Page 69 of My Sexy Boss
Cierra picked up my hand and softly kissed the palm of it. “Don’t blame yourself. Cory—I mean Ryan was probably used to having all the attention, but then you came along and of course the attention focused on you since you were so young. He was jealous of it and it kept gnawing at him. Your dad was his anchor, so Ryan probably felt like a fish out of water when he died. I’m not saying your family didn’t love him, it’s just that he might’ve felt like he never belonged. But to pretend he was kidnapped so he could get money, and then coming back here to ruin you when you made CEO is taking it to the extreme. It sounds like he’s got some mental issues.”
“I agree. This is way more than just not liking me and having nothing to do with me. His mother did end up in a mental institution, so maybe he suffers from the same illness.”
“What’s going to happen to him?” she asked.
“It’s a white-collar crime. Our lawyer told me he’s facing up to fifteen years in a federal prison and a very hefty fine, but considering it’s his first offense, he’ll probably only get a year or two.”
“But you have the whole issue of using another person’s identity and having a driver’s license in that name. I know that’s a felony.”
I nodded. “He’s going to be tied up for a long time with all of it. A part of me still wants him to tell us he’s sorry for what he did and come back into the family. Is that crazy?”
Cierra tipped her head back and looked at me. “Not at all. He’s still your brother. Your memory of him is as your big brother who was nice to you. Then you had all those years of grieving and missing him. Even though you know who he is and what he’s done, your mind and feelings are still wrapped up inside the little boy.”
I kissed the tip of her nose. “You’re right. It’ll take time for me to come to terms with all of this.”
For the next hour, we talked about how funny life could be. She’d told me her parents were coming to the city for a visit, and I told her I wanted to meet them. I wasn’t just saying that; I wanted to know everything about her and meet the people who influenced and shaped her. She’d gotten into my heart when I wasn’t looking, and she satisfied me in a way no other woman ever had or ever could. For a long time, I thought the countless women and parties were all I needed, and whenever an empty feeling took hold of me, I’d find another party and chick to crush it. Then Cierra came into my life, and she filled the gap. For the first time, my life felt complete.
“Do you know what you do to me?” I asked in a low voice.
“Make you happy?” she answered.
I nodded. “And make me whole.”
Her eyes shimmered as she put her hand on the back of my neck and tugged me toward her waiting lips. We kissed and touched each other until a buzzer pierced through our desire.
“What the fuck is that?” I started to get up.
Laughing, she eased me back down. “That’s my timer. The stew’s ready.” She jumped up and went into the kitchen.
I rose and followed her, admiring the way the apron hugged her curves. She made a quick salad, then brought the stew over to the breakfast bar as I carried over the salad and sat down. She spooned the stew onto our plates, and when I took the first bite, it was the best damn thing I’d ever eaten.
Eating together, sharing stories and laughter made the stress and sadness of the last twenty-four hours melt away. Cierra was my quiet strength and she didn’t even know it. All I wanted was to protect her, love her, and be with her always. After more than a decade of booze, sex, and women, I was grounded.
I was home.
And it was a great place to be.
