Love Bug (The Prescotts Book 3) by Tara Wyatt (electric book reader .TXT) 📗

“And do you often date your employees?” asked Elliott, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Max smiled and shook his head. “I’ve never dated someone who works for me before your sister. In fact, I was reluctant to get involved with her because of our working relationship.” It was a half-truth, but he wasn’t about to unpack everything with a man he’d just met. A man he’d like to make a good impression on, given his feelings for Willa.

“You were reluctant to get involved with her?” asked Brandon, one of his immaculately groomed eyebrows arching. “Why? Is there something wrong with Willa?”

Max shook his head again, a prickle making its way across his scalp. “That’s not what I meant. I’ve been attracted to her for a long time now and—”

“So you’ve been leering at her? As her boss? Even though you didn’t want to get involved with her?” Elliott frowned at him, those hazel eyes so like Willa’s boring into him.

Max took a breath and folded his hands in front of him on the table, preparing for battle. He just needed a little more time to think, to organize his thoughts. If they wanted to grill him, that was fine. He did have some shit to answer for, and he didn’t know how much Willa had shared with them. “No, I wasn’t leering at her. You’re twisting my words. I—” He cut himself off when a wide grin broke out across Elliott’s and Brandon’s faces.

Elliott shook his head, rubbing his hand over his mouth. “We’re just messing with you, man.”

Relief trickled through him, and his shoulders started to come down from somewhere around his ears. “You are?”

“Yeah. Willa’s nuts about you, and that’s good enough for me. She’s a grown woman. She can make her own decisions.”

Max chuckled as more relief made its way through his system. It mattered to him that the people Willa cared about accepted him as a part of her life. “You had me sweating there for a minute.”

“I know,” said Brandon, grinning at him. “It was fun to watch you squirm. It’s not every day I get to do that to a billionaire.”

Max laughed and shook his head. “I’m not a billionaire.”

Brandon pursed his lips. “Sorry. A several hundred millionaire?” he asked, obviously fishing.

Max shot him a smile and shrugged. “Something like that.”

All five Prescott kids had received a two hundred-million-dollar trust fund from their father. Probably because he felt guilty for the shit job he’d done of raising them, seeing as he’d been too busy cheating on their mother over and over again and driving her to booze and pills to cope. He’d taken some of the money to start Tapp, which was doing well. He also had other investments, real estate. Last time he’d checked, he’d been worth around four hundred million, which gave him bragging rights as the wealthiest of the Prescott siblings. Although with Aerin’s new agency and how well she was doing, she was probably giving him a run for his money.

“But seriously,” said Elliott, leaning forward, his expression earnest. “Don’t hurt her. She’s been through a lot, and I really just want her to be happy.”

Max met the other man’s eyes. “I know. She told me about…about everything. About the cancer.”

Elliott’s eyebrows rose. “She did? Wow.” He sat back in his seat, shaking his head slightly. “She doesn’t usually talk about it. Especially with someone she’s only been dating for a few weeks.”

Max pulled that information deep inside him, cherishing it. Guarding it. “All I want is for Willa to be happy, too. I’m just lucky that she picked me to be happy with.”

“Aw,” said Brandon, pressing his hand to his chest. “Okay, I like you. You’re in. Even if I do kind of hate you for being rich and hot.” Max laughed, able to see why Willa liked Brandon so much.

Contentment settled over him as Willa returned to the table, sliding into the booth next to him, and he tucked her against him, his arm slung over the back of the booth. He was officially a part of Willa’s world, a world he was quickly realizing he wanted to stay in for the rest of his life.

All he had to do now was not fuck it up.

16

Willa smoothed her hands over her light gray dress pants and then gave her matching blazer a tug, wanting to appear as wrinkle-free and put together as possible. The reporter from the Times was due to arrive any minute now, and she paced from one side of her office to the other, trying to dispel the nervous energy crackling through her.

She still couldn’t quite believe Max was letting her do this interview. Yes, it was true that she’d managed this project, but the app itself had been his idea, and Tapp was his company. But she wasn’t going to say no to what she hoped would be a great opportunity career-wise, and she was determined to do well.

She glanced around her office, then strode to her desk and carefully nudged a pencil cup, aligning it with the tissue box and stapler beside it. While Max had still been up in his gym working out, she’d come in early to tidy up her office and make it look neat and polished. She’d even taken her suit to Saks yesterday, where Brandon had used the professional-grade steamer on it for her and had hooked her up with a gorgeous emerald green blouse that looked pretty and professional with her suit.

A sharp rap on the door had her turning on her heel. A woman of around thirty stood in the doorway, a large, shiny crocodile print bag slung over her shoulder. She had black hair that she’d slicked back into a severe bun, making her look like an exacting ballet teacher. Her makeup was impeccable, with subtle shadow and glossy, bright red lips. She wore a formfitting black dress and sky high heels that clicked as she stepped into Willa’s office. She was tall