Page 53 of Boss Level

“Um… do you have anything I can sleep in?” Claire tugged on her skirt.

Whatever’s underneath your clothes?I got it. That wasn’t the right answer. Modesty meant being covered even in bed. “Sure. Come on.”

Claire followed me back to my room. I grabbed a shirt and pair of shorts for her, and made sure she was set.

Before she left for her temporary room, she gave me a quick hug. “Thank you.”

“I’m glad you called me.” I meant it as I squeezed back. Better me than the person who would tell her to apologize to Dale and go back.

After she walked into the other bedroom, I sank onto the edge of my bed. This might not be the longest day of my life, but I was pretty sure it ranked in the top five.

My mother’s funeral was number one. Longest day of my life. The emotions from that day bubbled to the surface, threatening to choke me. I’d failed her. I’d let that…

I swallowed hard. The same wouldn’t happen to Claire, or anyone else, on my watch. No matter what I told myself or Dominic about letting it go unless Claire asked for help.

At a knock, I shoved away the past and looked up to see Claire in my doorway.

“I’m sorry, but I’m too wired to sleep,” she said.

I was fucking exhausted, but I wouldn’t be drifting off any time soon. Shifting on my bed, I sat cross legged so my back was to the wall. I patted the comforter across from me. “Come on in.”

“Thank you.” She sat across from me, mimicking my pose.

Silence sank in. She managed to find a loose thread on my comforter. There shouldn’t have been any, but she located the one.

And she flicked at it in every way possible, instead of saying anything.

Not that I was carrying the conversation either. When I was in her shoes, Xander’s Aunt Rosie let me figure out a lot in my own time, and only stepped in when I was about to be put in a dangerous situation.

Did I have the temperament to do that for Claire? I wasn’t sure I did. I wanted to shake her and ask why she didn’t get how bad this situation was.

I could keep the thoughts to myself at least for tonight.

“That guy you were with at the con, Xander? He’s got kind of a sexy vibe going on.” Claire’s speaking startled me, and her words rubbed me wrong.

Mine. The thought came out of nowhere. First of all, he was Dominic’s.

Only because I share.

Ahem. “He does have that vibe,” I said.

“Have you known him a long time?”

“Since we were in high school.”

Claire’s mouth formed a tinyO. “So, like, forever.”

A strained chuckle slipped from my throat. “We’re not that old.”

“No, I know. That’s not what I meant.” Claire was quick to assure me. “It wasn’t yesterday, and keeping high school friends is hard. When he’s a guy and you’re with someone else, it seems like that would be impossible.”

“He’s a really understanding guy.” The words hit me harder than I expected.Reallyunderstanding. “He’s also married. To a man.”

Claire’s shock was going to freeze her face in that expression. “Oh. So he’s gay.”

“He’s open to all sorts of things.” How awkward was it, discussing Xander’s sex life and preferences with a random person? Withthisperson. “All three of us are.” I needed to shut up before I said too much.

The poor loose threads on my comforter might not survive Claire’s fiddling if I let her sit there much longer. “Like in your game.”

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