Chapter 11

TREVOR

The night air was cool, but it was warm inside Donovan's car as we left the restaurant. When the bill had come, he'd insisted on paying, saying that he was the one who had invited me.

Soft music played through the speakers as he drove, but I couldn't concentrate on anything except the man beside me. Or rather, the sight of him driving his Porsche. I watched him out of the corner of my eye as he wove in and out of traffic, jaw firm and eyes focused, dominating the road in much the same way he dominated the boardroom. It was sexy as hell and the sight of his long fingers flexing over the leather steering wheel took my mind on a wild ride of its own.

We were only about a block away from the restaurant when his phone rang through the speakers. I straightened in my seat, immediately intrigued when the word MOM flashed up on the display.

Donovan flashed me a wary look and I almost thought he was going to let the call go to voicemail, but then he answered. "Hi, Mom."

"Hi, honey," came a warm voice. "How was your day?"

"It was fine. How was yours?"

"Well, it was pretty good until I did something I shouldn't have," she admitted hesitantly.

"What was it? Are you all right?" My stomach clenched at the concern in his voice.

"I'm fine, I promise. I just messed up. I wanted to move my computer out to the barn. I figured it would make more sense to do my invoicing out there since that's where I do most of my work."

"Okay, so how did you mess up?"

"Well, I took everything apart and moved it out to the barn, but when I got there, I realized I hadn't written anything down and now I don't know where any of these darn wires go."

I bit the inside of my lip to keep from laughing as Donovan shot me an incredulous look. To his credit, he didn't let his exasperation bleed into his conversation with his mother. "It's fine, Mom. I'll be over as soon as I can. I just have to drop off my fr…PA."

I raised my eyebrows at the notable pause. Had he been about to call me a friend? Before I could think too long about it, his mom let out an excited squeal. "Trevor's with you?"

"Uh, yes, ma'am. Hello. Hi." I blinked in surprise, stumbling over my words. How does she know my name?

"Oh, Trevor. It's such a pleasure to talk to you. I've been meaning to come to the office so I could meet you, but I've been swamped with work lately and haven't had time to make it into the city, but I've heard a lot about you from my son."

A scowl was marring Donovan's handsome face when I whipped my head in his direction. His jaw ticked and he refused to look at me, his eyes carefully focused on the road. "Well, it's a pleasure to talk to you too, Mrs. Marshall. I hope your son hasn't told you anything too bad about me," I said teasingly.

"Please, call me Elaine, and it's nothing bad at all. He's told me what an asset you are to the company and to him in particular. In fact, he told me he's never had an assistant as competent as you."

"Reeeeaaallly?" I drawled out, my eyes trained on Donovan, my mouth stretched in an obscenely wide grin.

He rolled his eyes, huffing loudly. "All right, that's enough of that. Mom, I'll be over as soon as I drop Trevor?—"

"I'll go with you," I interrupted.

"What?" he practically shouted, looking at me like I'd suddenly grown a second head.

"That would be wonderful but are you sure?" his mother said at the same time.

"Absolutely," I said, responding to both of them. "I know my way around computers. I used to work in IT. I should be able to get yours hooked up in no time."

"Thank you so much. I'll see you boys soon then. Be safe."

Donovan looked shell-shocked as his mom ended the call and I bit back a laugh. "Your mom sounds lovely."

He grumbled something but it was too quiet for me to make out what it was. I just had to hope he wasn't too upset with me for finagling my way into meeting his mother.

My heart was in my throat as we pulled into a long gravel driveway twenty minutes later. As soon as we'd passed the city limit sign, Donovan pressed his foot on the gas and sped off into the night. He hadn't said a word the whole way there and I was beginning to doubt my decision to come. Maybe he really was angry with me.

He pulled in next to a cheery yellow Volkswagen convertible with adorable flower decals over the brake lights. I smiled when I saw it, thinking how it matched the image I now had in my head of Donovan's mom.

The house was charming with well-tended flower gardens along the front walkway, a large front porch that had an actual porch swing, and flower boxes on each of the windows. Lights glowed inside, giving it a warm and inviting feel, and I felt my chest tighten. This was the kind of house I could only have wished for as a kid.

Donovan shut off the car and took his seat belt off. When he reached for the door handle, I stopped him with a hand on his arm. I regretted the tightness I saw around his eyes when he turned to face me.

Over dinner it felt like we'd turned a corner in our relationship. Maybe not quite friends yet, but something more than only boss and employee and now, I worried that I'd messed it all up. He glanced down at where my hand was on him and when he looked back up, I could have sworn I saw a flash of heat along with a healthy dose of wariness.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have invited myself here to meet your mother. I don't want to do anything that makes you uncomfortable. If you'd like me to wait out here in the car, I will."

His mouth pinched into a tight line and his nostrils flared as he let out a deep breath but then he seemed to relax. "I suppose after watching me get head, meeting my mother should be no big deal," he said dryly.

I pulled my hand away from his arm, sure my face was going to burst into flames. "I…I'm?—"

His mouth lifted on one side in a teasing smirk that sent a kaleidoscope of butterflies swarming inside my belly. "Relax, Trevor. That was a joke. My mom wants to meet you. She would have my hide if I made you wait out here. Besides, I'm sure you can hook her computer back up much faster than I can."

"Oh, uh, okay. If you're sure," I replied lamely.

"Come on. I'm pretty sure she's already spotted us."

My eyes darted toward the house where I saw a curtain swaying in the window. Light spilled out onto the porch as the front door opened revealing a beautiful woman with long blonde hair. She smiled happily, waving to us as she walked down the steps.

We climbed out of the car and Donovan hurried forward to greet his mom. I hung back, watching as the two shared a warm hug. He said something to her that made her laugh, a cute little dimple winking at me from her right cheek. She leaned back, cupping his face in her hands. It was obvious that they were very close. My eyes moved to the front door, wondering if his father would come out next, but it remained empty.

"Trevor! I'm so glad to meet you." Before I knew what was happening, Elaine was sweeping me into a big hug. Thankfully, Doug's family were a touchy-feely bunch, so I was used to stuff like this. I hugged her back, my eyes meeting Donovan's over her shoulder. His expression was guarded but curious as he watched us.

"The pleasure is all mine," I assured her.

She took a step back. "I hope I didn't pull you two away from anything important."

"You didn't. We'd just finished dinner," he answered.

Concern etched across her face. "Another dinner meeting? You work too hard, sweetie. Trevor, tell my son he works too hard."

I smothered a laugh as Donovan explained, "It wasn't work related, Mom. We were simply having dinner."

"Just the two of you?" Elaine blinked, eyes that looked exactly like her son's darting between the two of us, then a slow smile spread across her face as she looked back at him. "That's wonderful."

Donovan frowned at her. "Mom," he issued in a low warning.

Her face was the model of pure innocence. "What? I'm happy you're finally getting away from the office and spending some time with a friend, that's all."

"Mhmm. Why don't you show us where you want your computer." Donovan rolled his eyes, but he smiled when she looped her arm through his.

"I've got everything out in the barn already, I just don't know where any of it goes. I should have labeled the wires before I unplugged them, I suppose."

"We'll get it all sorted out," I promised.

Elaine flashed a grateful smile. "So, you used to be in IT? How did you end up working as a personal assistant instead?"

I grinned. "Oh, that's a great story." Donovan shot me a warning look, but I ignored him, launching into the story of how we'd first met. By the time I'd finished, we'd made it to the barn and his mom and I were both laughing.

"I can't believe you took notes for him. Most people probably would have left right away."

I shrugged. "He looked like he needed the help."

Donovan scoffed. "If you two are done discussing me as if I'm not here, maybe we can get to work?"

When he went to open the door to the barn, Elaine leaned in and whispered to me. "Don't let my son scare you off. His bark is a lot worse than his bite, but I bet you already know that by now, don't you?"

My gaze turned to the man in question. "Yeah, I'm starting to see that."

The barn turned out to be an art studio that any artist would be envious of. Easels, light boxes, a kiln, and welding tools took up a good portion of space, and the shelves that lined the walls were chock full of art supplies. "Wow! This place is amazing," I exclaimed.

Elaine wore a broad smile as she looked around her studio. "I like to dabble with different mediums, and I needed a space big enough to hold my supplies. Donovan had this gorgeous barn built to use as my studio."

My gaze flicked to him, but he refused to look my way. "That was very thoughtful."

"He spoils me rotten, that's for sure."

"I'm going to look in the house for a surge suppressor. You're going to need it for your computer," Donovan said, already walking away.

Elaine watched him go then turned to me with a wry smile. "I think I embarrassed him. I didn't mean to, but it's all true. I know I'm biased, but my son is the best person I know. He can be a tough nut to crack, but underneath all that bluster is a very sweet man.

"I…" I shifted on my feet, not sure how I was supposed to respond.

"I know, he's your boss and you have a professional relationship to maintain, but the reason I'm telling you all of this is because I think you're good for him, Trevor."

"Excuse me?" my voice squeaked.

Her eyes looked troubled when she told me, "Donovan has always been extremely driven. It's served him well in many ways throughout his life and has made him into the businessman he is today, but it's also come at a high cost. His father was never in the picture and his grandparents—my parents—chose not to be a part of his life. I worry sometimes that he pushes himself so hard because he's trying to prove something to them, to the world, but in doing so, he's forgotten to leave room for others in his life. I also know he's been hurt in the past by people he thought were his friends but who were only using him for his money or status. It's made it hard for him to trust others, but he trusts you."

I swallowed hard. "How do you know that?"

She placed a hand on my shoulder, smiling gently. "Because he brought you here."

My face heated with embarrassment and my eyes shifted to the floor. "I kind of pushed my way into that," I admitted.

Her tinkling laugh had my head snapping back up. "Oh, trust me, my son doesn't do anything he doesn't want to do. He's very protective, especially when it comes to me. If he didn't trust you, he wouldn't have brought you to my home. That is exactly why you're the perfect friend for him. He needs someone to give him a little push every now and then. Someone who will call him out when he's hiding behind his work and not let him get away with it. And I believe that person is you."

Donovan returned then, eyeing both of us cautiously. "What are you two talking about?"

"Nothing you need to worry about," his mom answered.

"Yeah, your mom was just offering to show me some embarrassing photos of you from when you were a kid the next time I'm here, that's all."

He stared at me like he wasn't sure if I was teasing or not but then Elaine started laughing. "Yep, I was right," she said, patting me on the back.

"Right about what?" he demanded, but she turned and headed toward her office, still laughing. His forehead scrunched. "What's she talking about?" he asked me.

I shrugged my shoulders, feigning innocence. "Oh good, you found the surge suppressor. We're all set now." I could hear him grumbling something to himself as he followed me into the office. I was glad he couldn't see my face, so he didn't see the giant grin I had plastered there.

Forty-five minutes later, we were in his car and driving back toward the city. We'd gotten Elaine's computer all hooked up while she'd regaled me with stories about Donovan when he was a boy. He'd objected at first, but then I'd caught him smiling indulgently at her as we worked, even jumping in a few times to add his side to the story.

It was clear that the two of them shared a very close bond, but it was more than simply the love between a parent and child. They genuinely liked each other too. As beautiful as it was to watch, I couldn't help but feel envious.

"Thank you for taking me with you tonight. Your mom is amazing," I said, breaking the silence.

Donovan glanced over at me, his face softer, more relaxed than I'd ever seen it. "Yes, she's something special."

"Obviously, you bought her that house once you were older, but did you grow up in that area?"

"No. I grew up in the city. We lived in an apartment above the clinic where my mom worked. It wasn't in the best section of the city, but our home was clean and safe, and we didn't have to worry about any strange neighbors. My mom was a single parent and she worked hard, sometimes two or three jobs at a time to make sure I had what I needed. I owe everything I have to her."

"That must be nice. To have someone you could count on, someone who always put your needs above their own," I said wistfully.

His eyes darted to me then back to the road. "You didn't have that growing up?"

I shrugged. "Nah. My parents were both too busy drinking to hold steady jobs." I could feel Donovan's eyes on me every so often, but I kept my head facing forward. No one knew what my childhood had been like, except Doug and his family. It wasn't something I liked to talk about. But for some reason—maybe because he'd shown me a part of himself tonight—I wanted Donovan to know.

"I grew up in an old trailer that was falling apart, and half the time we didn't have any water or electricity because they'd either forget to pay the bills or they hadn't worked enough that week to afford them. There was rarely any food in the house, not that my mom would've cooked anyway."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Donovan's hands tighten around the steering wheel, the leather creaking beneath his grip. "Were they…abusive?" he asked in a low voice.

"Not physically. They mostly ignored me, unless they were ticked off about something and then it was a bunch of yelling and throwing things. Neither of them wanted kids to begin with and they liked to remind me how lucky I was to even be there. As if I'd asked to be born." I huffed out a humorless laugh.

"Jesus!" Donovan murmured.

"It wasn't all bad though. I learned early on to simply stay out of their way as much as possible. I hung out at the local library a lot after school and in the summer. I spent a lot of time at Doug's house too." I smiled when I thought of his family.

"He comes from a big family, and they never seemed to have much money either, but his parents worked really hard and they're super nice. They were always hugging each other and their kids.

"When they found out what things were like at my house, they kind of took me in and treated me like another one of their own. They'd feed me, let me spend the night whenever I wanted, and they made sure I had clothes for each new school year. They'd hug me a lot too, especially his mom. She gives the best hugs."

Donovan pulled up outside my apartment and parked the car before turning to face me. The lights from the dashboard shone softly on the left side of his face, the right side in shadow, but still I could see sympathy etched in his features. "I'm sorry your parents were such assholes. You deserve better than that. But I'm glad you had Doug's family. They sound amazing."

I twisted in my seat, leaning my back against the door. "They are. I don't know what I would have done without them. It was their belief in me that gave me the courage to go to college and they supported us when Doug and I told them we wanted to move to New York City."

"That just goes to show that you don't have to be blood to be considered family. My Aunt Sharon and Uncle Clifford aren't related to me in any way, they're friends of my mom, but they've always loved me like I was their nephew. It also proves that just because someone is actually blood related, doesn't mean they qualify as family."

He dipped his head, staring down at his hands. "My father ran as soon as he found out about me, and my grandparents kicked my mom out of their house because she wouldn't get rid of me. None of them deserve to be called family and neither do your parents."

I swallowed around the lump in my throat, my eyes starting to burn. I'd never had anyone who understood, who got it the way Donovan did. Sure, Doug hated my parents, hated the way they treated me, but he didn't understand. Not really. How could he? He had two parents who doted on him and his siblings, who showed them every day how much they were loved and wanted.

"That's true. It makes me even more grateful for people like Doug's parents and your mom. We're lucky to have them."

"Yes, we are."

We shared a soft smile then time began to stretch as we sat there, staring at each other. I licked my lips self-consciously and his eyes dropped down, following the movement of my tongue. Heat pooled in my belly and my pulse began to race. What would it feel like to kiss him? To glide my tongue against his and taste him? What sounds would he make?

Before I could do anything crazy, like act on my thoughts, he cleared his throat. "Good night, Trevor," he said, effectively dismissing me. His green eyes were shuddered, and I could see him putting his walls back up around him, but it was too late. I'd already seen the man behind them, the real Donovan Marshall. And I liked him. A lot.

"Good night, Donovan," I responded, not bothering with formality. Perhaps his mom was right. Maybe it was time to start pushing him a bit. And who knew, I might just figure things out about myself along the way.