want him to think I’d conspired with Charlotte to be alone with him. “You don’t have to do that. I was just about to—”

  “Actually, I came out here to talk to you about something.”

  I lifted an eyebrow. “Okay. What would you like to talk about?”

  He glanced down, not meeting my eyes, a vulnerable expression on his face. “I know you don’t like me because of what happened in high school. Give me the chance to explain. I want to clear the air.”

  “I don’t…dislike you anymore.” It was mostly the truth, though I still felt wary and for good reason. I didn’t really know Easton. He’d apologized for what he’d done…sort of…and he gave me a job. Since I’d started working for him, he’d treated me with respect, and I had no reason to complain as far as that went, but that didn’t mean I was ready to forget what occurred when we were younger.

  “You don’t trust me. I see it in your eyes, Maya. Please…let me explain.”

  My heart picked up speed, and I wanted to excuse myself and get away from him. Whatever he said would most likely upset me, and we were at Charlotte’s birthday party, which meant I had to remain in good spirits for her. On the other hand, I wanted to understand why he’d threatened to beat up my prom date so long ago. There had always been questions in my mind that had gone unanswered, and I finally had the chance to hear the entire story. I drew in a breath and let it out slowly while Easton watched me carefully. “Fine.”

  He nodded, appearing relieved. “Good. Come with me. I know of a place that’s more private where we can talk.”

  I followed him through the backyard and around the house until we came to a gate that led to another grassy area enclosed within four walls. There were roses of all colors, and it reminded me a little of The Secret Garden. “Charlotte never took me here.”

  “That’s because it belonged to my father, and it was off-limits to anyone except my mother. Now that he’s gone…” His expression turned sad. “Well… Mom won’t mind if we talk here.” He led me to a white marble bench and motioned for me to have a seat. He sat across from me on another bench that looked just like it.

  He ran a hand through his hair and sighed heavily as if dreading the conversation we were about to have. Leaning his elbows on his legs, he bent forward and studied the ground for several long moments. I remained silent and waited until he was ready.

  He sucked in a breath and glanced to the side. “I overheard Liam bragging to the guys in the locker room about how he planned to get a hotel room and take you there after the prom.” He paused and met my gaze, waiting for that information to sink in. “He told everyone he wanted to take your virginity. Said something about hiding a camera in the room.”

  A crushing sensation pushed against my chest, and I struggled to get air into my lungs. Was he making that up? He had to be making it up. The thought of that happening was horrifying on so many levels. “No…Liam wouldn’t have tried to take advantage of me. He was too nice. You must have misunderstood.”

  “I didn’t.” He spoke louder, more adamantly. “I was standing right there, Maya. I know what I heard. He wanted to use you, and I refused to let him.”

  I jumped up and walked a few feet away, needing space to think about what he’d just said. Liam had never spoken to me again after that, so it wasn’t as if I’d idealized him, but what Easton was relaying didn’t seem to fit with what I knew of Liam. Then again, people disguised who they really were all the time. A conversation Charlotte and I had came back to me. She’d said she overheard him saying he could juggle more than one woman, and I’d dismissed her statement because I’d wanted to believe he was the innocent party in all of this. It seemed I was wrong after all. Still, there was one thing I didn’t understand.

  I faced Easton, needing to get this off my chest. “If all of that was true, why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you talk to Charlotte? You let me believe you did it to be spiteful.”

  He grimaced but didn’t break eye contact. “All the guys were talking about what he said. I wanted to spare you the embarrassment of hearing the details. Guess I figured it was better you didn’t know.”

  I thought about that for a long moment, not sure I agreed with him. Was it better that I didn’t know, or would I have preferred to have all the facts? I wasn’t sure there was an easy answer to that question. My teen years had been sensitive to a certain degree and finding out that a bunch of guys were talking about me in the locker room might have taken away my confidence. Might have made me not want to go to school at all. But still…I didn’t like that he hadn’t been honest.

  “Maya, I was so angry at Liam that I was afraid I would do something stupid. I punched him, and a few of the guys had to pull me back so I didn’t continue to hit him. They thought I was going to lose it, and I almost did.” His jaw tightened, and his frustration and anger were evident in his eyes.

  “You let me think you hated me for no reason at all.”

  He glanced down, his hands gripping his knees. “I know.” There was remorse in his tone, something I’d never expected to hear.

  “Why wait so long to tell me?”

  “It wouldn’t have done any good.”

  “Then why are you telling me now?”

  He let out a heavy breath as if the weight of the world rested on his shoulders, and it almost seemed as if it did. “I’ll admit it’s for selfish reasons.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I’m just…I’m tired of seeing you look at me like I’m this horrible guy. Guess I hoped that telling the truth would allow us to be…” He put a hand over his jaw and looked down.

  “Be what? Friends?”

  He glanced up quickly. “Yes. I’d like to be your friend.” He said it so sincerely, so genuinely, that I inhaled a sharp breath.

  “You want that?”

  He nodded quickly. “I do.”

  My eyes widened, and I stared back at him, stunned. Never in my wildest dreams had I thought I’d hear Easton tell me he wanted to be friends. The very notion was crazy. Surreal. It was almost too much to take in. “How do I know you’re being honest?”

  He stood and closed the distance between us, placing a hand on my arm, the contact filling me with a warmth I’d never experienced befor
e. “I may be a lot of things, but no one’s ever accused me of being a liar.” His expression was severe, but there wasn’t any wavering in his tone. “Maya, I hate being lied to. I would never do that to you. Please believe me.” His eyes were fierce as he waited for my response, and I sensed he meant every word.

  I retreated, needing to create space between us before I lost my ability to breathe, but he stepped closer, reclaiming the distance I’d just taken. He cupped my face, an urgency in his demeanor that unnerved me on the one hand and made me want to melt into him on the other.

  “You deserved so much better. I’m sorry. Please forgive me.” His eyes were wild with pain and longing and something else. Determination.

  I had a feeling he wouldn’t give up until I forgave him. And honestly, hearing the story from his side…how could I not?

  I believed him.

  Crazy as it seemed, nothing about his demeanor struck me as false.

  “I do forgive you, but hear me out.” I stepped back and his hands fell from my face. Being that close was making it difficult to think straight, and I needed to get my bearings.

  He nodded, his jaw tightening as if preparing for me to chew him out. “Go ahead.”

  We stood there for a long moment, both of us staring at the ground as I collected myself and tried to think of the right words to say. I finally looked up, realizing there were no “right” words. I just needed to be clear. “Thank you for sticking up for me. I’m sorry I thought the worst of you. You didn’t deserve that.”

  “I only wanted to protect you.”

  “I understand that now, and that’s what makes this whole thing so crazy, Easton. I should have investigated further. Should have gone to you and insisted you tell me the truth. Instead, I just…hated you.”

  One side of his mouth lifted in a smirk. “I made you hate me. It’s not your fault.”

  “I shouldn’t have—”

  “Please don’t apologize, Maya. I bear the responsibility for how this played out.” He was quiet for a second as his eyes met mine. “Can we start over?”

  A smile tugged at the corners of my lips, and on a whim, I held my hand out. “I’m Maya Anderson, Charlotte’s best friend. Nice to meet you.”