My Bad Boy Boss's Secret Baby

“No! I mean, no one has. I’m still a virgin.”

“Good. I don’t mean to be a prude, but you’re still a bit young. It’s best to really know yourself before you give yourself to someone else,” Auntie Blair advised.

She was right, of course. I thought I knew myself but had never really been able to explore it. The opportunity to be away from home could be just the opportunity I needed.

“You mustn’t do everything your daddy says,” she said, as though reading my mind, “in fact, you should do the opposite. He is a sweet man, don’t get me wrong, but he also has his head directly up his rear when it comes to most things outside of business.”

I couldn’t help but giggle at the image, but I also knew she was right. I was never going to grow, or indeed grow up, if I kept following the will of others.

“You’re welcome to stay here as long as you like. Even after the program is done,” Auntie Blair said.

I couldn’t put my finger on it, but there seemed to be an implication in her voice. Like maybe I didn’t have to be beholden to my dad’s whims. He held total control over my trust fund until I was 25, but he couldn’t cut me off entirely. Even if he did, did it really matter that much? I had a place to stay and the possibility for a career. A life that was my own.

As I lay in bed that night, I seriously wondered if maybe I shouldn’t actually go home after the certification.Chapter Four - ChadThe day didn’t go as bad as it could have. The trainees had been through some basic training from their families. Some of them had been working with cars since they were tall enough to see over the grill. There were no serious injuries, and that was always a plus. Some of them even seemed to have learned something, which was the icing on the cake.

The doors to the shop came down with a satisfying clatter, locking tight at the bottom. No sooner did the clicks sound than the familiar rumble of John’s wreck of a Chevy came around the corner. The best thing to be said about that Camaro motor being that you always knew when John was coming.

Having a car that didn’t work was the mechanic’s greatest shame. Being seen in one that really shouldn’t be running was a close second. Letting out a bemused sigh, I straightened up and stalked to the roaring beast, fighting a fierce head rush on the way.

The passenger door irked like the gates of hell, actually making me wince in genuine pain and concern.

“Been sucking lemons again?” John asked.

“Oh, I think there is only one lemon around here,” I said, easing into the duct tape upholstered seat.

“Touché,” John conceded, roaring out of the lot.

La Murte Grande wasn’t a mistranslation so much as an attitude. The entire restaurant was decorated in a Day of the Dead theme, including the waitstaff dressed in appropriate costumes and makeup.

“Okay,” I said, after being seated by a gorgeous skeleton with a lovely chest.

“Impressive, no?” John asked rhetorically.

“Sorry?” To my embarrassment, I’d been distracted by the sexy skeleton’s ass as she bent to take an order.

“Back now?” John asked patiently.

“Yeah, sorry,” I said, turning my attention back to my only remaining friend in the world.

“It’s okay, just part of who you are, right? Not really a problem for me anymore, of course.”

“Joining the priesthood?” I joked.

He leaned back and took a sip of his beer. “No, quite the opposite, in fact. Angie and I have set a date.”

“A date for what?”

“For the wedding silly,” John said, rolling his eyes.

Struck by disbelief, I raised my eyebrows. “You’re getting married?”

“That’s the plan, yeah,” John smirked.

I was well and truly gobsmacked. What he was saying seemed crazy to me. I couldn’t even settle on one woman, let alone stay with her for the rest of my life. No, thank you. As far as I was concerned, relationships took too much time. It wasn’t that I didn’t like women. Quite the opposite, in fact. Women were great. I just valued my autonomy more.

“You look like you just ate bad fish,” John said. He tended to speak bluntly.

“What, no. Do I—”

“Dick,” John teased.

“I’m still just trying to take this in,” I explained, crossing my arms over my chest.

“Lots of people do it, you know.” He gave me a skeptical look.

I laughed and ran a hand through my hair. “Yeah, and they’re all nuts, from what I can tell. I can’t imagine devoting my entire existence to someone else.”

“It isn’t quite like that,” John said, “besides, you just haven’t met the right girl yet.”

I practically choked on my beer. “Oh, come on, man, are you serious?”

“As cancer,” he said with all gravitas, “you’ll meet her one day, and it will totally change your life.”