“Right. Sorry, I forgot what we were talking about there for a minute.” Her eyes passed over Zoe sitting happily in my lap. “I’m just saying it’s not the life for everyone, but if you feel the pull, there’s nothing wrong with beingjust a mom.”
Her words buzzed in my head as we drove back to King’s home. Mak sat in the front of the luxury SUV with the driver, while Zoe was next to me in the back in her carseat. She was happily distracted by her tablet, singing along with the nursery rhymes, and I was mesmerized by her.
My own baby would’ve been a few months younger than Zoe. I never even got to find out if I was having a girl or a boy. I’d barely even knew I was pregnant. I’d been happy one day then devastated the next. Now I was short a fallopian tube and ovary and left with questionable fertility.
My phone buzzed in my purse, and I pulled it out to see that Lyla was calling.
Again.
I’d been ducking her calls since King and I had started sleeping together. But I couldn’t avoid her forever.
Bracing myself, I answered her call.
“Hey, Lyla.”
“’Hey, Lyla?’ Seriously? That’s all you have to say?” Her irritation was as obvious as Zoe’s pooping grunt.
“If you’d let me finish, I’d…yeah that’s pretty much all I have to say. I’m sorry I haven’t called you back. It’s been busy here. Kingston is filming, and I’m running around with Zoe—who is still so ridiculously cute by the way. But once I get a moment to myself, I just collapse. I’ve been reading the same romance book since I got here, if you need an idea of how busy I’ve been.” I’d always been a voracious reader. Lyla and I had bonded during school over our love of romance books, constantly trading recs of books and authors to read.
Yet another way I’d betrayed her. At my last job, I had enough down time to read at least one to two books a week. I hadn’t recommended any books to Lyla in over a month.
In addition to sleeping with the client she’d arranged for me to work for. No biggie.
“But other than the hours, you’re still liking the job? And working for Kingston?”
“Yeah, I’m happy. Zoe is a darling, and I have zero complaints about King.”
Mak snorted in the front seat, and I sent him a narrow-eyed glare. Not that he saw, but I was sure he felt the heat on the back of his neck.
Lyla sighed. “That’s so great, Briar. I mean, I’m sorry about the insane hours, but you know you’re making bank to make up for it.”
“And it’ll get better once he’s done filming. He’s promised me some time off soon, since his family is visiting in a few days.”
“That’s great, Bri. I just knew you would be the perfect match fortheKingston Grier. When I heard the shenanigans that the last few nannies got up to, trying to seduce him, I just knew you were the one for the job. If there was one woman on earth I could trust with him, it’s you.”
I swear I was going to collapse under all the guilt crushing me. “Oh well, you know…”
“Thank you for stepping in for me. I’m so happy you’ve proven me right.”
I closed my eyes as shame enveloped me. And I tried like hell not to cry.
“Just between you and me, every time you get a bonus incentive for how long you’ve been with Kingston and Zoe, I get one too. So keep doing what you’re doing! Hey, I gotta get going—I have a meeting. I honestly didn’t think you were going to answer. Don’t be a stranger. Love you, Bri!”
“Love you too, Ly.”
I hit the end call button and buried my face in my hands. I’d betrayed my best friend by sleeping with King. It was the reason I’d avoided her calls for so long. But to hear her sing my praises and then tell me I was making her money by keeping the client happy made me feel so dirty. Everything was so tangled and complicated, I didn’t know what to do.
Being with King made me happy.
But he was my boss.
And it was a job my best friend got me.
I loved Zoe. This was the best job I’d ever had. And that had nothing to do with King. It was all Zoe. I loved every minute I spent with her. I honestly dreaded the day I’d have to leave. This job couldn’t last forever.
Especially since I was sleeping with my boss.
There was no way to get out of this that would leave my heart intact. I’d already lost it to Zoe.