Page 17 of Bossy Bred

“I understand. You want to do it on your own.”

“You should visit sometime, if you feel like it. You know. So you can see what your money is going toward.”

“It’s not my money. It’s the company’s.”

“You know what I mean. Is that something you would be interested in?”

“Maybe. I’ll keep it in mind.”

I don’t like that she looks disappointed by my answer. But I don’t want to make promises that I’m not confident I can keep. Just like how I’m not sure about us changing this from something casual to something more real.

I really like Leta. I think she’s gorgeous, smart, and kind. I think it’s great that she’s doing her own thing and making a differencein others’ lives. I thoroughly enjoy the time we spend together, and when I’m not with her, I’m thinking about her.

But to date her…fuck. I don’t know. Eventually, it’ll either lead to the mess of a breakup or to the expectation of an even more serious commitment.

And if there’s one thing I’m certain of, it’s that marriage isn’t for me.

My feelings have nothing to do with Leta. If I was interested in tying the knot, she’s the kind of woman I would probably end up with. But I’m not interested. Not with anyone. Marriage and babies and all that stuff—I’ve never seen the appeal. Even watching my brothers become happily married men hasn’t changed things for me. All it’s done is confirm that some people are meant for that path, and others, like me, aren’t.

It’s hard to reconcile my feelings of wanting to keep Leta all to myself and knowing she would probably be better off with a man who can give her more than I can. But right now, it’s not something I need to figure out. Right now, all that matters is enjoying the company of the beautiful woman in my bed.

I lean in and kiss Leta’s neck, loving the warmth and softness of her skin. When she exhales a gentle moan, I move on top of her, eclipsing her curves.

“What am I going to do with you, gorgeous?” I murmur, slowly shaking my head.

Leta smiles one of her oh-so-sweet smiles. “I can think of a few things.”

“You’ve never ridden the Great Wheel?”

Leta looks astonished as she asks me the question. We’re sitting at my kitchen island, eating breakfast together. I don’t think either of us expected her to stay over last night—it just happened. It was late, and she was still here, and there was no reason for her to leave.

I’m not going to lie: it was nicer than I expected it to be, waking up with her next to me in bed.

“That can’t be that surprising,” I say, reaching for my coffee cup. One sip and I’m coughing. “Jesus, Leta. I wouldn’t have let you brew the coffee if I knew how strong you were going to make it.”

She waves away my complaint. “Nonsense. It’s perfect.”

“Yeah, maybe if you drown it with creamer like you do,” I say, nodding at the caramel-colored brew in her cup.

She playfully slaps my shoulder. “Go water yours down if it’s too strong.”

“It’s okay. I’ll suffer through it.”

“Anyway,” she says emphatically. “We should go ride it.”

“The Ferris wheel?”

“Yes. I think it would be fun.” She eats a bite of toast. “Not as a date or anything. Just as friends.”

I smile. “Oh, we’re friends now, huh?”

“Yes. I’ve decided that we’re officially friends.”

“Who fuck.”

Leta scoffs. “No need to be so crude about it, sir.”

I hide my smile with another sip of coffee. Maybe it doesn’t taste so bad after all.

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