Chapter 10

Sebastian.

I had my chin resting in my hand, elbow braced on the desk, with my other hand tapping out a restless rhythm. I was staring blankly at my computer, knowing I had work to do, but I didn’t have the concentration for it.

My mind, at that moment, was full of thoughts of Willow.

Like I’d promised her, she no longer needed to follow me around constantly. It wasn’t as if she was my assistant or anything, she’d just been following me to learn the ropes on her own. I hadn't liked her following me around, but it was more for personal reasons and not because I didn’t have faith that she could manage on her own.

Now that she was working on her cases, not only did I not see her as often, but I couldn’t just keep interrupting her work to have her come to my office for insignificant things. I was technically her boss, and I should be encouraging her to work, not the other way around.

At least she was no longer ignoring me outside of work, though. That time it happened, I’d been worried about blowing things off with her.

The thing between us started because I couldn’t control my lust, but it had surprised me when it just grew and grew until it wasn’t just my uncontrollable libido anymore. The more I got, the greedier I got, and I wanted so much more of her so that when she stopped seeing me after work, I panicked.

I panicked over a woman not talking to me. Even with my ex-wife, it was never like that.

Of course, I was also worried about work. I was her direct boss, and with her following me around most of the time, rumors were bound to get around. People in the office liked to gossip, and sometimes, when they were careless, I got to hear a bit of the gossip.

The company had strict policies, especially when it came to office relationships. While they weren’t outright banned, they were heavily discouraged, especially if the people involved were on different levels. Just like at my last job, it would be assumed one side coerced the other; the boss was taking advantage of his position or the subordinate trying to sleep their way up the ladder, it didn’t matter the gender or who was on what end.

I was worried about being too obvious at work that I was starting to care for her more than I thought I first would. Then she started avoiding me after work, and I got word she would start leaning more toward her cases, than working on me with mine, or even helping me with my work. I was glad, of course, that she was doing well, but it would mean less time for us to meet.

After careful deliberation, I asked her out on a date. And when it went well, I asked her out on several more dates.

Things were progressing pretty well. But I didn’t know how she felt about any of it, and that was my current problem.

“Screw this,” I muttered to myself, picking up the office phone to call her to my office. She picked up quickly, and I tried to sound professional. “Willow, are you busy with anything at the moment? Do you think you can spare me ten minutes?”

“I’m in the middle of work, but if you need me, I’ll be there right away,” she replied instantly.

I winced, feeling both embarrassed and mad at myself that this alone was enough to get my body to react. I cleared my throat quickly.

“Then come in,” I said roughly and put the phone down.

Because I’d been leading our interactions more toward dating and not just meeting up for some fun, we had sex a lot less often than before. Not that it stopped completely, but in the past couple weeks since I first asked her out, I had brought her to my house several times, but she only spent the night, in my bedroom, once.

I was exerting a lot of control over this, but I had a much bigger agenda than just getting her to my bed for a night.

I didn’t have to wait long before there was a knock on my door, and Willow walked in.

“Hey, Sebastian,” she said, walking forward with a smile on her face. “Did you need me for something?”

I sighed and stood, up, then rounded the desk to sit back on it. “Honestly? Not really. I’d prefer to keep these sorts of talks within my office, so gossip doesn’t spread around.”

Willow didn’t mind. In fact, she’d be more bothered by rumors than I would be, which was why I was so careful in the first place. Also, because I’d gone through it once already, I didn’t want it happening again.

“Sure. What did you need?”

I hummed, curling my fingers on the edge of my desk. “Since it’s the weekend tomorrow, I wanted to ask if you’d like to go out with Andy and me?”

To my surprise, she didn’t look particularly happy about the invite. I was worried for a moment. I’d been putting the two of them together to try and increase their familiarity. I knew Andy still didn’t speak much around her, and she’d told me of the havoc he created when I sent him to her place during my trip, but I didn’t think she hated him.

This could be a problem.

Her next words were even more surprising, though.

“Sebastian, you know we can't keep working like this. You need to make time for just you and your son, not pushing your new relationship in his face. I’m not a damn babysitter.”

My eyebrows shot up. “What do you mean? I don’t think of you as a babysitter. And do you hate spending time with Andy that much? He told me that he was bad at first, but then you brought a friend over. One that was good and he knew that he was bad and that you were trying. I thought that you got on in the end?”

The sternness in her expression melted immediately as if I’d recounted the trail of events and what Andy did say was true. It was the most that he’d said in a long time, which didn’t involve demanding that I buy something for him. The only thing he wanted was to spend time with Willow. Which was strange, because he never wanted to spend any time with anyone, especially an adult.

“That’s not what I meant,” she said with a sigh, “you already know how much he acts up, but it’s never when you’re around. Did you ever think that maybe he wants your attention? Like, undivided attention?”

I sighed helplessly, and moved away from the desk. I walked over to Willow and held her by the tops of her arms.

“Believe it or not, I do notice. But I’m not trying to turn you into a babysitter, or ‘shoving our relationship’ in his face. For the babysitter thing, I do have one.”

She looked at me in surprise. “You do?”

I nodded, before reluctantly explaining, “His mom. We might not have parted on the best of terms, and she might be happier that I’m the one he gets to live with, but she still cares for him and takes him in when I’m busy, or so she’s been doing it a lot lately, and that’s why he seems to be a lot calmer. Especially since I came back from China. Maybe Andy mentioned you, and she got jealous at the idea of Andy calling another woman, Mom.”

She didn’t say a word, so I continued talking. I hated guessing or being, but she wasn’t giving me anything that I could work with.

“Who did you think I left him with when we went out on our dates until late? All my nannies have a time they have to leave the job, you know.”

She blinked at me and opened her mouth, but didn’t say anything. Just as well, because I had one more truth to admit to.

“The reason I’ve been having you come over and spending time with him is because if we’re going to move forward, you at least have to accept that I’m a single dad, and you have to accept Andy, as well.”

I waited with my jaw tight, worried about her reaction. Would she be mad at my presumption? I didn’t even know if she wanted more with me, with us than what we currently had and I was trying to get her to accept me, my child, and my ex-wife’s existence in our lives.

“You…want us to move forward?” she asked after a bit, taking me by surprise.

Then again, Willow was pretty unique. Assuming her thoughts and motivations never seemed to work well for me.

“Yes, I do,” I admitted honestly, and I wanted to take back my words because I never said how I’d felt about anything until now. It felt as if I was giving her my bank account and she was stealing every penny from me.

Material things.

Love was so much better, and life was better when it was shared with someone you got along with, and Willow and I had a connection, there was no denying that at all.

I watched as her face darkened in a blush, then she stared at my chest with a sigh.

“Guess what?” she said out of nowhere.

I was confused, but I played along. “What?”

“I do too.”

It took me a moment to understand what she was implying without her outright saying it. And even though we hadn't done this in the office in months, I had to kiss her, because it really was the best news that I’d had all day and it put a smile on my face. Something that was rare to me had all of a sudden started being so natural and I knew that it was all down to her.