Page 25 of The Cowboy's Second Chance Bride

Jeez, I’d missed her. No one had held a candle to this woman in front of me. Even her flaws were perfect.

But I knew she had a point. “I care about you being dragged into this.”

“So you said. Well, I don’t, so let’s move on.”

“You should care,” I said in a low voice. She was so near I could taste her breath, coffee and crème brûlée creamer.

“Why should I care? Is there something about you I don’t know? Are you a murderer? A serial rapist? Do you kick kittens and run dogfighting rings?”

“If I said yes, would you go out there and tell them you were joking?”

She snorted.

“Tell them I hit you. Tell them anything to separate us.”

She reared back. “I don’t understand you. I’m sorry that being associated with me is such a dire situation for you.”

“You just had to show them they were wrong, not give them more to feast on.”

She stared up at me, searching my face for answers I wasn’t about to give her. Then she shook her head as she pushed me to the side and rushed out of the closet.

I wiped a hand down my face. Fuck. How am I supposed to protect her from my father now?

ChapterTen

SABRINA

Irushed down the hallway, back toward the conference space. I was going to find my purse and get as far away from Calvin Beckett as I could. Gads, this seemed to be a recurring theme these days. See Cal, get away from Cal. Swear to never see Cal again. Repeat.

Today, though, I meant it. I’d done my part, and now we could go our separate ways and forget the other existed. He was infuriating. He’d asked for my help but wasn’t happy with what I gave. Didn’t he realize that if we weren’t seen together again, the murmur of us would eventually die down?

Good riddance.

Paul came out from the conference-room side door, carrying my purse and wearing a giant smile. He laughed happily. “Sabrina, you are amazing. You’re in the wrong business because you should be in PR.”

I lifted the strap of my bag off his shoulder. “I kinda think what I do is PR.”

“If you ever want to change it up, I’ll hire you in a hot minute.”

“Well, I’m glad someone appreciates me.” I didn’t have to look over my shoulder to know Cal was coming up behind me. It was like my body was tuned into his pheromones and signaled whenever he was near, with goose bumps, twisty tingles in the stomach, or a head-to-toe flush.

Paul whipped out his phone. “Look at the headlines. Already, the narrative is starting to shift.”

Cal groaned.

“My work here is done.” I stuck my hand out to Paul. “It was nice to meet you.”

He shook his head as he put his hand in mine, not to shake but to pull me alongside him. He began moving toward the elevators. “No, no, you can’t leave. Let’s go up to the suite and talk.”

“Let her leave.” Cal came up between us and pushed Paul away, breaking his connection with me.

“She can’t leave.” Paul moved around to Cal to reach me.

“Why not?” Cal and I asked simultaneously.

“I will explain it all upstairs in private.” He gestured around the space before cupping one of his ears as if to say the walls were listening.

I looked longingly at the lobby, where my exit was. If I made a break for it, Paul would try to chase me, but Cal would stop him. So it would be an easy getaway. But there were a few reporters from the press conference lingering, and if I were to make a mad dash, that wouldn’t look good.

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