My smile turns sarcastic and just as biting as the judgment in her tone.
“We talked. We hit it off. I left without giving him my number. Out of the blue, we happened to bump into each other the following week and ended up going out for dinner.”
“Dinner? That’s all it took?”
“Slade has a way about him,” I murmur like the words are a hum of appreciation as I rise from my seat. “He’s not an easy one to say no to.”
And without another word, I offer her a placating smile and a wink before moving across the outdoor area toward Slade.
I’ve let the other women play with him long enough.
He’s mine, and any woman rightfully in that role would go and make her presence known.
“Hey, you,” he says and reaches his arm out to pull me against him and presses a kiss to my temple. “Gemma here”—he motions with his beer toward my coworker—“was just telling me how she met her boyfriend, Ted.” He points across the fire to where Ted stands. He’s well over six feet tall with broad shoulders and huge hands, but there hasn’t been a single instance where he’s been off his phone the entire time.
“I can’t wait to get to know him,” I say with sincerity.
“Well,” she says and puffs out a sigh, “maybe if I throw his phone into the lake, he’ll actually interact.” She gives a smile laced with embarrassment. “This is not his idea of a great time.”
“We’ll get him to put it down,” Slade says. “We may have to take a guy adventure when you ladies are in a meeting. A little bonding will have him enjoying it in no time.”
“Thank you. Truly.” Relief floods her expression as she glances over to Heather and then back. “I just idolize Heather and want her to like him.”
“Everything will be fine,” Slade says, squeezing my side in lieu of rolling his eyes.
“She sure was surprised to see you,” she says and bats at his arm as if I’m not standing there.
“Blakely likes to keep me all to herself, and I’m totally okay with that.”
He presses a quick kiss to my lips before their conversation drifts to data infrastructure or something that makes my eyes glaze over, and Gemma slowly begins crushing on him. Her laugh becomes a little lighter, and Ted’s head lifts to look our way a time or two when he hears it.
It’s a beautiful night with a chill to the air and stars dotting the sky above the pine trees all around us. I refuse to think about the mosquitos waiting to bite me, or even scarier, whatever else might be lurking in the darkness beyond. Instead, I think of Slade.
Of how I’m slowly and knowingly being seduced by everything about him and how there’s a strange empowerment in it. In having his arm around me and in having other women be jealous of it. Of being at his side and loving the light in his eyes when he glances at me every few seconds.
Slow down there, Tiger.
As if the powers that be knew I needed to stop overthinking in this moment, the activity director on duty—I forget what his name is—cranks up the music.
“Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond blasts through the speakers. Slade throws his hands up and shouts, “Sing it with me,” right before the chorus hits and he belts out, “Bom, bom, bom,” with his fist in the air to accentuate each word.
We all join in singing the song with him, and he grabs my hand and spins me out and then back into him. Then he puts his arms around me for a short, quick slow dance.
But it was definitely long enough to become hyper-aware of the full, long length of him against my body.
Just as I feel it, just as I want to sink into him, he spins me out so that it’s me who is throwing my head back and laughing. It is me who is garnering attention and people are smiling at.
Before the laughter stops echoing around the concrete platform, Slade pulls me back in and kisses me soundly on the lips.
I freeze.
I mean, of course, it’s what I want, but at the same time, there is an audience of my coworkers watching, and the attention makes me uncomfortable.
Luckily for me, the song ends and the party moves on. I take a breather to go and refill my wine and then stand on the outskirts of the fire-pit area and take it all in.
“It would behoove you to act a little more professional if you have any hope of getting the promotion.”
Ah, Horrible Heather strikes again.
I know I’ve done nothing wrong. I know she’s just lashing out because she’s supposed to be the life of the party and my boyfriend just stole that away from her.
I also know I don’t trust her or what she might pull to have ammo to use against me with the board.
“I won’t apologize for having a good time and letting loose a little with my coworkers. Isn’t that what this whole retreat is supposed to be about? Becoming a family? That whole spiel from earlier?”
She just purses her lips and sneers as Slade laughs with Oversharing Olivia.
“Oh, that’s it,” I murmur. “You’re afraid someone else is going to steal your limelight. No worries there. But maybe if you quit trying so hard, everyone would relax like that around you, too.”
Blakely
“She’s mad at you, you know.” There’s a chill to the air that would normally make me want to go inside, but that cabin is way too small for the two of us and the desire in me that’s been building all night long. I’m also buzzed enough from the liquid courage I’ve been drinking steadily all night to prepare myself for this moment.
For having to walk inside and sleep beside him while trying not to let my feelings grow for him.
“Do you think I care?” Slade leans his shoulder against the doorframe of the
