Tempted by My Boss Book 2

HAILEY

Alex gave them a puzzled look. “Are you guys ready to eat?”

“I’ll be out in a minute. Just wrapping up here.”

“I’ll be waiting for you outside.”

With that, Alex exited the room, shutting the door behind him.

“Is Alex your boyfriend, Hailey?”

“No. It’s complicated.”

“Is that why you left me?”

“No, it’s not.”

“Then what is it? You’ve been avoiding the question. And now this?”

“I’m running late. Can we talk another time? Or not at all if you’d rather not see me again.”

Valerian rose from his seat. “I’ve come this far, Hailey. I’ll see you again.”

Once Valerian was gone, Hailey let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding.

She noticed new lines on his face. A pang of longing hit her. She wanted to chase after him, to hold him.

But she knew she couldn’t.

She felt like she didn’t deserve it, not after the way she’d left him and everything that had happened since.

Hailey hoped that Valerian would come to realize that too and find someone who was right for him.

She finished getting ready and joined Alex for dinner. Physically, she was there with him, but mentally, she was miles away.

“Something on your mind, Hailey?” Alex asked.

“Nothing. I’m just tired.” Hailey let out a sigh.

She hoped that would be enough for Alex because she didn’t want to tell him the real reason. She picked at her food and pretended to enjoy the meal, but her mind was elsewhere.

She just wanted to go home and get some sleep.

“Let’s wrap up here and get you home.” Alex gave her a comforting smile.

“Okay. Sorry for not being great company.”

“Don’t worry about it. I understand. But you owe me a real dinner,” Alex said, grinning.

She returned his smile, albeit weakly. “Of course I do.”

Once the bill was settled, they stood up.

“I can give you a ride home,” Alex offered.

“My driver’s here, Alex. It’s not necessary.”

“I insist, Hailey.”

“I insist too, Alex. We’ve both had a long day.”

Alex pulled her into a hug, and she reciprocated. After a moment, he let go and headed to his car.

She waited for her driver to pull up.

“Hailey,” a voice called from behind her.

She spun around. “Valerian? What are you doing here?”

He walked towards her. “I had dinner with a congressman and saw you.”

“Oh, I see. That makes sense.”

“What are you—”

She cut him off. “I’m waiting for my driver so I can go home.”

“Can you spare a few minutes?”

“I don’t think so. I’ve had a long day and I just want to get some rest.”

“How long are you going to avoid me, Hailey?” he asked, rubbing his face.

“I’m not. I’m just tired. You picked a bad time. I even cut dinner short.”

“Will you tell me what’s going on?”

“Tell you what?”

“Why you’re tired. I want to know what’s happening in your life, Hailey.”

She met his gaze, then quickly looked away. “I can’t… I don’t have room for the past right now.”

“But—”

Her car pulled up and she said, “My driver’s here. I need to go.”

Valerian quickly stepped in front of her and opened the car door for her.

“Thanks,” she said, her voice stiff.

“You’re always welcome.”

With that, she was gone.

***

HAILEY

As the days passed, Hailey found it increasingly difficult to concentrate on her work. She was constantly on edge, wondering if Valerian would show up unannounced. She remembered a conversation she’d had with her secretary.

“Are you okay, ma’am?”

“Yes, I’m fine,” Hailey had responded.

“You don’t seem like it. What’s wrong?”

She let out a sigh. “There’s someone who might drop by unexpectedly, so I’m a bit on edge.”

“It doesn’t seem like that’s all there is to it, ma’am.”

“What are you implying?” she questioned, her brows furrowed in confusion.

“Consider this,” her secretary suggested, “Are you worried he’ll pop up out of the blue, or are you scared he’s gone for good—vanished from your life forever?”

Her mind snapped back to reality. Was that the truth? Her secretary’s words held some weight.

She’d been wondering about Valerian’s whereabouts, having not seen him in what felt like forever. She’d tried to dismiss it, but the thought kept nagging at her.

Every face she saw, she hoped it was Valerian.

Could he have given up on me? she wondered.

She thought she’d feel a sense of relief, but instead, she was plagued with doubts that wouldn’t let her be.

“Ma’am, you have a visitor.”

A whirlwind of emotions took over her as she saw Valerian walk in. He took a seat across from her, and she wanted to ask him where he’d been all this while.

But why did she feel the need to ask? She should’ve been feeling something else entirely, seeing him show up unannounced in her office. But all she felt was a wave of relief wash over her as he sat across from her.

She took him in, noticing how well-groomed he looked. His suit was a perfect fit.

As he arched an eyebrow, she felt her cheeks heat up. He’d caught her checking him out. Could this get any more mortifying?

They sat in silence, and she shifted uncomfortably. She wondered what was going on in his mind, but she didn’t voice her thoughts.

“I’ve missed this.”

“Missed what?” she asked, taken aback.

“I’ve missed sitting across from you, seeing you every day. It’s the little things, Hailey. Your smile, the sound of your voice when I called because I missed you.”

“Oh.”

“And now, sitting across from you, seeing you within my reach, I want to hold on to you.”

She looked at him then. “I’ve also—”

Before she could complete her sentence, the door to her office burst open. Alex walked in, a smile on his face. He looked at them, a puzzled expression on his face.

As Alex leaned in to kiss her cheek, she noticed Valerian’s jaw tighten.

“I’ll be done soon, Alex.”

“Alright, let me know if you need anything. I’m right here.”

“Okay,” she responded.

Alex turned to Valerian. “Good day.”

“Same to you,” Valerian responded.

Alex turned back to Hailey. “I’ll see you soon.”

She simply nodded, watching him as he left the office.