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“Sorry. I got caught up talking to my boss.”
Logan nodded.
“Want to have a seat?” Marti asked, motioning to a rectangular seating area of stylishly arranged sofas.
“Not particularly. Unless we’re going to talk about last night.”
“What about it?” Marti shuffled closer, avoiding his eye.
“The kiss.”
“We’ve kissed before.”
“Fine. Let’s talk about your words, then.”
“I didn’t say anything you didn’t already know.”
Anger stiffened his spine. He moved in front of her and placed his fingers under her chin, tipping her head until their eyes met. “Don’t stand there and pretend that nothing has changed between us. It’s insulting.”
“I like you, Logan.”
The knot of tension between his shoulder blades loosened. His hand fell away. “I know.”
“But I don’t love you. I never will. I can’t. I don’t—”
“If you say that you don’t know how or
that you don’t have it in you, so help me, McBride, I’ll kiss you ‘til you break.”
“My boss wants me to break up with you,” she blurted.
Logan flinched, her words a shock. “She, what?”
“She wants me to break up with you. For the sake of my column. She said the relationship was great for publicity while it lasted. That my ratings are at an all-time high, but I can’t be in love and write a singles column. It just won’t work. No one wants to hear about how in love you are long term. I think her exact words were that it’s boring. People want drama, heartache, gossip, tension, and conflict.”
“This is your life, not hers.” Even as he said it, he knew it was a moot point. After all, her career was her life too. But he was a man hanging from a cliff, his fingers slipping from the bitter edge, and he’d do anything to hold on.
“Yes, it is. And this is my job, my livelihood we’re talking about here.” Marti stepped forward and closed the gap between them, lowering her voice. “Don’t you get it? There is no choice. She gave me an ultimatum. My job or you.”
But that is a choice. He wanted to say it but couldn’t. It wasn’t fair, asking her to choose. “We’ve only just begun.”
“There was always an expiration date on this. You know that better than anyone. Why are you trying to challenge that now? It’s over.” Her lip trembled. This was hurting her. He could see it.
And when she turned to walk away, he hurried to block her path. “No. Don’t do this. Don’t act like this meant nothing. Like every bit of our time together was all for the cameras because it wasn’t. We both know that.”
Marti shook her head but said nothing.
“Just give us until after your father’s wedding at least.”
“What difference will that make?”
“She can’t make you do anything you don’t want to,” he insisted, ignoring the bitter truth. He knew it was over—felt it deep in his bones—yet he couldn’t help holding on.
“She’s my boss. She can do whatever she wants.”
“You’d have grounds for a lawsuit. She can’t fire you because you found a boyfriend.”
Marti laughed and ran a hand through her hair. “Do you hear yourself?”
