Page 67 of Declan
“I guess I didn’t see the point in bothering you.”
He stares at me dumbfounded. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
“What is happening here? What am I missing?”
“It didn’t even occur to you to call me?”
So maybe I roll my eyes a little bit. We’re going around and around in circles. “That’s not how this works. I’m your employee. I don’t call you when I need help. You call me.”
He nods slowly. “Got it. Is that all I am to you? Your boss?”
A flush travels up my chest. Oh God, no. “Are you trying to tell me you have feelings f—.” His horrified glare shuts me up pretty quickly.
“That’s gross. It would be like kissing my sister.” His who body shivers, and he even gags a little bit, which is insulting but also really comforting. “I thought we were more than co-workers by now, Cara. I thought you knew that you could come to me with anything, and I’d be there for you.”
I take a few steps toward him, tilting my chin to look up at him. It feels weird not being eye-to-eye with him. “I guess I do know that. But I’ve been on my own for a long time. Honestly, I’m used to being the one fixing the problems.”
“I get that, but would it kill you to depend on someone?”
“Maybe,” I mutter. “Look, you know how weird you guys are, don’t you? The way you operate is not normal. I mean, letting your employee coerce you into giving her your credit card for a trip to Miami is not normal.”
He smiles at that. “You earned it. But maybe that’s where our disconnect is. You stopped being my employee a long time ago.”
It’s my turn to look dumbfounded. “Wait...what? I’m still getting a paycheck from you. Pretty sure you’re still my boss.”
“I have lots of employees, Cara. You’re not one of them.” He steps forward, cupping my shoulders. “You’re one of mine now. You have been for a while. It’s been a long time since I brought someone into the fold. I guess it didn’t occur to me that you needed that spelled out.”
“One of yours?”
“Yeah, kid. You’re family. I think you’re the only one who didn’t realize it.”
“F-Family?” I ask with a choked breath. Flashes of family play in front of my eyes. The dinners, bedtime stories, and calling dad for rides in the middle of the night. Family feels big and permanent. Even though I know all too well that it’s not.
“Yeah. I can’t say we ever wanted a sister, but you just wormed your way in there. You grew on us. Like a fungus.”
“Asshole,” I mumble through my tears. I keep my eyes wide, hoping they’ll dry up quickly. “I didn’t really know that.”
“Yeah, I see that. Now. I’ve been pretty fucking pissed with you this month. Having you move into the building is the first time I felt like you might be ok.” He cups the back of my head, bringing me into his chest. “You call me. Don’t pull this shit again, Cara. If you need me, you call. When you and Declan figure your shit out, I’ll accept being moved to your second call. But that’s it, no lower.”
I lean in, letting him hug me. Taking the comfort he offers so easily. I’ve seen him do this with his brothers. For a bunch of guys, they’re pretty damn affectionate, always slapping backs and hugging.
“Have you always been a hugger? Did you teach them to like it?”
A chuckle rumbles from his chest. “We were all starved for affection. But it took some time for them to trust me.”
“Why did you do it? I’ve always wondered what motivated you to pull them all together.”
I feel the rise and fall of his sigh against my cheek. “Simple answer? I wanted a family that couldn’t be broken.”
“What’s the not that-simple answer?”
He pulls back, holding my shoulders. “I needed a family.” He winks, changing the subject. “So, what are we going to do about you and Dec?”
I roll my eyes and groan. “Do we have to? Can’t we talk more about your mysterious past? Got any skeletons in your closet you want to pull out and show off?”
“Too many to count, kid. But you’re not getting out of this. We’re sick of seeing you and Dec dance around each other. It’s time to shit or get off the pot.”
“Gross. Don’t talk about my love life like that.”
