The Stopover (The Miles High Club, #1)(90)

My eyes hold his. “I hate not telling Jameson, but I feel like I need to protect him from this. Gabriel is just trying to rattle him.”

“My thoughts exactly,” he agrees. “Thanks, I’ll get on this now. Can you do me a favor and try to find out as much about Hayden’s personal life as you can? Where he hangs out, partner, that kind of thing.”

“Okay, I’m on it.” I stand and leave his office and walk over to Jameson’s office, and I knock on the door.

“Come in,” his deep, velvety voice calls.

I open the door to see my beautiful man sitting behind his desk. He smiles warmly when he sees me and pats his lap.

I lock the door and sit on his lap and take his lips with mine. “Hello, boss.”

He runs his hand up my thigh. His mouth goes to my neck, and I smile, and then I see it.

A half-empty glass of scotch sitting on his desk. I glance at my watch.

“It’s eleven o’clock, Jameson.”

He rolls his eyes and pushes me off his lap. “I needed something to take the edge off. Don’t fucking start, Emily.”

“Okay,” I whisper. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” he snaps as he turns back to his desk.

“Three days until our weekend away,” I whisper.

His phone rings, and he glances at the screen. “Can’t come soon enough. I have to take this. See you tonight.”

I kiss him softly, and then he answers the call. His voice instantly turns to the authoritative tone he uses with everyone else.

I stand at the door and watch him as he listens. He mindlessly picks up the scotch and sips it before he talks.

My heart drops.

Many a stressed-out CEO has been found in the bottom of a Blue Label scotch bottle.

Please, not mine . . .

I look around guiltily and then back down to my phone, and I put into the search bar “budget weekends away.”

“God,” I sigh. “Where can I take him?”

“Are you still going on about that?” Aaron asks.

Molly slides her chair to look over my shoulder.

“I want to take him somewhere that money can’t buy.” I twist my lips as I think. “It has to be something really special.”

Aaron chuckles. “Your special and Jameson Miles’s special may be a little different.”

“The thing is, when he’s at my apartment, he detaches from who he is. I want him to realize that we don’t need to live in a swanky apartment to be happy.”

“You’re fucking crazy.” Molly sighs. “What I wouldn’t give to live in his swanky apartment. Anybody would be happy as a pig in mud there. When are you inviting us over, bitch?”

“Right?” Aaron laughs.

“Hmm.” I narrow my eyes as I think.

“What about camping?” Molly says.

My eyes flick to her. “Oh, but we don’t have a tent or anything, and I won’t have time to buy it.”

“I’ve got it all. You can borrow ours. Michael and the kids go camping all the time.”

I stare at her for a moment. “Do you reckon he’s ever gone camping before?”

“Umm . . . that would be a definite no.” Aaron widens his eyes to accentuate his point. “Nobody goes camping of their own free will.”

Excitement fills me. “Really? Could we borrow your things? You wouldn’t mind?”

“Not at all. Take it. Michael and the kids are going to Dallas on Friday to see his parents for a week. They won’t be using it.”

“Maybe.” I smile as the idea takes shape in my head. “But the car,” I say, thinking out loud.

“Take Michael’s pickup truck, Bessie. Give him the full Swamp People experience.”

“Really?” I smirk as I imagine Jameson in a pickup.

“Yeah, it’s a total piece of shit, but it’s reliable.”

Aaron shakes his head in disgust. “Are you trying to scare him away on purpose?”

“No, I’m trying to bring him back to earth.” I smile as excitement sweeps through me.

“He’ll land with a thud; that’s for sure.” Aaron smirks.

I laugh as I begin to google campgrounds. “This is going to be so much fun.”

On Friday afternoon, I drive into the underground parking lot of Jameson’s building with a huge smile on my face. I’ve laughed all the way here from Molly’s house. I’ve called Jay and told him to be waiting near the door for me to collect him.

I drive around the corner, and I see him standing there waiting with Alan and our bags. He sees me, and his face drops.

I honk the horn and bounce in the seat and pull Bessie the pickup truck up beside him.

His face horrified, he comes to me, and I roll down the window. “Going my way?” I ask.

“What the fuck is this?” he gasps.

“This is Bessie.” I smile proudly.

Alan puts his hand over his mouth to stop himself from laughing out loud.

“What?” Jameson frowns as he looks at the huge, beat-up light-blue truck. His eyes come back to me.

“Get in, Miles.” I smile and wiggle my eyebrows. “I’m taking you camping.”





Chapter 19