Page 73 of The CEO I Hate

“You’re here,” he said, swimming over to me, the muscles in his arms flexing in a way that was very appealing.

“I’m here,” I said. “So is the dog, apparently.”

“He followed me to the parking lot. Figured if I didn’t bring him home, he’d just get run over.”

“Awfully kind of you.”

“I’m always kind.” He smirked, slowly swimming up to me, his hands going for my bare knees.

“Do not get me wet,” I warned.

His eyes lit up with challenge.

“If you splash me, Liam, I swear to God…”

“I was thinking there areotherways to get you wet. Ways I really don’t think you’d mind.” He pressed a kiss to my knee, his lips icy despite the temperature of the water. I shivered, running my hands through his wet hair. He kissed one of my thighs before moving to the other. “I like these shorts.”

My barely there jean shorts. I liked them too, and I definitely liked the way he was looking at me.

“You okay?” I asked.

He stopped kissing me and sighed heavily. “Just…a long day.”

“Anything to do with that meeting you had?”

He floated back in the water, staring at the sky. I reached my foot out to touch his chest. He grabbed my leg and tugged gently.

“Don’t,” I warned. I didnotfeel like going for a swim.

“Get in here,” he said.

“Tell me about the meeting,” I replied. He was trying to avoid talking about it, but I wasn’t going to let him get away with that.

A muscle in his jaw twitched. “Paula and I met with Lyle Clemmens today.”

I nodded. I wasn’t an idiot. I’d seen that video of Lyle at the red carpet event—I’d been following #endinfire on every platform since getting hired for the writers’ room. It was good to keep up with what the fans were talking about. The feeds exploded after that interview. Paula and Liam bringing him in for a meeting was an inevitability.

The only thing I didn’t know was what they’d decided. But I didn’t want to force him to tell me. I wanted him towantto tell me. The sex was great, but I wanted to be more to him than just a bed partner. I wanted to be hisperson. The one he could open up to.

My silence must have worked because he kept talking. “Honestly, I wanted nothing to do with him, but Paula reminded me how it would look to the public if Lyle parted ways with the production again. He put us in a tough spot. He wanted the showrunner position back, but I put my foot down about that. Still, I couldn’t give himnothing, not without alienating the fans.”

This, too, was something I’d considered. The show was Lyle’s baby.Of course, he’d want to be the one in charge of shaping the story. So what did that look like? What had he agreed to?

“In the end…” Liam blew out a breath. “I agreed to make him co-head writer.”

I blinked down at Liam in shock. “Co-head?”

“You have just as much say,” he hurried to assure me. “And we’re not discarding anything that’s already been filmed. I promise.”

“No, that’s not…” I huffed a humorless laugh. “I figured I’d be out of a job. I never thought we’d besharingthe role.”

“Why wouldn’t you?” he growled. “You’ve done a fantastic job so far. I wasn’t going to let him kick you out.”

“And he settled for that? Sharing the head writer position with an unknown? That’s enough for him?”

Liam shrugged. “There were a few other concessions I had to make. Money and credits and letting him bring in a couple more writers, though I made sure it wouldn’t outnumber the people already in the room.”

I wasn’t surprised by anything other than the fact Liam had made sure I retained my position. I smiled at him as he swam back over, wrapping his cold arms around my waist. Water seeped through my tank top, but I didn’t care.

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