“But I can do all that.” I didn’t want to increase Sofia’s workload just because I was staying with Dade. “I’ll go shopping after work and—”
“Not necessary.” Dade shot me a warning look that let me know it wasn’t up for debate. “Thank you, Sofia. That’ll be all for now.”
“Of course, sir,” she said, scurrying out the kitchen door.
“What was that about?” I asked, fisting my hand on my hip as I turned to face him. “Why were you so short with her?”
“Because she has a tendency to stick her nose into my business and I don’t like it.” He poured himself a cup of coffee before he said, “Our relationship is none of her business and it sounded like she was grilling you about it.”
“She wasn’t grilling me!” I didn’t want that poor, sweet woman to get in trouble because of me. “She was just…”
“Fishing for information?” He rolled his eyes. “Same difference. I don’t like it and I won’t put up with it.”
I took fresh fruit out of the fridge and started washing berries before stacking them on a plate. “If you don’t like it, why don’t you talk to her about it?”
“I have. Every time a woman’s spent the night.”
Those words hit me like a sucker punch and my reaction must have shown on my face because he winced.
“Jesus Charli, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”
I forced a laugh as I raised a hand to halt his apology. “You don’t owe me an apology.” We’d had sex twice. It’s not like we’d been intimate for months and he’d disrespected me by talking about his old girlfriends. “It’s no big deal, Dade. I know you have sex with other women.”
He moved in behind me, bracing his hands on the counter, caging me in. “You want to know why I’m in a shitty mood this morning? Because I fell asleep thinking about you last night and woke up this morning to a cold, empty bed. I wanted you there with me.”
I forced myself to breathe as I stacked berries on the platter. “We can’t keep doing this,” I whispered. “If I’m going to work for you, that’s all it can be. We can’t blur the lines.”
“But I can’t stop wanting you.”
The evidence of his desire was prodding my back and it took everything in me not to turn into his arms. “You have to.” I closed my eyes when his scruff brushed my cheek. “I want this to work. I think I’ll like this job. But I can’t keep fighting this attraction, Dade. It’s not fair.”
He brushed my hair aside, letting his lips tease my neck when he whispered, “Maybe we’re not being fair to ourselves. Trying to fight it. Maybe we should just give in to it.”
I saw where he was going with this and I didn’t like it. I finally turned to face him, bracing my hands on the counter behind me. “Let me see if I’ve got this straight. Inside this house, I’m your plaything. In public, I’m your assistant? Or… a stranger you once kissed when you got drunk at a wedding?”
He swore softly when the phone sounded, alerting him to a visitor at the gatehouse.
“I’ll get it.” I narrowed my eyes at him. “That’s probably in my job description, right?”
Chapter 12
Dade
It wasn’t bad enough that Reed showed up unannounced and uninvited at eight in the morning, but he had to flirt with Charli right in front of me? I was gonna lose my shit.
She’d invited him to breakfast, so they could talk about his offer, and I was trying to choke down food while I tried to resist the urge to choke him. Hearing Charli talk about the kind of man she wanted last night set me on edge. I knew I could be her man. I had all of the qualities she was looking for and I could provide everything that would make her happy for the rest of her life, but goddammit, I was scared. I couldn’t afford to make another bad call and make a fool of myself again. It wouldn’t just be bad for my career this time. It could end it. Then I’d have nothing, except a big bank account and days that stretched on too long, with no purpose.
“How ‘bout you just try a few shows?” Reed asked, popping a strawberry in his mouth. “No commitment. I’ll bill you as a special guest. See if you like it—”
“Are you deaf?” I asked him. “She said thanks, but no thanks.” She hadn’t been that direct, but I knew Reed well enough to know that’s what it would take to get him to back the hell off.
Reed scowled at me. “The lady can speak for herself.”
Charli raised a hand before wiping her mouth with a paper napkin. “I’ll be honest, Reed. I’m so flattered that you’d even consider me, but playing in front of a crowd that size scares me.”
He smiled, reaching across the table to squeeze her shoulder. “Hon, I get it. I’ve been there. So has Dade. It’s scary as hell the first time, but it gets easier every time you step on that stage.”
I hated to admit it, but he was right. I still got a little nervous before every show, but it was the good kind of nerves now. Excitement about putting on the best show I could for my fans.
