Page 47 of The Season of Secrets

“I don’t think I do, so can you please be clearer?”His voice is even and soft, not accusatory or angry.

“I…” I look behind him where the driver has opened the door. “We should go.”

He doesn’t move or even look in the direction of the car. “He can wait. Tell me what’s wrong.”

“Nothing!” I shake my head because I’m not really even sure what is wrong. It’s obvious that Claire was jealous and while the comment about my age stung, should it have? I mean I am much younger than Wes.

“Do you want to know what I think?”

“I don’t know, do I?” I raise an eyebrow at him.

“I think you’re feeling a little insecure because someone I’ve slept with before reminded you that I wasn’t a virgin when I met you.”

“I knew you weren’t a—”

“Missing the point.” He interrupts. “See why it’s better not to refer to yourself as my assistant? Think how that could have gone if we’d gone with that narrative.” He cups my cheeks. “A lot more work for me,” he jokes and I sigh.

“You’re right. I suppose I just felt a little insecure.”

“That’s fair. As far as the rumors at the office, that’s just what they are,rumors. I’ve never touched anyone that worked for me.”

I nod in understanding. While I do feel silly for bringing this up now, I feel better knowing a little bit more about the women that came before me and the context of his relationships with them. “Does it bother you that there’s a big difference in our ages?”

“No. Does it bother you?”

I wrack my brain, searching for any wayward thought I may have had over the past week but nothing comes to mind. “No…I mean…you are very close to my dad’s age but…no. Should it bother us?”

He shrugs. “I don’t think so. If it makes you feel better, I don’t think of you as a twenty-two year old.” He wraps an arm around me and guides me towards the car. “Except for that time, you chased very nice whiskey with soda…” He laughs.

We are whisked into a private area the second we arrive at the restaurant. It has a table, a small L-shaped couch, and another table, almost like we have our own private room but outside. We are on the roof with the most gorgeous view of the city as well as the water. It’s a little cooler now that it’s getting darker, but nothing compared to the frigid temperatures of Philadelphia in December. Even still, I’m wearing next to nothing and it’s inching below sixty-five degrees.

“Are you cold? We can move inside,” Wes says as he slides his jacket off and onto my shoulders. “There are heated lamps up here also.”

“No, this view is insane.” I look out over the city staring at the blue and green hues that shine from below. “It’s so beautiful.”

“You’re so beautiful.” When I turn away from the view, he’s staring down at me, and for the hundredth time,just today,I melt. He guides me towards the couch, pulling me into his lap and wraps his arms around me. “Do you trust me?” He asks me and I look down at him, wondering where he’s going with this.

“Yes.”

“Completely?”

“Yes, but you’re not going to try and convince me to let you fuck my ass or something here, right?” My eyes pan the area we’re in, and while we are mostly secluded there are people around, and who knows when our servers would show up.

He laughs and tightens his hold, running his hand up my bare leg gently. “No, I wasn’t. We have to work up to fucking your ass in public.”

My eyes widen at his words because I don’t think I’ll ever get there. “Okay, so why do you ask?”

“Tell me where you heard that rumor.”

“Wes…”

“You said you trust me.”

“Yes, but I’m not about to have you pissed at whoever said something.”

He narrows his eyes. “I already have an idea.”

“You have to promise you won’t be a dick to them.”

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