Page 28 of The One You Want

Those words evoked a whole slew of memories of other times she’d caught him hiding his phone from her over the last month. And this wasn’t the first time she’d seen something on his phone that didn’t make sense.

He picked up the phone, set it facedown on his bare thigh, and turned his head toward her. “It’s just work. A problem they need me to handle even though everyone knows I’m away from the office this week because my gorgeous fiancée and I are getting married.” He kissed her softly. “They wish I was there in person to take care of it. But I just want to be here with you.”

She fell into another kiss with him, but her initial worry about the text didn’t dissipate. His reassuring words didn’t make her feel better.

Several more texts made his phone vibrate.

He didn’t stop kissing her.

She pulled back. “Tell them you’re unavailable for the nexttwoweeks and not to bother you. This isourtime.”

“I wish I could, but this is important. I’ve got a few hours before I’m meeting up with Gray, so it’s no big deal to handle it now, so I can be all yours later when you need me.”

“I always need you,” she pouted, feeling like a shrew for nagging him about being responsible about his job and not giving her his undivided attention.

“I know, but you also understand that I’m trying to takemore of the burden off my father.” Marc’s father had suffered a stroke about two years ago. Since then, Marc had stepped up in the business that he’d eventually take over one day.

“It’s Saturday. Can’t it wait?”

“Better to deal with it now and get it out of the way so we can enjoy this week leading up to our wedding.” He kissed her again, then stood, naked, all those gorgeously sculpted muscles on display. “Besides, don’t you need to get back to your parents’ place so you can shower and change and get ready to meet up with Rose later? Maybe you two can meet for breakfast.”

“She’s having brunch with Gray this morning downstairs in the hotel restaurant.”

“What?” Marc gaped at her. “She didn’t waste any time...”

That got her attention. “Why do you care?”

“I don’t.” The clipped response made it seem like he did.

“Is there some reason you don’t want Rose and Gray getting together?”

Marc shrugged. “I don’t think he’s good for her.”

“What? Why?”

“Gray likes the chase. Look how hard he went after her last night, offering her a job without even really getting to know her.”

“He was right about her working for a company every programmer would kill to work at. She’s brilliant at what she does. He’d be lucky to have her at his company.”

“Of course you think that. He thinks she’s hot and practically hands her the job of her dreams just so he can get with your best friend.”

Maggie scoffed. “He offered to get her the interview she deserves.”

Marc’s lips drew back in a derisive half frown. “What’s it going to look like when he sets his hot new girlfriend up at the company? What happens when the other employees feel like she’s getting special treatment because she’s with him? What happens when he gets tired of her and they break up and now she’s working in the same building as him all the time?”

Something about Marc’s vehemence seemed off. He never got this worked up about anything.

Marc had never been interested in meeting Rose. Now he was trying to look out for her. It didn’t add up. “So let me get this straight. You think my best friend is hot.” He’d said it twice. “And you don’t think Gray is good enough for her.”

“That’s not what I said.”

“Um, yeah, you did.”

“I just don’t want things to get complicated and messy between all of us. She’s your best friend. He’s family. If this doesn’t go well, more than likely you’ll lose your friend because no matter what, Gray will be at all the family get-togethers. And if he’s not, my family will blame me.”

“What happens if Gray and Rose really hit it off? That means we’ll all spend a lot of time together. Is that a problem for you?”

“Why would it be?”