Delinquent Daddy (Banks / Kincaid Family #2)(83)

"Want me to come over and keep you company? I just finished what I wanted to get done tonight. Maybe I can get you to tell me what your visit's all about."

She couldn't help it; she laughed again. "Thank you for the offer, but I think I can only say this once, so I'll let Boston fill you in later."

He sounded disappointed. "You sure?"

"Positive."

"Okay, fine. Suit yourself." Thinking he was going to hang up with that, Ellie was surprised when he changed gears and conversationally said, "So...ah, Cassidy tells us you're a secretary at a law firm."

Ellie frowned. "Yes," she said, cautiously. Oh, God, did he knew know she'd been fired? Did Boston already know?

308

Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

"Well..." He drew out the word as if he were a used car salesman preparing to make her the ultimate pitch. "Due to an unfortunate incident, we've recently lost our legal secretary and are in dire need of a new one...like, immediately."

"Boston lost his secretary?" She frowned, glancing around the deserted secretary's desk. No wonder he'd looked so flustered when the phone started ringing, and his client wanted to make an appointment.

"Yeah..." Cameron's voice echoed in her ear. "Livy sort of, uh, tried to claw her eyes out, and then she fired her...on the spot."

" Olivia did that?" she asked, burrowing her eyebrows even more. She couldn't picture the petite blonde she'd met being so violent.

"Uh huh," Cameron added. "She kind of caught Boston's secretary coming onto me."

Ellie's mouth dropped into an "O" formation. "Oh my God.

Seriously?"

"Truly. But, hey, you've met me. So you should understand why women find it nearly impossible to resist my charms. Honestly, I really can't blame the girl for wanting a sample."

"Yes, I found myself having just that problem when I met you too," Ellie reported dryly.

Cameron paused. Then, sounding totally stunned, he said,

"Really?"

Ellie could only laugh.

309

Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

When he realized she was joking, he chuckled as well. "I guess she tried to get it on with Boston first," he continued, picking up his tale where he'd left off.

Ellie immediately stopped laughing. The smile dropped from her face as she tried to picture Boston kissing some faceless woman behind this very desk.

"But since Kincaid doesn't have a significant other to beat the woman off, he had to let her down himself," Cameron unknowingly reassured her. "And ever the diplomat, he turned her down so gently she didn't quit...but rather moved on to take a try at me."

"Hmm," Ellie answered. She couldn't help the leap of jealousy she felt at some secretary she'd never even met. Not that she could blame the unknown woman, but she thought Olivia had a good idea with the scratching-the-eyes-out thing.

"So, anyway, Boston really needs a good assistant now.

And I know you probably love the job you have, but I'm willing to double your salary if you want to come here. I mean, you're making, what, thirty, forty thousand a year where you are, right? I can easily—"

"Wait a second," Ellie said when it finally struck her what Cameron was saying. " What?!"

"Yeah, I know we'd have to sell Bos on the idea. But if you moved to town to work here, then Cassie would be moving to town as well. And he'd just love that. And—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Ellie cut in. "Slow down. There's no way I could..."

310

Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

It would be emotional suicide to work for Boston. Seeing him every day and not being able to have him? No. Uh-uh.

That wasn't going to happen.

But before she could finish the sentiment, she glanced up and caught Boston leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest, giving her a curious, single-arched-brow look. The words dropped from her mouth and her face immediately went scarlet. There was no way he could know what Cameron was trying to convince her to do. But she blushed anyway.

Holding out the phone to him, she said, "It's Cameron."

He paused a moment before snagging the phone from her hand. "What?" he asked impatiently. His eyes shifted toward Ellie as he answered the next question, "I have no idea what she's doing here. People keep calling, and I haven't gotten to talk to her yet."

Whatever comment Cameron made caused him to roll his eyes. "No, I'm not going to tell you," he said then and hung up. As soon as the receiver settled into its cradle, the silence in the room filled Ellie with instant trepidation.

Boston shifted his gaze her way. She wasn't sure what to say.

Boston puffed his cheeks with air and blew out a long breath. "So..." he said. "What brings you by?"

"Actually, you're busy." Ellie turned toward the door, ready to flee. "I should've just waited until later and called—"

"Whoa," Boston said, taking her elbow and tugging her back. "You didn't come all the way from Lawrence just because you were in the neighborhood. And if you did just 311

Delinquent Daddy