I exhale, closing my eyes for a moment. “Get it together, Maddy,” I whisper to myself.
How did I manage to get here?In the span of one month, I lost my old job, lost my boyfriend, moved into a glassy box in the sky with rent I can only afford with my new job, and then I managed to sleep with all three of my bosses.
I frown at that. I’ve neverimagined being involved with more than one guy at a time. Let alonethree.
I stop by the edge of the deck and brace both palms against the glass railing, staring down at the city again. The wind up here is cool, a little damp, and it whips my hair into my mouth.
What if they ask me to choose between them?
I’m not sure where the thought comes from, but I don’t want to choose. I don’t even know if I can. I’ve spent my whole life picking the safe choice—the right college, the reliable boyfriend, and the backup plan to the backup plan. Even now, even here, Ishould be searching for a replacement job, not leaning over the city like a sad gargoyle.
And before I can expand on that, a voice cuts through my thoughts.
“I thought you might be up here.” Beck’s voice drifts across the pool.
I spin around, my heart in my throat. He’s in swim trunks and nothing else. And to make it all worse, he looks like the most relaxed human on earth…
Which makes me want to punch him and fuck him in equal measure.
“So…” He squints at me, then the pool, then the skyline. “Rough day?” He meets my gaze again.
I glare at him. “Obviously.”
Beck chuckles and then sidles up next to me at the railing, bracing his arms just like mine. “Bet you didn’t expect to see me.”
I roll my eyes. “Honestly, I thought you’d be with the other two, plotting my demise.”
He snorts, turning to face me. “Nah, I don’t have the energy for plotting after a day like this.” He leans his hip against the glass and studies me, searching my face. “So, why’d you run out of the office like that?”
“I…” I try to conjure up something clever, but I give in, sighing. “I freaked out. I thought you guys were going to fireme.”
He laughs, shaking his head. “We don’t want to get rid of you, Maddy. If we did, you’d already be gone.” He reaches out and grabs my hand, squeezing it gently. “I think you’re the best thing that’s happened to us in years.”
“‘Us’?” I repeat, my voice sounding empty.
He shrugs. “Yeah,us.Me, Adrian, and Caleb. You’re definitely the best assistant we’ve ever had. You’re like the chocolate to our milk.”
I let out a dry laugh. “You’re really bad at analogies, Beck.”
He smiles, his eyes not leaving mine. “Yeah, they’ve never been my forte.” He waits a beat. “But you know, you’re not the only one who’s confused by all this.”
There’s a lull of silence between us. I look down at the city again, thinking about how I can escape from this conversation. I have no idea what he’s digging for, but I’m almost positive I don’t have the answer—not for him or myself.
I sigh, fighting the urge to pull my hand from Beck’s. “This all just kind of feels like a fever dream that I keep waking up in.”
He grins, his eyes trailing down my body. “You’re not dreaming, Maddy. Unless you’re dreaming about fucking me on this deck, in which case…”
I catch my breath as he steps closer, the heat of his body sending a chill through mine. “You’re insufferable.”
“But you love it,” he traces a finger along the top of my shoulder, inching back my cover-up. “I knowIlove it.” His hand then comes up, brushing a piece of hair behind my ear. He lingers there, his thumb grazing the side of my neck.
I reach out and place my hand flat on his chest, right over his heart. For a second, neither of us moves, and I feel the steady, quick pulse of it beneath my fingertips.
And I hate how bad I want him right now.
“Oh, Maddy,” Beck murmurs, leaning in. “I can’t fucking resist you.” He presses his lips against my upper jaw, sending a shiver through my body.
I tip my head back and meet his eyes. “I want all of you, and I don’t know how to make sense of that.” The words tumble out, desperate and unfiltered.
