Page 23 of Rival Desires

“Yep, that’s me, in the flesh,” Fury confirmed, leaning nonchalantly against the counter. “So, Becky, spill the beans. What’s your story?”

I was thankful for Fury taking charge of the chit-chat, but I was starting to feel like a third wheel in my own home. His knack for charming the ladies was nothing short of astonishing. I figured it was time for me to jump in and steer the conversation towards a wrap-up. “Alright, Fury, we’ve got a towering mountain of work waiting for us tomorrow, so I think it’s time we call it a night. And Becky, we don’t want to keep you any longer.”

Becky and Fury swiveled their heads to look at me, with Becky being the first to speak up. “To tell you the truth, I didn’t have much planned today apart from baking those cookies. I wantedto make sure you got them while they were still warm and gooey, just out of the oven.”

“Yeah, we do have to wade through some work stuff,” Fury chimed in, flashing me a knowing smirk. “Isn’t that right, Cory?”

“You got it, essential work stuff,” I echoed, grateful for the lifeline.

Becky’s expression turned tender. “Oh, I didn’t mean to crash your workday. I’m really sorry.”

“No worries at all, seriously, thanks for the cookies,” I reassured her, gently nudging her to leave.

The moment the door snapped shut, I heaved a massive sigh of relief. Meandering back to the kitchen, I spotted Fury with his arm plunged elbow-deep in the cookie jar.

“You’re aware she baked those for me, right?” I said, half-joking.

Fury merely chortled, waving a cookie in the air. “She’s totally smitten with you, Cory.”

I rolled my eyes, chuckling it off. “Nah, she’s just being neighborly.”

He shrugged, gobbling down the cookie. “Keep telling yourself that, pal. You’re not exactly the world’s best signal reader.”

Rylee’s face flickered in my mind, but I swiftly banished it. It wasn’t like that with Becky. She was just being...well, friendly. I was positive.

I attempted to reassure Fury, but he didn’t push it, whether he bought it or not.

Thank God for the tiny blessings.

The last thing I needed was more complications with women.

FOURTEEN

Rylee

With a flick of my makeup brush, I nailed my winged eyeliner, and my phone went off on the bathroom counter. Glancing at the screen, I saw Natalie’s name flashing up. “Hey, Nat,” I said, multitasking like a pro as I applied powder and balanced the phone between my ear and shoulder.

“Hey, babe! How’s it hanging in hot-stuff land? Are you still fantasizing about that dreamy finance guy?”

I rolled my eyes, Nat’s playful tone ringing clear through the receiver. “Seriously, Nat, I do not have a crush on Cory McCrae!” I protested, rummaging through my closet for an outfit.

Natalie just chuckled. “Uh huh, sure. That’s why you didn’t make a move on Mr. Quarterback star the other night?”

I let out an exasperated sigh. “His girlfriend magically appeared and dragged him out of there. What was I supposed to do, start a catfight over him?”

“Mmmhmm, right,” Nat replied, not buying my story for a second. “Come on, Rylee. You’re still head over heels for your rival, no matter how much you try to deny it.”

I grabbed a silky burgundy blouse and held it up to myself in the mirror. “The only thing I’m obsessing over is landing Nadine Seaworth as a client. I’ve got another lunch meeting with her son Bennett today to try and make that happen.”

“Uh-huh. Well, have fun buttering up the rich and famous. But do me a favor—if you run into lover boy Cory, try not to jump his bones in front of the clients.”

I scoffed. “You’re hilarious. I’ll catch you later.”

We said our goodbyes, and I tossed the phone onto the bed in exasperation. I wasnotstill thinking about Cory McCrae. I wasn’t! I had more important things to focus on, like impressing Bennett Seaworth and stealing his mother’s business away from Gracen & McCrae.

Despite that odd run-in with Cory during the meeting with Bennett, I was holding up well and feeling optimistic about my progress with Bennett. Sure, he wasn’t the life of the party, but honestly, I wasn’t there to make new BFFs. I had a mission to accomplish and an unresolved issue with Cory to deal with.

I hardly believed it when Bennett called to schedule another lunch date after he already promised to put in a good word with his mom. So there I was, dolled up and heading to some ritzy restaurant, praying I wouldn’t run into Cory McCrae again. Was it too much to ask the universe never to cross paths with that arrogant jerk? A girl could dream! Still, I had to stay focused on impressing Bennett. I was feeling pretty darn optimistic, with a ninety-five percent confidence level.

---