Boss Me (Private Listing #3)

Sara:

Dante wasn’t the guy I was trying to make jealous, so no. But THE guy will be at the restaurant on Thursday.

Noah:

Okay, send me the details. We’ll be there.

“There’s a guy?” I hand the phone back to Noah.

Noah nods. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t go out with her again. But being seen with the same woman will help dispel the rumors surrounding us.”

Looking over the back of the couch, I meet Seth’s gaze. Not all rumors. What if Elizabeth says something? She threatened to say Seth and I are cheating on Coop. Seth is the one who doesn’t want the rumors flying around. Which probably means Blake should actually go out on a date with someone other than his sister.

“Have you thought about the deal with Elizabeth, Seth?” I need to know what’s going on in his head. She wants to have a relationship with him and will force the issue.

Seth rounds the island and comes over to sit in front of me on the ottoman. My insides flood with warmth, remembering that day when they all took me in front of him before he finally fucked me. The corner of his lip tips up when his eyes meet mine.

“We should discuss this as a group.” Seth waits a second for Blake to sit on the couch opposite us. Then he takes a breath. “Elizabeth wants to use me to make her mother happy. It isn’t about sex or anything else. She sees me as a way to appear more powerful.”

Seth swallows and my insides twist.

“Her mother wanted her to use one of us to get pregnant. She’s looking for an heir. A continuation of her line, and she doesn’t care who she uses to get it as long as they have the right qualifications.”

“Qualifications?” I raise an eyebrow.

“Attractive, intelligent, driven.” Seth runs a hand across the back of his neck. “If we let Elizabeth into our lives again, she’ll wreak havoc wherever she can. She’ll want me to go out with her, to be seen. She’ll insist I come in for cocktails and spend time in her house to make anyone watching believe we’re more than just acquaintances meeting for dinner.”

He searches my eyes, probably to see if I’m strong enough to deal with this. To see if I’ll break from the pressure. I don’t flinch. He’s mine. They all are.

“She wants to push rumors I’m sleeping with you.” Seth closes his eyes for a moment before he opens them for me again. “That you’re cheating on Coop with me. How can I reward that?”

“What choice do we have?” Coop runs his hand down my arm. “If you aren’t willing to come out and say we’re all in a relationship, then we have to do damage control where we can.”

“If people think Seth is fucking around behind Coop’s back”—Blake draws our attention—“Elizabeth will cause just as much or more damage. We’ll appear weak, breakable.”

“Fuck.” Seth drops his gaze to his hands.

Needing to be close to him, I climb off the couch and straddle his lap, cupping his face and raising it to be level with mine. His hands rest on my hips.

“You and I are fine. We’re good. You don’t want her.” The words get tangled in my throat, but I force them out. “You should date her.”

He presses his forehead to mine and breathes me in. “She’s a snake I don’t want to let into our lives.”

“She’s already here,” I whisper. Even after all this time, the dark blue of his eyes fascinates me, captivates me.

“It will hold off the inevitable.” Noah strokes a hand down my back and shivers race through me. “And it will also give us time to come up with our next move. We still need to figure out who the mole is in our organization. And if Madison’s stalker isn’t the professor, someone’s still out there.”

My hands thread through Seth’s soft hair as our gazes remain locked.

“Don’t forget the police haven’t found Valerie and Jeff,” Blake growls. “I hope they’ve gotten what they deserve in whatever hole they’re hiding in.”

“Were we going to work on the mole again this afternoon?” Coop leans back on the couch. “Madison’s got her play date.”

I turn to glare at him, but he gives me a playful smile. I sigh.

“When is it going to be okay for me to leave here?” I return my attention to Seth. “It was nice to get out on Friday, even with Tim watching over me. I can’t live in this building all the time. I need to get out and be with my friends. Maybe go to Hope’s brother’s bar. Or have lunch with people other than you guys.”

So many things I want to do. I love these men. Blake has on a fierce expression like he’s never going to let me go out again. Coop smirks at me like he knows the others will say no so he doesn’t have to. Noah’s brows pinch together and his fingers clench and unclench like he wants to hold on to me forever.