Page 77 of Bossy Wicked Prince

I nod. “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”

After he’s left the table, Beau turns to me. “So, I heard you survived an encounter with Eleanor Walsh.”

My buzz of happiness thins. Nate’s mom is the last person I want to think about right now, when I’m actually having a nice Thanksgiving. It seems like a bad idea to trash-talk her to Nate’s friends, so I try to spin it in a positive direction.

“I did meet her. She, uh, really cares about Nate.”

Beau nods sympathetically. “Got it. So she verbally eviscerated you. Sorry, there’s nothing you could have done.”

“Ignore anything she said,” Luke says. “She’s basically the Wicked Witch of the UPS Board, and she gets off on making anyone in Nate’s life feel like shit.”

“She even tried to get herdarlingboy to quit poker night. Said he was wasting his time running around with trash like us.” Ryan gestures to himself, Luke, and Beau. “James got a pass because he went to the ‘right’ school. That, and his parents were zillionaires.”

“You should have heard the things she said to me before I bought Terrace,” Beau says. He puts his nose in the air, then raises his voice in a spot-on impression of Eleanor. “‘Nathaniel, you really want to be seen running around with someone who serves burgers out of a filthy truck? If only your father could see you!’”

The other guys laugh, and my anxiety fades away again. Beau is one of the most impressive people I know. He runs two wildly successful businesses, and he’s well-liked by all his employees, which is almost unheard of. If Eleanor could find a problem with him, maybe there really is no winning with her.

She’s still right about you being dangerous for Nate’s reputation, a dark voice inside my head reminds me.You could put his whole business in danger if anyone knew.

Whatever’s happening between Nate and I, it can’t last. I’ve seen the gossip blogs about him. If we ever came out as a public couple, someone would eventually dig into our history. They’d figure out when he hired me and when we started sleeping together, and his reputation would be shredded, along with his business.

Nate slides back into the chair next to me and smiles at me. It’s a broad, toothy grin like I’ve never seen on his face before, and I’m momentarily stunned. He’s gorgeous, like a cartoon prince come to life. And he’s looking at me like I’ve never seen him look at anyone.

Under the table, his broad hand spreads on my leg. His thumb draws little circles high on my inner thigh, sending a pulse of heat down my spine. A promise of how he’ll touch me once we’re alone.

One day, we’ll have to end things. But today, I can let myself enjoy this.

My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I peer down at it.

Pippa

I’ll let you go back to your dinner, but I’m expecting a full recap on Wine Wednesday.

I smile down at my phone. After a few weeks of work conflicts, I’ve finally been able to clear my schedule for Pippa and our usual Wednesday tradition. There’s a cute little café and bookshop near my apartment, and on Wednesday nights, they stay open late to turn into a secret candlelit wine bar. They don’t advertise it—it’s if you know, you know.

“Who do you keep texting over there?” Ryan asks. “Do you have a secret boyfriend as backup in case Nate misbehaves?”

“Nope. I’m actually texting your stepsister,” I tell him, an innocent smile plastered on my face. “Nate told you Pippa’s my best friend, didn’t he?”

Ryan’s chiseled jaw drops and the other guys hoot with amusement.

“She’s so freaking annoying,” he groans. “Total stick-in-the-mud. I don’t know how you can stand being around her for a second.”

My vision turns red. Obviously those two don’t have a great relationship, but he doesnotget to talk about my best friend like that.

“How would you know?” I spit. “You don’t even talk to each other.”

“Trust me, that’s on purpose,” he mutters. “I got tired of her sucking the fun out of everything.”

“Pippa’s hilarious, and the only person who’s ever made me stay out till sunrise. She’s loyal and determined and pretty much the best person ever.”

The room goes quiet, all the banter and jokes dying out. The other guys look from me to Ryan and back, waiting to see how he’ll react. A muscle jumps in Nate’s jaw, and I know he’ll back me up if Ryan wants to pick a fight.

I’m pretty sure Ryan knows that too, because he chooses his words carefully. “I get it. She’s your friend. But you’re not describing the Pippa I know.”

“The Pippa you knew was a kid. Didn’t you change from when you were thirteen and twenty-three? You just never gave her a chance. Grow up. It’s obvious who the real child is.”

His eyes widen, and for the first time since I’ve met him, he has nothing to say.