Page 31 of Because You Rejected Me

Matt and I shook our heads.

“Well, I still owe Matt another meal today, so you might as well stay and eat as well.” He gave me a wink. “That way, you two can have more time to plan the wedding.”

“Sam!” I barked.

“Alright! Christ sakes! Don’t get so uppity!” He slid out of his chair and headed toward the kitchen. “Just trying to have a little fun!”

The kitchen door swung open and closed, leaving the pair of us in the lobby alone. I looked over at Matt, his face bright red with embarrassment. Mine was probably the same.

“I told him I liked you,” I said. “And then told him to keep his nose out of it. That’s all.”

“Is he always like this?”

I nodded. “Sam’s always been a bit of a meddler. And he’s been trying to get me laid for years.” I sighed again. “Now that he’s succeeded, I doubt I’ll ever hear the end of it.”

“So him sending me to work for you was just a setup?”

“Not one I had anything to do with. That note was the first I ever heard of it, same as you.”

Matt looked at me for a long moment. “I… I trust you,” he said at last. “So… So don’t lie to me, okay?”

I reached over, taking his hand. “I would never lie to you, I promise.” I kissed the back of his hand. “Sam makes people his project whether they like it or not. We just happened to be the target this time. If you stick around long enough, you’ll see him do it again and again.”

“I want to stick around,” he replied, wrapping his arms around my waist. “I feel like I finally have a reason to stay.” He glanced up at me with a smile. “And that’s not just the post-sex feelings talking either.”

“I’m happy with anything that makes you happy.”

“Then I’ll stick close to you for now,” he smiled. “And now I’m gonna go fuck with Sam.”

“Please,” I said, gesturing toward the kitchen. “Be my guest.”

“Just play along.”

“Okay.”

With that, Matt took me by the hand and led me toward the kitchen. Holding a hand out, he threw the kitchen door aside and stepped inside. Sam already had a pile of food on the stainless-steel bench in the center of the kitchen and was starting to chop. He looked up at us both with a warm smile.

“Hope you two like burgers and roasted veg because that’s what’s on the menu.”

“Sounds good to me,” Matt replied. “I’m sure my client is pretty hungry after all that work he just did.”

Sam lifted an eyebrow. “Your client?”

“Yeah,” Matt smiled, taking a seat at the end of the table. “A boy’s gotta make money somehow. These jockstraps aren’t gonna pay for themselves.” He reached over, patting me on the back. “Thanks for the tip, by the way. I’m glad you had a really good time.”

“Uh, yep,” I replied, trying to do my best to play along. “Sure thing. More where that came from.”

Sam smiled, giving Matt a knowing look. “Nice try, kid. If there’s one thing I know about Ace, it’s that he’s not a good tipper.”

“How would you know?” I asked. “You’ve never seen my tip.”

“Well, you’re an Alpha. So I can make some assumptions.”

“Okay, well, now this is getting awkward,” Matt said, looking between the pair of us. “I was trying to fuck with you and somehow it got turned around on me.”

“That’s what happens when you break the third most important rule. Never go against a Sicilian when death is on the line!”

“Really?” Matt sighed. “A Princess Bride reference? How old are you?”

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