But you see, that’s the thing. I never worry when she goes on these dates Ava sets up for her. I trust Eden more than I’ve ever trusted anyone before. She’s proven time and again by her willingness to keep our relationship on the down low that she can be trusted.
So why am I jealous? Well, that’s the kind of man I am. When I love a woman—really love her—she’s mine and I’m hers. I mean, you don’t see me going out with anyone else because I’m with her.
Yes, I know this could all be avoided if we just made things public. Then all these stupid blind dates Ava insists on arranging could stop. She’d probably be thrilled her best friend and I are together.
The problem is then everyone would know, and we wouldn’t just be the two of us anymore. All my life, I’ve been one of five brothers. Nothing in my life was allowed to be just mine. I figured women would be since going after one of your brothers’ girlfriends or exes breaks a cardinal rule in the bro code.
Theo showed me how wrong I was with that.
So no, for now, Eden and I will remain in hiding. I’ll just have to accept the fact that her going on dates with other men is the price I have to pay to keep us a secret.
I’m not worried. This will all be fine.
CHAPTER TEN
Eden
This date isoff to a flying start. So far, Rob has talked about nothing but work since he picked me up at my parents’ house, which is where he thinks I live. He’s boring, and I’m lying.
Great combination.
“So I told Matthias that I could definitely get things up and running, but it would take longer than the last head of the division thought it would because he was cutting corners left and right.”
While he continues to explain whatever he did in his department, I look around the restaurant at the tables with their pristine white tablecloths and the gold sconces on the wall as I wonder what this man could have said to Ava at any point that made her think he was perfect for me. I smile at an older woman sitting with what looks to be her granddaughter. I bet they’re having a good time. My grandmother isn’t the type of person I’d want to go to dinner with, but right now, I’d even take having her sitting here with me talking about how she thinks my hair needsto be cut and asking me why I wear such dark eyeshadow all the time over having to listen to Rob drone on about himself.
“So what about you? Tell me about you. I feel like I’ve been the one talking this whole time,” he says before stabbing his fork into a mozzarella stick.
I watch him cut that fried piece of cheese into four precisely the same size pieces and force a smile. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone use a knife for mozzarella sticks.”
“Oh, yeah,” he says as he pops one of the teeny-tiny pieces into his mouth. “I’m very careful about choking. Do you know that’s one of the biggest hazards in life? You definitely want to be cautious about eating and choking.”
Nodding, all I can think of now is this man has never had a blowjob in his life. No way. Not with that worry about choking.
Then again, he might just be a selfish prick who has no problem with a woman choking on his dick. Not that I think he’s got much going on there. This guy screams tiny penis.
To think that I have an incredibly sexy man with more than enough to satisfy me but because he insists on us keeping our relationship hidden, I have to go out with guys like this. I know Ava means well, so I don’t blame her.
I blame Marius.
And just as I think that, the man himself walks in the door of the restaurant. Oh, this date just got a hundred times worse. If I’m lucky, he won’t notice the mozzarella sticks cut up into baby-size portions. Even better, if I’m really lucky, he won’t see us here at all.
That thought barely crosses my mind when he waves to me and starts heading in our direction. Sweet baby Jesus. What the hell is planning on doing?
God, please no. No, no, no.
“Are you okay?” Rob asks as I feel my stomach drop. “You look really pale all of a sudden.”
That says it all since I’m as tan as I’ve ever been in my entire life sitting here with him. Why do these things happen to me?
“Eden? Funny seeing you here,” Marius says when he stops at our table.
I paste a smile on my face as I study him for a second or two. He got dressed up in his dark gray suit for this little scene he’s about to make. At least there’s that. It would be infinitely worse if he came to this nice restaurant dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. At least when they have to escort him out because he becomes a problem, they’ll think he’s a well-dressed professional who may have had a few too many and got out of hand and not some guy who looks like a frat boy fresh off a bender.
“Marius,” I say through gritted teeth.
The two of us stare at one another for what feels like forever before Rob quietly asks, “So you two know each other?”
Of course, Marius beats me to the answer. Turning to look at my date, he smirks. “Marius King, the brother of your boss. Nice to meet you.”
