Wife by Day, Boss by Night by Thalia Quillspeak

Chapter 189

The last time Natalie slept over at the Morales family was a decade ago, marking the only night she had ever spent there.

Brian couldn’t quite recall what had prompted the occasion, but what stayed with him was the ferocity of that night’s thunderstorm and how Herbert had been called away on some urgent matter, leaving him and Natalie alone in the house.

Natalie was autistic, a condition that didn’t get better overnight. Her particular symptoms included a reluctance to engage with others and a fear of loud noises, remnants of which lingered into her teens.

Brian was tormented by nightmares that night. He woke in a sweat, particularly in one exceedingly damp spot. Natalie’s small, soft form was curled up in his arms, trembling.

As thunder cracked menacingly outside, Natalie clung tightly to his waist, her gentle fragrance wafting into his nose with each breath.

Brian couldn’t pinpoint when his feelings for Natalie had begun to shift, but once he became aware of them, he’d deliberately avoided close contact with her. And yet, under these circumstances, she had found her way into his bed.

The first time he kissed her was on that night, ten years prior.

had looked up at him fearfully to see if he had awakened. Without

as a comfort, but

for him, it was a memory etched into his

complexity of his feelings for her by applying to

home let him find Natalie blossoming into a stunning young woman and shook him to his core. He left

from his studies and as she was entering high school, he steeled his heart and sent her to

to catch a glimpse of her once a week, often turning down social engagements and multimillion–dollar contracts unless it was an unavoidable commitment. He was desperate

and

12:53

Chapter 189

sleeping soundly, and Herbert’s room across the hall had

she heard the sound of the

sound of the door opening was starkly

snapped awake, recognizing the faint footsteps that approached the