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“Yes,” I confirm, and I just ignore the accusation of his statement and move on as if it didn’t just pop me right in the jaw. “I had an idea that we’d play a good cop, bad cop strategy with the studios. I asked for his help. He’s skilled and his experience—”

“I’m sold on you two as a team, but that’s not the point, now, is it?”

“What is the point, Dash?”

“Allie said she sensed something between you last night. And you have been fretful over him. You went to his place a couple times to check on him?”

“Just once,” I say, though he’s right. I dropped by two other times, and he wasn’t home. Seems I was determined to wade into shark-infested waters, just as Tyler referenced.

I’m determined to get eaten alive.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Bella

I’m lost in my own self-reflection and persecution when Dash snaps me back to the present. “And?” he challenges. “What happened when you went to Tyler’s apartment, Bella?”

“I forced him to eat ice cream and he forced me to leave afterward.”

He laughs. “You forcedTyler Hawkto eatice cream?”

“Oh, come on. Everyone loves ice cream. It was nothing and nothing happened.”

“What about what Allie sensed?”

“He’s been weird with me since I took him that damn ice cream. He doesn’t seem to know how to be friends with a woman. I think it scares him, but you know it’s for the best. He’s my boss, not my friend. I should never have forgotten that.”

“Why did you?”

“That’s easy to answer. When you lost your dad, Dash, you struggled but even so, you had me and Allie. He has no one. It’s that bleeding heart of mine. I think I felt like he was my friend because he’s your friend.”

He just stares at me a moment, as if he reads more into the answer than I thought was there. Finally, he asks, “Why didn’t you come have waffles this past weekend?”

“It wasn’t about Tyler, that’s for sure. I didn’t want to tell you the contract was falling apart, Dash. I didn’t want to let you down.”

“Are you serious? You stayed away because ofthat?”

“Yes. I just wanted to pull it all together and tell you everything was great.”

“Good, bad, and ugly, Bella. That’s you and me forever. Don’t hide things from me. I did from you, and look where I ended up. In underground fight clubs.”

“And maybe Tyler ends up drowning in a bottle, Dash. If you’re right and he has a problem, we have to help him.”

“What happened to my boss, not my friend?”

My lips purse. “Okay,youhave to help him. I have to step back from it.”

“You’re right. You do. Because I do not want you ending up in bed with Tyler Hawk, because as you said, your bleeding heart got involved, and thought that’s what he needed at the time. He has a ‘fuck me tonight’ address book ten miles long.”

“I don’t need this particular lecture. You know that, right?”

“I think you do. I sense it, Bella, and so did Allie. Be careful with Tyler.” He slides my plate in front of me. “And eat your lunch. You need the energy to negotiate my contact.”

My phone buzzes with a text and I snake it from my purse to find Tyler, of all people, on my ID. I click the message and read:I’ll text you when I’m ten minutes from your place. I need your address.

I sent him the information and the exchange ends there. I set my phone down on the table and Dash arches a brow. I pick up my fork. “Tell me about the book you’re writing.”

“There’s no story to tell right now. It’s too soon.”

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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