Page 81 of Cocky Prince
Paul and William walk out, but Paul turns to me once we’re outside my office. He signals for William to go on ahead. “Don’t forget, if everything goes according to plan on opening night, you can expect a hefty end-of-the-year bonus.” His eyes narrow. “Stay the course, Adam, and all will be fine.”
I watch him saunter away confidently. He ignores the gaming manager walking by, but winks at Eve as she passes. The deferential treatment toward some employees was obvious—I just never recognized how singular it was among the Blue Stars. Not until Hayden pointed it out.
I head for her office. I gave her space last night and the night before, but we need to talk. If Hayden were anyone else, I would have walked away long ago. But I can’t do that. Not with her. I’ll stay away, if that’s what she wants, but I won’t be the one to leave. Not this time.
I rap on the solid wood door, and enter at her invitation.
She raises her head and our eyes connect. Just like it did two days ago when I spotted her across the patio at the Beacon, my heart thunders in my chest.
“Adam?” She looks behind me, but I close the door. “Why are you here?”
“Because I work here?”
“You know what I mean.”
“I wanted to talk to you.”
She lets out a sad sigh. “Are you going to tell me what you’re not saying about the Bliss suites?”
“Hayden.” Exasperation fills my voice. “I love that you’re strong and never back down, but for once, I need you to. I want to share everything with you, but I can’t talk about this.”
She squeezes her eyelids closed and shakes her head, as though fighting with herself. “If you’re involved in something illegal, then you should know I’m not letting it go.” An unsteady breath escapes her mouth. “I knew it would come down to this.I knew it.But I never thought it would hurt this badly.”
I stride around her desk and pull her into my arms. “It doesn’t have to. You can trust me.” I plead with my eyes and her expression softens, but I can’t tell if I’ve reached her. And God, I need to reach her.
“My heart trusts you.” Her voice is light, as though the confession confuses her.
“I love your heart,” I say with such feeling that I startle myself. My words were meant to encourage her to give me a chance, but it’s more than that. I love Hayden. No fireworks; no sudden realization. A simple truth that’s been there all along. “I haven’t given you a reason to doubt me since I started at Blue, have I?”
“No,” she says hesitantly, because she has no idea of the depth of what I’ve admitted to myself. Her mouth turns down. “Not unless you count the things you’re keeping from me.”
“Which is for a good reason. A reason I plan to tell you about, just as soon as I can. All I’m asking is for a little time. I may not have deserved your confidence in the past, but have faith in me now. I won’t let you down.”
She’s quiet for a moment, studying my eyes. “I think your intentions are good, even if it pisses me off that you’re keeping this from me.” She lets out a long sigh. “A little time… Okay. I—I can do that.”
I press her to my chest, hugging her so hard I worry I’m crushing her, but she’s clinging to me, and I think she needs the connection as much as I do. We had one night—one fucking bad night that spilled into two days apart. And they’ve been the worst two days of my life. I thought I’d lost her.
I lift her chin. “I won’t ever give you a reason to doubt me.” She leans up and my heart clenches, blood warming. I want to pick her up and carry her away like the caveman she thinks I am. But we’re at work, and somehow I manage to kiss the tip of her nose instead. “I’ll see you tonight?”
She nods, a shy smile spreading across her face.
Hell yes, I’m thinking about spending the night with Hayden, tangled in her arms. But I also want the simple pleasure of being with her. If I’m with her, I’m happy. And I’ve never had anything genuine that makes me happy, until Hayden. Everything else in my life has had strings attached.
Chapter Thirty-One
Hayden
Mira popsher head in my door. “Risk management meeting in five.”
“I’m on it,” I say as I finish typing out an email. A weight lifted the moment I decided to listen to my heart and trust Adam. I’m still not sure where that leaves us. I won’t drop this Bliss thing, but I will give him time, like he asked. He’s right. He’s given me no reason to doubt him, so I won’t.
I thought things were over this weekend. I panicked when he said he couldn’t talk to me about the Bliss suites, but I can have faith in Adam, even if I don’t trust Blackwell and the others. The two are not entwined. Adam isn’t one of the Blue Stars.
I make it to the risk management meeting, and not five minutes in, Eve enters the small room we use for training, her sleeveless knit blouse two sizes too small in the bust. “Hayden, there’s an all-managers meeting in the conference room.”
I glance at Mira. She knows the training material as well as I do, but she’s still new at presenting.
“Go,” she says. “I’ve got this.”
