Page 29 of Boss Level

I didn’t know if I was more bothered that Roger asked me to begin with, or that I wasn’t more surprised he’d made the request.

We finished lunch quickly, so we could send Judith to her next meeting, and Xander and I decided to actually see the show.

The two of us wandered the exhibitors’ hall, pausing with each thing that caught our eye. The event was more than new game announcements, it was a celebration of fandom. There were comics, collectables, and more.

The booths weren’t the only thing that caught my eye though. There was a tangible energy in the air, from being surrounded by so many people enjoying this thing they were passionate about. And with me being next to the man I was intensely and madly in love with, I wanted to let that same vibe flow through me. I wanted to tangle my fingers with his. Steal random kisses. Enjoy everything about Xander’s company.

And I couldn’t. Claire was here. Who knew who else?

I hated it.

The thought gripped me hard, and refused to let go as we wandered from one row to the next.

“You went quiet all of a sudden,” Xander said. “What’s up?”

The one thing we’d rehashed dozens of times before. Too much, but never enough. “After all this time, why do you put up with it?”

“Why doyou?” Xander seemed to know exactly what I meant.

Because I was the one who asked for it. Because how could I expect him to play along if I didn’t? Because I loved him, but loyalty, and a promise to my father’s best friend and my mentor that was older than my relationship with Xander, got in the way. “You know why.”

“I hate it. You know that.” Xander slipped his hands into his pockets, but the gesture didn’t hide his balled-up fists. “But I love you, and I know how this town, these businesses, treat people with relationships like ours. You made the decision before me, and you do it for family.”

He leaned closer, mouth near my ear, in a way that was far too intimate to be innocent. “And if I left you, I’d lose the chance to rail that tight fucking ass whenever I wanted.”

Always the romantic. “I’m pretty fond of that too.”

“Of course you are.”

There was so much to do and see that it took us the rest of the afternoon to make our way through it all. As the clock ticked closer to closing time in the hall, Xander and I left to change for the big event tonight. Several of the larger companies had courtesy suite activities happening in a few hours, and AcesPlayed was hosting a costume masquerade and karaoke ball.

It was a mishmash of concepts, and I didn’t expect anything less from Judith’s crew.

Xander and I changed into pinstriped suits and fedoras, donned sunglasses as masks, and headed as the Blues Brothers to Judith’s room.

When she opened the door, my jaw fell open. She wore a shimmery red evening gown that hugged every one of her curves, and showed off one leg with the nearly hip-high slit. Her heels made her four inches taller, and the way she let her hair frame her face in soft waves turned her into a real-life Jessica Rabbit. The delicate mask she wore added to the entire look and did nothing to hide who she was.

She placed a finger under my chin and pushed up. “Mouth shut, Wolfy.”

“Besides, everyone knows Red goes home with the dog,” Xander said.

I raked my gaze over him, truly appreciating the way the suit accentuated every muscle. “You arenotDroopy Dog.”

“I’m not droopy anything while she’s wearing that dress.” The way Xander adjusted himself was anything but subtle.

Judith looked between us, her raised eyebrows not hiding her faint smirk. “Do you have this out of your systems?”

“Not until later, I assume,” Xander said.

“You’re not going to ask us to behave are you?” Because that sounded dull. “No one else down there will be.”

Judith twisted her mouth. “My people will be.”

“Since when?” Xander snorted.

“Since most of them are attached to each other and in love.” It was impossible to tell if that sigh at the end of Judith’s statement, the one that landed onin love,was sincere or sarcastic.

Xander rolled his eyes. “No fun.”

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