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I’d pay to see that. Xander Pierce seemed like the kind of man who’d be too concerned that playing cornhole would ruin his cool exterior, but he’d probably play if he got tipsy enough. “Did you come in here for a drink?”

“No.” He took a step closer. “I have something for you.”

I inhaled. “Oh?”

“Yeah,” he said, reaching around to one of his back pockets. “I didn’t want to give it to you in front of anyone else. Feels… weird.”

“Oh,” I repeated, curious. Xander nodded for me to follow him toward the front of the Gardners’ house, around the corner to the bottom of their stairs. “Did you actually get me a birthday gift, Xander?”

He turned around in the foyer, his palm still resting against the back pocket of his jeans. “I got it weeks ago, the day you told me I’d better get you something that would impress you.”

The conversation only slightly rang a bell. But a few weeks ago, Xander and I were still dating. And back then, I sort of thought we’d at least make it through the whole summer. “Xan, it doesn’t feel right to accept a gift from you now.”

“And you don’t have to accept it, if you don’t like it,” he said, looking down as he pulled a rectangular black box from behind his back. “It’s really stupid. I’m sorry.”

My mouth dropped open as I cautiously accepted the box from his hands. “Xander…”

“I considered returning it, but I decided you still deserved it after I was kind of an ass to you.”

I looked up into his eyes. “You weren’t, though.”

“Whatever. Just open the box so I can get the humiliation over with,” he said, forcing a laugh as his hands returned to his pockets.

I slowly lifted the lid of the jewelry box, my fingers holding my breath as I did. Inside was a simple, dainty, diamond bracelet. Sterling silver, like the hoops in my ears at the very moment.

“Aww,” I whispered, touching the diamonds. “It’s beautiful, Xander. I can wear this on-air.”

“Yeah?” His shoulders seemed to relax. “You should try it on.”

I hesitated, knowing I didn’t have a valid excuse not to put on the bracelet.

But it was just a piece of jewelry from a friend, wasn’t it?

So I pulled the bracelet out of the box, its diamonds shimmering under the chandelier in the foyer, and laid it over my wrist. Xander took a step forward, the space between us shrinking as he helped me secure the clasp.

God, this would be the worst possible time for Graham to walk in.

“There, think I got it,” he said, straightening his back. His face was merely inches from mine, and his fingers lingered on my wrist a second too long.

I lifted my arm, watching the diamonds on the bracelet shimmer in the light beneath the chandelier in the foyer. “Look at that, it’s perfect.” I felt inclined to hug him, but his closeness was already making me uneasy.

“Good,” he said, pausing to clear his throat. His eyes lifted from the delicate bracelet to my face. “And hey, I was thinking…”

Oh no. Don’t do this.

“Maybe when we’re in New York next week, you and I can–”

“Oh my gosh, I almost forgot the New York trip is in just a few days!” I blurted, cutting him off as I took a step backward.

My enthusiasm was a bit over-the-top, but I had to pretend like I didn’t know what Xander was about to ask.

It was probably the same thing he’d been on the verge of spitting out back at City Hall.

I took another small step backward, trying not to let it show how desperate I was to get out of this conversation.

“I hope we’ll have time to see some of the sights. I haven’t been since my senior year.”

“Yeah…”

Another step backward. “Well, I probably need to get out there and mingle with more people,” I said, tucking my hair behind my ear. “Thank you, again.”

I gave him a quick smile and turned away before he could say anything else. In the kitchen, I grabbed my sweating glass, cursing under my breath on the way out the sliding door.

Xander’s gesture was sweet, but it was kind of fucking with my head. I sipped my watered-down drink and glanced around the backyard, trying to shake him off.

My parents were deep in conversation with Kaitlyn, a girl Meghan and I used to run with back in our party days, which was a little jarring.

But my eyes were drawn to the empty seat beside Graham on the patio sectional.

I made a beeline for it, quickly noticing the way he was furrowing his brows at his phone.

“Something wrong?” I asked, carefully tucking my dress under my thighs.

Graham exhaled, sticking his phone in the back pocket of his slacks. He was still in the same sky-blue button-up I’d seen him in that morning, but he’d lost the tie.

How unfortunate.

“I just…” He paused, turning to face me.

Behind us, a group of cheers erupted from the people playing cornhole.

And around the same time, someone popped a balloon with a dart on the opposite side of the yard.

More screams and cheers. Graham scooted a little closer so I could hear him better.

“I was looking into a full-time position at the university, but I just found out it’s already been filled. ”

I tilted my head to the side. “What? I didn’t know you had any interest in that.”

“I don’t,” he said without a beat, meeting my eyes.

In the corner of my eye, I saw Xander return to the backyard and join some of the guys by the firepit, where people were making s’mores. He was watching me. Could he see my knee brushing against Graham’s? Just in case, I pulled away.

I returned my focus to Graham’s intense gaze. “Then why were you looking into it?” I asked, stirring my drink.

“Because then I wouldn’t be your boss.”

All of the chatter, laughter, and music seemed to fade out, and all I could hear was the sound of my own heartbeat. The only thing I could see was Graham’s face, handsome but tired, watching me like he was trying to read me. The weight of what he’d just admitted settled into the pit of my stomach.

“But alas,” he finally said, tapping his fingertips together between his knees. “I’m too late. It’s not in the cards for me.”

“That’s really unfortunate,” I said to let him know I was on the same page. I scratched my knee, reaching over to brush my pinky against the side of his leg so subtly that nobody else would notice.

Graham’s eyes narrowed. “You weren’t wearing that bracelet before.”

I held my breath. “It’s from Xander,” I admitted, pausing to bite my lip. “He said he got it a long time ago.”

I readied myself to have to explain further, remembering the way one of my exes would have punched a wall if another man gave me a piece of jewelry.

But Graham’s lips curled upward in a sexy smirk, and I knew he wasn’t anything like the twenty-something men I’d dated in the past. In fact, he almost seemed amused. He glanced at Xander before looking down at the bracelet again.

“It’s nice,” he said, scooting to the edge of the seat. And then he leaned a little closer to finish that thought. “But I think your wrists look better tied up in silk.”

He held my gaze for a second, making me blush, before he stood up and walked away.

I stared at my drink, trying not to smile too big just in case anyone was watching. That man could get my heartbeat racing with just a throwaway line—every damn time.

But it wasn’t what he’d just said, really.

It was all of it. This party. The knowledge that getting my parents here was his idea.

The way he cared. How he’d risked his neck for me at work, fighting my battles like they were his own.

And now, this revelation that he was thinking about our future, considering making a career shift just so we could stay together.

That thrilled me more than any diamonds ever could.