Going Down Easy (Billionaire Bad Boys 1)

Stunned silence ensued, so Lexie continued.

“You can get full-time help or find a good place where Mom will have the best care. But once I say good-bye to Kendall today, I’m finished being her full-time caregiver, Dad. I can’t do it anymore.” The weight on her shoulders was still leaden and painful.

She felt guilty, but she knew she had a right to her own life. She’d always be there for her twin, help her if she needed it. But she couldn’t put her before Kade. Not if she wanted a life with him. And there was nothing she wanted more.

Assuming Kade still wanted her.

* * *

Over a week had passed since Lexie had seen Kade on morning television and laid down the law with her father. To her surprise, he’d taken a step back and realized the burden he’d put on his daughter. He’d immediately gotten busy interviewing live-in aides in order to keep her mother comfortable at home. Lexie gave him that time, remaining available to her sister, visiting twice a week. She didn’t want to pull too far back until her father could really take over. Afterwards, Lexie would visit as often as she could reasonably do so. She’d never abandon her twin.

She just wanted time to live her own life.

As for the man she wanted to live it with?

The end result of the interview on the morning show was that Kade did not have to walk away from Blink, and he’d gone back to work. Social media had gone crazy after Lila’s admission about her lies. A firestorm of coverage resulted on why it was so difficult for women who’d been raped to be heard in today’s society. Because of lies like Lila’s, true victims were afraid they wouldn’t be believed.

Kade had stepped forward to help change that. Despite being wrongly accused, he’d donated a substantial amount of money to RAINN, the Rape Abuse & Incest National Network, also known for running the National Sexual Assault Hotline in order to help women who have been victims of rape. He was everyone’s hero.

He’d always been hers.

How did she go about proving to the man who had everything that she loved him and wanted to put him first? Lexie put her brain to work and came up with two things she could do to make her point.

She was going to return to work as his assistant. Invited or not, expected or not, he needed someone who understood him, and Lexie was it. Even if he no longer wanted a relationship with her, she intended to stand by him and do her job. Because she knew how well they clicked and how much she helped him manage day-to-day living.

Her second idea was more complicated and risky, but she’d taken care of that too. He’d either be thrilled or he’d never forgive her. Either way, she was going to be around to see the end result.

So now, on another rainy Monday, with her father visiting Kendall at the treatment center, Lexie dressed for work. She was nervous, not knowing what kind of reception she’d receive at Blink. Maybe Kade would be happy to see her. Maybe he’d written her off for good. She wouldn’t know until she showed up there.

Of course, Waffles, who was now her responsibility, chose this morning to get sick, necessitating a messy cleanup and a change of clothes, causing Lexie to be late getting out of the apartment. She’d hired a dog walker and had to leave the young girl a note, letting her know to watch out for the dog’s upset stomach, then ran for the bus. In a Groundhog’s Day repeat of her first day at work, she also forgot her umbrella and was splattered with rain by the time she got onto the bus.

In other words, there was no way she was going to make a good impression on her surprise return to the office.

* * *

Kade strode into his private office and glanced out the wall-to-wall windows and into the gloomy rain that matched his mood. Despite the weather, he ought to be happy because, at the very least, he had part of his life back. Blink, his baby, the thing that defined him, was his, and he was no longer forced to walk away. That, in and of itself, was a relief because he’d put his lifeblood into the company.

Hell, it was all he had since losing Lexie.

“Good morning, Mr. Barnes,” a chipper, familiar voice said.

He blinked in surprise, his pulse picking up speed. As if his thoughts had conjured her, Lexie popped up from beneath his desk. Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail, and she had rain stains on her white shirt, which was tucked into that black pencil skirt he loved.

Déjà vu, he thought, hope racing through his veins as she adjusted the computer on the desk.

“What are you doing?” he asked, as curious as he was pleased to see her.

“Well, let’s see. Someone moved your computer back to where it was before I changed things around.”

He shrugged. “That would be the cleaning staff. They came in and did a mass dusting and cleaning.” He’d arrived the next morning to discover nothing was where he’d left it. “I fired them right after.”

A smile lifted the corners of her mouth. “Well, you’re all fixed now.”

“I can see that.” His desk was back to its neat form, piles of color-coordinated files sat on the corner, all his pens in the holder. He’d kind of missed Lexie’s organization. “Mind if I ask why you’re here?” he asked, afraid to wish she was here for him.

“About that.” She twisted her hands together nervously. “Have you hired a new assistant?”

“One I’ve kept? No.”