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“Here’s what’s gonna happen.” I hold him firmly against the wall, wind echoing through the breezeway. “I’m going to give you this phone, you’re going to put your fucking password in, and you’re going to delete that video from everything.”

“Yeah, not doing that,” he groans, and I smell alcohol on his breath. I bet he went to the bar down the way instead of heading home like he should have. Stupid fuck. “The people of Rugged Mountain deserve to see what a piece of shit you are.”

“Piece of shit for having sex? Not sure that’s going to fly as high as you’re hoping. I reckon everyone on this mountain has sex.”

“With their secretary? You know how people are here with their gossip. I can say whatever the hell I want and it’ll catch like wildfire. The whole damn town will be talking about the abuse of power going on at Wilson Construction.”

I laugh. “You say whatever the hell you want. I’m not hiding what I feel about Mabel for another day. This video, though, this isn’t yours, and I’ll be taking it to the cops come morning unless you delete it right now.”

He huffs under his breath and starts whining like a sad little fuck who had too much to drink and isn’t thinking straight. “You stole everything from me, man. My business, my livelihood… hell, you even stole my date tonight.”

“And I’ll keep stealing from you if you don’t delete this fucking video. You like your house? Your little, shit car? Your freedom? Your life? I’ll take it all. If you hurt Mabel, I won’t stop until everything you’ve ever loved is burned to the ground. You’ve seen what I can do. You know I won’t think twice about it.”

I hand him the phone and wait, my hand still dug into the back of his neck.

For a minute, I think I’m going to have to make sure no one ever finds his body, but he comes to his senses, punches in his code, and deletes the video in multiple places. I don’t know anything about technology, but I memorized his passcode, so I shove the phone into my back pocket to have someone who knows what they’re doing make sure to check it later.

“I need that!” he groans like a little bitch as he pushes away from the wall.

“Should’ve thought of that before you started banging on my fucking door.” I turn back toward the office. “The diner is still open. I won’t be to blame if they find you frozen to a fucking tree come morning.”

He’s still spewing off at the mouth, but I’ve already stepped back inside the warmth of the office. I didn’t expect that visit, though I didn’t expect most of what happened tonight.

I lock the door behind me, pull down the shades, and toss the asshole’s phone onto the catchall desk before finally heading back to my office… where there’s work to be done.

Chapter Seven

Mabel

“Everything okay?” I’m sitting on Mike’s big executive desk, my sweater tucked around my nude body when he finally steps back into the room, snow melting in his hair. “I was about to get dressed and come check on you.”

“It was that asshole from the blind date. He was drunk off his ass. I think he thought he was going to blackmail me for money or something.”

“What?”

“He was outside taking video of us through the window. Said he was going to post it everywhere so everyone in town knows who I really am. One threat and he deleted everything. I took his phone, so… I reckon he’ll wake up wondering what happened in the morning.”

“Oh my God.” I lean forward slightly and brush my hand back through my hair. “What a freakin’ weirdo. He said he and his brother lost their business to you. I think that’s when the date started going bad. I mean, I also rambled on about you for ten minutes, so it was probably clear that I’ve been in love with you—”

“You’re in love with me?”

I lower my face and glance up again. “Is that weird? That’s weird. I’m weird. I mean, maybe tonight was just about fun and I’m taking it too far. See… this is why I’m alone. We say love, but not in love. Ugh, I’m stupid.” I bury my face in my hands.

“No,” he pauses and steps forward until his big hand is on my face, “I’m fucking obsessed with you. You have no idea. I love you so much. I head home at night wishing we were leaving together, I jerk off to thoughts of you, and I dread the mornings I have to go out to a jobsite instead of coming back here.”

My entire body warms. I’ve never told anyone I loved them romantically before, and no one has ever said it to me. Not once. Not once in forty-one years have I ever felt this way about another person, though I can’t help but wonder if we’re treading into dangerous territory.

“Is this a mistake? I don’t want to lose you.” My chest rises and falls quickly. “I’ve spent my whole life knowing every other man on Earth was wrong for me. Then, I met you. This big, strong, confident guy who grounds me. I don’t want there to be even a small chance of losing that, even if it means we stay friends.”

A moment passes, his gaze on mine hard and heavy, the air in the room stiff with anxious energy as he closes his mouth over the top of mine with a growl so deep it makes my tummy rumble.

“Fuck being friends, and loving you is not a mistake.” He leans up from the kiss before diving in for another. “I’ll tell everyone in this town how fucking happy you make me. I’ll paint it in red and green. It can be all over our toy drive. My love for you spelled out in fucking bells.”

A tear drops to my cheek as he pushes my sweater down and kisses my shoulder, the warm heat from his breath sending tingles down my spine and then up again.

I know without a doubt that this is my moment. I’m finally going to lose my virginity. Here, in the office, to my boss, the man I’ve been in love with for years. The man that makes every other man look weak.

His hands feather back through my hair, his dark gaze on me like I’m a prize he can’t wait to unwrap. I transform in this moment. I become a woman I don’t recognize. Maybe it’s the way he looks at me, the way I know he’d never hurt me, the way he’s had my back, the way he touches me like he’s sure of every feeling that’s brewing between us.