Beneath Her Bastard Boss

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The next morning, Blair woke up feeling like she’d been hit by a truck. Which, technically, it may not have been a truck, but the SUV that had hit them was the next best thing. Her ribs ached, her head was pounding.

She stretched out an arm to Roman’s side of the bed, only to find it cold and empty. Looking at the clock on Roman’s side so she didn’t have to turn over to see hers. It was early 6am; she had only slept a few hours. No wonder her eyes felt like sandpaper.

Blair got up to hunt Roman down. She found him in his office, still wearing yesterday’s clothes, surrounded by papers. A coffee cup was within easy reach. He looked like he hadn’t slept at all.

“Please tell me you didn’t stay up all night,” she said, settling carefully into the chair across from his desk.

“I couldn’t sleep. Too much to think about.” Roman looked up at her, and she could see the exhaustion on his face, but also something else–relief that she was awake and moving around. “How are you feeling?”

“Like hell. But functional.” Blair accepted his coffee. He handed her gratefully, their fingers brushing as he passed her the mug. The simple touch sent warmth through her that had nothing to do with the coffee. “What have you been working on?”

“The plan. If we’re really going to do this thing with your uncle, we need to be smart about it.” Roman stood and moved around the desk, settling on the edge, so he was closer to her. “Peters has been running surveillance on your aunt and uncle’s house and office. He’s definitely panicking. Made six calls to the bank yesterday, and he was seen pacing the parking area at the office.”

“Good. Panicked people are sloppy people.”

“Exactly. But we still need to be careful. This isn’t some corporate negotiation where the worst thing that happens is you lose money.” Roman reached out and brushed a piece of hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering against her cheek. “If we screw this up, I lose you. And that’s not happening.”

The way he said it… like losing her would destroy him. It made Blair’s chest tight with something that wasn’t fear. This had to be more than just convenience and lust. Because she knew she loved him. Loved him in a way she had never felt for Dan.

“So what’s the plan?” she asked, leaning slightly into his touch.

Roman turned his laptop so she could see the screen better, but he stayed close enough that she could smell him. “We make him think you’re dead.”

“What?”

“Think about it. The car crash last night was pretty bad, not terrible, but people die from head injuries all the time. What if you didn’t make it? What if you died from your injuries at the hospital? Swelling on the brain.

Blair stared at him. “You want to fake my death?”

“Only temporarily. And only to Peter.” Roman’s hand found hers, intertwining their fingers. “If he thinks you’re dead, he’ll relax. He’ll think his problem is solved.”

Blair looked down at their joined hands–his larger, rougher from years of work, but gentle when they touched her. “But how do we-”

“We control the information flow. Peters has contacts at the hospital who can help us fake medical records. We put out word that you died from complications from your head injury.”

was tracing small circles on the back of her hand, and she wasn’t sure if he was doing it

to know I’m alive, right? I mean, they saw me last night. I wasn’t that hurt. If

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Chapter 69

you got hurt more.”

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Really sell it.” Roman pulled up another file with his free hand, unwilling to let go of her. “The funeral would be in three days. That gives Peter time to get comfortable, maybe even start trying

we are not putting my sisters in

anything happen to your sisters? Plus, he will need time to come up with a plan if he wanted anything to them. It would need to look like an

was a good plan.

voice

doesn’t confess? What if he

to her knuckles. The gesture was so tender it made her breath catch. “That’s where the second part of the plan

“And Kellner?”

contact picked him up this morning trying to board a flight to Mexico.” Roman’s expression was satisfied, but his grip on her hand tightened protectively. “He’s not going

felt some of the tension leave her

condition took a turn for the worse during the night.” Roman closed the laptop and turned to face her fully. “By this afternoon, the official story will be that

rumpled from being worn too long.

“Roman?”

rough

this isn’t what you signed up for when you asked me to

moment. Then he cupped her face in both hands, his thumbs

of you. The good, the bad, and the apparently homicidal relatives.” His eyes were intense, searching her face. “I don’t give up on things

best way. Blair leaned forward until

mean so much to me more than I thought possible.” She just wasn’t ready to tell him yet how she felt. Soon,

his lips barely brushing hers. “It should scare you. Because I’m never

the moment. She glanced at the screen and felt her blood

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Chapter 69