“What do you mean you don’t know?”

The manager of the restaurant shrugs and holds his hands up. “I’m sorry, man. I have no idea how someone got the video. All the employees have access to the back office during their shifts, so really, anyone could have gone in there and taken it.”

You’ve got to be fucking kidding me?

What kind of business leaves the office wide open for just anyone to waltz in there and take something like a security video?

“Can’t you check the cameras to see who went back there?”

He shakes his head. “We use digital recording and everything from last night was deleted after they took the video you’re talking about. Someone knew what they were after apparently.”

Jesus. This can’t be happening.

Some asshole waiter probably recognized us and decided to make a few extra bucks by selling the video to those sleazeballs over at The A List.

And now my career is definitely over. There’s no coming back from something like this. Yes, people in Hollywood make mistakes, a lot of them, but not kids’ show hosts. It’s one thing if you’re a big movie star or even on a sitcom, but I sit and talk to kids. They can’t have someone who comes across as a sex-crazed pervert hosting a show on their network. Period.

“Thanks for nothing, asshole.” I push away from the bar and shove my hands back through my hair. It’s not his fault. I know that logically, but I can’t think with logic right now. My life is crumbling. All because of a damn basketball game.

If I had hooked up with Andy under any other circumstances, there wouldn’t be a story there. It would just be two consenting adults who decided to sleep together. But the dickslip has turned this into something enormous.

I push my way out of the restaurant and dig my phone out of my pocket. I’ve ignored the calls and messages all morning while I cleaned up and made my way over here, but now, it’s time to face the music.

The last few hours have made me realize there’s no damage control here. I’m toast. I can call The A List to make a statement that any relationship between Andy and me is totally irrelevant to what happened with the network, but the words will be empty. This is the type of situation that doesn’t have a positive outcome.

At least karma could have used some lube.

I dial the only person I can think of to call, because God knows, I can’t deal with Riley right now, and she would usually be my first call.

“Rafe? Dude! Where the hell have you been? I’ve been calling all morning.” Hearing Nate’s voice does nothing to soothe my frayed nerves like I thought it would.

Shouldn’t talking to your best friend make you feel better?

Maybe it’s because I know he won’t beat around the bush with me, and that means I’m walking into a very uncomfortable conversation.

My car door slams shut behind me, and I crank it to life. “I’ve been trying to figure out who leaked the pictures.”

“Any luck?”

“No.” I merge into traffic and make my way back toward my condo. “It was probably just some waiter or someone who recognized us and wanted some quick money. It’s my fault for getting involved with Andy in the first place, let alone manhandling her in public. What the fuck was I thinking?”

Nate snorts. “You weren’t thinking, dude. At least not with the head above your waist. Seriously, she’s your boss.”

I slam my hand against the steering wheel and stop at a red light. “I know. I knew it was a bad idea from the moment I set foot in her office.”

He sighs. “But you did it anyway.”

“I did it anyway.”

How could I not?

The attraction between us was unlike anything I’ve ever felt, a physical pull, dragging me along against my own free will. “Can you blame me, though?”

Another snort laugh echoes through the phone, and I can see Nate with his feet propped up on his desk, his phone tucked between his ear and shoulder. “She’s hot. I’ll give you that. But seriously, man. Really bad fucking timing.”

“No shit, Sherlock.”

“So what are you going to do?”

Isn’t that the big question? What do I do next?

“I guess I turn in my resignation before they fire me, and then I crawl into a hole until this all blows over and then try to figure out what to do with the rest of my life.”

“You could always go back to the museum, can’t you?”

Visions of the bowels of the Natural History Museum flood my mind. It’s not that I didn’t love working there, because I really did. But after having so much fun the last two years, combining my love for science and history with being in front of the camera, I don’t know how to go back to cataloguing bones. I guess I could get back into doing digs, but that was never my forte. At least it would be more interesting than standing in the lab all day.

“Yeah, I’m sure they would take me back. But I’m not sure that’s the right place for me anymore.”

“Well, you need to do something, buddy. What are you going to do about the chick? How did you leave things?”

The chick…

Memories from last night flash before my eyes. Her hovering over me. Her riding me. Me pounding into her from behind. Her doing that thing with her legs I didn’t think was physically possible…

My cock rises in my pants as I pull into my parking space.

I just left her there. Without a fucking word.

Christ, I’m a dick.

“I could have left things better.”

Understatement of the year.