Boss Me (Private Listing #3)

Noah’s eyes search mine. I take a deep breath and give him a smile I don’t entirely feel. She and Coop talk, but I can’t hear a thing over the pounding of my heart. She’s perfectly poised and seems like just the type of woman Noah should be with. My heart squeezes.

Right now, the guys are mine, but I can’t keep them. At some point, what we have will end, and they’ll find women they can really be with. Someone like Sara, who doesn’t come with all the baggage I have. Someone who fits in this world of diamonds and champagne.

Noah looks like he’s going to reach for me, but Coop turns me away from him.

“This is our other partner, Blake, and his sister, Kayla.” Coop’s voice finally penetrates the roaring in my ears.

“Aren’t you a doll?” Kayla takes Sara’s hand. “Wherever did you find her, Noah?”

Noah clears his throat and glances quickly at me before turning back to Kayla. “Our mothers set us up.”

Kayla laughs, drawing attention from the surrounding partygoers. “A setup? That’s like my favorite trope for a rom-com.”

Sara smiles politely and looks up at Noah with dreamy eyes. “I hope so.”

Catching the waiter with a drink tray, Noah grabs two. He passes one of them to Sara and takes a drink. Coop rubs my hip and meets my eyes. He gives me a reassuring smile as I take a sip of my champagne.

The noise in the room dims and I turn to the door. Seth and Elizabeth walk in like they own the place. They pause in the entryway as they take in the room. If ever there was a power couple, those two would be the definition of it. Two titans of industry combining.

Perfection.

I lift my glass to take another sip, but my flute is empty. Coop takes it from me and sets it on a passing tray.

“Excuse us.” Coop draws me away from the crowd and off to the side. My heels echo in the hallway as he leads me around another corner. “Breathe, sweetheart.”

I suck a breath into my starved lungs. Fuck, I hadn’t even realized I was holding it.

He pulls me tight into his arms and presses my head against his chest. “They don’t want those women. They want you. Only you.”

“But I’m not long-term.” I lift my gaze to his. “I can’t show up with all of you on my arm to something like this. Even if we could continue as we are, I would be their dirty little secret.”

A rush of something awful fills me.

“Those women are perfect. They fit into the mold you guys need. I don’t.” I shake my head.

“Fuck that.”

Chapter 85

Evergreen

Madison

“Fuck that.”

My gaze jerks up to Coop’s at the venom in his voice. He drags me down the hallway away from the crowd.

“Coop, we should go back. I’m fine. Really.”

When he finally stops, he ignores my words and turns me to face an enormous mirror with an ornate gilded frame. The hallway is quiet, and I can just hear the crowd from the benefit. The mirror towers over both of us, filling the wall.

He draws my back against his front. Every touch feels molten against my skin. His hand slides across my waist, holding me firmly in place. “Look at yourself.”

I meet his eyes in the mirror and give him a glare. Obviously I’m attractive since the guys want me. But that’s not the point. I’m not perfect. I’m flawed and come with baggage most guys wouldn’t be willing to deal with.

The guys are busy men who just require someone to take care of their needs. I can do that. I can be that for them. But long-term? Even if the stars aligned and all of us could be together without any cares in the world, I still wouldn’t fit their perfect mold.

“I know what I look like, Coop.”