“Monty is a great guy. You’ve just seen the rare moments when he wasn’t having a good day.”
“So, every day this week and on Saturday? Either he’s like that all the time, or I’m the problem.”
I frowned as the words came out of my mouth. I never considered that I was a problem. Sure, I had spunk, as my sister reminded me often, and not everyone liked that, but it wasn’t as if I’d spent a lot of time with him. I wondered if it had anything to do with me being a mom?
Laura told me his parents died when he was young. Maybe he had issues with his mom, and now any mother was a problem for him.
Laura came around the desk and placed her hand on my shoulder. “I don’t think it is you. Rock told me he’s stressed trying to find funding for some VR tech he’s working on. You just entered his life at a stressful time, that’s all.”
I nodded to appease my sister. She wanted to see the best in people, and that was sweet. But it wasn’t always the truth.
“I have to get back. Stop by The Blue Chip for lunch. I’ll whip you up a delicious grilled cheese sandwich and sweet potato fries.”
My stomach rumbled at the idea. “Yes. Right now, I’d marry grilled cheese if it were legal.”
I thought my cravings would stop once I gave birth, but no. Everything was so much worse. And I was constantly hungry as if I were a sixteen-year-old boy and not a thirty-year-old mother.
She shrugged her shoulders as she turned to leave. “You never know. My grilled cheeses are magical. It might get down on one crust and produce a ring.” She snorted at her own joke.
“Stick to your day job,” I called out after her with a grin.
I leaned over and grabbed my cell. My arm lightly grazed my right tit, and it hurt. These puppies were about to burst unless I did something.
My desk was situated right outside Mr. Diaz’s door at the end of a hallway. I was near a few other offices, but their doors were all closed. It was only ten-thirty in the morning, and I knew Mr. Diaz wouldn’t be back for several hours.
I had time to quickly pump in his bathroom before he returned. I reached down and opened the bottom drawer to my desk. Inside, it contained a black backpack that housed my pumping equipment.
Once I was done, I’d store the breast milk in the small refrigerator in his office. He let me put my lunch in there once this week, before Laura insisted I eat at The Blue Chip.
I’d tell him it was my lunch since I kept the bottles in a storage bag. He’d never be the wiser.
After grabbing the bag, I swiftly moved into Monty’s office and closed the door. He kept the office tidy, and I made sure not to knock into anything for fear he might figure out I had been in here.
“No snooping today, Julia,” I whispered to myself.
I scurried across the gray-carpeted floor and in the corner, behind his desk, was the door to the bathroom.
It too was small, not much bigger than my bathroom at home. But instead of a tub and old pink shower curtain like I had, there was a walk-in shower with sleek blue and gray tile.
The sink had a small counter that I placed my bag on. Pulling up my thin red sweater, I unclasped the front of my maternity bra, exposing both my nipples.
Once I removed the pumps and attached the bottles, I had everything set. Right as I was about to turn on the machine, I leaned over to listen for any noise.
All was quiet. No one was around. Not even a phone ringing.
Good.
I flipped the switch, and the rhythmic machine sounds of the pump began.
It took about ten minutes, but I filled two bottles. That was a first. It had been too long since I last pumped before I left for work this morning.
I removed the pump and cleaned it before placing it back in the bag. Then I froze.
I heard a noise. I didn’t dare zip up the bag for fear the sound would alert someone I was in here. I stood there for what felt like minutes but was only a few seconds, listening.
Silence.
Either it was my imagination or just someone in the room next door.
I zipped up the bag when I felt a gust of cool air. Lifting my head, I gazed with a startle at Monty Diaz.
My boss held the door to the bathroom wide open and was staring at me. His dark, chocolate eyes were fixed on my chest. Specifically, my nipples, as I had yet to hook my bra back into place and lower my sweater.
I cleared my throat. It snapped him out of staring at my exposed nipples and turned his gaze up to my face.
He nodded and said, “Right.” Then he took a step back and shut the door.
Shit.
I was fired. I was so incredibly fired that there probably would never be a firing as epic as mine.
Chapter 11
Monty
HER NIPPLES. I SAW Julia’s nipples. I had sex with that woman. Mind-blowing sex, but I had never seen or felt her nipples.
And then to witness them at work in my bathroom was odd, but no less enticing. It confused my cock. It wanted to be erect, but the moment didn’t warrant its attention.
My cock suddenly had a conscience.
Pieces of what I saw were coming back to me. I seemed to have blocked out everything but the nipples.
She had a black bag. A small backpack. That was weird. What was in that bag? Was it makeup? Why would she need her nipples exposed to put on makeup?
Maybe it had feminine products. Again, why would she need her nipples out for that? I knew enough about women to know that nipples didn’t require much maintenance.
My heart felt like it hit the floor at my next thought. Was it drugs? No, it couldn't be. She just had a baby. She just had my baby.
I had to know. I may not have been there for her or Nathan the past almost ten months, but it didn’t mean I wouldn’t be there now. If she needed help, I would make sure she got it. If it meant giving up on the VR project, I would help her.
She was my family now, even if she didn’t realize it.
The door to the bathroom opened, and out stepped Julia with pink cheeks, her red sweater pulled down, and her eyes glued to the floor.
“Julia, I need you to have a seat.” I waved toward the chair on the other side of my desk.
“Sure. Yes. I mean, I understand.”
She sat in the chair on the other side of my desk, placing the bag on the ground beside her. How was I going to do this? I couldn’t just ask her if she was using illegal drugs or tell her to show me what was in the bag.
I gazed at her for a moment. Her eyes appeared puffy and a little red. She was fiddling with her fingers, obviously nervous that I caught her.
My heart hurt and I had an urge to hold her in my arms.
“Can you tell me why you were in my bathroom?”
She nodded but did not answer. Instead, she tucked hair behind her ear and reached down, pulling the bag closer to her feet.
“A general description is all I require. Nothing in detail. It’s just that the bathroom is executive-only. And I don’t mind you using it, but I would like you to ask first. Just so I don’t walk in on you, like what happened just now.”
“That makes sense. I’m sorry.” She bit her lip. Her eyes flickered up to mine for a second before returning to the floor.
“Was it an emergency, and you couldn’t make it to the one at the other end of the hall?”
“Yes. That was it.” She lifted her head. “Emergency of the lady parts. I had a special situation that needed addressing and your bathroom was the closest.”
I leaned forward, steepling my fingers as I placed my elbows on the desk. “Why do I feel there’s more to this story? And you’re hiding it from me.”
“Why would you think that?”
“Because I saw your nipples.”
Dammit. My eyes dipped down to her tits right as I said the word nipples. I didn’t have enough self-control to say that one word without staring at her chest.
“It’s a lady part.”
“Men also have nipples.”
What th
e hell? My eyes became glued to her chest again. What was wrong with me?
“Yes. That’s true. I think to make this a fair situation, since you’ve seen my nipples, I should see yours.”
I jerked my head back. “I just found you in my bathroom without permission doing, uh . . . something that you obviously don’t want me to know about. And you think I should show you my nipples to make things better?”
Julia twisted her lips together before she said, “Yes. That sounds about right.”
“You know I can fire you for this.”
I didn’t want to say that, and I wasn’t planning to fire her, but she really had some nerve.
She let out a loud sigh, and her chin lowered to her chest. “I didn’t want to complain after my third day here, but I have no place to pump.”
“Pump?”
“Yes, pump.” She then made a squeezing gesture with her hands in front of her chest.
How could I be so stupid? She wasn’t on drugs. She didn’t want me to know that she was pumping breast milk. That made sense. I couldn’t believe I jumped to that awful conclusion.
“What about the women’s restroom?”
She glared at me, and it felt less than friendly.
“There are toilet stalls and two sinks. I’ve had to pump in there this week, but if someone comes in to do their business and then flushes . . . Well, that stuff gets in the air, and I’m in the stall right next to it. I can’t risk getting my baby sick.”
I frowned. She was right. Now I was angry. The mother of my child needed a safe and sanitary place to pump.
“Don’t you worry about a thing, Ms. Nutters—”
“I told you, you can call me Julia,” she pointed out.
Yes, but the problem was, whenever I said your name, I thought back to when you told me it while I fucked you in a dark closet.
“Yes, I understand. But it’s really more professional if I call you Ms. Nutters.” I stood and walked around the desk.
“Fine.” Her round, emerald eyes stared up at me. “Wouldn’t it be refreshing if we called each other by our first names? Modern. You can call me Julia, and I can call you Monty. Or would you prefer Montgomery? A little more formal.”
I swallowed. Hearing my name on her lips stirred my cock. I clasped my hands in front to hide the growing bulge.
“I really think addressing each other formally would be appropriate, Ms. Nutters.”
“Yeah, that’s what I was afraid of,” she mumbled to herself, but I heard it.
“Do you not like being called ‘Ms.’?”
“I don’t like my last name. I’m not an old-fashioned woman by any means.”
I agreed with her on that.
“But my last name isn’t something our family is proud of. It’s not just the jokes. Hey, there go the Nutters; I hear they’re crazy. Ha ha.”
I tried not to chuckle because it was a little funny.
“My great-grandfather, Archie Nutters, had two families at the same time. One with my great-grandmother, Betsie, and one with a woman in Richmond.”
“That’s terrible, but it was also a long time ago.”
“You’re not from a small town, are you, Mr. Diaz?”
“No. I’m from a suburb outside of D.C.”
She nodded, the corner of her lip twisting up. “People in small towns never forget. And somehow, our family has been looked down upon ever since. My sister and I can go about our business in town, but there is always gossip about our family. Like somehow, we’re cursed. I was the girl who boys could date but never would consider marriage material. Sometimes I think it’s why my sister left and got a job in D.C. A fresh start. I didn’t blame her.”
“Right, she worked for Lee Wiseley.”
She smiled and had a distant look on her face. “Can I let you in on a secret, and you promise not to tell anyone?” She leaned forward and lowered her voice as if we weren’t alone.
“Whatever you tell me, Ms. Nutters, will be held in the strictest confidence.”
She took a deep breath before she said, “My sister helped me get a job in D.C. this past December.”
My smile faltered as she spoke.
“It was as a coat check girl at a fancy holiday ball. Anyway, I told no one, not even Laura, but that’s where I met Nathan’s father.”
I had a million things to say, but my mouth refused to open. All I could do was nod.
“We had a one-night stand. I know that’s not appropriate to say at work, but I thought you should know that his father isn’t in the picture.”
“Mmm.” The only sound I could make.
Tell her you were that guy.
“So, I really am sorry I said nothing earlier about using your bathroom to pump. I’m new to all this, as I’m sure you gathered from my résumé I don’t have a lot of experience with office jobs. I’m used to working in places where if you complain about anything, you will get fired. I was always replaceable.”
“Is that why you didn’t work at those places very long?”
I wanted to slap myself for chickening out about admitting I was the father.
“You nailed it.”
I blinked. She did not understand how right she was about the nailed part.
“Now with having to look out for Nathan, I want to make sure I screw nothing up. It was fine when I wasn’t a mom. I could quit a job I didn’t like, but I can’t do that now.” Her eyes widened. “I didn’t mean that I don’t enjoy working here or with you, I just meant—”
I chuckled. “It’s all right. I understood what you meant. You need job security. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you and Nathan are taken care of.”
“You don’t have to go out of your way or anything. Geez, I made it sound like I’m some charity case. Guilt you into not firing me.” She stood, waving her hands in front of her. “That wasn’t what I meant at all. Now that we’re talking, I don’t mind telling you about me. As much as I thought you were a perv when we met, I feel I can trust you.” She slapped her hand over her mouth.
“Perv?”
Julia stepped forward, putting her hand on my arm. “No, no. I didn’t mean . . .” She sighed. “Okay, I thought you were a little strange when you came to Nathan’s birthday party. But your brother explained you were stressed about the project you’re working on, so now that I work here, I can see. What you do is stressful.”
There was a chuckle bubbling up my throat, and I couldn't swallow it back down. She was adorable when surprised. And the heat from her hand on my arm was traveling down between my legs.
She winced and drew her hand away. “That’s it, isn’t it? If I wasn’t fired for sneaking into your bathroom and milking my boobs, then you will fire me for calling you a perv and crazy. It was fun while it lasted, Mr. Diaz. I’ll go grab my stuff. My special pen I bought at Castle Office and Hiking Shop. The stuffed animal kitty with the missing eyeball. And my scarf blanket.” She threw her thumb over her shoulder and bent down to pick up her bag.
“Wait.” I bent over to stop her.
The last thing I wanted was for her to think the worst of me. I wasn’t planning to fire her. It wasn’t as if she physically assaulted me. If she did that, I might have had to fire her, even if she was the mother of my son.
But as I was reaching for Julia, she stood. The back of her head hit my nose, and a bolt of searing pain ripped through my head.
“Holy Fran Drescher!” I yelped as I grabbed my nose, instinctively tilting my head back.
If that wasn’t assault, I didn’t know what was.
Chapter 12
Julia
“OH NO, I’M SO SORRY.” I winced and tried to reach for Mr. Diaz, but he jerked away.
Even if he was considering giving me a second chance, I knocked that thought right out of his head.
Wait, what did he say?
“Did you just yell out Fran Drescher?”
He lowered his hand from his nose and blinked a few times.
“What? Oh, yes. It’s a habit I st
ill have from being a kid. My mother told us to say ‘Fran Drescher’ instead of a curse word when we were hurt or mad.”
“That’s smart. I like it. I must remember that when Nathan gets older. In fact, I should learn that myself. I curse like a sailor. One day Nathan will pick up on that.” I was nervous.
When I felt uneasy, I couldn’t stop talking. This was why I never had a career. Too many risks of failure. I never felt bad if they fired me from a crappy, low-paying job. It’s not as if the work was meaningful. Sure, it helped pay the bills, but I wasn’t in love with it.
But I liked working for Monty the past three days. For the first time in my life, when I got up in the morning, I wondered what the day would bring and looked forward to discovering what I’d work on next.
Not that he had given me anything too challenging yet. But convincing Mr. Blackwell to invest in Mr. Diaz’s project during the interview was exciting.
What did it matter now? I was toast.
There was a small trickle of blood rolling down from his nostril. I looked around and grabbed a tissue from a box he had on his desk.
“Your nose is bleeding.” I handed it over, frowning.
His eyes widened as he grabbed the tissue from me, then dabbed his nose.
I guided him back to his chair and then ran over to his mini fridge in the corner. Grabbing my lunch bag, I withdrew a freezer pack. I made my way back to his desk and handed it over. “Here, hold this on your nose to slow the bleeding.”
“Thanks.”
“Since I’m fired, you might as well know . . . the lunch bag I’ve had in your fridge the past few days has really held the bottles of breast milk.”
“Mmm.” Monty watched me with his mocha eyes.
I stood there in silence for a moment, unsure of what to do.
“Do you, um . . . just want me to leave or finish out the day?”
My gaze drifted between him and the door. Which did I want more? To stay or go? Stay, obviously.
Monty sighed and lowered the freezer pack. His nose had stopped bleeding.
Even with a little dried blood under his nose, he was handsome. I watched him as I tidied up his desk, throwing the tissue away.
Surprising the Billionaire with a Baby (Blue Ridge Mountain Billionaires Book 2) Page 7