Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 65137 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 326(@200wpm)___ 261(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65137 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 326(@200wpm)___ 261(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
The couple exchanged a look Miles didn’t understand.
Derek’s mouth twitched. “I still think it was the best thing I’ve ever spent my money on,” he said, looking at Shawn intently.
Shawn flushed and licked his lips. “Derek,” he hissed, glancing at Miles and the twins.
The girls rolled their eyes as one. “Ignore them,” Melissa told Miles with an important look on her cute little face. “We do when they’re being gross and adulty.”
“Adulty isn’t a word,” Emily said, earning a scowl from her twin.
Glancing at his watch, Derek said, “Girls, aren’t you late for your self-defense lessons?”
“Dammit!” Melissa said, jumping to her feet.
When Shawn shot her a stern look, the girl smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, Shawn! But we have to run! Let’s go, Em! Star, come on!”
And they ran off, the dog trotting behind them.
Miles found it kind of amusing that Shawn was the stern parent in this relationship.
“So,” Derek said, looking at Miles. “What is your answer?”
“No pressure, remember,” Shawn added with a pointed look at his husband.
“Okay, I can do it,” Miles said with a shrug. “It’s not a big deal. You’re really helping me out, and I want to return the favor. But… I’m not going to stalk the guy and search his pockets or something.”
Shawn let out a laugh. “We aren’t asking you to do that. Just keep an eye on him, okay? Derek doesn’t trust easily, and his unease makes me anxious by proxy.”
Relieved that they didn’t want him to be some kind of pseudo-spy, Miles smiled back. “I don’t have my passport, by the way. Won’t it be a problem?”
Frowning, Derek shook his head. “A CEO isn’t going to ask you for your passport. The company-issued ID will be enough.” He stood, checking his watch again. “It’s decided, then. I’ll swing by the office to arrange everything.” Leaning down, he gave Shawn a short but hungry kiss that made Miles look away.
Ninety percent of the time Miles was perfectly fine with his lack of personal life.
But at times like this, he had to admit he felt a little jealous.
Just a little.
Chapter 3
Miles’s first three days being an amateur spy-slash-intern were interesting if uneventful. Derek had been right that no one had looked at him twice. He was just another intern, albeit the only one who was assigned to the administrative floor of the building, where the CEO’s office was located.
Not that Miles had seen the man yet. Caldwell was apparently wrapping up some very important deal in New York and wouldn’t be back for a few more days. Despite his absence, Miles had already learned quite a bit about the guy. He didn’t even need to ask around: everyone seemed very eager to gossip about the new CEO. It didn’t hurt that the man was handsome and obscenely rich, so naturally he was the main topic of discussion during Miles’s coffee breaks.
Ian Caldwell was thirty-one years old. He was recently divorced and had custody of his only son. People seemed of two minds about it: some thought it was cruel of Caldwell to take the child from his mother, and others thought it was admirable that he was willing to raise the child all by himself. Miles kind of doubted that the guy would be raising the kid alone: he probably had a legion of nannies looking after his son; not to mention there were probably hundreds of women more than eager to become the next Mrs. Caldwell and cheer up the man after his divorce.
To be honest, Miles had trouble connecting the cold-eyed, impeccably dressed man he’d seen at Rutledges’ party with the image of a single father of a toddler, but he decided not to judge the book by its cover. Who knew, maybe Caldwell was a big softie under his icy exterior?
Granted, everything pointed to Caldwell not being a big softie.
“He’s incredibly demanding,” Sofia, his secretary, told Miles over a cup of tea. She was a fifty-something woman of unremarkable appearance, breaking all the stereotypes Miles had previously had about secretaries of billionaires.
“But he’s also quite fair,” she added. “To be honest, Rutledge Senior was far worse.” She shrugged. “But then again, I don’t have to work closely with Mr. Caldwell, because he has a personal assistant, and the poor guy is the one who bears the brunt of the boss’s anger if things go wrong, not me.” Sofia peered at him with interest. “Enough about work. Tell me more about yourself. Surely such a handsome young man like you has a significant other?”
Miles could only smile crookedly and shake his head. He didn’t know what it was about him that made women want to mother hen him and play matchmaker for him.
“Really?” she said, her eyebrows flying up. “But you’re so handsome! What do you use to dye your hair, by the way?”