Page 4 of Camping with the Boss

Alex lifts one shoulder as if tempering her next words. “I worry about you. You’re twenty-eight and skipped right over the sowing wild oats part of life. You’ve never even dated.”

“Not true. There was that one guy. We went out.”

“Having lunch with your occupational therapist isn’t dating. What about love?”

“Not interested.”

She doesn’t ask why. Because this isn’t the first time we’ve had this conversation. And neither of us wants this to escalate. That week of not talking was pure torture.

“Fine,” she says, leaning in. “What about sex? Hookups?”

“Not interested.”

“If you’re asexual, I respect that. If you’re just scared—that’s no way to live your life.”

I start to rub my chest and drop my hand. I’m not afraid of the physical part. But I take care of my needs just fine…and no one has to see the ugly white lines running down the center of my chest.

She raises a brow in question, and I cave.

“It’s not that simple, Alex. I’m almost thirty and still a…you know. And guys get freaked out by my scars. I don’t want to deal with it.”

“Who are these guys?” When I don’t answer, she shakes her head like I’m an idiot. “The guys from the locker room don’t count. That was high school.”

My face heats. The stares. The cruel words. “Maybe we can do something tomorrow after work.” I have to offer something. Just so we can end this conversation. Future Canyon will hate it, but whatever. I can deal with that tomorrow.

She leaves after that, mollified but not happy. Story of my life.

Taffy jumps in my lap and kneads it to her liking before making herself at home. Her purring soothes my frayed nerves as I run my fingers through her soft fur. It’s comforting after the stressful morning.

So much so that I doze off.

Until the banging jerks me awake.

The rest of the house is quiet, and I blink away my tiredness, still bordering on exhaustion. Did River leave for work? The pounding starts again, and I jump to my feet to answer the door, receiving an unimpressed meow from Taffy.

It has to be Alex. But she’s wasted a trip. I’m done talking about this. I rush to the door and pull it open. “Fuck off?—”

It’s not my best friend.

My heart pounds scarily hard as I stare at the man filling my doorway. He’s big. But that might be more attitude than physicality. The arrogant set of his shoulders. The sneer on his face. Gray eyes hard as granite. “Who are you?”

I’m so shocked by his question that I can’t speak for a second. “You’re at my door. Who are you?”

He ignores my question and pushes past me into the house. “Where’s River?”

“I… What?”

Striding through the living room, he checks the kitchen before returning with a scowl on his face. “It’s not a difficult question.” He folds his arms across an impressive chest, his muscles highlighted by an expensive-looking tight shirt. His eyes rake over me…and dismiss me just as fast. “Tell your boyfriend to get his ass out here.”

“Hold on. What are you talking about?”

He sighs. “What part of this is confusing for you, princess?”

“The part where you think being an asshole gets you whatever you want.”

His mouth opens and shuts. He looks me over again. Like he’s reassessing. “It does, actually.”

And then it clicks. “You’re Wade Darian. River’s boss.”

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