Page 10 of Not Yet Yours

“Yes,” Max says. “But that’s worse. If I wasn’t married to the boss, I probably would have just said I can’t stay late tonight, left on time, and let that be the end of it. But because of me being with Cullen, I feel like I can’t do that, like I have to always be proving that I don’t get any special treatment. Is that stupid?”

“Yes, but I get it. I think I would probably feel the same way in your situation to be honest,” I say.

“So, you’re not mad that I have to go?” Max says.

“Of course not,” I say. “You did tell me before we even came here. Now go on, scoot. I’ll get the check.”

“Wait, I’ll leave you half of the money,” Max says, reaching for her purse and I shake my head.

“It’s my treat. Now go or I will be mad,” I laugh.

“Fine, but don’t think I won’t remember I owe you one the next time we’re out,” Max says.

She stands up and puts her jacket on and then she kisses me on the cheek and heads toward the door. I signal to our waitress to bring the bill. I don’t have to wait long for it, and I leave the cash for the meal plus a decent tip and then I head out. I get into my car and drive home. I put my pajamas on, curl up on the couch, and pick the remote control up. I flick through the channels until I find something I can watch until nine when the movie I want to watch is starting.

I stare at the screen, but I’m not really paying attention to the show that’s on. I’m thinking about Liam. About how he made me come harder than I thought was possible, about how he made my body sing in a way I didn’t even know it could. It’s not just that I think about though. I can’t help but think about Max’s words too, about how she thinks that Liam would be a good boyfriend. There’s no doubt he’s a very eligible bachelor and he would be a good catch. Like Max said, he’s good-looking, funny, and kind and I definitely think he and I would have fun together.

I imagine for a minute he’s here beside me now, snuggled up watching the TV with me. I can almost hear his voice in my head as he mocks the stupid decisions the characters on the TV are making and I think about how we would giggle together over it. Then maybe we would open a bottle of wine and settle down to watch the movie. I don’t think we would see the end though. I think we would opt for an early night together instead.

Ok, this isn’t good. I can’t let myself go down that road, not even in my thoughts. Not even in my wildest fantasies, because I am afraid that if I think about it too much, I will start to want it. Ok, honestly, I’m already starting to want it. I’m afraid that I will want it to the point where it will drive me insane.

I just need to remind myself that I’m perfectly happy being single. I actually enjoy my own company and I like the freedom that not having to negotiate everything brings. I can watch what I want to watch on the TV. I can eat what I want to eat at whatever time I’m hungry. I can do what I want to do on a weekend without having to consider what anyone else wants to do.

It doesn’t matter that sometimes, there is a small part of me that wants more than that. That wants someone to be here, to be my partner. Someone to look after me and be there for me, and someone I can be there for too. But that’s not in my future. I know this and I have made my peace with it. I haven’t doubted my decision in so long and the moment of doubt threw me, that’s all.

I will just have to make sure I don’t think about Liam and that night we had together. And I will have to make sure I don’t run into him at any events, at least not for a while, until I’m able to put this ridiculous fantasy to bed.

My decision made, I forced myself to focus on the TV and I don’t let myself think about Liam at all. Especially not how goodit felt when he pushed inside of me and filled me up in a way I have never been filled before.

Chapter Six

Liam

I’m about to wrap up the monthly manager’s meeting that I hold every month for the managers of the hotels in my chain in this state when my cell phone rings on the table beside me. I glance at the screen and see the name of the person who is calling me, and I frown. It’s my Aunt Dorothy. She never calls me. To be honest, I didn’t even know she had my cell phone number. I mean I don’t object to her having it, I just wasn’t aware she did. She must have gotten it from my mom or something.

“I have to take this call, everyone. Thank you all for coming and keep up the good work, ok?” I say. I nod toward my personal assistant. “Hayley will get the minutes of the meeting typed up and a copy sent to you all so that we all know what areas we’re focusing on for this next month.”

The managers start to file out of the conference room, nodding at me and mumbling goodbyes followed by Hayley who doesn’t say goodbye because she is just going back to her desk, and I will no doubt see her again in a bit.

I debate not taking the call right now and going back up to my office and calling my Aunt Dorothy back, but the room isempty, and the call will be as private here as it will be in my office. Actually, it will likely be more private. No one has hired the room and if any of the staff are looking for me, they will look in my office and not think to come and look for me here. With that in mind, I decide to stay here, and I pick up my cell phone. I know myself well enough to recognize that my conundrum about where to have this conversation is just me trying to put off taking the call because I have a feeling that something must be wrong for my Aunt Dorothy to be calling me like this. I ignore the feeling of dread in my stomach and take her call.

“Hi, Aunt Dorothy. Is everything ok?” I ask.

“Yes, of course everything is ok. Why wouldn’t it be?” she says.

“No reason,” I reply, the dread inside of my stomach giving way to relief. “Just you don’t normally call me.”

“I don’t normally have a reason to call you,” my Aunt Dorothy says, like this logic should be perfectly obvious. “But I’m doing a quick call to all of the out-of-state guests for Carmen’s thirtieth birthday party just to make sure everyone who said they were coming meant it.”

“Oh, I see,” I reply.

“So, are you? Still coming to the party?” my Aunt Dorothy says.

“Yes. Yes, of course, I am,” I say.

“Good, because I have reserved you a room in the hotel across the street from the restaurant where the party is being held,” she says.

“What did you do that for?” I ask. “I could have stayed in my own hotel as could any others coming from out of state and saved you some money.”

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