Beneath the Boss: Omnibus (The Complete Collection) by Lydia Rowan Page B

boy loving his father.”
    “Maybe not, but as I got older, that love curdled and became disdain. I despised him and wasn’t at all afraid to tell him so. I’d skip trips home, and when I did visit, I made sure to let him know that he was a failure, that his business was a failure, that he was single-handedly destroying whatever shadow of respectability was left in the Means name. I used to tell him I planned to take Mother’s name, let Means die with him. I didn’t know it at the time, but I hit pretty close to home. Once he stated focusing the business on financial services—a smart move, I’ll grant him that—he got in way over his head and was on the brink of ruin. Smythe had him over a barrel and was threatening to take over the business.”
    “So that’s why you hate him so much.”
    He nodded.
    “This was toward the end, right? I remember how hectic things were then. I knew the outlook was bad, but I never knew any specifics. I wish I could have helped.”
    “You were a kid.”
    “So were you, Leighton.”
    “Maybe, but he was my father, and as much as I hated him, I should I have done something.”
    “But what could you have done? You were fresh out of business school, and besides, you couldn’t have prevented his heart attack.”
    Leighton stopped pacing and looked over at her.
    “He didn’t have a heart attack.”
    “Wait, the news said—”
    “I used what last bit of influence and money the family had let to make it that way. Mother was a wreck, and I was—am—responsible. It was too little, too late, but I could give him that.”
    “What happened, Leighton?” Layla asked in the soothing way of hers.
    “He killed himself. Found his biggest bottle of bourbon and an even bigger bottle of pills and had a party. Left a note that said he had a son who hated him and business he’d destroyed so there was nothing left to live for. Said he hoped I’d do a better job with him out of the way.”
    For the first time in a long time, tears clogged his throat and burned at the back of his eyes. He turned away, didn’t want her to see him like this, but he found the strength to continue when he felt her head on his shoulder, her hands smoothing over his biceps in a slow, circular motion.
    “The moment I read those words, I dedicated myself to making it right, swore I grow the business to a size he wouldn’t have even fathomed. And I swore my name—his name—would be a force, and I’d use that force to destroy all those mealy-mouthed idiots who’d pushed him to that point. Especially Smythe. So I did. Funny thing is, along the way, I became what I was fighting against. I stepped on people, destroyed businesses, probably families, all in pursuit of vengeance, a hollow, petty vengeance that’s going to cost me the love of my life.”
    “You did some good along the way, Leighton.”
    “No, Layla, I didn’t. I just happened to stay out of the way long enough for you to do some good.”
    He turned then, wrapped his arms around her waist.
    “No matter what happens, I want to thank you. You’ve given me far more than I’ll ever deserve, and you’re the best friend I’ll ever have. And I hope that one day you can forgive me.”
    ••••
    L ayla was floored. She knew the basic outline of the story, could have guessed at some of the details if she’d given it more thought, but she hadn’t fathomed the guilt he carried. This new knowledge didn’t change everything that had passed between, but it gave her more insight, helped her understand what drove Leighton, why he did the things he did. Add to that the fact that his arms around her felt so right, and Layla could feel her resolve weakening.
    She looked at his lips, firm, the bottom just a touch larger than the top, and imagined the pleasure those lips had brought her. She looked down further to the patch of taut, golden skin not covered by the sweater, over his pecs, trim stomach, lower to his belt. She felt the strength of his forearms as