Page 8 of Broken Boss Daddy

Another yawn escaped me, and the thought of my bed pushed me to pick up my pace. Going out with some of the nurses didn’t sound like too bad of an idea, but I was absolutely exhausted.

I’d like to say that it was only work that had been keeping me up, but that would’ve been a lie. Jessica Flynn had occupied all my waking and unconscious thoughts.

As if my brain conjured her up, I glimpsed a familiar head of hair walking with a small child in the distance. Not sure if I was seeing correctly, I looked back in that direction but they were gone. It couldn’t have been Jessica anyway as the lady was with a child. As far as I knew, Jess didn’t have children.

Chalking that oddity up to my tired, overactive imagination, I reached my car and climbed behind the wheel, resting my head against it for a minute or two.

It had only been a few days since she walked back into my life for one brief conversation, and she already had me all twisted up in knots.

I was reminded of the first time I saw her, and how I had the same feeling deep in my gut.

(Flashback)

Walking back into the hotel room I’d booked for my weekend visit, I headed straight to the bar I’d made sure they had. I knew I was going to need the bar, and I needed a fucking drink.

I’d just finished up a dinner with my father and step-mother, and I was already regretting the fact that I’d agreed to come here. I should’ve known better.

My father and I didn’t have the best relationship, and my relationship with my step-mother wasn’t so great either. Since my parents split when I was a child, him getting remarried just pushed us further apart.

I had hoped that we could leave all of that in the past considering I was a grown-ass adult with an undergraduate degree and about to start med school.

Seems like that minor fact hadn’t gotten to my dad yet.

Storming past the smiling maître d’, feeling slightly guilty for being rude, I headed right to the back where the open bar was and took the first open stool I found.

“Double shot of whiskey,” I ordered.

I downed it as soon as it was placed in front of me, ordering another one. If I was to deal with my dad again tomorrow, I was going to need another drink or two—or five.

“Rough day?” the sweetest voice asked just as the bartender placed another glass down and I was about to down it, too.

Turning to face the voice, the beauty that sat next to me blew me away. It felt like I’d been hit over the head with a brick. There were no words to explain the vision of her.

I had never seen anyone so beautiful. There was something about her gorgeous eyes that hit me right in the gut, something that was as familiar as she was a stranger to me. I was pretty sure I was staring open-mouthed at her if her bubble of laughter was any sign, although she tried to cover it up.

Swallowing the lump in my throat and looking around to see if she was indeed talking to me, I attempted my best smile when she finally let her delicate laugh loose.

She had my groin twisting with desire.

“Don’t worry, I wasn’t talking to anyone but you,” she said, smiling like she had all the time in the world for me.

I would’ve liked all the time in the world with her.

Gesturing to her untouched cocktail, I downed my whiskey and wondered how much she’d had to drink. The alcohol settled me a bit, and I turned to face her directly with my signature smirk.

“My night just got a lot better. Grant Adams.” I stretched out my hand toward her, feeling a jolt travel up my arm at her touch. It was all I could do to stop myself from pulling her onto my lap.

“Jessica Flynn, but you can call me Jess.”

Jessica. I ran her name over and over in my head like a tune I’ve played before. I would’ve remembered if we'd met before. How could I forget such a face?

And I didn’t forget it, even after she ghosted me.

There was a second where I wanted to start something with her, and maybe that hadn’t left me entirely.

Lifting my head off of the steering while, I leaned back against the headrest and stared out at the world around me.

It felt unreal, like I was in some sort of dreamland.