Page 21 of Boss Me Not

“Says the guy who gave his girl a day off and sent her to the spa.”

“She’s not my girl.” I gritted my teeth and left off theyetI wanted to add. Because, fuck, did I like the sound of that. “I did that for Employee Appreciation Day.”

He laughed and I whipped around to look at him.

“Bullshit.” He raised an eyebrow. “So, where’s my spa gift card?”

Fuck. I hadn’t done anything for Paul. I suck. “I think the whole thing is dumb. A day to show the employees you pay your appreciation by giving them stupid crap like a luncheon.”

He snorted. “Yet you went above and beyond to give Angie a gift.”

“It’s different.” At least I thought it was. “She’s the one organizing everything. It didn’t feel right not to do something special for her. Especially after I demanded she end her vacation and start early. Then I left her to handle the wedding pretty much by herself. Then threw myself at her later that night before changing my mind.”

His eyes widened comically. See? Even he thought I was an utter asshole.

I let out a harsh breath. “Do you see what I mean? I constantly screw things up.”

“You’re impulsive. Most of the time you realize it, but sometimes not until after the fact. I won’t lie. You will probably spend a lot of time groveling and making it right.” His lips lifted into a smirk. “But with the right woman, she’ll be willing to forgive and won’t hold it over your head.”

“I know where you’re going.” We pulled up in front of the building where my meeting was, and Paul brought the car to a stop. “I don’t blame Amanda.”

“Yes, I know. But Wyatt, from the outside looking in, we all saw that girl as a gold-digging witch who you could never please unless you were dropping a shit ton of money on her. And even then, you couldn’t make her happy.”

If any of that were true, it made sense that she ended up marrying a rich old guy. But he obviously made her happy, so what did that say?

I pushed the car door open and stepped out, over this conversation. “I’ll text when I’m done.”

He nodded, and I shut the door before turning and making my way inside.

Being a board member of this charity was one of the things I took pride in. The founder was a genius, and his prototype blew my mind. He was getting reliable, easy-to-use devices in the hands of nonverbal kids who struggled to communicate. Most were still using large books that were clunky and not easy or quick to manage. These devices were next level and were already making a huge difference now that we had the charity off the ground. I wanted to invest my parents’ money in things I knew they’d be proud of.

I barely remembered my mom, but according to stories my grandmother told me, she volunteered a lot in the special ed program at the local school. She also led a program at church and donated to organizations that helped fund materials and assistance in schools. So when I came across this opportunity, I knew she would approve. And so would Nana B.

But as excited as I was to be there, my mind ran in circles through the meeting. Between the texts with Angie, the letter from my grandmother, and then the conversation with Paul, I was pretty sure I heard nothing of what was said during the entire hour I was in the boardroom. Luckily, I was a pro at faking my inattention. Except with Angie, apparently.

A smirk lifted my lips as I thought about her tits that day, ready to pop free from that sweater. Then my mind drifted to her flushed skin, hair high on her head, standing in my bathroom in only a towel. One that clung tightly to her gorgeous curves.

Fuck. I blinked and shifted uncomfortably, trying unsuccessfully to focus on the meeting. Once I was downstairs and pulling open the door, I was frustrated to say the least. What the hell was it about Angie that I couldn’t shake?

“What if I fail again?” I asked after climbing back into the front seat. “Because I see how Angie could be a good fit for all theshit I hate doing at the hotel. So, what if I fuck it up?” I huffed. “Then she’ll be gone, and I’ll be left picking up the pieces again. Dealing with bridezillas and flowers, fucking throw pillows. I’m not good at that shit. You know that.”

“You realize I’m not in your head?” He pulled out into traffic and stole a glance my way. “But I don’t think her quitting is what’s holding you back from trying something serious with her either. If that’s what you’re asking.”

“Of course that’s what I’m fucking asking.” I gritted my teeth. “Wasn’t that the whole point of your lecture earlier?”

“Yes. But since when do you actually listen to me?”

I rolled my eyes. “Since I can’t get her outta my head. I thought distance would help, but it’s making me crazy.”

When the smirk appeared on his lips, part of me wanted to punch him.

“You have it bad.”

I let my head fall back against the headrest and closed my eyes. Was I really considering this? Eight years since my relationship with Amanda imploded, and I’d had zero issues with casual hookups. In only five days, Angie had gotten under my skin and made me want things I never thought I would.

“I need to grab a few things from my condo, but then I want to head back to Starlight Bay.”

“Atta boy.” He bumped my knee with his fist, and I glared over at him. That damn smirk of his was still there. “Another word of advice?”

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