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Subconsciously I squeezed the phone in my pocket.
“You look deep in thought,” Ashlyn chirped, warm eyes on my face. “Everything taste okay?”
I smile, which was too easy nowadays. “Yeah, everything is great. Sorry. Lost in thought.”
“Can I ask you a real question? You know, off the record?”
I raised a brow, chewing my chicken. “Off the record… That’s a big ask, Miss Grove.”
She set her fork down, face pink. “I’ll think of some way to pay you back.”
“You better. But yes. Go for it.”
She licked her lip, a gesture I couldn't help but watch. She was temptation, pure, innocent, and ungodly sweet. I almost regretting kissing her like that in the soup aisle. Almost. And that was only because I wanted to be somewhere we could’ve continued on. I would’ve let my hands wander lower, and I knew for sure that she would’ve felt amazing with her legs wrapped around my waist.
“Liam? Are you paying attention?”
No. Absolutely not. “Yes, sorry.”
“Why do you want to be CEO so badly?” Ashlyn’s earnest face watched me closely, her fork twirling midair.
That’s one way to kill a vibe.My hard-on was gone in an instant. And it wasn’t because of the question she asked but because of what I wanted to explain to her. Feelings were not my forte.
I hummed for a moment, sliding back in my seat to buy myself a moment.
“Are you sure you signed that NDA? I don’t want you running to the media about this,” I teased softly, deflecting.
Her face didn't change. “Really, Liam. I’d love to know.”
Dammit. Why did this girl have such a good bullshit radar.
“I’m not sure you knew this, but back in the day, before my father discovered politics and my mother discovered she hated my father, they owned Leden. In fact, my father started Leden with a few of his buddies from college. And they grew it from only them to a several-hundred–person company across half the country. When Dad worked at Leden, he was home every night for soccer, he showed up to dinner, and he and Mom were getting along.”
I stopped for a quick drink of the tart lemonade. “Everything changed when I was eleven. In a matter of weeks, Dad discovered politics, Mom fell back into Hollywood, and I spent more time with my siblings and a nanny than I ever had before. There was no more Macklen family, at least not where they were concerned. But Leden was still there. I got jobs there over the summers, and when I was finally old enough to intern, to work, that’s where I went to. I did everything in my power to make sure that the board of directors understood that I would be leading my family’s company someday. And that day is now.”
Quiet, sharp and dangerous, swirled around us. What the fuck did she put in that chicken? My throat was burning like mad. I sniffed, shifting my hand to take another long drink.
“Leden represents everything good about my family. Everything thatwasgood.”
A warm hand pressed softly against mine. Ashlyn looked at me, her eyes strangely shiny. “Liam, that’s beautiful. I think you’ll do a wonderful job with your family’s company.”
Dinner was suddenly heavy in my stomach. “Thanks.” I stood, quickly carrying my plate to the sink and dropping it there. Loudly.
“Did I say something wrong?”
I stiffened, panic curling my guts. “No, it’s not you. I just don’t like talking about myself like that.”
Ashlyn looked up at me, her face worried. She was getting too close. I’d spent too much time, too much effort to screw this all up just two weeks before the biggest opportunity of my life.
“At least not with my fake girlfriend.” I forced a laugh.
I was a cruel dick, and I knew it.
She stood too, her tone darkening. “What are you afraid of? That people might like you? Telling the truth? I don’t understand, Liam. Why are you hiding behind this manwhore persona you created? You don’t have to be that person. I’ve seen how different you are.”
My chest was tight. A mix of claustrophobia and desperation clung to the vestiges of my mind. I had let her too far inside. She was getting too close.
“Stop talking to me like you know me. You’ve read a four-page description, done some googling, and spent a few afternoons taking pictures. That doesn’t mean you know me, and it sure as hell doesn’t give you license to talk to me like that. I know exactly who and what I am, and I like it.”
