Mister Bossy (Bad Boys in Love Book 4)

by Cassie-Ann L. Miller

  Lexi furrows her brows. “I don’t know what’s up with you but you’ve been acting weird for months now.”

  “What do you mean?” I ask, forcing my voice to sound casual. I cross my left leg over my right. Then swap, right over left. I fold my arms across my chest, then opt to prop my chin on my wrist. I’m going for a laidback look. It’s not working out for me.

  Lexi and Cannon share a glance. “I feel like you’re hiding something.” She squints at me, struggling to read my expression through her ‘merlot-colored’ glasses.

  “You’re imagining things.” No, I’m not above using her mild inebriation to my advantage. I have zero intention of admitting what I’ve been up to. Especially not in front of Cannon. I’m not sure how he’d feel about me digging around in his brother’s business.

  Cannon relaxes into his seat and changes the topic. “So, how’s it been going, working for Eli?” He’s right to be curious about my work conditions after witnessing me and my employer going toe-to-toe on the porch a few days ago.

  Reluctant to bad-talk my boss, I twist my lips to the side. “No comment.”

  “He’s being his most charming self, I’m assuming.” Cannon laughs. I must be making a face because his expression softens with sympathy. “Working for him is that bad, huh?”

  Lexi flips into ‘overprotective big sister’ mode. “Boss or not, don’t you let him walk all over you, Jessa. You make sure to put him in his place.”

  “Well, I can’t exactly be going around, mouthing off to him,” I say despairingly, “I like having a roof over my head, a bed to sleep in, clean running water, things like that.” Inwardly, I recall my two recent confrontations with my boss, one of which resulted in me pinned up against a wall, a heartbeat away from stripping the infuriating man out of his bath towel. Things are spiralling out of control in that house. I turn my attention to Cannon. “Was he always so…grumpy?” I ask.

  My brother-in-law shakes his head. “Nah. He used to be a really happy guy. A family man. His whole world revolved around his wife and kid.”

  “Were you two close?” I ask, folding my legs beneath me in my chair.

  “There’s always been a petty rivalry between us. Growing up, we competed over everything. I guess we were too close in age.” Cannon chuckles wistfully at his admission. “But I can tell you this—my brother is a good man. A good father. He adores his little girl. Yes, he made an idiot mistake that landed him in jail and right now, he’s suffering the consequences of that, but I think that essentially, he’s good. Despite everything he did.”

  “So you actually think he did it?” I scrunch up my nose. “You think he did all those bad things they accused him of?” I hate how naive I sound. Still, I feel compelled to ask the question.

  My sister’s husband shrugs. “He pled guilty, Jessa.”

  “I know…” I chew on my lower lip. “But I mean…don’t you ever just wonder…”

  Cannon gives me a helpless look. “He’s my brother and I’d like to see the best in him but, what can I say?”

  Something inside me deflates as I collapse back in my chair. “I know…but still…”

  Lexi leans forward and squints at me, her expression scandalized and amused at once. “Oh my god! You like him! You like him!”

  Cannon pinches the bridge of his nose and mutters, “Oh boy…”

  My sister bellows out a laugh. “Jessa, you naughty, naughty girl.”

  Her man clamps a hand over her mouth and gives her a stern glare. “Listen, woman. If you wake our sleeping child before I finish having my way with you, I swear you’re the one who’ll be getting a spanking tonight.”

  She wrestles his hand off of her face and pins me with big, eager eyes. “So…you gonna spill the beans or what?”

  “Okay, fine,” I hiss. “I have a thing for him. It’s not a big deal.” My gaze flickers briefly to a wary-looking Cannon. I’m mortified to be having this discussion in front of Eli’s younger brother. I feel the need to justify myself. “I don’t expect him to reciprocate my infatuation. Hell, he doesn’t even have to like me. But at this point, I just want some respect out of the man.”

  I’m undeniably attracted to Eli. I don’t mind his rough edges. In fact, I kind of like them. But I’d never act on my feelings, especially after reading his most recent letter to Monica. Besides, I’m getting sick and tired of him being a jerkwad to me, putting me down and making me feel inept. I do a damn good job with Callie and she likes me. I’m an educated woman with a good head on my shoulders and I don’t deserve this mistreatment.

  My sister shakes her head pityingly. “Oh, honey. The Kingston men can be stubborn, surly, ill-mannered jerks.” When she says that, her husband pinches her in the ribs. She giggles and bats his hand away. “But I’ll let you in on a little secret—you’ve got to show them your backbone.” When I raise a doubtful brow, she continues. “Stand up to Eli. Show him that you won’t be pushed around. And then, you’ll have him eating out the palm of your hand.” She grins confidently and nuzzles against her man’s chest.

  Tittering, I turn to my brother-in-law, “Is that true?”

  Cannon smirks up at his wife. He grabs her wrist, turns her hand over and playfully nibbles on her flesh. “I’m eating out the palm of her hand. And I’m loving every second of it.” He throws me a wink.

  Alexia leans down and friskily bites her guy’s neck. He groans and his eyes roll into his head with pleasure.

  M’kay—I think I’d better get this conversation wrapped up before clothes start flying.

  I bring the discussion back on course. There’s a burning question that’s been on my mind for a long time and I’m not sure I’ll ever get another chance to ask Cannon. “So, why do you think he did what he did?”

  The man shakes his head slightly. “I…I can’t say for sure. Honestly, it was something none of us saw coming. The day he got arrested, the whole family was in shock.”

  My mind filters through the information I uncovered in my research. I can’t help but ask, “Do you think it had something to do with his wife?”

  My sister’s husband sighs. “Yeah…I don’t have any proof but I was always under the impression that he committed those crimes for Gabby. That he did it to please her, somehow.”

  “What do you mean?” Alexia questions.

  “The woman just never seemed…satisfied.” Cannon gives a little shrug. “No matter how much my brother did for her, it never seemed enough. I think she just wanted more. And he wanted to give her more in the hopes that she’d finally be happy.”

  Lexi rubs Cannon’s back as his voice becomes rough with emotion. “Walker said he saw her in some YouTube video a few months ago…” my sister whispers.

  I nod. “Yeah, I was there. I saw her, too. Just living her best life like she didn’t run off and leave her little girl behind.” Blood simmering with anger, my eyes go to Cannon. “Do you think she’ll come back one day? Back to Crescent Harbor?”

  Cannon’s gaze narrows and his jaw goes tight. “I hope she doesn’t. Not after the way she abandoned Callie. Eli would kill for his daughter so Gabby better not come back. Because there’s no telling what he would do if he saw her face-to-face.”

  19

  Jessa

  Balancing the picnic basket in the crook of my arm, I take the curvy slope through the dense trees and head away from the house, down toward the water.

  My smile widens as I close in on the dock. I’m not sure my heart is strong enough to take all the cuteness.

  Callie and Eli sit side by side on the wooden slats with their feet dangling over the calm water. They’re talking and laughing together, each of them holding a fishing pole in hand.

  The sound of my canvas sneakers slapping the dock alerts the father-daughter duo to my presence. Callie’s eyes twinkle when she glances back and sees me. “Jessa! You’re back!”

  I wave. “Hey, Cal!” The cool wind swishes my dress around my legs as I approach.

  The child abandons her fishing
pole and crawls partway down the dock before pushing to her feet and running the rest of the way to me. She latches onto my leg.

  Giggling, I hug her back. “I saw you guys through the kitchen window,” I tell her. “Did you catch any dolphins?” I ask as we stroll toward the end of the dock.

  “No, we only caught one trout.” A little crease forms between her brows when she pouts.

  “Do you want a try?” she picks up her fishing rod and stretches it out to me. The brim of her yellow bucket hat flops down over her face. It has little butterflies on it. She wears a pink thermal sweater, a bright orange life jacket, colorful leggings and rain boots. She’s beyond adorable.

  “Oh, I’m not dressed for fishing.” I motion toward my fluttery dress. Goosebumps rise along my legs when I feel Eli’s eyes travel over me. I try to ignore the feeling. I try to convince myself it’s just the chilly air. “Hi,” I say to my boss.

  “Hi,” he replies.

  I deliberately break eye contact with the man. “I only came to see if anyone is in the mood for snacks.” Gaze focused on Callie, I wiggle around the picnic basket to draw attention to it.

  “Yay! Snacks!” She claps excitedly.

  I unfurl an old blanket I found in Eli’s linen closet. Callie helps me set out our midmorning feast of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, juice boxes, grapes, celery sticks and animal crackers.

  Eli approaches reluctantly and sits with us. His eyes meet mine. I try to ignore my visceral reaction but it’s virtually impossible to ignore the impact of a freight train crashing through my gut.

  Callie chatters sporadically as the three of us munch on finger food and watch the ripples moving across the surface of the water. It’s so serene out here. Beautiful. And despite all the tension between me and my boss, I like how it feels, just the three of us, hiding out, tucked away from the world.

  A swift breeze whips my hair into my face and goosebumps race across my skin. I shiver. I run a hand up and down the length of my bare arm.

  “Ooh, I never realized how chilly it gets out here,” I murmur.

  And that’s all it takes—Eli is unzipping his hoodie and shrugging out of it.

  My defences go up because I know what he’s about to do. “I’m okay,” I protest, stretching out a hand to stop him.

  “You’re cold,” Eli says, his voice firm and hard.

  “Really. I’m fine,” I insist as he flings the warm fleece around my shoulders like a cape.

  Eli nails me to the dock with a hard stare. “Wear the sweatshirt, Jessa.”

  Our eyes lock and that whole fireworks-exploding-in-the-air thing happens. Fuck. Why’s it so damn hard to fight my attraction for this miserable human being. And I’m not the only one feeling that primal pull. I swear that’s a faint blush I see on my boss’s cheeks, largely obscured by his scruffy beard.

  He attempts to shrug it off like it’s nothing. “I don’t want you getting…getting hypothermia or something and then passing it on to Callie,” he fumbles by way of explanation. He averts his eyes to focus on his kiddie-sized box of fruit punch.

  What?! That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. God forbid Eli would actually have to admit to giving a fuck about me. I want to argue with his over-protectiveness and his faulty logic (firstly, I won’t get hypothermia from a little bit of cool air and secondly, since when is hypothermia contagious?), but I also just want to wear his damn hoodie. It’s big and soft and still warm from his body heat and his manly fragrance is woven into the fibers.

  “You need to dress warm, Jessa,” Callie pipes in, sounding way too much like her grandmother. “You don’t want to get sick.”

  “That’s right. You don’t want to get sick.” Eli sticks his straw into the side of his mouth and gives me a goofy half-smile. My heart does a gymnastic tumble that would qualify in the Olympics.

  “Fine.” I fake a pout as I slide my short arms into the sleeves of the giant sweatshirt and pull up the zipper. I’m practically floating in the thing. I spread out my arms by my sides and I can’t even find my fingers in all that fabric. Callie munches on her crackers and giggles at my predicament.

  “Oh, come here.” With an eyeroll, Eli grabs one arm and folds back the overlong sleeve with military precision. My skin prickles with awareness every time his fingertips brush my wrist. He repeats the action on the other arm. His cheeks go even pinker. “There.”

  “You happy now?” I quip, trying to sound sassy but instead, the question comes out as a low rasp.

  His pupils flare as he takes me in, wearing his sweatshirt. I think he likes seeing me like this. “Yeah, I’m happy,” he quips back.

  I want to crawl across the dock, thread my fingers into his hair and kiss him. That’s exactly what I’d do if Callie weren’t here right now.

  Eli’s gaze slowly breaks away from mine. He glances up at the sky. “I think it might rain. We should get inside.”

  He grabs the bucket and the fishing rods and heads up the dock. Callie skips along behind him. I bring up the rear, with the picnic basket in hand. When the gorgeous father glances at me over his shoulder, lust shimmers in his expression.

  I really don’t want to be presumptuous but I’m starting to think that Eli wants me. I’m not sure what to do with this information but breaking into the Macarena dance here on the dock does not seem like an appropriate response. So I refrain from doing that.

  Instead I let the words of his latest letter to Monica replay in my head. He wants Monica, not me, I remind myself.

  I’m in the kitchen putting away the leftovers from our picnic when the man approaches me. “Hey, about the other day…”

  I move away from the fridge where I’m about to store a Ziplock bag of celery sticks and turn to face him. “Yes?” I’m on defence, ready for another fight because that’s all we seem to do whenever we’re alone.

  He runs a hand over his beard. “I’ve been a complete asshole,” he says, taking me by surprise. The rest of his words come in a rushed tumble. “I shouldn’t have spoken to you the way I did that morning on the porch. It was uncalled for and I’m sorry.”

  I clutch the celery sticks to my chest to keep my heart from popping out. “I—I accept your apology…” I whisper and Eli turns to walk out of the room, but Lexi’s advice from last night rings out in my head. I need to let him know that I won’t be mistreated anymore. At the last second, I call out to him. “I know that you’re the boss and technically, you’ve got all the power but I’m here to do a job, to take care of Callie and I need you to show me respect.”

  He reads my face for a long moment then he gives me a nod. “You deserve it…and from now on, you have it.”

  On that, he walks away, leaving me there with a sweaty upper lip, a pounding heart and a feeling of pride at having stood up for myself.

  20

  Eli

  It’s been raining since dinner. If not, I would have gone for a moonlit walk in the woods to clear my head. I’m sure Walker’s happy for the precipitation but me, I’m stuck here on the couch, staring up into the darkness of my basement, mind racing, trying to figure out what my next project will be.

  I’ve worked on my car, scrubbed out my gutters and now I’m virtually finished with the deck. I even put up that damn trellis and planted the little garden Jessa seemed to think was such a good idea. The prospect of empty days looming up ahead is making me anxious.

  I’m used to keeping busy and now that going back to the family company isn’t an option for me, I’m feeling uneasy about how I’ll go about filling my days.

  Anyway, it’s really pouring down now, and I imagine the river will be running high, so I guess we’ll get to test how solid the house’s foundation is now. Is it weird that I’m hoping I’ll have some work to do on that tomorrow?

  This is kind of pathetic.

  My mind drifts to Jessa. I wonder what she’s doing right now. I imagine her with a hand inside her silky little sleep shorts, stroking herself and tossing around in that big bed upsta
irs.

  The bed you used to share with your ex-wife, asshole.

  Shit. This is ridiculous. I’m in my mid-thirties, you’d think I’d be able to control my libido by now. These inappropriate thoughts have a mind of their own.

  Looking for a distraction, I pick up my outdated phone to do some mindless scrolling but I get a sour taste on my tongue when I see that I have two voicemails and four text messages from Jude urging me to meet him for a couple beers. Then there’s Cannon. His half-dozen notifications are just glaring at me, mocking me. He’s still all hung up on the notion of us running Kingston Realties together.

  I’m not interested.

  Walker says I’m being stubborn, but what the hell does he know? The idea of working with Cannon pisses me off to the point of insanity even now that I understand he didn’t screw me over deliberately. The idea of seeing him sitting in that executive chair that’s rightfully mine makes my blood stew like magma.

  He’d argue that I’m being unreasonable but he’s never been wrongly imprisoned. Lost his job. Lost his wife. Lost his six-figure salary and his freedom right along with it. I think I deserve to be as pissed as I want to be right now.

  Thunder crashes and booms loudly, with enough force to shake the pull-out bed beneath me.

  Just as I’m rising onto my elbows, staring out the egress window to wait for the next bolt of lightning, a high-pitched shriek fills the air.

  Every hair on my body stands.

  Callie.

  With the blanket still wrapped around my ankles, I’m already racing up the steps. I kick the covers off and dash down the hallway. When I make it to my daughter’s bedroom, my gaze anchors on the bed.

  Jessa is already there, comforting Callie, who’s wide-eyed and sitting up beneath her princess-patterned sheets.

  My heart trembles with something powerful as I watch the nanny console my girl. Jessa’s arms are wrapped around Callie, and her lips are pressed against the child’s temple as she murmurs soothing words into her little ear.