“I’m working,” I snapped.
“Then, I’ll wait. As long as it takes,” he said, going toe-to-toe with me.
Didn’t he have any brains under those frosted tips? I obviously wasn’t ready to talk about this. Heart racing, I drew myself up to full height. He couldn’t bully me into a relationship. But I knewTheo. His ego wouldn’t take the idea I simply didn’t want to get back together. How the hell was I going to get rid of him before Andre returned?
Zack’s voice boomed from the warehouse. “Is there a problem here?”
Theo jumped. “Uh, no. Sorry, I’m her–”
“Ex.” I crossed my arms, daring him to challenge it.
Theo retreated, bumping into the counter as Zack stalked him from the warehouse shadows. The former quarterback was all flexing muscles and hard edges.
“Who are you? Her manager?” my ex bristled.
Two years and he still hadn’t met Andre, let alone my parents.
Zack looked at me for context. He’d back me up no matter what I answered.
Together, we could crush him. All I had to do was confirm one way or another.
I scoffed at Theo and propped my hand on my hip. “Of course not. He’s my boyfriend.”
Oh my god. Why had I said that?
“Your what?” Theo cried. “We’ve only been broken up for a few days.”
“I move fast.” I shrugged and sidled up to Zack. I posed like we were on an album cover. The Fancee Duet: Nyx and the Quarterback. “He’s the guy from the video: Zack.”
Both men stared at me with varying levels of incredulity.
Shit. Was this not okay? Panic stabbed like a stiletto through the chest. I should’ve stuck to the manager thing. It was right in front of me. Why did I lie about Zack being myboyfriend?
Sweat beaded on my forehead. I tugged the front of my shirt to fan myself with it. Zack studied my flushed face. He would think I was pathetic. So would Theo, if he found out I couldn’t even get a fake boyfriend for a minute.
I had to get out of here. “Anyways–”
Zack hooked his meaty arm around my waist and yanked me close. My face almost smacked into his pecs, so I had to steady myself with a palm on his warm chest. Both our hearts thundered at the new challenge.
“That’s right,” he said, glaring at Theo. “So, if you have a problem with her, you’ll have to go through me.”
“No problem.” Theo scowled.
Zack’s hand lingered on my side as he stepped between us. “Let’s go outside, then.”
I tugged on his arm. “He’s not worth it.” As much as I kinda wanted to see Theo flattened, there was no way Zack would get the job if he smacked around a customer in the parking lot.
My ex’s eyebrow twitched. “I still don’t get it.”
I rolled my eyes. What was there to get? “New Year’s Eve, we broke up. He stepped in. I won’t bore you with the details, but at least you can take comfort in the fact I never talked to him behind your back.”
Zack leaned close, his whisper more like a growl. “Andre will be here any minute.”
That meant we had to expedite this. I turned to Theo and said, “Take your new shoes and walk away. I’m not interested in dinner.”
“Don’t come here again,” Zack added.
I hugged the wall of muscle at my side and smiled. Somehow, the quarterback and I had ended up on the same team and become a winning combination.
