Page 105 of Boss Me

She squealed and clapped her hands. “I knew you’d do it! You told Jackson?”

“He was lurking outside the boardroom.”

“And Weston?” she whispered.

“He’s out. And his lackeys with him. Including my father.” His lips tightened. “I told the board about Weston’s behavior to persuade me to support the sale. They took away his seat on the board. He wasn’t pleased.”

It was probably an understatement. I could imagine Weston, all cold fury and dastardly plans for revenge. I shivered. At least I wouldn’t bear the brunt of that.

He turned to me. “I took his ace. I told them how I feel about you.”

“You didn’t,” I said, my voice flat and unbelieving. He’d denied our relationship to Weston. No way would he reveal it to the board, who could fire him like they’d fired Jackson.

“I did. Ben, I’m sorry for denying it when we came back. When I saw my father, I panicked. He hurt me for so long, and I didn’t want him to think he could hurt me by hurting you.”

I melted like cheddar on the hamburger special. “Cooper, that’s—that’s—”

“It was cowardly, and I’m sorry. I wish I could do it over, but I can’t. I want to win you back if you’ll let me.” He smiled. “Charles congratulated me after. He, ah.” Those sharp cheekbones went pink. “He thinks it’ll be easy. That you’ll just fall into my arms. I know you won’t.”

“Oh. Um.” Marlee scooted back her chair. “I think I should give you guys—”

“It’s fine, Marlee. I don’t care who hears.” Those steely blue eyes of his cut me open. “I love you, Ben,” he said, in a voice just loud enough for me to hear.

Cooper Fallon, COO, told me he loved me in a crowded cafeteria. The closest tables probably read the words on his lips. My heart pitter-pattered, trying to leap across the table toward him. I flashed him a flirty smile. “Care to say it a little louder so the rest of the class can hear?”

He grinned, showing that gorgeous left-cheek dimple. “Okay, Ben.”

He scraped back his chair, the metal legs screeching against the tile. He stood.

“Shit, wait.” I fluttered my hand, trying to get him to sit down again like a reasonable person.

He ignored it. In the carrying voice he used to project to the very back of our all-employee meetings, one that could be heard even by the cafeteria workers as they rattled dishes and threw food onto the sizzling grill, he said, “Ben Levy-Walters, I love you. I know you’re angry with me right now because I hurt you. I was wrong. I was a coward, and I’m sorry. I’ll do my best never to hurt you again.”

If I thought the cafeteria was quiet before, it was nothing to the silence that descended over the large room. Even the grill seemed to go quiet. Someone shouted in the back room of the kitchen, and he was shushed.

“I—what?” I was lost in the blue pools of his eyes.

He smiled with both sides of his mouth. Not quite the easy grin he’d given me on the island, but a fond smile that connected with the warmth of his eyes. “Ben, I love you. Will you forgive me and consider taking me back?” He held out his hand.

I took it and let him raise me to my feet. I took a second to look around at the employees who were no longer pretending to eat but stared at us, eyes and mouths open.

“You didn’t have to do this,” I whispered. “All I wanted was for you to say you love me and call me your boyfriend. In private. Not in the fucking employee cafeteria.”

“Ben,” he said, still projecting to the back of the kitchen. “I’ll declare my love everywhere. Because I love you, and I want the world to know it.”

I squeezed my eyes shut. “You’re not even drunk. You’ll regret this tomorrow.”

“I don’t think I could ever regret anything about you. Except what I did to hurt you. Will you take me back?”

The cafeteria was silent. I don’t think anyone dared to chew. Or to breathe. Could they hear my heart thudding in my chest? For Cooper. It beat for him.

I bit my lip and nodded. Softly, I said, “I love you, Cooper Fallon.”

“What’s that?” He cupped his ear. “I don’t think they heard you in the far corner.”

I sucked in a deep breath and projected my voice, not as well as Cooper had done, but as loud as I could go. “I love you, you big jerk. I’ll take you back.”

Murmurs spread across the cafeteria. One person clapped.

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