Dirty Little Secret(16)

Except with Cailin. You weren’t stressed with her either.

“Are you going to tell me what happened, Alex?”

Now that the moment was here, he found he didn’t really want to; it felt like betraying Cailin. Not to mention revealing what an idiot he’d been tonight to follow her home. Instead he traced that shadow once more. “You’re not getting enough sleep.”

A raised brow challenged him. “That’s what you’re going with, really? Because I could think of much better distractions. That one isn’t going to work.” Sneaky fingers grabbed the T-shirt-covered skin along his ribs, almost exactly the place where he’d poked her, but the quick, vicious pinch they gave made him yelp.

A satisfied smile curved her lips. “Serves you right. Now spill it, or there’s more where that came from.”

“And everybody thinks you’re such a lady.”

Words weren’t necessary. Her finger and thumb tapped together twice, hovering in the space between them.

He rubbed the offended—and now threatened—spot and tried like hell to figure out what to say.

“I know it has something to do with your new assistant.”

Alex tightened his lips to keep from speaking.

“So, what, you want to get in her pants? Of course you do. I’ve been around you too long to miss that look in your eye.”

Sara Beth laughed when all he could get out was spluttered gibberish. Heat rose to embarrass him. “God, woman, you’re a menace.”

She propped her head up on one hand and giggled over his arm at him. “I know, love.” A pause. “So…is that it?”

“Not exactly.” Sensing tension and something else he couldn’t quite put his finger on creeping into her still form, reaching across the inches separating them, he gathered his shrinking balls from their hiding place and forced out the words. “We…were together. This past weekend.”

Nothing. Just quiet breathing, then finally, “Together?”

“I went to Thrice, remember?” It made him a coward, but he threw an arm over his eyes, desperate to avoid hers. This was new ground for them, and he had no idea how she’d take it.

“So you met, danced…”

“And had sex.”

“Good.”

He jerked upright. “What?” He couldn’t have heard that right.

“I said, ‘good.’ You needed it.” Sara Beth sat up too, reaching out to grip his jaw and tug it toward her; his nose ended up inches from hers. “You think I’m stupid? I knew this would happen eventually.” She searched his soul through his irises, and a crease appeared between her eyebrows. “Didn’t you?”

“Sara Beth, you deserve—”

“I’ve gotten way more than I ever deserved in you, love. Don’t doubt that I know that, all the way.” She gave him a quick kiss on the tip of his nose before releasing him. “So you went to bed with her; that’s kinda awkward now that you know she works for you.”

“Not nearly as awkward as her thinking I’m an adulterer who deserves to be castrated.”

Sara Beth winced. Then her irrepressible smile returned. “Now wouldn’t that be a loss to the human race.”

Drawing one knee up between them, she laid her head on it, staring at him. Waiting. Fuck, she knew him too well.

“I tried to talk to her about everything. I didn’t… Let’s just say I made things worse.” Major understatement. He’d spent the last nine hours wishing his control had been stronger than the pendulum swing of emotions that had ridden him for those few brief minutes in his office this morning.

“Got mad, huh?”

“Yes, love”—he used the pet name deliberately, knowing she’d hear the minx it actually meant—“very mad.”

“It hurt, having her see you that way.” Her fingers tapped out a thoughtful rhythm on her kneecap. “She means something to you.”

Alex shook his head at that last statement. “Her opinion of me matters, more than I realized.” More than anything, maybe.

Which made his failure doubly damning. Stern and tough had been his aim—keep the feelings locked down tight; they wouldn’t help anyway. Then he’d looked at her tear-swollen face and felt helpless, torn between his need to comfort her and the need to keep his word to Sara Beth. He hadn’t known what to say—that had been the absolute truth. The pain her reaction generated had surprised him and blown the gasket off his anger.

Could he be any more of a pussy? He wanted to make it up to her; he wanted her out of here; he didn’t know what he wanted.

“So what’s the plan?”