Page 69 of Leashed

Chapter Twenty-Five

Sage sat on the edge of the hotel room bed and smoothed the skirt of her dress down over her thighs as she waited for Nixon to finish getting ready for their first post-break dinner date. Her phone buzzed in her purse and she glanced toward the open bathroom door before pulling it out to see a holiday wish from one of her coworkers.

Firing off a Merry Christmas text back, she slipped the cell away again and folded her restless hands on her lap. “Nix?”

He walked over to the large mirror, his hands covered in a sticky-looking hair product. “Almost ready. There’ll be a few colleagues there tonight, so make sure you’re looking as presentable as possible.”

Watching him spike his hair up with meticulously practiced precision, she took a deep breath. “I kissed Bo.”

His hands hesitated for a moment before they resumed his regimented grooming procedure. “When?”

“Last week, before you called. When you wanted a break,” she replied, slipping her hands under her legs to avoid touching her lips. “It didn’t mean anything.”

The words were sour on her tongue and she fought to spit them out.

He caught her eye in the mirror. “Ready?”

Caught off guard, she nodded and stood. “That’s it? Don’t you want to know why?”

“I don’t particularly care why. I want to take my girl out for a nice evening, not get caught up in some silly high school drama,” he stated, adjusting the position of his tie. “Frankly, I’m more bothered by your reasons for bringing it up minutes away from dinner reservations I booked weeks ago.”

Buckling the straps of her shoes, she grabbed her purse and followed him into the hall. “Because it was wrong and the guilt was killing me?”

It wasn’t a total lie.

Guilt was tearing her apart.

But it had nothing to do with Nixon.

He tugged the door closed and led her to the elevator, pressing the down button. “We all have moments of weakness,” he muttered, checking out his reflection in the doors. “Were you feeling a little insecure?” He smiled down at her. “I know my uncertainty over you must have weighed on your mind. But rest assured, I’ve made the decision to keep you around.”

She followed him into the elevator and stared at the doors until they opened in the receiving room, placing her hand on his arm as they exited. “So that’s it?”

Distracted by the crowd, he patted her hand. “I’m not making a scene, if that’s what you’re hoping for,” he said, nodding toward a coworker.

*

Making a scene.

Sage stared down at the huge diamond on her finger, well aware there were dozens of eyes on her awaiting her response. She looked back up at Nixon and attempted to follow the path of his gaze as he grinned and scanned the room.

There wasn’t a single person in the restaurant who wasn’t focused on their table, focused on the flashy ring when it was presented loudly as he stood over her.

He had made sure everyone was watching, clinking his spoon against his glass to ensure he had the attention of the room.

Her eyes found the exit and she ran her fingers over the outline of her cell in her purse.

“Sage?”

“I, um, yes?”

The cheers of the crowd bombarded her as Nixon lifted a glass in celebration and bowed his head when the patrons shouted their congratulations. Her hand was yanked across the table for observation, women she’d never met examining the flawless stone and cooing over its purity.

Her stomach lurched.

“Nix?” she whispered, tugging on his sleeve. “I need a minute.”

Without glancing down, he stepped aside and let her pass, joking with the server about her nerves.

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