Deciding that I’d invaded Jensen’s privacy enough, I stepped away from his desk and thanked my lucky stars that he had taken so long to return. I made an effort to look as innocent as possible as I emerged from his office but he was fortunately nowhere to be seen. Fighting the desire to slam my office door shut, I pushed it closed gently before turning away and pressing my back against it.

Macchiato in hand, I allowed myself to sink to the ground. My head drooped as I took a moment to try and process my thoughts.

First and most prevalent was the idea of having Jensen as the father of my child. I knew it was a distant fantasy, but I couldn’t stop myself from entertaining the idea. I would likely never have the nerve to confront him about what I’d seen on his computer, and even if I did, who was to say he wouldn’t simply fire me? Now that I was away from the passion of the moment, guilt was beginning to creep up my spine. It truly had been the ultimate invasion of privacy.

Attempting to return to my desk seemed a lost cause in the moment, so I simply remained on the floor with my legs splayed out in front of me. Taking a sip from my coffee cup, I allowed my eyes to flutter shut for a moment.

I was guilty of finding myself lost in thought more often than not, and that day was no exception. I tried to limit myself to thoughts of what my future might be like once I found a suitable sperm donor for my child, though my mind wandered more than I would’ve liked.

Every time I pictured my future child, they didn’t have my voluptuous brown curls or hazel eyes. No, they had those piercing blue eyes and sandy blond hair that I was so infatuated with. In my mind’s eye, there was no doubt who would father my child and there were no questions of whether I’d have to be a single mother or not.

I could see nothing but a future with Jensen at my side, falling deeply and passionately in love with me before making me his blushing bride. Our child would have his wits, my passion, his good looks and…every good part of the two of us, combined into one single being. A giggle bubbled past my lips as I continued to lose myself in my fantasy, already loving this hypothetical child. Never mind that they would likely never exist, never mind that I was only setting myself up for heartbreak.

Full disclosure, this wasn’t the first time I’d entertained the idea of a future with Jensen. My heart ached for him, and the thought of a future without him nearly broke my heart in two, even as I knew I could never work up the nerve to tell him how I felt.

It wasn’t as if he was going to barge into my office someday, speaking sweet soliloquies of his love for me. I liked to imagine that Jensen would be the passionate sort, carrying an adoration for his future bride like the obvious love he held for his family, not to mention his job.

Of course, in that scenario, I was never the secretary, someone he probably thought of as a casual acquaintance. In my fantasy, I would be the woman who inflamed a passion within him like no other. The woman he longed to make love to every night, every morning, hell, even every afternoon.

Long story short, I was obsessed. Who could really blame me? Jensen Elliott was, by all rights, the complete package. I was simply tormented enough to live in an existence where he could see me as nothing more than a friend. I couldn’t exactly push the issue, in any case. I needed my job, and I needed my friendship with the man even more. The thought of pushing him away over something as silly as a crush was unfathomable.

I was drawn from my thoughts by a knock at my office door, and knowing it could be no one other than Jensen himself, I quickly scrambled to my feet and tried to make myself look presentable. I ran a hand through my hair, trying to revive the bounce to my curls that most men found so mesmerizing. Then, forcing a smile, I opened the door.

“Jensen, it’s nice to see you out of your office today,” I said, cursing myself as soon as I spoke. How cruel to put him down for taking a day to grieve!

Thankfully, he didn’t seem to notice my misstep, smiling gently at me. There was a deep sadness in those eyes, but there was something else, too. Something akin to fondness, though I dared not overthink it.

“I just stepped out for a moment. It’s been a busy day. I wanted to thank you for bringing my lunch,” he replied, holding up his coffee cup.

I chuckled, brushing my hair away from my eyes and trying not to appear guilty. There was no indication that he knew I’d been snooping, and Jensen tended to see the best in people, even when it was undeserved.

“I was just checking in on you. I know I tend to be a bit standoffish when I’m…” he paused, seeming to consider his words, “having one of those days, I suppose,” he finished weakly.

“Oh, Jensen, it’s perfectly fine. I just wanted to see that you didn’t miss lunch—you know how I worry,” I said, once again wishing I could take the words back. There was no way he could know how much I worried, how deeply I cared about him.

I felt my cheeks redden at the half-confession, hoping he thought nothing of it. His expression only grew warmer, however, and he reached out to gently rest a hand on my shoulder.

“It means a lot that I have a friend like you, Ashley. I don’t mean to make you worry, but I’m happy to know you care,” he said with a faint smile.

I laughed awkwardly, all too aware of how warm his hand felt on my shoulder. Though there was a thin layer of fabric separating our skin, I could almost imagine what his smooth hands would feel like caressing my body.

“If there’s any way I can make all of this up to you, don’t hesitate to let me know,” he added, his words as passionate as I could have only imagined prior. I didn’t realize how deeply he was touched by my friendship, but I felt my heart swelling at the thought.

“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind, though you’ve been just as good a friend to me,” I said, a mix of dismissive and embarrassed. He chuckled, drawing his hand away from my shoulder and taking a step back. I immediately missed the contact, but I couldn’t exactly beg him into my office to touch and explore me more thoroughly.

“On days like this, I feel like more of a sad sack than anything,” he admitted, though it seemed it was his turn to regret his words. Offering him a soft smile, I resisted the near overwhelming desire to reach out and touch his cheek, simply wringing my hands as I tried to think of some words of comfort to offer him.

“You never have to worry about coming to me, Jensen. I hope you know that,” I said gently. “You can tell me anything, happy or sad. I’m here for all of it,” I continued to ramble, much to my humiliation. His hesitant expression immediately turned confident once more, and he offered me that charming smile.

“Good to know. Well, I’d better get back to the grind. Running an empire is busy work, you know,” he teased, winking.

Though I was happy to see him in a good mood again, I couldn’t help feeling flustered. I knew what he was really doing in his office and while it wasn’t anything particularly lewd or crude, it was still enthralling. He didn’t know I was privy to his secret, and I could only wonder what more lay behind that confident personality. I knew there was kindness, gentleness, but I never would have expected the man to have a paternal bone in his body.

“I’d better get back to work as well,” I said shyly, and he grinned, patting me on the shoulder before turning and walking back toward his office. My eyes remained locked on his rear as he walked.

Halfway back to his office, he paused and glanced over his shoulder at me.

“Glad you’re enjoying the view,” he called teasingly, and it was all I could do not to melt into a puddle on the spot.