Five Star Temptation by Jacquelin Thomas

Author:Jacquelin Thomas
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kimani Press
Published: 2012-11-22T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

“I can’t thank you enough for this second chance, Ms. Alexander.”

“It’s just Sage,” she interjected. “Paige, we are glad to have you working here. You’re doing a fantastic job from what I hear.”

She smiled. “I’m getting a lot of referrals.”

“That’s wonderful.”

Sage had heard from Ryan that Paige was going out with Keith, the assistant manager at Le Magnifique.

Keith was a sweetheart and had been a model employee. Ari hired him right out of college, placing him in the management training program. Sage was genuinely happy for Paige. The young woman was a devoted mother and a hard worker; she deserved to have some downtime and a social life.

“I offered to babysit Cassie while they’re on their date,” he told her.

“Can I keep you company?”

Ryan smiled. “I was hoping that you would say that.”

“Bring her up to my place,” Sage suggested.

He kissed her. “I can’t wait.”

“Oh, my parents invited us to the house for the weekend. I guess it’s time for you to have that sit-down with them.”

He grinned. “I’m okay with that.”

Sage folded her arms across her chest. “Really? So, you’re not just a little bit afraid of my father?”

Ryan shook his head. “I have a lot of respect for Malcolm, but I do not fear him.”

“He’s fair,” she stated.

“You can’t ask for any more than that.”

Sage agreed.

Later that evening, she and Ryan sat in the middle of the floor, playing with Cassie.

“She’s so cute,” Sage murmured. “And she’s getting so big.”

Ryan agreed.

Sage loved spending time with Cassie. She was a good baby and always had a smile on her face. Paige was wonderful with children and obviously a good mother. Despite her time on the streets, she had not let it embitter her. Like her daughter, she wore a smile most of the time. She and Ryan were close, but their relationship was strictly a platonic one. Anyone seeing the two of them together would eventually come to the same conclusion.

“I have a confession to make.”

He glanced over at Sage. “What is it, sweetheart?”

“When you brought Paige to my office that first time, I thought that maybe she was your ex-girlfriend. I thought Cassie was your little girl.”

“So you were jealous,” Ryan stated with a grin.

Sage was about to deny it but changed her mind. “Okay, I was just a little jealous. I jumped to the wrong conclusion when I saw you with Cassie. It’s clear that this little girl has you wrapped around her tiny little finger.”

Ryan smiled. “There is a not-so-little girl who also has me wrapped around her little finger.”

She leaned over and kissed him.

“You don’t talk much about your past relationships,” Sage stated. “Why is that?”

Ryan shrugged. “Because it is a part of my past, and I tend to try to focus on the present and my future.”

“Sometimes it is good to look back and learn from past mistakes.”

He agreed. “It’s okay to do that, but what ends up happening is that most people cannot seem to come to grips with their past.

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