Page 43 of Saved By the CEO

Josh looks at me almost pleadingly. “I’m sorry, okay? It’s just a lot to take in.” He drags a hand over his face. “It feels like we’re sitting here waiting for someone to pick you up so you can cheat on me.”

I turn to him. “It’s a medical treatment. It’s not like that.” Then, because apparently the fever brings out the worst in me, I add, “And technically, it wouldn’t be cheating. We haven’t said we’re exclusive.”

There it is again.

Kicked puppy.

“Do you want to see other people?” he asks.

“That’s not what I’m saying.” I sigh. “Things have just happened very fast, and I can’t keep up. I’m not saying I don’t want to be exclusive. I’m saying you need to make me part of that conversation instead of just deciding it for both of us.”

His mouth tightens.

“I like you, Josh,” I say, softer now. “I really do. But we need to slow down a little.”

I’m officially out of breath.

“So are we exclusive, or…?”

I stare at him.

I feel faint. Also like I might throw up.Jesus Christ, the fever is progressing quickly now.

“Can we have that conversation when I’m not, like, dying?”

Josh opens his mouth to say something, but is interrupted by a loud knocking.

No.

You have got to be kidding me.

Josh rushes to the entry and opens the door. And there, clad in jeans and wet from the rain, stands Mr. Bennett.

Josh gapes at him. “Bennett?”

Mr. Bennett ignores him and steps inside. “Where’s Carly?”

“It’s Bennett?” Josh looks at me, accusation cutting through the shock. “Your fucking boss?”

“I’m your boss, too,” Mr. Bennett says without looking at him. Then he crosses the room to where I’m sitting and puts a hand on my back. His touch is firm. Grounding. “How are we feeling?”

I look up at him and give him a weak smile. “Remember the first time? Kind of like that.”

“How could I forget?” He helps me out of the chair. “Let’s go. I’d prefer not to have you faint on me again.”

“I’ll do it,” Josh says. Before I can react, he steps forward and slides an arm around my waist, pulling me away from Mr. Bennett. “Where’s your car?”

Are you going to piss on my leg, too?

Mr. Bennett’s mouth twitches.

And that’s when I realize I said it out loud.

TWELVE

Mr. Bennett’s apartment is nothing like what I expected.

It’s huge and luxurious, of course, but it’s also warm. Homey, almost. It catches me off guard.