Page 36 of Boss Me

“This is nice. Thank you.” I waved at the table. “But you didn’t ambush Ramón, did you? He’s not lying in the bushes somewhere?”

“No.” His cheeks pinked as he picked up the platter of fish and passed it to me. “Ramón did me a favor.”

I took a piece of fish and passed the platter back to him. A favor? And that blush. I knew well what a flirt Ramón was. Were he and Ben having an island fling? I checked out Ben’s throat but didn’t see any of Ramón’s signature hickeys. Though maybe he’d put them somewhere hidden by Ben’s polo and shorts.

I tugged my shirt collar away from my heated skin, suddenly less hungry than I’d been before.

Ben flicked his eyes to the gate and then back to me. “How are you feeling?”

“You mean, did I drink today?” I let one corner of my mouth curl up.

“No, I mean, you look good today.” He circled his fork to indicate my face. “Though you always look good. Better rested.”

I let the compliment soak in and warm my belly. It was almost as good as bourbon. “I took a nap.”

“That’s great. Did you, ah, exercise?” He stared at my tight shirt.

“No. This was what I had.”

He bit his lip, and when he released it, it was shiny and pinker than before. I wanted to lean across the table and taste it. But that delectable lip belonged to Ben, my assistant, so I kept my ass in my chair.

“We should get you more exercise. It’ll do you good. How do you normally work out while you’re here?”

I didn’t usually need to. Between all the walks into town and the construction projects, I burned plenty of calories. But I wasn’t about to share my real connection to the island with Ben. He’d find some way to use the people I cared about as leverage to get me to do whatever Weston had sent him to do. And if I went to town, my family would get into my business, especially if Ben told them I was depressed.

“I don’t need you to manage my workouts,” I growled.

He flicked his gaze to the gate but then focused back on me. “Okay, then, we’ll get down to business. I understand you went ahead with your Synergy stock sale.”

Disappointment crushed the tiny flare that had ignited in my heart. The food, the candles, the flowers were all a ruse. Not what I’d let myself dare to hope for: a romantic evening with Ben. He wanted to talk about Synergy. Fine. I sat up straighter. “I did. Though it’s none of your business.”

“Not my business?” His thick eyebrows disappeared under the curls that flopped on his forehead. “Cooper, if you’re leaving—”

I poked at my fish. “I’m not going anywhere.” Yet. If I did, I’d find Ben another position within Synergy so he could finish his degree.

“Um…I heard some things. At the office.”

When he didn’t continue, I asked, “What did you hear?”

“Weston has some ideas about the company. Ideas for cuts.”

I snorted. “Weston is always wanting to cut something. He’s a numbers guy.”

Ben set down his fork. “Staff cuts. And—and the tuition program.”

“Ridiculous.” I leaned back in my chair. “Weston wouldn’t do that. And even if he wanted to, someone would talk him out of it.”

“Who, Cooper?” Ben tilted his head. “Who’s going to talk him out of it? The CFO? Jackson? You’re not there to do it.”

Jackson’s name and the reminder that I’d left my company pinged my chest like a pair of BB shots. But Weston had promised he’d see to things. “Weston wants what’s best for the company. I trust him.”

“Do you? Because he said some stuff that worried me.”

“He did?” I rubbed the sore spot on my chest. “What?”

“I overheard him telling the Chairman about you selling your shares. And then talking about an opportunity.”

Suddenly, the fact that Charles knew I’d sold my shares made it all seem real. Jackson’s stepfather Charles had always supported us, so it made sense for us to ask him to be Chairman of the Board back in Synergy’s early days. And now I’d sold my shares without warning him. Reducing my ownership of Synergy stopped being a concept as light and transparent as the island breeze and became concrete, guilty reality. It felt like I’d lost part of myself. Part of my soul.

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