“Because they’re related to you,” she replied, briefly placing her hand on mine, before she rose from the couch and headed toward the kitchen.

I sat there, dumbfounded, speechless, and silent for I didn’t know how long, trying to remind myself of all the reasons I didn’t get involved with others. Especially employees.

But the only thing I could hear was her melodic sweet voice while still feeling the warmth of her touch.

I was so incredibly screwed.

“I can’t believe you made me borrow my brother’s car for this,” I muttered, already feeling cramped and uncomfortable behind the wheel of Jude’s trendy electric car.

“First of all, it’s not as small as you think it is,” Cara pointed out, gesturing toward my slumped shoulders and surly posture. “Jude seems to fit himself in it fine, and he’s definitely… well built. And those tattoos? Sexy.”

I threw her a look of disdain before she continued on, completely unaware, “Secondly, showing up at a bowling alley in a hired town car is just ridiculous, in my opinion. It completely ruins the entire experience.” Her head was adamantly shaking back and forth as her arms flailed around with the passion of her words.

Since leaving New York, she’d seemed to become more and more comfortable with me. With each passing minute, I was becoming less of a boss in her eyes and more of a person.

It should have been a warning sign, but instead, my heart raced with complete satisfaction.

“Yes, well… witnessing my driving skills in the middle of LA traffic might ruin the entire experience for us permanently,” I growled as I pulled out of the driveway with surprising agility I hadn’t quite expected from the tiny car.

“You realize that this is kind of like a date,” I announced as we drove away from the small exclusive neighborhood where Jude and Lailah lived.

It bordered the Pacific, giving them impressive views of the ocean from almost every room in the house. My brother had specifically designed the house for that purpose. To say I was a little jealous would be a giant understatement.

“It is not!” she squeaked, squaring her shoulders, as her arms wrapped around her midsection in defiance.

“Well, you did ask me, and bowling isn’t exactly work-related. And, besides, I don’t see anyone else in this car with us.” I didn’t bother hiding the wolfish grin spreading across my face.

“It’s not my fault that Lailah and Jude couldn’t come,” she fired back.

“Not that I’ve ever been, but I’m guessing a bowling alley isn’t baby-friendly.”

“Probably not,” she huffed. “But they didn’t seem like they wanted to go.”

I caught a glimpse of sadness in her eyes.

“My brother’s sad attempt at a setup,” I said, catching her eyes jerk toward me.

“A setup?”