If I Only Knew(57)

Milo watches me and then finally speaks. “I did because it’s true.”

I touch his hand. “I’m falling in love with you too.”

He runs his hand from my shoulder to my fingers. “Now that we have that straight, what do we do about everything else?”

“I don’t know,” I confess.

I really don’t. What can we do?

“I’ll quit.”

“What?” I pull my hand back. “Why would you say that’s the answer?”

“Because I can. Let’s be honest, I’m a little overqualified to be your assistant. Besides, you don’t even make me do half the shit I forced my assistant to do.” Milo grins.

I put my hand up. “I don’t want to know.”

“I didn’t ask her to do that,” he clarifies.

Glad to know.

“Still, quitting isn’t the answer for either of us.”

I can’t quit. Milo shouldn’t either. He and his brother need this time, whether he understands that or not. Their relationship has been strained for so long, and seeing each other at work has given them a small bridge.

If one would just cross it, that would be great.

“Well, I’m not going to sneak around as if we’re doing something scandalous. Although . . . fucking my boss is rather dirty.”

“You’re an ass.”

“I like your arse, sweetheart.”

I roll my eyes. “You’ll never see it again if you quit.”

He lies back, still finding a way to touch my skin. “Then what is your plan?”

“I don’t have one!” I laugh. “This is why we’re talking it through.”

“I’m more of an action guy. Talking is fucking boring.”

How does he function in life? I wonder sometimes. But this is why he and Callum disagree. I need to have details so I can make the best decision possible. I’m not a bull in a china shop, trampling everything.

Freaking men.

“Regardless, we need to try to find the best solution. You need this job, Milo.”

He scoffs. “You and my brother bloody wish I did.”

“How are you working here?” I decide it’s time to lead him to a real answer.

“Are you fucking with me?”

“No. I’m asking how is it that you’re able to work for Dovetail?”

Seriously, I can’t wait for the answer to slap him in the face.

“My brother is the owner!”

“Yes,” I sigh. “And are you an American?”

Milo rubs his temples. “Clearly not.”

“Right. So, again, how do you get to stay in America, Milo?”

He takes a second to actually think about what I’m saying and I then his eyes flash with awareness.

“Fuck! I have to work for that bastard because I need the damn work Visa.”

Ding, ding, ding.

“Yeah, so sit for a minute and let’s find a way around this.” His mouth opens and I don’t even need him to speak. I lift my hand to his lips to stop him before he can utter a word. “Don’t even say we should get married because we are nowhere close to that.”

“Fine.”

I try not to laugh but his petulant face is making it hard.

“Milo, if and when you and I ever get to that point, it won’t be because you don’t want to hide the fact that we’re dating at the office. It should be because we can’t live without each other.”

He grabs my arms, pulling me to his chest and I squeak. “Who says I can live without you?” he replies.

Now he’s just crazy. “I don’t doubt the idea of living without me is hard. I’m kind of awesome, but let’s not go there, okay?”

“All right, but only if you kiss me.”

Now that I can do.





Chapter Twenty-Six





Milo





“I’m happy, Mum. I really like her.” It’s been twenty minutes of her carrying on about Callum and I abandoning her. I swear, she was never this dramatic when we were little boys. What happened?

“I’m happy for you, but that doesn’t mean I want both my boys that far away,” she keeps on.

“I’m not coming back to London anytime soon, but maybe you could come for holiday in a few months? There’s a big barbeque you might enjoy. Plus, don’t you want to come see Colin?”

Her first grandson, you’d think she would’ve moved in with my brother by now.

“Maybe,” she sighs.

“It would mean a lot to us. I think you’d get on with her quite well. She has a daughter and son who have never had real English chocolate.”

She doesn’t say anything, but I can hear her smile. Mum spent twenty years working for Cadbury. Sweets are her weakness, and the idea that she can share something with them that she loves might just be the ticket.

“I guess I don’t have a choice then.”

I grin. “I guess not.”

“You like this girl, Milo?”

I sit in my chair, looking out at the skyline of Tampa, thinking of her. “I think I love her, Mum.”

She gasps. “Oh.”