Stranded for Christmas with my Boss (Forbidden Billionaire Boss Daddies)

4. Jensen

Chapter four

Jensen

T he savory smell of homemade lasagna fills the kitchen as I take a quick peek into the oven, a wave of heat rolling over me as I check on dinner. Not as hot as the air felt in my office a few days ago, but hot, nonetheless.

“Thanks for cooking, Jen.”

I shut the oven door and smile at Holly, my little sister by five years. At first glance, we don’t look all that much like siblings. She looks exactly like our mom, with dirty blonde hair and brown eyes, while I’m the spitting image of my dad with dark brown hair and blue eyes.

It’s funny how we can look so much like people we don’t have anything to do with anymore.

“Don’t worry about it,” I tell her as we stand in her rustic-styled kitchen. I glance behind me toward the living room, my smile broadening at the sight of my six-year-old nephew, Oliver.

Oliver runs around the couch with a red superhero cape streaming behind him and a superhero figurine gripped in his right hand. His thin-framed glasses bounce slightly on his face, but nothing slows his pace. “To the rescue!”

“Can’t believe how big he’s getting,” I say, shaking my head in disbelief as I lean my back against the kitchen counter.

Holly smirks a little as she sips on a glass of red wine. “Imagine how I feel! He’s sprouting like a weed.”

I chuckle and nod in agreement. Oliver is a good kid, and his piece of shit absent father is missing out on the best son he could’ve ever had. Sadness stirs in my stomach as I glance at Holly, watching her gaze at Oliver with pure love in her eyes.

I wish she didn’t have to raise Oliver alone because I know raising a kid isn’t easy even with two parents, but she’s a natural. She would rather be single and happy than taken and miserable, which I understand.

We grew up miserable with our own parents. Why subject ourselves to more torture with our partners?

“I’m here!”

Holly and I look up as Austin walks through the doorway that connects the kitchen and foyer with an apple pie he picked up from the store. We always have to eat pie for dessert when we have our bi-weekly dinners.

“Uncle Austin!” Oliver gasps as he darts across the living room toward him.

Austin sets the pie down on the kitchen counter before picking Oliver up and playfully draping him over his shoulder. Melting snowflakes cover his hair and the top of his other shoulder. “The favorite uncle.”

I pitch him a pointed look. “Yeah, right.”

Holly puts her hands up. “No fighting. You’re both amazing uncles.”

Austin and I share a smirk with each other. He may not be related to us by blood, but he’s family through and through. We met during our freshmen year of college as roommates, and we never parted ways after that.

He was a computer science major, while I was a business major. Despite having different classes and going to different places on campus, we hung out a lot after school and always had each other’s backs, whether it was through school stress, break-ups, or whatever the hell else was bothering us.

He was my brother, and there is no other person I would want to run a company with. What’s a better pair than a business expert and a technology whiz?

Austin sets Oliver down so that he can go back to playing. “I’m starving. Your brother is killing me with all of this damn work.”

Holly laughs and nudges me. “What are you doing to these poor people?”

“Do I have to remind you that he runs the company too?” I roll my eyes in a joking manner. “We’re only a few weeks away from the big update, and Christmas is right around the corner too. We have to keep on track.”

Holly sighs, placing her hand against her cheek. “I’ve been promising Oliver that we’ll decorate the house soon, but I’ve been so swamped at the hospital.”

“He’s a happy kid, Holly. I’m sure he’s not upset with you,” Austin replies as he glances in Oliver’s direction.

“Maybe I can come by this weekend and help you,” I offer. Typically, I do some work on the weekend, but the family that I do care about is my main priority.

A look of pure gratitude fills Holly’s face as she squeezes my arm. “Really? That would be amazing!”

It’s important for me to make as many good memories as I can when it comes to family. Truly, I can’t cover up the damage and darkness done in the past, but all the good that happens now at least blocks out some of that noise.

There is nothing worse to go through as a kid than your parents’ nasty divorce. I suppose death can be worse, but it still felt like we lost our parents in the midst of their hatred toward each other. Things were never the same, and our family dwindled down to just me and Holly.

Now, it’s me, Holly, Oliver, and Austin, and I’m perfectly fine with that.

“I’d do anything for you guys.” I share a warm smile with her before she heads to the fridge. A yawn breaks from me as I stretch my arms, exhaustion starting to weigh down on me. November was already hectic when we planned out the update. December is going to be ten times worse as we actually work to implement it.

As Holly fixes the side salad, she glances over at Austin and me. “So, is there anything new going on at work besides the update? You guys do seem a lot more tired than usual.”

“Jensen got a new executive assistant.”

I have to keep myself from glaring at Austin. He has no idea that I slept with Alyssa on her first day, and I plan on keeping him in the dark because it shouldn’t happen again. I don’t know what came over me that day.

Alyssa and I haven’t brought up what happened in the elevator or in my office. Honestly, I keep her so busy that there isn’t any time for chit-chat, and it’s probably best that I treat her strictly professionally.

No checking her out. No flirting. No touching.

But there is undeniable energy in the air when we’re in the same room. It’s impossible to fully ignore, but I do my best to focus on my job because this update is the biggest move Soul Flames has made since its initial launch.

Screwing up now could be detrimental.

Holly perks up with an intrigued look. “Oh, yeah? Better than the last one?”

“This one is like a workhorse,” Austin replies with a faint laugh. “She gets stuff done.”

I can’t argue that. It didn’t take me long to see why Alyssa was hired over all the others. No matter how many tasks I give her, she gets them all done quickly and effectively. She’s a damn powerhouse.

But she’s not afraid to show me some attitude every once in a while.

“Yeah, she came in at the right time,” I say with a casual nod.

Holly smiles. “Well, that’s good!”

If only she knew how complicated things are. At times, it’s hard working with Alyssa, because all I can think about is how she dug her nails into my shoulders when she came or how sweet she tasted. I just have to figure out a way to move forward without getting caught up in those memories.

“Ollie, your school clothes are in the dryer. Can you go get them and lay them out on your bed?” Holly calls out to him.

Oliver pauses playing, his dirty blonde hair flopping over his ears and forehead. “I don’t want to wear the monster shirt.”

Holly sighs and frowns. “It’s a good shirt, honey.”

Oliver pouts and shakes his head. “They’re going to make fun of me again!”

My heart stops as my eyes snap to Holly. “What happened?”

Holly lifts her hand to motion for me to shut up. “Austin, can you help Oliver pick out another shirt, please?”

Austin nods and leads Oliver to his bedroom, leaving Holly and me alone.

Holly turns to me with guilt glimmering in her eyes. “Lately, some kids have been teasing Oliver about his clothes. His glasses. His name.”

Anger burns beneath my skin as I narrow my eyes. “Are you serious? What are the teachers doing?”

Holly shakes her head as she lowers her gaze. “There are so many kids that the teachers have a hard time monitoring everyone. By the time they know what’s going on, Oliver is already in tears. They’ve been calling me at the hospital to come to the school to console him.”

Holly is a nurse, so I know how hard that is for her to take the time to leave. She shouldn’t have to leave in the first place because some little shitheads haven’t been taught their manners.

“You know what? Leave my number with the office. If something happens, I want them to call me,” I tell her, watching her eyes widen.

“You can’t make a scene, Jensen,” Holly says.

I shake my head. “I want to be there for him, Holly. Our parents were never there for us. Oliver needs to know that someone will always show up for him.”

Holly doesn’t say anything for a few seconds before sighing and nodding. “Okay…okay. You’re right. I just…I wish I could help him more.”

Her words hit me in the depths of my chest, prompting me to pull her into my arms. I hug her tightly, unable to find any comforting words to tell her. Hopefully, she can feel what I’m thinking.

She’s doing the best that she can, especially as a single mom. And she’s already doing a better job than our parents. I hope that brings her some comfort because I already know that she questions her ability as a mom every single day.

All we’re trying to do is not make the same mistakes our parents made. Not that I have a wife to berate on a daily basis, or two kids to ignore and neglect, but I’m so far from perfect, just like them. I see instances of that in almost everything that I do.

Bad decisions. Impulsivity. A cold, hard front to protect all the damage beneath the surface.

Sometimes, I wonder if the aftermath of the past is ever going to release me.