Cade clicks through the genres. “Do you thinkSawcould be classified as a romance?”
“You will not bring the spirit of that evil puppet into my house. Only Jo picks horror movies, and it’s not her night to choose.”
Though I missed her last movie night for work, so I don’t know what she chose.
Cade finally stops scrolling through the terrifying thumbnails and navigates to the romance section. This isn’t so bad. We’re talking about movies and nothing even remotely personal has—
“Who was the guy you were with at the game tonight?”
Oh mygod.
I cross my arms. “Maybe it’s time for a new rule because that’s a personal matter.”
“So he’s apersonalfriend.” His lips curl as if he doesn’t know if he wants to smile because he’s teasing me or grimace at the idea of me having a “personal friend.”
But it shouldn’t matter to him.
Still, I ask, “Do you watch basketball?”
“Not often.”
Locking my phone, I toss it aside. “I represent Brett Reynolds, the—”
“Center for the Grizzlies! I thought he looked sorta familiar.” When I nod, his smile splits wide, all signs of jealousy vanishing. “Atta-girl. I always knew you’d be the best agent.”
I hate the way my praise kink purrs at his words, so I focus on voting. Four pink sticky notes I wrote during his game sit on the coffee table, and he leans forward to grab them. Ever since learning about his aversion to yellow legal pads, I haven’t used mine. By the look on his face, I think he appreciates that.
When he’s done reading through them, I sit up. “What did you do for you this week?”
“Is this going to be a weekly question?” Hazel eyes roll, but he obliges me anyway. “You’ll be happy to know I took a nap.”
My butt glides across the couch. “That’s a big self-care activity! How did you feel after?”
He shrugs. “A bit guilty, honestly.”
I rest my hand on his shoulder. “I’m proud of you, Cade.”
It should be illegal for men to have such long eyelashes, especially when they surround the prettiest eyes. Carefully carved orbs of moss and honey move from my hand on his shoulder and down my arm to meet my gaze. It’s then I realize the lack of space between us.
Rule five has been broken.Back up.
His hand around my wrist stops me. It’s gentle enough to slip out of if I tried, but I don’t think I want to.
“We don’t have to be ten feet apart to have a conversation, Shay.” Releasing me, he moves back until there’s a cushion between us. “You’re clearly great at your job. You care more than any agent I know.”
I’d curtsy if I weren’t sitting down. “Thank you.”
“So why are you working for a guy like Trevor?”
A surprised cough chokes me. This is the third time a client has said something negative about my supervisor. I assumed I was the only one who saw through his fake persona. Still, I don’t answer. My professional line cannot fall.
“I’m not asking you to talk poorly about him.”
My head snaps up. “Stop reading my mind.”
“Can’t help it.” He laughs. “But seriously. Why?”
Flashes of the last year and a half play in my head. After Cade didn’t come home, I reevaluated the things within my control. My job and success are controlled by me. Being the first one in the office, staying up late, and working my ass off are things I can do to ensure my success. But love? Relationships? No way. I learned my lesson.
