Fuck.I would have been better stuck in the inn with a bleating goat and Kenny G, after all.
I paste on a smile, my heart dropping into my stomach as I face the man who nearly broke me.
12
EX MARKS THE SPOT
LUKE
“Sage?What are you doing here?”I hear before brown eyes meet mine.And then: “Luke Sterling.Interesting.What a surprise.”
The voice hits me like static—grating, self-satisfied, and familiar in the worst possible way.
I know that voice.
It’s recognizable by the slick, insincere cadence.By the smug delivery of my name like he’s chewing on it.
Like it tastes expensive but doesn’t quite go down smooth.
Derek.Fucking Manning.
CEO of CoreSyte.
Tech bro royalty in Seattle’s worst sense—he runs a mid-tier predictive analytics firm that pretends to be cutting-edge but mostly survives off venture buzz, brand partnerships, and VC smoke and mirrors.
I’ve seen him pitch.I’ve watched him steal ideas and repackage them in sleeker wrapping.
And I’ve never liked him.
Never trusted him.
Never respected him.
The fact that this is Sage’s ex?
I feel my jaw go tight.My spine locks into place.
Sage stiffens beside me, and I instantly slide my arm around her waist.She’s trembling—not visibly, not for anyone else to see—but I can feel it.A subtle tremor in the muscles beneath her skin.
And that’s all it takes.
My protective instincts flare into something hot and territorial.
"Derek," I acknowledge coolly."I'd say it's a pleasure, but my grandmother raised me not to lie."
His smile falters."I see you know Sage."
"I do."I pull her even closer."We were just heading inside.If you'll excuse us?—"
"Oh, but we should catch up!"The sparkly woman—Erica, I presume—bounces on her heels like an excited terrier."Sage, I love your dress!Is it vintage?"
"It's—"
"Three years old," Derek interrupts, his eyes scanning Sage with an assessment that makes me want to punch him."I remember when you bought it.For the company Christmas party, wasn't it?The one you didn't attend?"
“Yes.”Sage blinks.“Because you dumped me two days before.”
Fists tightening, I lean down, murmuring in Sage's ear, loud enough for this piece of shit to hear."Dance with me."
