Page 116 of Scandalous Lover

I offer my usual smile and eyebrow raise. “You guys have a good time?”

The next ten minutes are filled with lively stories of sun, pool time, and late nights at the famous beach club restaurant and bar on the property. I take in the words, nodding and smiling, feeling genuinely happy that they had a good time.

Even as I grow more and more antsy to learn why we’re all here.

“Enough. Let’s get this over with so I can go back to work.” For once, I agree with Dom’s harsh pronouncement.

Reina just laughs. “You are such a beast.”

Dom smiles over at her, softening.

That’s the look that’s going to save me. The fact that this man now knows what love can do. He’s not going to deny me that, is he?

Avery clears his throat, and we all look to him. “We did some talking on our trip and we have a great idea for how to make the resort and all of our future events even better.”

I feel my eyebrows lift as I try not to laugh in surprise. “Okay. Fantastic. Let’s hear it.”

A hush falls over the room, and I look from face to face, trying to determine the source of it.

Finally, Fran speaks. “After a fabulous lunch meeting, where we poured over the content from the last wedding and were so inspired by her enthusiasm and positive attitude, Ave and I, and now the rest of the team, came to the only possible conclusion. We want to offer Naomi the position of social media manager for Paradise Events and The Sands.”

The hush returns to the table, the group waiting with bated breath for my answer as if they know what kind of bomb this is.

Unfortunately for everyone involved, no one has any idea. Not even me.

“No.” The word is out of my mouth before I even think.

“Sam, it’s?—”

“No!” I hear myself shout but can’t seem to stop it.

My heart races, and I’m starting to sweat. My brain is descending into madness, and I can’t bring a rational thought forward through the muck of internal screaming.

No.

This can’t be.

She’s my home, not work.

They can’t have her.

She’s mine.

I’m on my feet, even though I don’t remember standing up.All my friends gape at me, a couple of mouths actually hanging open.

Of course, it’s Ben who also stands. The voice of reason. “Sam, we were just thinking that since she did such a good job on the wedding and The Sands already lost their onsite social media manager?—”

“No.” I shake my head like a crazy person. “It’s a terrible idea. She’s completely inexperienced in high-end resort social media management. We haven’t even interviewed for the position yet. To just choose her without holding interviews would be inappropriate. Nepotism.”

I’m grasping at straws here, my defenses sounding ridiculous even to me. They’re going to override me. I can already tell. This isn’t a meeting to ask my opinion, it’s a meeting where they tell me something they’ve already decided.

They decided to take Naomi from me, turn her into just another thing to handle at work. Just another coworker who I smile at in the hallway. Someone who will want to talk about the resort at home, the last thing I ever want to do.

I need my work and home life separate. A thick, black line drawn between the two. Work is where I have to be who the guys need me to be. Their lesser, the one who was never good enough.

Home is where I just get to be me.

I can see it in their faces. They’re surprised by my reaction, but not a bit worried.