Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
preston
I head to my room, throw myself onto my bed, and sink into the mattress, weighed down by the guilt of my terrible choices. Who the hell was that man back there? I barely recognize myself.
Shit. I shouldn’t have done that. Why the hell did I do that? I’m not some cocky young guy taking selfies in front of a gym mirror.
I’m a grown man—a doctor, for fuck’s sake—who’s built a career on control. I don’t cross lines. I don’t even blur them. I’ve never given anyone a reason to doubt my integrity. Not once.
But tonight? Oh, tonight, I stood in a towel, running my hand slowly down my wet chest, dragging my nanny’s eyes along with my fingers until they almost reached my groin. On purpose.
And the worst of it? I liked it.
I wanted to see how the woman who caused the first spontaneous response from my body in months, at the most catastrophic timing, reacted when she was the one peeking.
Heat stirs low in my stomach—ugly, unwelcome, yet undeniable. I swallow hard until guilt smothers it, snuffing out the flames. I'm disgusted by my behavior. I remember the way she looked at me, wide-eyed and frozen, looking like she didn’t know whether to scream or punch me in the face.
Hell, I don't blame her. No one wants to see their much older boss parading around in a towel like some smug asshole who thinks he’s still twenty-five. She probably thinks I’m an asshole. Now she might think I’m a perv too.
“Found the robe?” I mutter bitterly. Jesus. Real fucking smooth.
I scrub a hand down my face, trying to erase that memory, and scold myself into oblivion.
I can’t let this happen. Mia’s my employee, a bright young woman who’s trusting me to provide a safe environment for her. I’m her boss, the one who sets boundaries and keeps things professional.
I’ve spent my entire career making sure no one who’s worked under me has ever felt uncomfortable, unsafe, or disrespected. Not once. And I’ll be damned if I let Mia be the exception. I’m better than this.
Except… she pushes buttons I didn’t even know I had.
God help me. Half the time she’s joking, I either don’t get it or take offense.
And we’ve barely spent any time together.
We can’t be off to a good start. I’m glad she slammed that door before I could say something even more ridiculous.
Or worse, we started shouting at each other again.
Just my luck—I finally get someone to help out, and she turns out to be chaos in curls.
I lower my hand to my chest, this time to ground myself, to feel the steady rise and fall of my breath. Slow and controlled. Because God knows I need every ounce of patience I have left.
This stops now. Whatever the hell that was—that cocky, flirtatious nonsense—that’s over. This calls for control and distance.
I push off the bed, dressing fast, as if keeping myself busy might be enough to keep my thoughts in line. Thick pants, because the odds are not in my favor. A dress shirt and a blazer, because Liam always books a place with a dress code.
I keep drilling it into my head, like if I repeat it enough, I’ll start to believe it. Like if I say it loud enough, it’ll drown out everything else.
Mia’s here for Lily. For the job.
It’s time for me to act like the sensible father that I am. Her boss. A professional.
And I will.
I’ll be polite. Detached.
I’ll draw the line in permanent ink. Never think about crossing it.
Halfway down the stairs, I hear the full party already gathered. One foot hovers mid-air when I catch Mia’s voice.
“I’d never say no to anything Liam asks.”
Those words hit harder than they should. What the hell does that mean? Why am I so curious?
I stay put, rooted to the spot, too caught up in what she’s about to say to risk giving myself away. And also, since when did curiosity start tasting this much like jealousy?