Page 69 of Boss Level

I told Ivan I’d be back soon, took the stairs to avoid running into anyone while I was in this oddly euphoric kind of mood, and found Xander and Dominic next to Dom’s SUV.

“We need to talk.” Xander grabbed my hand when I was within reach and tugged me into the back seat, putting me between the two of them, facing Dom.

Okay? “What’s up with the location?” And the ominously vague language.

“It’s warm. It’s cozy. It’s private,” Dominic said.

I liked the sound ofprivate. “So, what’s up?”

He reached for my neck, and sparks raced through me when his fingers brushed my skin. He pulled the chain free that I kept his ring on. “Xander and I have decided to stop hidingus.”

The words drilled through me on a wash of confusion. This was something I’d been waiting to hear for years, and I was so very happy for them. But it was impossible to ignore the disappointment for me.

“That’s incredible.” I only let my excitement show. I wasn’t a selfish twat who couldn’t enjoy others’ happiness. “Congratulations.”

Xander’s grip tightened where his hand rested on my hip, and I swore the ghost of doubt flashed across Dominic’s face.

“It really is.” Xander sounded genuinely excited, and he should be. He’d wanted this, deserved this, for so many years.

I expected Dominic to slip the ring from its chain and reclaim it. Instead, he traced his thumb along the edge, his brow furrowed.

“It’s going to take us a little bit to figure out how to do this. It’s not like we flip a switch and tomorrow the world knows we’re together,” Xander said.

Dominic nodded. “And it’s not as though anything else has to change.”

The fake engagement does. There was no reason to say it—we all knew it. “Nothing else like what?”

“Well…” Dominic trailed a finger lightly up my arm and sent goosebumps racing over me.

Xander’s grip fell away, and Dominic frowned. What just happened? Like that the mood in the vehicle shifted. I glanced over at Xander to see him leaning against the door, as if he couldn’t get far enough away from me. He was looking at Dominic, brow furrowed.

“What just happened?” I needed to know as I shifted in my seat so I could see both of them.

Xander opened his mouth, and a ringing noise fell out. Rather, his phone rang, cutting off what he was about to say. He reached for the device without pause. “Should be set to silent,” he mumbled.

But none of us completely ignored our phones. His would be set to ring through with multiple calls from the same number, in case of emergencies, just like mine was.

“Yeah.” Xander’s voice was sharp. As he listened, his gaze fell on me again, and his frown changed to something that made my gut churn. “Don’t know. Because you’re pushing out the guy who handles these things?”

No.

“I’m sure it’s because she’s on it.” As Xander spoke, he slid from the SUV and tugged me with him. “Let them do their jobs.” He hung up and pocketed his phone. “Oliver. Game’s down.”

What? “Super happy for both of you.” I squeezed Xander’s arm and waggled my fingers at Dom. “Gotta go. I’ll call you.” I didn’t know if they heard the last bit, because I was already sprinting into the building and up the stairs.

I’d left my phone at my desk. So I could go fuck around with my friends. Who was? Ignoring work. Ignoring my priorities.

As I neared the Dev room, I heard Link’s voice, but hard. “Sit the fuck down.” The command was followed by him issuing a string of priorities to everyone in the room.

Thank God no one was out here to see me panting like a dog. I paused long enough to catch my breath, smoothed out my hair and clothing, and strode toward the room. “Status update,” I said as I walked in.

Chris stood up, his head popping above a cubicle wall, and I glared at him.

“Link?” I walked up to his desk.

He gave me the run-down of what was happening in short, terse words.

I was fine with the tone, as well as the conciseness. “Tell me what you need me to work on.” Because yes, I was the boss, but this was their realm of expertise and I trusted them to do their jobs.

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