Page 34 of Maverick

"That's not in the cards for me Mav. It never was."

Something in the way he says it, the absolute certainty, kills the denial on my lips.

The silence stretches between us, heavy with all the things we're not saying. Why is he so certain he'll never find someone, never have the life he's helped us build? I don't know his whole story, but I know he's lost everything, just like most of us did. If we deserve love and a future, then why doesn't he?

But I don't ask. I can't. There's too much hurt there, simmering under the surface, and I'm not sure either of us is ready to poke at it.

Finally, Ransom breaks the silence. "So, what are we doing here, Mav? What's the plan?"

I take a long pull of my beer, letting the cold liquid slide down my throat. "I need a wingman. It's time for me to put some work in. I've been coasting for too long."

Ransom's eyebrows shoot up, but he doesn't question it. Instead, he nods and turns to survey the room. "Alright, let's see what we've got."

He's off his stool in a heartbeat, moving through the crowd with an easy grace that draws plenty of female attention. I watch as he sweet talks a group of women at the end of the bar, his smile wide and charming. They're eating it up, leaning in close and laughing at his jokes. He's always been like that. Able to pour on the charm one minute, then knock a fucker out the next. It's not really a Jekyll/Hyde thing though. More like the undercurrent is always there. And when it comes to women, that undercurrent just makes him even more attractive.

Fucking catnip to cats.

He tips his head at me, and I join them a moment later, sliding into the conversation with a grin. The women are pretty,all long hair and short skirts, and they seem interested enough. I flirt and chat, letting Ransom guide the conversation.

But as the minutes tick by, I realize that none of them are really holding my attention. They're nice enough, but there's no spark, no connection. I find myself comparing them to Cadence, to the way she makes me feel when we're together. They're too polished and put together. Hair straightened, makeup perfect.

Cadence wears makeup at work, but it's simple. She doesn't even try to cover the freckles on her cheeks. Not like these women. They look like they just walked out of a photoshoot.

It's not fair, I know. These women aren't Cadence, and it's not their fault that I can't get her out of my head. But as much as I try to focus on the conversation, on the laughter and the flirting, my mind keeps drifting back to her.

I excuse myself after a while, heading back to the bar for another drink. Ransom joins me a moment later, his brow furrowed.

"Everything okay?"

I shrug, not sure how to put it into words. "They're just not her, you know?"

Ransom nods, understanding in his eyes. "Cadence."

"Yeah."

We fall silent again, each lost in our own thoughts. I know I should let it go, and focus on the women in front of me. But I can't seem to shake the feeling that Cadence is the one I'm meant to be with.

"So why are we here, if all you want is her?"

"I want her, but she's not interested. She's put me into a box labeled 'do not touch' and that's it. I'm her boss, and she won't allow anything to happen. If she's even fucking interested."

"Um, that's never really been an issue for us."

"Which part?"

He grins. "Either. We're not bad looking, we have a fuck of a lot of money. But also, being the boss has never been a problem."

He's right. It hasn't. Declan and Cara hooked up at work. Zach and Maya and Jonas and Janey did too. Hell, Holly and Micah were coworkers. So what's the big fucking problem? "I don't get it. I really don't. She needs the work, obviously, but so did the other women. But they still took a chance."

Ransom frowns and rubs his cheek. "Cara's hell on wheels. She wanted Dec, and I don't think she ever considered him her boss. But even if she did, she knows she's indispensable to me."

That’s true. Ransom would be lost without Cara. "And Zach headhunted Maya, so her job wasn't really on the line. Besides, she would have walked right out the door if she wasn't happy."

"True. That's why she insisted on that probationary period. Janey though, she had extenuating circumstances pushing her toward Jonas."

"He took advantage," I say flatly. He proposed to her in a parking garage, as a way to save her from her brother. She was in a vulnerable position, and he swooped in. It was low, as far as I'm concerned, but when I talked to Janey about it, she seemed certain that marrying him was the right thing to do. And I don't think anyone could argue with the result.

"He did. It fucking worked, though, and I don't think either of them regrets a damned thing."

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