Page 42 of Tempted By the Safety

“You heard from Emily?” he asks, like he’s grateful for anywhere else to put the conversation. “She left a couple weeks after you did. Didn’t even give proper notice.”

“She’s doing great, actually. Found a place in the East Village that treats her well.” I smile at him, sweet as I can make it. “She’s really happy there.”

“Good. That’s good.” Alan’s rubbing the cloth between his hands now, and he glances at the table again, at seven people who have all gone quiet and are all, very clearly, listening. “Well. Enjoy your dinner. Dessert’s on the house.”

He retreats toward the kitchen at a pace just shy of fleeing.

The second he’s out of earshot, Spencer leans back in his chair and says, “That’s the guy who fired Milo.”

“That guy?” Dalton’s practically rising out of his seat to get a better look at Alan’s retreating back. “That’s him? He looks like a guy who’d fire somebody for being too good-looking.”

Knox sets his phone face-down. “He sounds like a prick.”

“Absolute clown,” Dalton agrees. “You want me to say something to him? I’ll say something to him.”

“It’s okay,” I say, laughing. “You really don’t have to defend me.”

“They’re right,” Bennett says. “He was an idiot to fire you.”

“Guys, it’s fine,” I say, but I’m smiling into my water glass, because it feels good, this instant closing of ranks. I’ve never needed anyone to fight my battles, but It’s nice anyway.

We order, the wine comes, and Dalton, two glasses in, decides it’s time to tell a story.

“Okay, so, does everyone know how I figured out Rhodes had a thing for Milo?” He doesn’t wait for permission. “This was back at our June training. We’re running routes, and Rhodes has never blown a coverage on me in his life. I want that on the record. I have never once—”

“Get to the point, baby.” Barrett says it low, knuckles still working slow circles against Dalton’s back.

“The point is, I run a fake I’ve run at him two hundred times, never worked once, and this time he bites on it like a rookie who’s never watched film in his life, and I’m standing in the end zone looking back at him going,what just happened, and I follow his eyeline, and you know where it goes?” Dalton pointsacross the table at me with his fork. “Straight to the sideline. Where Milo’s stretching his arms over his head.”

I look at Spencer. “Really? It was because of me?”

“Yeah, it was you,” Spencer says, and he turns to say the rest to me, as if the others aren’t there. “You standing there in that shirt…”

He doesn’t finish the sentence, just leans over and presses a kiss to my temple.

“See, this is what I’m talking about.” Dalton turns to Barrett and grabs his hand off the table, squeezing it. “Don’t they look cute together?”

“They do look cute together,” Barrett confirms.

“See,” Dalton looks vindicated.

“So who’s replacing you as Rhodes’ PA?” Harlow asks me, tipping his chin at Spencer. “Now that you jumped ship for pastry.”

“We’re doing interviews,” Spencer says. “Milo sits in on all of them. Does the vetting.”

“Obviously the position’s not live-in anymore,” I say dryly. “That one’s taken.”

Spencer’s eyes cut to me, and there’s heat in them all of a sudden, banked low. He leans in close enough that only I catch what he says next.

“I love it when you get possessive.”

My mind goes straight to yesterday morning, his office door half open, me walking in on a conference call I wasn’t supposed to interrupt, his voice cutting off mid-sentence when I droppedto my knees under his desk and he had to keep talking, hand fisted in my hair.

“Get a room,” Knox says, picking his phone back up.

“Why are you in such a mood tonight?” Spencer asks, and I’m grateful for the redirect before my face gives away exactly where my head just went.

“He’s cranky because he hasn’t seen Adrian in two weeks,” Cole says.