Rich and Bossy (Rich Boys)

28. Hazel

CHAPTER 28

Hazel

I cannot believe I am waking up in a strange bed again.

I roll over with a smile though, ready to tease him a little, but I find myself alone. A quick look at my phone tells me it’s barely six o’clock, so I’m not running late—yet. But I need to get out of here pretty quickly.

I heard what Campbell said, but it still just baffles me she’d be that understanding. Technically, she doesn’t need to know, but I’m done with all the secrets, all that stuff. It’s legit driving me insane trying to play both sides of every fence. I always thought I had principles, and could stand on those no matter what, but life is weird. It’s gray a lot of the times, and not black and white.

I’m obviously not going to give her the filthy details, but if she asks, I’ll tell her the truth. It’s not like we don’t have enough to focus on today. I’m going to need to drink at least a gallon of hot tea with honey if there’s any hope of my voice holding out. The moaning last night probably didn’t help.

My cheeks pinken a little thinking about it. How does he do that to me? Uhh, he let you do it to yourself, really.

I feel like I’m living two different lives right now, and I’m not sure how to feel about either of them. How am I supposed to make this work? That was what we were supposed to do last night.

Hash things out, form a plan. Some kind of logical path forward.

Not have sex and fall asleep like we’re a couple and nothing else is wrong in the world.

What if he’s the man I’m supposed to spend the rest of my life with? What if this is it and I blow it? I might be young, but it feels so perfect. Look what we’re up against and we still want each other. When I think about it—really think, weighing it in my heart—it feels like we’re meant for each other.

A door opens elsewhere in the apartment, and I sit up in bed. “Paxton?”

“Who’s Paxton?” A deep voice booms through the apartment. “The hell are you doing here, lady?”

My heart nearly stops.

He appears a moment later, laughing uncontrollably, giant shoulders bouncing, holding a paper bag that smells like heaven is waiting inside, along with a tray with two coffees. “Figured you’d be hungry. I know I am.”

“Fresh bagels?”

“They appear that way.”

I snatch one away and quickly bite into the thick, chewy bagel and it tells me he’s right. It’s still warm, almost too hot.

He snickers. “Aren’t you going to put anything on it?”

“How many did you get?”

“Six.” He’s really enjoying himself, watching me.

“I’ll put some on the next one. Takes too much time right now.”

“Nice.” He hands me a coffee.

I taste it and groan my approval. “God, is that white mocha? Extra espresso?”

“Yep.” He nods a few more times.

“You have incredible instincts.”

“Agreed.” He sits on the bed, taking his own coffee and bagel before unpacking plastic cutlery and cream cheese from the bag. “Guess you have a pretty big day ahead of you.”

“I do.” I know we just had sex and discussed nothing last night, it still feels like we’re on good terms right now.

“So do I.” He winces a little before biting into his bagel. “Meeting with my legal team.”

“You know something...” I set down the food in favor of turning my full attention to him, because he deserves that much at least. “I know what you have to do. I won’t take it personally, I promise.”

He takes his time answering, picking at part of his bagel.

I’ll give him all the time he needs, and not only because I know whatever he has to say is going to hurt. It’s the way things need to be, but that won’t make it any easier.

“I’ve been trying to find a way to figure all this out.” His voice is heavy, telling me whatever he’s thinking isn’t very easy to put to words. “Like, I get the other night. Why you couldn’t say anything. I was angry at first, but I know in my heart that night was real. There’s no way it was anything other than that.”

I grin a little as he says it, because it’s true.

“And it’s a tough position I’m in. I just want to try to do what’s best for the workers at the warehouse. Just know, whatever I do, it’s the least worst thing I can do, for all of you over there. Not just for you.” He looks me right in the eye. “I’m serious. Whatever happens, it would’ve been a million times worse, if I didn’t care. That’s the best I can offer.”

I sit there, staring at my bagel for a long time. “Okay.”

“You sure?” His eyes are back on me.

“You trust me about our date night. The night before it all happened.” I shrug a little. “I have to trust you with this. I do trust you with this.”

“Good, because I’m a terrible liar. You’d know if I was lying to you.”

“I still don’t see how it’ll work.” Maybe it’s the wild schedule Campbell has me on, plus work hours, plus school—which I’ve been neglecting—but I can’t make any sense of this. “It’s going to end up hurting you. If you take the path of least resistance.”

“Hurting my professional life and hurting me are not the same thing,” he reminds me with a stern look. “Nobody will get hurt by making things a little fairer at the warehouse, other than people who can afford to hurt a little. So, if they can’t deal with that, they have to do what they have to do.” He looks away. “They’re fucking pricks anyway.” He mumbles the last part to himself.

“I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything, just do what you need to do and don’t worry about me. I need you to trust me, Hazel. That’s the only fucking thing I’m sure of right now. Everything else is all over the place, and I need that. I’ll fall apart without it.”

Wow. His words hit me right in the chest. None of this is what I expected. I nod a few times. “Okay, I trust you.”

“Good.” He smiles before taking another bite of his bagel. “You really should try the salmon cream cheese. It’s excellent.”

“Nasty. I’ll stick with plain, thank you very much.”

He laughs.

Right now, I couldn’t care less about what flavor cream cheese is best. “You’re not just saying all this because of last night, are you?” I ask, lifting an eyebrow.

Now, his eyes harden on me. “What? Like I’m thinking with my dick?”

“I mean…” I look away at the wall, like it could be a possibility .

“I was going to tell you this before everything happened. Actually, I was going to tell you more than that.”

“Like what?”

He shakes his head. “It doesn’t matter.”

“No, tell me.”

“I was going to suggest we take a break. Until this is done with. Not because I fucking want to, but because I think that’s what would be best for you. I’m trying to do what’s right. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

Wow. Now, that’s a lot to take in all at once.

“When I saw you, I couldn’t help it, though.” He stands up, pacing around. “I’m not… I don’t think clearly around you.” He turns, his eyes pleading. “I’m trying right now. Really hard. I just want you to know that.”

“I do know it.” God, I am falling for him even harder than I thought.

You already fell, long ago.

“Look, I’ll make sure the vote is fair. Is that enough? Because that’s the best I can do, and I’m going to have to work some fucking absolute magic to make it happen.”

“That’s a lot. You’re risking a lot doing that.”

“That’s up to me.” He leans in and he kisses me on the forehead. “It’s not your choice to make.”

I just want to melt into his damn arms, and I can’t, because I really have to get moving soon.

Why can’t it always be like this? A nice, quiet morning. Maybe on a Sunday, we could lie in bed and relax with our coffee and newspapers. I just want to be with him. He has a way of taking even the most routine things and making them exciting and new.

Or insanely sexy.

I reach for his hand, lacing my fingers through his. God, I love his hands. Not only because they’re gigantic and know just what to do to me, either—though that doesn’t hurt. “Thank you. I mean it.”

“So do I. It will be fair.”

“That’s all I ask.” Now I wish I hadn’t eaten so much, so quickly. “I think you’re right, the stuff you said, about before last night, what you were thinking. It’s not what I want, to take a break, but we probably shouldn’t see each other again until this is over. Once the vote is held and things are settled, maybe it’ll be a different story.”

He nods slowly. “I know. I don’t fucking like it, but I’ll do it.” His grip on my hand tightens, and he reaches for the other. It feels so right, even this simple touch.

I wish it didn’t feel like this is the last time I get to hold his hand. Possibly the last time ever, as horrific as that is to think about.

“Okay.” I nod, and are those tears trying to creep in? This guy has really done a number on me.

“This sucks.”

“I know.”

“It sucks balls, seriously.”

He laughs and so do I, then everything goes all serious again.

I could stare into those eyes forever. It’s so tempting, the very idea of just running away, never coming back. We could live on a remote island somewhere.

“It’s what’s best for both of us. We both know it.”

“I know.” He lifts my hand, kissing each individual knuckle, allowing his lips to linger against my skin. “I just want you so damn bad, all the time, Hazel. I just…” He glances down at my hand. “It’s hard to let go.”

I have to bite back a smile, because holy hell, I can feel how bad he wants me, just in his grip on my hand. “I know.”

“You’re going to have to help keep your distance, because I don’t trust myself.” His eyes land on mine. “You shouldn’t trust me on that. It’s the one thing you can’t trust me with, that I won’t come after you before it’s time.”

I lean in, brushing my nose against his before kissing him gently, forehead to forehead. “I know.”

This is going to be really hard.