Page 20 of Mated To My Boss

“I have no clue what you're talking about.”

“For fuck’s sake—I'm talking about your time with your mate.”

My eyes grow to twice their size. “The fuck? How do you know that?”

“So I was right?” he muses, clearly pleased with himself. “Not many people would notice it, but your scent has a slight change. It's not surprising, especially if you've been intimate with your mate. What I don't get is why you're so annoyed.”

“Because I wasn't supposed to. I gave in and—”

“You gave in? Did she force you?”

“No.”

“Then why are you talking about it like it's not something you wanted to do.”

“It's complicated, you wouldn't understand.”

“Me? The guy that kept asking you for advice even when you didn't want to listen?” Graham persists.

“It's not the same thing and I don't want to talk about this any further. If you'll excuse me I have work to do.”

Graham sighs, but lifts his hands in surrender. “Sure, whatever you say. I'm here if you need to talk though.”

I nod as Graham gets up and leaves without another word. I type mindlessly on the keyboard for the next few minutes before releasing a long breath.I can't get her off my mind. Why can’t I get her off my mind?

Madeline's face, her glorious body, her gorgeous voice, that intoxicating scent, all of them plague me.

I left the hotel yesterday, wanting to return for even more intimate moments. It had taken my supernatural willpower to walk away from her like I did. Now, a night has passed and she's still all I can think about.

“Why did I have to sleep with her? I could've just kept saying no.So stupid.”

All I've done now is complicate things between us. Despite what I told her, the encounter was far from meaningless. I can't evenconvince myself it’s a lie. The truth is, being with Madeline felt right in a way nothing else ever has.

What if I break her heart again? I'd never forgive myself for something like that.

My office is far too silent to sit in with these thoughts. I get up and walk away from the enclosed space.

The second I march into the hallway, Madeline's sweet scent hits me, tickling my nose and traveling through my brain. I try to shake off the feeling, but it's no use. When I turn, Madeline is walking toward me.

She’s confident, her head held high. There's a subtle glow about her—not the desperate eagerness I once knew her for, but a serene self-assurance that draws me in more powerfully than any flirtation could have.

Oh, this is what Graham was talking about?I look past her and start walking toward the elevator. Madeline's eyes stay on me. “Hi, Nate.”

I ignore the greeting, and see a flicker of disappointment cross her face before she composes herself and continues walking.

It feels like I'm being tugged back to her as I try to move away. She clearly has a hold on me that I may never be able to break free from.

For the rest of the day, I find ways to ignore Madeline completely. I manage to make it all the way to my house without having another incident.

Still, when I get home, my mind is too uneasy to rest. I do the next best thing and pick up my phone to dial a number I haven't called in years.

The ringing goes on and on, but just when I'm about to give up, the person on the other end picks up. “As I live and breathe,” Henry says. “Is it really you, Nate?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Damn, it's been a while.”

“Why didn't you tell me Madeline was coming back?” I ask, curtailing the small talk. “I told you to watch her and keep her safe with the pack. She left and you didn't even tell me?”

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