Page 95 of Heartless

“Is that your piece?”

“One of the perks of being a wedding planner. But I don’t eat carbs, remember?”

“I do. I also remember you eating pasta at my villa. And a shit ton of candy at SeaWorld.”

She grinned. “Fine. I don’t eat carbs often.”

I tried the cake and moaned. “You’re missing out.”

“How was it?” She looked at me with her penetrating gaze. “Being here tonight?”

“Good. How was it for you? Did I make you uncomfortable?”

She snorted. “You’ll have to work really hard to make me uncomfortable, Wilson.”

That was true. Madison could handle everything. Maybe I was treading too cautiously around her. Maybe we both needed that final push to make this thing between us real.

“Okay. Challenge accepted.” She sent me a curious look and I continued. “I’m taking you out to dinner.”

***

“Remind me again why I agreed to this?” Madison shouted from the bathroom.

“Because I asked nicely and you can’t resist my charm,” I teased.

Her head appeared a moment later. “You didn’t ask nicely. In fact, you didn’t ask at all.”

“That doesn’t sound like me,” I said with a straight face. Madison crossed her arms over her chest and gave me a stern look. I sighed. “Come on. It’s not like we had never left together. Remember that almost Christmas dinner at your mother’s? Melany saw us leave and come back together.”

She retreated back to the bathroom and when she emerged again, draped in the plush white hotel robe, her hair was swept up in an intricate knot, exposing the graceful curve of her neck.

I stood up and approached her. She turned to face me and I crowded her against the armoire, but kept my hands in the pockets if my slacks.

“You shouldn’t be scared, love. It’s just dinner,” I smirked.

“I know what you’re doing.”

“What am I doing?”

“You’re trying to rile me up by telling me I’m scared.”

“Is it working?”

“No. I refuse to lose, remember?”

“So do I.” I took a step back to let her get dressed.

There was something domestic about it all and yet I was very much aware that she wore a robe with the hotel logo and that we were basically at our workplace. Suddenly I realized exactly how easily she could leave. Nothing kept her in California. Maybe if she had her own place to live that had nothing to do with her employment and me, she would actually think about staying.

“Have you ever thought about leaving The Pink Diamond?”

“Of course I have.” Madison put on a beige sleeveless dress that almost touched her knees and zipped it up on her own. “I still have my apartment in New York and my contract of employment says five weddings, remember? I believe you have a copy.”

I rolled my eyes and sat at the foot of her bed, facing her. “I mean leave The Gem but stay within the state limits. Your family’s here.”

I am here, I wanted to add but didn’t.

Madison stared at me like she was trying to dissect me with the sharpness of her gaze. “What about your family?” She asked. “You never talk about them.”

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