Just, like, the tiniest bit.
"We need to fix this," he says without looking at me. "Now."
"No shit," I say, searching for my purse.Where the hell is it?"I've worked too hard to let a drunken mistake withyouruin everything."
Kasen's head snaps up as he lets out a chuckle that’s not funny at all. “Of course your first thought would be business. Yeah, I can’t be chained to you. I need out."
Ouch,but also same.
"Everything’s about business.” I find my phone and check it—three missed calls from Kieran, my head of operations slash assistant, and a solid dozen texts. Awesome. "Do you have any idea what would happen to my reputation if this got out? Thecraft beer industry is sexist enough without adding 'slept her way to the top' to the rumor mill."
Kasen's eyes narrow. "You and that fucking company. That’s all you care about.”
"Like you're any different," I shoot back. "Timber’s your whole identity."
"You don't know the first thing about me."
"Right back atcha."
We glare at each other as the air between us starts to crackle. And am I standing closer to him than I was a second ago? How’d that happen?
My gaze drops to his chest against my will, following the lines of ink that disappear into his waistband. And… yep, that’s the outline of his dick. Hisimpressivedick, aka the reason I’m walking a little funny this morning.
I force my eyes back up to his face and find him watching me with an intensity that makes my breath catch.
"This never happened," Kasen says, breaking whatever the hellthatwas and I blow out a breath. He takes a step back, then another. "We got drunk, we made a mistake, we fix it, and we never speak of it again."
"Agreed." I nod, relieved that for once we’re on the same page. I wanted coffee before acknowledging this whole thing, but it looks like Kasen’s the type of guy who tackles problems head-on and as much as I want to run away from this, I can’t. I wrinkle my nose at the sentence I’m about to say. “We need a divorce."
"Annulment," he says. "It’s faster."
I shake my head. "We slept together. You know, consummated the marriage? I'm pretty sure that means we don’t qualify.”
The word 'consummated' hangs in the air between us, and things are happeningdown belowthat I’m going to chalk upto aftershocks from last night and leave it at that. Kasen's eyes darken as he watches me, but then he looks away.
"Fine. Divorce then. The sooner, the better."
I find my heels under the room service cart, which still holds the remnants of what appears to be wedding cake. My stomach rolls again and my mouth starts to water and not in the good way. I close my eyes and take a couple of deep breaths.
"I'll contact my lawyer as soon as we get back to Portland," I say, slipping on my shoes and trying to regain some semblance of dignity.Yeah, right.
"No lawyers," Kasen snaps. "The fewer people who know about this, the better. We can file the paperwork ourselves."
"And you're suddenly a divorce expert?"
"I just want to handle it myself." He finally finds his shirt—a dark flannel crumpled on the floor—and pulls it on, covering the ink that I can’t stop staring at. "The convention ends today. We go home, file the paperwork, and forget this ever happened."
"That might be the first good idea you’ve ever had, James.” He scowls at me, but I ignore him. “I'm going back to my room to shower off last night. I’ll see you when we get home.”
Well, the time has come. I’m about to do the official walk of shame from my enemy’s hotel room.
I’m really nailing this wholeliving my best lifething.
"One more thing," he says as I reach for the door. "No one can know about this. Not your friends, not your employees. No. One."
"I already agreed to that. Trust me, the last thing I want is anyone finding out I was stupid enough to marry you," I say, and damn, even I can admit that was a really bitchy thing to say.
See? This is why serious conversations should only be had after I’ve been properly caffeinated.
