: Chapter 9

The following day is Saturday and my first weekend off since I started. Mr. Kincaid tried to give me last weekend off but not only did I not have any plans, he ended up needing to be at his office in D.C. for most of the weekend. I had no problem staying home.

But tonight, Jacqueline is all but forcing me out for one of the city’s fall bar crawls. My plan is to stay the night at her apartment in case I do get a little drunk. I don’t want any of the Kincaids seeing me like that. Even if something tells me Rowan would be proud that I finally did something besides worrying about everyone else.

“Now you’re sure you don’t need me to stay? I can cancel,” I say to Mr. Kincaid who’s sitting on the couch, dressed down and looking deliciously relaxed, with Isla who has one of her dolls in her lap while she brushes her hair. I giggle as I listen to her talking to her doll and telling her to stop moving so much.

“No, you go and enjoy yourself. We’ll be fine.” He lifts his arm and stretches it along the back of the couch, a move that is so simple, and yet it makes the complicated feelings I have for this man go haywire.

“Where are you going?” Isla asks without looking up at me.

“Just out with one of my friends.”

“Is she your best friend?” She gathers the doll’s hair into a ponytail before letting it fall in cute frustration.

“Yes, I would say so.”

“Like me and Sabrina? Oh! Daddy, can Sabrina come over?” She looks up at him and purses her lips before she stands up on the couch and kisses him on the cheek. “Please please please.”

“Honey…” He shakes his head and she strikes while he hesitates, kissing him on the cheek again. She’s got him, I think to myself. “I’ll call her mom in a bit.”

“Yay!” She plops back down and continues brushing her doll’s hair.

“I can stay if Sabrina is coming,” I tell him, resisting the urge to tell him he’s such a sucker.

“No, I will be fine. I’ve done it before.” He gives me an annoyed look followed by a smile. He seems to be in much better spirits than he was last night and I hope it isn’t all an act so that I don’t cancel my plans. “Besides, it’s a rare night that Margot isn’t going out, so I have backup.” He waves me off and I head back to my room to pack for the night. I’m almost finished getting ready when there’s a light knock on my open door and I see Margot standing in the doorway.

“Hey!” I smile cheerily as I slide my curling iron into my overnight bag and she cocks her head to the side.

She tucks one of her long tresses behind her ear before pulling it all to one side. “Dad said you’re going out tonight.”

“Yeah, against my will, I think.” I roll my eyes.

She plays with the ends of her hair, twirling it around her finger. “With a guy?”

“No,” I snort. “With my best friend.”

“Oh…well, you look hot,” she tells me. I look down at the short black leather skirt, knee-high boots, and white strapless top I’m wearing.

I beam because getting approval from a teenager is the highest compliment. “Thank you.”

“Any chance I can borrow that?” She waves her index finger up and down indicating she means my entire outfit.

“Maybe in two years?” I smile at her and she rolls her eyes.

“So, you’re not coming back tonight?” She nods toward my bag.

“I just thought we might be out late, and I don’t want to come in late and risk waking anyone up.”

“Any chance there may be a guy you’re interested in that might be showing up?” She probes and I’m wondering what she’s getting at.

“Not…that I know of?”

“You just look really good. Wasn’t sure if it was for a guy.”

I look down and then back at her wishing she was at the age that she’d understand that getting dressed for yourself will always be more fulfilling than doing it for a man. “No, Margot. I did this for me.”

“Okay…well, have fun, but not too much, and be safe.” She giggles as she gets up and calls over her shoulder. “Make good choices!”

I make my way into the foyer and see Isla still sitting on the couch but her dad is nowhere in sight. “Where’s your dad?”

She peeks her head over the couch and shrugs. “Oooh, you look pretty!”

“Thank you!”

“DADDY, ELLIE’S LEAVING!” she calls and I wince at the volume of her scream.

“Isla…I could have texted him.”

Mr. Kincaid comes in from the dining room and I can’t help the warm feeling that washes over me when I see the look in his eyes. He drags them slowly from my feet all the way to my eyes and then back down. I watch as his nostrils flare every time they pass over my legs, and the way his teeth dig into his bottom lip when he drags them across my chest makes my knees weak.

“Wow.” He blurts out and I can’t stop the smirk that pulls at my lips. “I mean…” He closes his eyes and rubs his jaw and when he opens them, I can see the lust all over his face. “No, I meant wow.” He closes the space between us. “You’re not coming back tonight?” he asks when he notices the bag at my feet.

“It just might be late and I don’t want to worry about waking anyone up. I also don’t like to take an Uber late at night by myself.”

He looks down at the bag again and then back at me. “It makes me feel better that you don’t do that, but I can come get you. It doesn’t matter if it’s late,” he offers and I’m fairly certain I am not ready to be around him when I’ve been drinking.

At least not until I get over this crush I have on him.

“Also, Jacqueline and I can get a little…crazy,” I whisper. “I know…” I put up two hands. “Try to contain your shock. I just don’t want to come home like that. Margot’s impressionable!”

He gives me a look of derision. “I can assure you, she’s seen an intoxicated person before.”

“That’s not the point. I am supposed to be a good example.”

“You are, Elianna.”

Feeling the pressure, I add, “If you are asking me to come back tonight, I can…”

He shakes his head. “That’s not it. I just don’t want you to feel like you can’t. Or that you don’t have a safe way to get home. I will come get you, that’s all.” I make a mental note to figure out how I feel about him referring to his house as home.

“I appreciate that, but I’ll be fine. Besides, I haven’t seen Jacqueline in a while. If I don’t go, she might show up here and I don’t know that I’m ready to introduce her yet.”

“I’d love to meet your friends. Any of them are welcome here.” His voice is soft and smooth and heats me all over despite the words not being particularly sexy.

“Thanks.” I lick my bottom lip and I swear I hear a groan not quite disguised by the sound of him clearing his throat as he takes a step back. My phone vibrates and it breaks through whatever tension is crackling between us right now. I see a text from Jacqueline asking for my ETA and I turn toward the door. “I’m going to go.”

“Okay.” He nods. “Just…be safe.”

“I will.” He reaches past me to open the door for me and when I turn around after walking a few steps outside, I see his eyes at least a foot down, making me fairly certain he was just staring at my ass.

“I am so glad you could come out tonight!” Jacqueline squeals as she orders us a shot each at the first bar. “I need to hear everything about hot Daddy by the way.”

“There’s nothing to tell.” I hesitate before taking a long sip of my tequila soda while I avoid her excited gaze.

“You’re lying.” She narrows her eyes at me as she hands me the lemon drop shot that I’m already regretting.

“No…I…I don’t know. He was kind of intense when I was leaving tonight. He offered to pick me up later…”

Her eyes widen as we grab an empty hightop table. “He did? Oh, that’s so hot. The whole responsible and overprotective man thing?” She waves her hand over her face like she’s fanning herself before letting out a giggle.

“I think he was just worried about me getting home.”

She adjusts the corset she’s wearing that has stopped practically every man in his tracks all night. “Exactly!”

“He also said ‘wow’ when he saw me. But…maybe that doesn’t mean anything?” I ask, while secretly hoping it does.

“Oh, I think he’s into you.” She swirls her straw around her drink.

“You don’t even know him.”

“First of all, who wouldn’t be into you? Second, maybe I don’t know him, but I know men.” She taps my nose with her index finger.

“He’s different and he’s older. He’s a dad, remember? He’s not like any guy that either of us has dated.”

“Which means far less bullshit for you to decipher! No having to read the signs or wade through fuckboy signals. Ah, he just keeps getting better and better.” She shimmies.

“I don’t even know why we’re having this conversation because—”

“Because you’ve had two shots and a mixed drink and you’ve never been able to contain your thoughts when you’re drinking,” she interrupts and I glare at her.

“Because I am not going to do anything. It’s just a crush. He’s still my boss. He’s off limits.”

“Ugh.” She scoffs and pulls out her phone to reapply her burgundy lipstick. “I wish I had sexual tension with someone that was off limits.” She grins at me before holding her phone between us. “Let’s take a pic!”

A few bars, a few hours, and more than a few drinks later, it’s almost two in the morning. Most of the bars are about to close, but when Jacqueline and I are together we are known to be out until last call. We are in the line for the bathroom when my phone vibrates with a text and I almost drop my phone when I see who it’s from.

“Shut the fuck up! He’s waiting up for you?” Jacqueline squeals as she reads over my shoulder.

“He’s probably just working,” I say but my heart flutters at the thought that he might be waiting to make sure I get back to Jacqueline’s safely.

“Tell him to come get us!”

“What? Jacqueline, no.”

“Why!? I want to meet him.” She giggles. “And it’s so annoying to get an Uber to whip us by Taco Bell.”

Remembering that he said he wanted to meet her or any of my friends, I roll my eyes. “Let’s just get pizza before we get in the Uber.”

“Or have Daddy pick us up!”

“I’m not making him drive thirty-five minutes at two in the morning to pick us up just so you can get late-night food.”

“I am suuuure he won’t mind and I’m even more sure you can find a way to thank him for his service.” She nods at my phone. “What are you going to say?”

“I don’t know! And I’m drunk but don’t want to sound drunk and you’re drunk so neither of us is reliable right now!”

“Just say we’re leaving the bar soon.”

I’m trying to type what she said but I’ve already forgotten what exactly that was. “Wait, what do I say?”

“God, Ellie this is not hard. Okay, listen. Say, ‘hey comma. We are heading back soon.’ Feel free to use an exclamation point. That’s a personal preference,” she explains like she’s teaching a class on drunk texting. “Then add, when can I suck your dick?” she says as we move up in the line.

“When…can…I—” I start typing before I glare at her. “Jacqueline!” She chuckles before pulling her beer bottle to her lips and finishing it. “Okay, sent.”

And that’s the last thing I remember before I blacked out.

The sounds of my phone ringing breaks me out of the last few minutes of sleep and I moan at the shrill noise that pierces the air.

“Jesus Christ, why is your phone on sound?” Jacqueline whines from next to me. “Turn it off!”

“It’s a phone call.” I groan, already feeling that special kind of annoyance that only comes with a hangover. “Who is calling me?” I open one eye slowly before both fly open when I see Mr. Kincaid’s name across the screen. “Fuck. It’s Rowan.”

“Isn’t it your weekend off? How did they survive before they met you?” she says as she gets up and trudges into her bathroom.

“Yes, which is why it could be important!” I clear my throat and get off the bed. Despite the hangover that I feel creeping into all of my senses, adrenaline kicks in and I run into Jacqueline’s kitchen to pour myself a glass of water. I down half of it and clear my throat in hopes it’ll make my voice sound presentable and not like I had multiple tequila shots last night.

I press the button to call him back and he answers on the first ring. “Well, good morning, sunshine. How are you feeling?” His voice is light and so incredibly sexy for…I look at my phone to see what time it is. Eight-thirty in the morning.

“Hi. Sorry I missed your call, is everything okay?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Okay…” I trail off as if to say then is there a reason that you’re calling me at eight-thirty on my Sunday off?

“You told me to call you at eight-thirty to make sure you were up.”

I freeze. “What?” When did I say that?

“When we talked last night…” He trails off. “How drunk were you?” He chuckles with a bit of an edge to his voice and I wonder if I was super embarrassing and annoying. Oh, my fucking God.

“Oh, uh…I just forgot.”

“Do you remember talking to me?”

SURE DON’T!

“Kind of?” I say as I pull my phone away from my ear and put him on speakerphone to pull up my text messages.

“I see. Well…I will let you go and I will see you whenever you get back today.”

I can hear a hint of what sounds like disappointment in his voice and while I want to make sure he isn’t, I need to see what it is I said to him last night. “Okay, I’m probably going to head out soon. So, I’ll be there in a bit.”

“Don’t feel like you have to rush. I’m taking the kids to breakfast in a little while.”

“Oh, that sounds fun!”

“I’ll see you later, Elianna.” His tone is vastly different from how he answered the phone just a few minutes ago.

“Bye,” I whisper and immediately go to my call log and mentally thank drunk Ellie that I don’t see a phone call which means at least I’ll know exactly what was said. God only knows what I could have said if we spoke on the phone last night.

I remember him asking me if I was back at Jacqueline’s and then the rest is a blur.

FUCK. Ellie, no! I rub my forehead wishing these next text messages were just figments of my imagination.

OH MY GOD. I stare at my phone. “JACQUELINE WOODS, I SWEAR TO GOD!” I shout before I stomp back into her room to find her face down on the bed with her pillow over her head.

She moves the pillow and raises her head slightly, her eyes half open and hazy. “What!? And my head is pounding, bring it down several decibels, damn.”

“Did you know I was texting Rowan last night?”

“Yeah, but you wouldn’t let me see!”

“You encouraged this behavior!” I exclaim before dropping to her bed and continuing to read.

OH MY GOD.

Later that afternoon, after having brunch with Jacqueline, where we went over every possible scenario that could happen between me and Rowan that day, I head home. The house is quiet when I get there and I wonder where everyone is. I didn’t see Margot’s car in the driveway, so I assume she may be out. I put my bag in my room and surprisingly I don’t see Rowan in his office. I head down the hall and up the stairs to the second floor and I hear talking coming out of Isla’s room. When I walk in, I see her sitting on the floor playing with her dolls.

“Ellie!” she cheers, hopping up and running to me. I drop to one knee and she lunges into my arms, squeezing me tight.

“Hi!”

“Will you play with me?” she asks, handing me one of her dolls.

“Okay, but where is everyone?”

“Margot left. SJ is playing video games in the basement and Daddy is taking a nap.”

“Are you supposed to be taking a nap?” I ask her.

She gives me her most innocent look and giggles. “I’m not tired!”

“Well, I could use a nap,” I tell her, feeling the fatigue of my hangover catching up with me. “Do you want to come watch a movie in my room?”

She nods enthusiastically before scooping up her dolls and grabbing a tiny blanket from her bed. She follows me down the stairs and before I realize what she’s doing I see her knocking on her dad’s door. “Daddy, Ellie’s home! I’m going to watch a movie in her room, okay? Okay.” She scurries down the hall toward me and just as she enters my room, I see Rowan open the door and his eyes lock with mine.

“Hey.” I wave and a sexy smile that makes my knees weak finds his face before he returns my wave.

“Hey, sunshine.”

“Ellie, what movie!” Isla calls and I look at her sitting on my bed.

“One sec, Isla,” I tell her as I move down the hall and out of her line of sight toward her father. “Can we talk later about last night?”

He nods. “I think we need to.”

“I’m so sorry…” I whisper.

“For what you said or not remembering you said it?” He raises an eyebrow at me but a smile pulls at his lips.

“Both?” I offer weakly. “I don’t want to make things uncomfortable or awkward.”

“You didn’t do either of those things. I think I did that.”

I shake my head. “No! I asked.”

He leans against the wall in the hallway. “I didn’t have to answer.”

“Was it the truth?”

“Do you think I’d lie about that?” I shake my head slowly. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

“Why did you ask me in the first place? Your question about why I worry about you?”

I look to my open door where I know Isla is sitting on my bed waiting to watch a movie with me. This isn’t the time or place for this conversation but the last thing I want is for Rowan to feel unsettled when he’d been honest with me. “Because I wanted to know if you were into me…too.”