Page 170 of Plus Size Player

But it doesn’t need to be the truth to circulate and cause harm.

It was a sobering thought.

Russ checked his watch and then continued. “We have a meeting, and we have a lot to discuss, so let’s get to it.”

Murmuring about the information they’d just received, they got up and filed out of his office. Remedy hung back. When everyone else had left she looked at us.

“Are you sure about this?” she asked.

“Yes,” Russ said quickly and definitively.

She pointed at me. “I was talking to her. Nina, are you sure about this?”

“I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life,” I answered honestly.

With a small smile, she nodded. “I’ve never seen my brother like this and I’m happy. As his sister, I love this, and I support this.” She paused, looking between us. “As the person overseeing your employment, I hope you don’t think this means I’m going to take it easy on you. You’ll have to be able to separate business and personal.”

“I can and do,” I assured her.

“Okay. I support it,” she told us before opening up the door. “The meeting starts in one minute.”

Bringing the back of my hand to his lips, he kissed it. “You okay?” he asked.

I nodded before I peeked up at him.

The feeling that spread over me as our eyes connected forced me onto my toes. He wrapped his arms around me as I pressed my lips against his.

“Now I’m okay,” I breathed.

“I made reservations for us to go to dinner tonight at seven.” He dipped his head and put his mouth against the shell of my ear. “And then I’m taking you home to have you for dessert.”

I giggled, leaning into him. “I look forward to it.”

He motioned toward the door with his head. “You head out first. I’ll be right behind you.”

I walked across the room and before I left, I glanced over at him. “Russ?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

His eyes bore into me. His chest rose and then fell as if he weren’t just hearing me and seeing me—he was breathing me in. “I love you, too.”

I got butterflies.

Biting down on my bottom lip, I tried to tone down my smile before I returned to the conference room. I didn’t want to looktoohappy—even though I was elated. Slowing my pace, I rolled my shoulders back and entered the completely packed space.

“Where the hell have you been?” Jacqueline asked, peering over Taisha to glare at me. “I have so many questions for you.”

“After the meeting,” I told her.

Russ walked in and took his place at the head of the table. “We have a lot to discuss today. But I have a meeting in twenty minutes so we’re going to go ahead and get started.”

He flashed his perfect smile around the room as we quieted and waited for what he was going to say. “Honesty and transparency are important, and there are a few things I’ve been keeping close to the chest.”

“Like Nina, apparently,” Jacqueline muttered under her breath.

I ignored her.

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