Page 95 of The Wrong Boss

Cole’s shoulders slumped as a breath rushed out of his lips. He shoved a hand through his hair. “That’s not— Never mind.”

“Are you having second thoughts?”

“I seem to have nothing but second thoughts when it comes to you.”

I sat back on my seat, one hand still on the door handle, and frowned. That didn’t exactly sound like a compliment. “I thought we’d come to an agreement.”

“We did,” he insisted. “It’s not that.”

“So what is it?” My mind whirled, trying to figure out what he was trying to say. My heart was still thumping hard, and the rushing of my blood was making it ever harder to think. Vision going mottled and black at the edges, I felt a familiar overwhelming fear start to take root inside me. But I wouldn’t turn away from it—not this time. I was better than that now. So I asked, “You’re not going to turn around and drag me to court to try to take Evie away, are you?”

“Fuck, Carrie, no,” Cole exclaimed. He grunted in frustration and leaned over to the glove compartment, pulling it open a little more forcefully than necessary. Reaching inside, he felt around fora second and then pulled out an item, slamming the glove compartment closed again. “Here,” he muttered, thrusting the item at me.

I took it and reared back. A little black velvet jewelry box sat on my palm like a hairy tarantula.

“Um. Cole. What’s this?”

“Open it,” he ordered.

I stared at the box. My pulse went to the stratosphere. I closed my fingers around the box and thrust it at his face. “Are you asking me to marry you?” I demanded.

He reared back. “What? No!”

“Oh.” Disappointment slammed into me, which was crazy. I put a hand to my forehead, still staring at the little velvet box in my hand.

Cole must have seen the disappointment written all over my face, because he leaned toward me, the leather of his seat creaking. “Wait,” he said slowly. “Did youwantme to propose to you?”

“What?” I said, forcing a laugh. “No. Of course not. Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Yeah,” he said, snorting. He cleared his throat, looking troubled. “Ridiculous. Yeah.”

It was my turn to squint at him. “I mean…doyouwant to get married?”

“Me?”

“Yeah.”

“To you?”

“Yes, Cole.”

He shrugged, half shaking his head. “That would be crazy.”

“Yes,” I agreed. “Totally crazy.” I looked at the box and huffed an unconvincing laugh. “I can’t believe I thought you were giving me an engagement ring right after we spent three hours trying to hash out our coparenting relationship.”

“You know what, give me that back,” he said, reaching for the little black box.

My fingers closed around it and I backed away. “Why?”

“Just give it back, Carrie.”

“But you gave it to me.”

“And now I want it back.”

“No.” I leaned back so far, my head hit the passenger window.

Cole reached over, one hand leaning against the dash and the other grabbing the headrest of my seat. “No?”

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