He turned back to her, smoothing his fingers down her long, brown hair she had pulled back into a ponytail to keep out of tiny baby fingers. He softly kissed the tip of her nose. She wrapped her arms around him, pressing her cheek against his hard chest, still standing on her knees on the bed beside him.
Then she let go and turned to go back across the hall to soothe another tortured soul, though this one was much easier to appease. A little milk, a gentle sway, and a soft hum of her favorite lullaby were enough to satisfy the smaller of her two men.
If only the other were so easy.
TWO
“I can’t believe you did that!” Farren cried, her body rocking with laughter as Rita went on about how she had embarrassed her thirteen-year-old son the night before after finding a dirty magazine under his bed.
“Hon, you just wait. When Harley hits the terrible teens, you’ll be wishing for the sleepless nights you have now, instead of the ones you’ll have then. It’s a whole different ball game,” Rita said, imparting her Southern-accented wisdom to a horrified Farren as the women hovered over the coffee pot in the employee lounge.
Farren sighed, rubbing the area of dark circles beneath her eyes. “Please tell me I’ll have a few years in between there where I actually get some sleep. Would you believe I actually dozed off yesterday when I was supposed to be going over the program we’re sending off to Kansas tomorrow? I didn’t realize it until I fell halfway out of my chair, and then I hit my elbow on the edge of the desk trying to catch myself. I have the battle wounds to prove it.”
She pulled her sleeve up to show the bruise forming just below her left elbow, and it was Rita’s turn to laugh until she cried.
About that time, Edith Underwood, the new head of marketing, breezed into the lounge holding an empty coffee cup in one hand and a tablet in the other. Her pencil skirt was extra tight that day, and her form-fitting, button-down top was showing a rather excessive amount of cleavage.
“What’s so funny?” Edith asked, injecting herself into their conversation as she eyed Farren and Rita. Then she reached between them to grab the coffee pot.
The two women moved to give her room. Farren had to fight the urge to roll her eyes, and thankfully, Rita answered so she didn’t have to.
“Oh, you know, just talking about our kids. You got any kids, Edith?” Rita knew she didn’t, but she knew the question would get under Edith’s skin.
Edith’s upper lip smirked up in disgust, and her blond waves swayed around her as she shook her head. “Uh, no.”
She set her tablet on the counter before grabbing the handle of the pot of coffee, pouring herself a generous cup, and then looked over to Farren.
“Farren, darling, I can recommend a cream that would do wonders for your… eyes. Let me know if you’re interested,” she said, patting Farren on the top of her shoulder. Then she shifted back to the counter where she poured creamer and sweetener into her cup and stirred.
“Thanks, Edith, but I think I’ll pass,” Farren grumbled, beyond irritated at the implied insult.
She pulled in a deep breath, trying to calm the growing anger, and as she did, the scent of Rogan’s cologne touched her senses before he appeared in the doorway of the lounge. She looked toward the door to see him come in, and all the prior irritation was forgotten in an instant as his eyes locked on hers.
“Ladies,” he said in his deep voice to greet everyone, but his vibrant, blue eyes remained on her through his black-rimmed glasses, with the slightest hint of a smile as one corner of his mouth twitched up ever-so-slightly.
“Morning, boss,” Rita said, her Southern accent dragging the last word out into two syllables as she strode out of the room to get to work.
“Well, good morning, Rogan,” Edith said, and her voice was breathier than it had been just a few moments earlier.
He nodded, looking her way, and Farren could feel the irritation come roaring back with full force as she watched his eyes go to Edith’s cleavage for a split second before shifting them back up to her face.
His attention turned back to Farren, and she watched his eyes soften the slightest bit. He always tried to keep things professional between them when other employees were around. Even though most of the staff knew about their relationship, they still had to leave their personal life outside of the office as much as they could for the sake of the business.
Edith walked over to Rogan and her hand reached out to touch his elbow.
“Oh, Rogan, don’t forget I wanted to meet with you sometime today to go over my marketing plans for the upcoming quarter, and to give you more details about my plans for Chicago,” she said, still grasping his arm.
He nodded, acknowledging her reminder. “I should have some time right after lunch. Bring your reports from last quarter’s analysis so we can start there.”
A wide smile spread across her face and she strolled out of the lounge, coffee and tablet in hand.
As soon as Edith was gone, Farren found herself feeling a malignant discomfort begin to spread through her. There was just something about that woman that set Farren’s teeth on edge. It didn’t help that she really made her feel inferior, like Edith had it all figured out and Farren was just a child with a lot to learn.
Now alone, Rogan walked to Farren and stood in front of her, squeezing the sides of her upper arms that she held tight against her with forearms wrapped around her stomach.
“Farren? Everything okay?” he asked, his concern showing in the crinkles between his brows.
She looked up at him, gave a tentative smile and nod, and released her hold as she loosened up beneath his touch.
“Yes, I’m sorry. Just tired,” she admitted.
She could see the look in his eyes, the one that said he felt to blame for her lack of sleep. She sighed and reached up to take his face in her hands, grazing her thumb across the barely visible scar below his bottom lip to go with the more prominent one in the middle of his right eyebrow.
“Don’t do that,” she murmured.
“Do what?” he asked, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her in close. The corners of his eyes crinkled in the way she loved so much.
“Blame yourself. I don’t blame you,” she told him, not for the first time.
He simply shook his head and pulled away. He pressed a quick kiss to her forehead before turning toward the lounge door. “I’ve got work to do,” he called over his shoulder. “Talk to you later.”
Farren hunched over the counter and rubbed her weary face. Yes, they all had work to do, she thought, but somehow a seed of doubt was planted inside her. She had the unsettling sense that Rogan was drifting apart from her, and if that was the case, God help her, she didn’t know what to do.
FROM THE AUTHOR
I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to read my book, Boss Unyielding: A Secret Baby Office Romance. Writing this book was the most unique experience I’ve ever had out of all the books I’ve written so far, like the story already somehow existed and just needed to tell itself. I wrote it in under a month, initially intending for it to be a short, novella-length story that wasn’t quite as steamy as it turned out to be. Rogan and Farren had other plans for me.
I hope you will consider leaving a review for this book, even if it’s just a simple, two-word phrase – liked it, loved it, good book, was ok, page turner, not my cup of tea, or whatever is the case for your feelings on the book. Help others know what they’d be missing if they don’t pick this book up. It is so appreciated.
All the best,
Nicole R. Locker
Other Books by Nicole R. Locker
First Impressions Duet – Read Free on Kindle Unlimited!
First Impressions: A Novella (Book 1)
Second Thoughts: A Novella (Book 2)
Mistletoe and Fire Glow: A Holiday Romance Short Story
(FREE for your reading pleasure!)
The Desire Series
Tragedy and Desire: An Adult Romance (Book 1)
> Desire and Deception: An Adult Romance (Book 2 – coming soon!)
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Tragedy and Desire: An Adult Romance
“There are two tragedies in life. One is to lose your heart’s desire. The other is to gain it.” –George Bernard Shaw
Surviving a recent breakup and the impending anniversary of her parents’ unsolved murder, Perla Fae resists the advances of a sexy as hell, bad boy billionaire in an effort to protect her heart.
Jax Maddox – wealthy, powerful, and a force to be reckoned with – has set his sights on the elusive beauty, but it’s not her heart he’s after. Or is it?
Click Here for a Preview of Tragedy and Desire.
Boss Unyielding: A Secret Baby Office Romance (The Boss Series Book 1) Page 14
