“Hey, James. How’s the business trip going?”
“It’s going.” Down the tubes. But she didn’t need to hear that part.
“It doesn’t sound like it’s going very well, but I believe in you. We all do.”
I knew bywe, she meant Max and maybe their baby, Andrew James, who had my name as his middle name. I felt honored, yet unworthy, considering how I’d failed to protect my sister from my father.
“But the reason for my call is that I want to remind you to come here for Christmas. We’re going to have a real Christmas, James.”
My smile was bittersweet. Growing up, Christmas wasn’t a thing in the Dunsmore family. Oh, sure, we got a few presents, but if we had a tree, it was only because a nanny or some other servant decided we needed one. There was no family Christmas morning. We usually had dinner, but we had dinner every night until Amelia and I were old enough to leave. I harbored a lot of anger at my mother who, while she was as selfish as my father, wasn’t as evil. She had left when we were young. But by the time I was eighteen, I couldn’t blame her for getting out, but that didn’t alleviate my anger that she’d left me and Amelia there with him. Then again, I wouldn’t put it past my father to have threatened her in some way. Not because he loved me and Amelia, because he didn’t. He’d do it just to fuck with my mother. Jesus Christ, my family was messed up.
“We have a tree and presents, and Max’s parents and sister and his brother and his family are all going to be here. You need to be here too, James.”
The honest truth was that I didn’t want to go. I was certain that I would feel outnumbered by Max’s family, and I didn’t particularly want to be reminded of how shitty my childhood was. But Amelia was everything to me. I would do anything for her. And, considering all that had happened to her that I should have prevented, I owed it to her. “I’ll be there.”
“Good.” I could hear the relief in her voice. “And we’re planning to be at the company Christmas party on Christmas Eve.”
I scraped a hand over my face. “You don’t need to do that.”
“I want to do that.Wewant to do that. Max and I want to support you. We know the board is jerking you around, and we want to show that we’re behind you. Especially someone like Max, he can—”
“I know what he can do. I know about his money and influence, but that’s what Dad was trying to do with him when he tricked you into marrying Max.”
“This is different, James. We’re not being manipulated. We’re doing this by choice because we love you.”
My eyes watered, which pissed me off. Maybe I was allergic to something in the room because I couldn’t be getting emotional about my sister and brother-in-law’s faith in me. “If you want to come, you’re welcome. But if you don’t come, that’ll be okay too.”
When the call ended, I pulled out a couple of drinks from the minibar and sat in the dark, overlooking Portland as I drank them. When I finished, I went to bed and then the next day hopped a flight back to Las Vegas.
Once I landed, I ordered a car to take me to my office since it was only just after lunch. I couldn’t waste more time away.
I made a beeline for my office with small hellos and waves to people who greeted me, but I was singularly focused on getting behind my desk. As I approached my office, I looked toward my assistant’s desk, expecting to get all the messages and gossip from while I was gone. Mrs. Curtis wasn’t there. Instead, a young woman who could barely be out of college sat, her eyes focused on the computer screen.
As I approached, she smiled. She was a beauty. Stunning, actually. But I didn’t need a sexy assistant. I needed Mrs. Curtis.
“Welcome to James Densmore’s office. He’s out for today, but I can leave him a message or make an appointment if you’d like.”
I arched a brow. My new assistant didn’t know who I was.
“This boss of yours. What sort of businessman is he?”
Her cheeks reddened, as if she was embarrassed. “To be honest, I don’t know. I haven’t met him. But everyone who works for him says he’s dedicated and a hard worker. That he has a good vision for the company. So I know you want to leave a message or make an appointment.”
Okay, so that was a good answer.
But I wasn’t here to play games. “I’m your boss.” My words came out gruff, if the way she flinched was any indication.
“Oh.” She stood up and thrust her hand out at me. “I’m Reyna Pearson. Your new assistant.”
I raked my gaze over her, intending to size her up. The only problem was, as my gaze slid down, I couldn’t help but notice the cleavage in her blouse that hinted at soft, round breasts and the tapering at her waist that then flared to wide, hold-’em-while-you-fuck-’em hips. My dick stirred, and I cursed him and Ms. Pearson for her effect on me.
Her smile faltered as I failed to shake her hand. She picked up a stack of message slips. “I have messages I can go through with you—”
“Where’s Mrs. Curtis?”
“She’s at lunch. She should be back in twenty minutes or so.”
I gave her a curt nod and started past her desk to my office door. “When she gets back, have her bring in the messages and anything else I need.”