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Every instinct I had ever earned as a man screamed at me to deny it without hesitation. But instead, I took a moment to consider the scenario. Immediately, the thought of being dumped by Amber filled me with pain, like knives stabbing me in the chest and gut. I liked Amber alot. It was building toward something bigger. Love, maybe. Yes, definitely love. I could see myself loving this woman, and spending the rest of my life with her. I knew I was getting ahead of myself, especially considering I didn’t have her all to myself, but the potential for that was there. The potential for long-term happiness.
I didn’t see anything long-term with Jocelyn. She wasn’t the kind of woman I wanted, beyond the obvious superficial reasons. I couldn’t go back to a superficial relationship with someone like Jocelyn. Not after I’d had something special. Somethingamazing.
“No,” I said. “If you dumped me tomorrow, I wouldn’t jump into Jocelyn’s arms. I can promise you that.”
Amber looked skeptical at first, but she smiled for the rest of the night.
Later that evening, when her nude body was curled against mine in bed and her hair splayed out across my arm, my mind raced. I had been couching my feelings for Amber, trying not to let myself feel anything too strong until she had made her choice. But now that I had touched on them, I couldn’t ignore the burning feeling in my chest. Even now, while she was snoring softly into my chest, I ached at the thought of losing her.
Competing with Jude was one thing. Despite our differences, it felt like we were on the same team. But Furio… I hadn’t mentally prepared myself to compete with someone like him. A billionaire who made me feel inadequate in every way. A man who wore a suit like he was born into it. He was only in town for the week, but I couldn’t ignore him anymore. I had to step up my game.
After two hours of staring at the ceiling, I finally thought of a way. It was crazy. It might not even work.
But I need Jude’s help.
57
Owen
I made Amber breakfast the next morning: spinach omelets with sharp cheddar cheese. We showered together, soaping each other up in an erotic and sensual way without it ever turning intoactualsex.
I could get used to this,I thought while we toweled each other off.
When we got to work, I was immediately thrown back into the chaos that came with running a company of this size. I had conference calls from eight in the morning until noon, then I had a lunch meeting with a commercial real estate agent to discuss purchase options for our second location on the east coast. We were still choosing between New York and Boston—Jude stubbornly insisted we choose the latter—and there were lots of potential spaces that would work for us. Buildings we could grow into.
That afternoon, I canceled one of my meetings and told Jude I wanted to discuss the options with him. But when he came into my office and sat down, I closed my laptop.
“Cards on the table: I don’t want to talk about real estate. I want to talk about Amber.”
Jude tensed in his seat. “It is finally happening, is it? You want me to back down so you can have her. You want her all to yourself.”
“I do want her all to myself,” I admitted, “but that’s not what this is about. In fact, I was going to say that our weird littlearrangementhas gone better than I expected.”
Jude nodded cautiously. “I have been thinking along the same lines recently, yes.”
“There’s just one problem. Furio.”
“Perhaps,” he said. “Amber seems quite taken with him. Her feelings possibly match what she feels for us. I fear those feelings may grow until the two of us are no longer needed.”
“That’s exactly what this is about,” I said. “When he was in Italy, I thought we had an edge on him. But he’s staying in town this week to handle morebusiness, and he won’t tell me what it is in relation to. I’m afraid he’s finding reasons to visit the city more often. If he does that, then I don’t know how we can compete with him. We need to step up our game.”
Jude frowned behind his glasses. “You have an idea?”
“I believe I do.”
And I told him.
*
That night, I took Amber out to dinner down in San Mateo, near her house. “I’m surprised Jude’s letting you have me two nights in a row,” she said as we sat down.
“He has to work late,” I replied. “And he felt bad that I lost my evening with you the other night, thanks to Furio’s sudden appearance.”
She smiled apologetically. “Sorry about that. I’m new to this whole dating-three-guys situation.”
“No apology needed. I’m with you now.”
“Still, it was awfully nice of Jude to give up his night. You two have gotten really good at sharing me.”
