Page 23 of Holiday Promise

Thomas looked completely crestfallen. He wouldn’t meet her gaze, no matter how long she stared at him. She could only imagine what he was thinking about—she’d led him on, she’d teased him like one would tease a rabbit with a carrot. That wasn’t how it was, but she couldn’t bring herself to voices it.

“You’re right,” he muttered. “We shouldn’t make things more complicated than they already are. You’re clearly not ready for something new, and I don’t want to put you in the position where you have to choose.”

Chills raked along her skin, the relief she felt at his understanding overshadowed by the twisting in her gut. Just because she knew she couldn’t see Thomas anymore didn’t mean Blake would be interested in something more serious. She could be shooting herself in the foot with all of this.

“Thank you,” she rasped. “For understanding.”

He nodded sharply. “Should we… get our food to go?” He nodded to her food. “You’ve barely touched it.”

She blushed. “That might be for the best.”

FOURTEEN

Blake placed the shopping bags on the counter and smiled as he watched Max dart through the house, calling for Melody. Blake’s own gaze sought for the woman as well, if only to feed that part of him that craved her presence.

“Miss Melody! I got you something.” Max wove in and out of some of the rooms, only to return to the main living space. “Where is she?”

Ms. Anthony emerged from the laundry room. “Are you looking for Melody?”

Max nodded. “I got her something.”

“She’ll be home soon, I’m sure. She went on a date.”

Blake’s head snapped around to look at his housekeeper. She hadn’t noticed his reaction, but she had crouched down and continued to fill Max in on the situation.

“Miss Melody and Thomas went to dinner. She said she wouldn’t be staying out too late, so she’d be able to tuck you in tonight if that’s what you want.”

Max continued to frown. “Are you sure?”

Ms. Anthony chuckled. “I’m sure. But if you’re really worried, we can send her a message.”

He nodded, and that was when Ms. Anthony glanced up to look at Blake. There was something in her gaze that told him she knew exactly what had transpired between himself and his nanny. The strange thing was that she didn’t seem to be upset about it. Her expression was completely neutral. “Are you okay if I send her a message?”

Blake remained stiff, but gave her a short nod to the affirmative. Then he strode out of the room without another word. He made it to his office without incident, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t boiling inside.

He should fire Thomas. The man had to have known what he was doing when he took Melody out on a date. He’d been the first one to warn Blake about dating someone who worked for him. Clearly, Thomas had wanted Melody for himself.

Jealousy and fury exploded together with a chemical reaction, only to fizzle out as he realized firing Thomas wouldn’t do him any good. The man was a good assistant—one of the best he’d had. If Melody wanted to date him, that was her choice. She would make it work regardless of Thomas’s employment status.

Blake yanked his chair from his desk and collapsed into it. He scowled at nothing in particular. He wanted her back. That much he knew. He just didn’t know how to go about doing that. She’d been upset about his rules. He couldn’t just change the rules he knew would keep her safe. What more would she want from him?

His office door and he expected to see Max, but instead, Thomas entered.

Blake’s scowl deepened. “You have a lot of gall to show up in my office right now.”

Thomas stilled at the doorway. “I’m sorry?”

Shaking his head, Blake turned away and stared out the window, though there was nothing to see in the black reflection.“I want you on the helicopter and heading back to the city tonight.”

“I don’t think?—”

“I don’t care if I have to call out a different pilot to come and get you. I don’t want you staying the night. You’ve delivered the documents I needed to sign. That’s all you’re needed for.”

The quiet in his office weighed on him. He didn’t like the person he was becoming, but he couldn’t seem to keep his mouth shut. “I don’t want you seeing Melody again.”

“Sir?”

“She may not be an employee at the company, but she’s still my employee, and so are you.”