Boss Me (Private Listing #3)

All eyes are on me at the table. I’ve been running on autopilot. But we’re in a busy restaurant surrounded by other diners. I snap to attention.

“A glass of your best Riesling, please,” Coop answers for me and squeezes my hand.

I turn to him. Does he love me? It seems impossible.

The waiter leaves the table. Coop leans in close to me.

“Are you okay?” His thumb strokes over the back of my hand, sending little shots of awareness through me.

Fuck. I don’t think asking if he loves me would be a smart move currently. We’re engaged and out with another couple. Just because I love him doesn’t mean he loves me.

Besides, it makes sense that he would say he loves me. It’s just part of the cover story.

As much as I want him to love me, that would be ridiculous. Someone like him would never love me. Desire me, yes. Love me?

“I’m fine.” I touch the side of his face and smile. “Everything’s good.”

He doesn’t look convinced, but he presses his lips to mine and the world fades for a second. Even if he doesn’t love me, I still love him. And every moment I have with him is precious to me.

He presses his cheek against mine as he whispers in my ear, “Another minute of you zoning out and I would have taken you somewhere more private to wake you up.”

Heat flushes through me. He draws back, and his eyes tell me he’s aware of what he does to me.

“He’s over there.” Sara leans across the table to tell me. Ah, something else to obsess about. Sara’s mystery man. “Wyatt Hawkins. Dark hair, dark eyes.” She sighs. “He’s wealthy and my brother Tom’s best friend.”

I glance over at the table she points out. A sinfully handsome man sits with a voluptuous blond. She’s curved into his side, whispering something in his ear. His dark gaze flicks to this table for a hot second. He doesn’t see me looking at him because his focus is on Sara.

The second Sara turns back in his direction, it’s like a switch flips and he’s totally into the blond again. Interesting.

“So where does Dante fall into this?” I place my napkin on my lap, happy to dwell on something that’s not about me for a while.

Sara’s face burns red, and she gets really interested in her napkin suddenly. “Dante thinks he’s protecting me. But I think he’s just keeping me away from Wyatt. He’s also my brother’s friend.”

I’ve spent too much time with my guys because I kind of want to say that it seems like she’s interested in both, so why not have them both? But just because it works for me and my guys doesn’t mean it will work for Sara. Besides, it’s not like we’re out about it.

I’m currently engaged to Cooper Graham, while Noah is out with Sara, and Seth is out somewhere with Elizabeth. We’re keeping it a secret.

“Oh, isn’t that your boss?” Sara tugs at Noah’s sleeve.

I freeze. I don’t want to look. I don’t want to know. He wouldn’t bring her here. That’s just cruel.

Noah turns to look. When he turns back, his gaze locks with mine. “Our boss is out on a date.”

“That woman? Again? Gah, she’s the worst.” Sara straightens her napkin on her lap. She freezes when she sees my face. “Are you feeling okay, Madison? You look a little pale.”

Forcing a smile, I refuse to look in that direction. “I’m fine, just a little warm.”

I take a sip of my water. Coop threads his fingers through mine and holds my hand. He leans into me and whispers, “He’s doing this for you. Not her. You. Remember that.”

Glancing at Coop’s blue eyes, I smile and nod. Logically, I know that, but inside… it feels like someone’s digging out my guts and throwing them in my face. Their relationship isn’t real, but once upon a time, they were real. What if being with her stirs up those old feelings?

“I’m not sure what Seth sees in her. Must be one hell of a business deal to put up with that woman.” Sara sighs. “My brother had a girlfriend like that. Real vapid and not at all friendly. I was so glad when they finally broke up.”

“What does your brother do?” I need the distraction. Anything to keep me from looking at Seth and Elizabeth. Even if he says they don’t fit, they do. And it twists my insides into knots thinking about it.

“He and his best friends run an accounting firm. They’re basically the partners of it and oversee everyone else.” Sara sighs and glances at Wyatt. “Tom gets to see him every day, plus they all share an apartment.”

“By best friends do you mean Dante and Wyatt?” I’m grasping at straws, trying to make conversation so I won’t look.