Page 75 of Bossy Hero

“If you’d rather I wait in the living room, I can capitulate to that request. But either way, I’m not leaving until you’re honest about why you’re giving up onsomeday.”

“Alan,” she whines, chiding me with only my name.

“Madeline,” I parrot.

Her annoyed harrumph brings a rueful smile to my face. I should give her a glimpse of it.

When I turn around to do so, she’s dabbing her nose with a tissue. Her eyes, though. They’re growing angrier by the second.

Without conscious thought, I widen my grin.

“Why are you smiling at me like that?”

I shrug casually. “I’ll answer your questions after you answer mine.”

“This is stupid. You need to leave.”

“I vehemently disagree. What’s stupid is you throwing my role at my own company in my face as a reason to cast me aside like spoiled deli meat.”

“I’m not casting you aside.” She throws her feet onto the floor. “I’m setting you free. Cutting you loose like you asked of me.”

“Well, I changed my mind.” I wobble my head like it’s on an ill-fitting spring. “I no longer want to be cut loose unless you’re doing it with total honesty. So once again, Maddie, I’ll wait.”

Her brows draw into a fierce knot, and her forehead lines deepen severely. There’s an adorable scrunch to her nose that makes me far happier than I have any right to be.

She’s fighting.

Inside, I gleefully rub my palms together. But on the outside? Cool as a pack of Newports.

My gut is fucking undefeated.

She jerks to her feet. “I said leave.”

“Heard and declined.” I make my brows dance if for no other purpose than to aggravate her. “If you want me to leave, you’ll have to make me.”

With her open palms spreading to the sides, she darts her gaze around the room. Her mood is dancing between confused and angry.

And if you ask me, which I know you didn’t, either of those is a far cry better than her earlier wallowing.

“I don’t understand what’s happening here,” she announces after a pregnant pause.

I lean back, my arms propping me on her mattress from behind. “What’s confusing you, Maddie?”

She creeps closer to me, brows arching higher as she advances. “Do you want me to fight you or something? What game is this?”

“Not playing a game. I’m deadly serious.”

“Liar.” She scoffs, thrusting her index finger in my face. “That irritating smile on your face betrays you. And this isn’t funny. Now quit playing around and leave.”

I beckon her with a wordless wave of my hand like I’m about to tell her a secret. When she gets near, I whisper, “No.”

She stiffens her spine, balling her hands and literally stomping her feet.

And it’s fucking glorious.

“Get out, Alan!”

Beautiful. Her grizzly is yawning and stretching now, preparing to fight.

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