Chapter Four

Kirra stared at me with narrowed eyes as she stepped closer to Brad, her arm wrapping around his. She placed a soft kiss on his cheek.

She’d always been the worst to me and had made it her personal goal every day to make me feel like shit. I took a deep breath, getting ready for whatever kind of showdown there was about to be and strode towards the elevator where they were waiting.

“Becky!” Brad sounded thrilled to see me. “Where is your boyfriend?”

“Oh, Dean had to take a business call. I just figured I’d give him some alone time to sort everything out while I went upstairs.” Kirra stared at me, not a hint of a smile on her face. “Hi.” I plastered on a fake smile.

“Always dating the boss, I see.” I was pretty sure her comment was supposed to be snarky, but not really sure how, considering she was dating her boss too.

“Well, I tried not to.” I shrugged. And I had. I’d thought it would be a dreadful idea to get together with Dean. “But he … has a way of not giving up. I mean, when you own a string of successful casinos, you need to have a bit of drive. But he ended out convincing me to go on one date with him; he took me to Quebec … and then … well, some stuff happened and it was just so clear to me that I shouldn’t let my past control my future.” It probably sounded a little bit more snarky than I meant it to, but I didn’t really care. The fact was that everything that happened with Brad had left me scarred for a long time.

The elevator stopped in front of us, and the doors opened. I was the first to step in.

“So that’s what he does.” Brad sounded like he was actually interested. “You know, I’ve been thinking about branching out into the casino business … Maybe we should talk sometime.”

I’m pretty sure Kirra and I had the same look on our faces when he said that. But I didn’t say anything. I just kinda grunted and stared straight ahead.

“We should get together for dinner tonight!”

My eyes widened as I heard his words. This had to be a joke. Right?

“Oh, I um … I’m not sure that will work.”

“Of course. I’m sure you two have some romantic night out planned; I mean, it is Italy. How about lunch tomorrow? I’ve missed you so much.” He reached out and touched my arm.

It took everything I had not to pull away, and I did take some satisfaction in the fact that Kirra would probably kill him later for so much as touching me, let alone saying that he missed me.

“I’ll talk to Dean about that. He’s done all the planning for the trip, so I’m not sure what he has in mind for tomorrow, but if we’re free, I’ll let you know.”

I felt a wave of relief wash over me as the door opened, and I quickly stepped out onto my floor.

“We’re in room 223,” Brad piped up as the doors started to close.

“Oh, okay. Well, I’ll be sure to let you know,” I lied as I turned on my heel and headed for our room as fast as I could. Still, I heard Kirra start on him for missing me—I won’t lie; I smiled.

Unlocking our door, I crossed to the bed, dropping my bags on it before strolling to the bathroom and looking around. After such a long flight and being out, even though it wasn’t that long, I was in need of a little bit of freshening up.

*

After half an hour in a jetted tub, I was beginning to feel like a whole new person. I grinned upon hearing the door open.

“Hey, babe!” I called from the bathroom. Dean appeared in the doorway within seconds, his eyes fleetingly roaming over my body.

“You know, I think we should get one of those for my place. I think we could spend a lot of time in there having fun.”

I scuffed at his sexual hint. “Screw that; if we get one of these, all I’m doing in there is relaxing.”

“Oh, I can make you relax lots.” His eyes sparkled.

I didn’t say anything, mostly because I was thinking about what he had said. We. If we get one. When did it become we?

Wasn’t it too soon for we?

I wanted to ask but didn’t dare bring it to his attention. Sure, we’d said the I love you’s, but that was nothing compared to “we.”

I sank back into the tub watching as Dean ambled over to the rim and sat down.

“Who called?”

“Melina.”

“Is everything okay?”

“Yea, she just had a couple questions about some stuff. Things like where I want the TVs to go.” He grinned. “I think she was just calling to check in on us, honestly.”

“She worries about you.”

“I know; she was the only one that was really there for me when everything with Jessica and Keith was going on … when no one believed me, she did.”

“She’s a good friend.” I watched him closely as I lathered my hands with soap. I’d always wanted to know what kind of relationship they had. “Is that why you brought her here? Because she was such a good friend in your time of need?”

“That and because she knows what she’s doing.” Dean paused. “She’s a good worker, and she has a way with people; I’m sure you’ve noticed.”

“She reads people very well.”

She’d figured out about us the second she saw us together. I smiled thinking about it. When I’d first met Melina, I wasn’t sure if she and Dean had something going on, but as it turned out, she had a boyfriend—one who wasn’t Dean. And more than anything, it just seemed like she was a protective older sister to him.

Dean grinned as he leaned over and gave me a quick kiss. “So I was thinking we have an early night, get up early tomorrow and do some real sightseeing; how’s that sound?”

“Sounds perfect to me. Oh and um …” I paused. “Brad wants to have lunch with us tomorrow. I think he has something in mind he wants to talk to you about businesswise.”

“I thought you said he was a dick?”

“Oh he is, but he’s a good businessman.”

Dean shrugged. “No thanks, I don’t like partnering with dicks. You can’t trust them. You never know when they are going to stab you in the back.”

A smile touched my lips. I wasn’t willing to admit just how happy it made me that he wanted nothing to do with Brad.

“Oh, and I found out he’s banging another one of his employees. She hated me so much when I was dating him. She looked down at me like I was this filthy scum for dating him, for being in love with him.” I laughed dryly. “Now she’s in the same boat as me, I hope.”

I knew it was wrong to hope that everyone hated her as much as they hated me, but I did—and I didn’t even feel bad for it. She’d made my life hell. She’d started rumors about me, trying to break me and Brad up; she’d turned everyone against me. She was one of the reasons I woke up dreading going to work, but I’d put on a tough face, and I’d gone to work every day just to show her that it wasn’t going to work.

Dean raised an eyebrow.

*

I’d never seen her sound that mad, well, except at me. But that was during a time in which she really should have been mad. “Do you want me to beat her up for you?” I offered jokingly.

I had no clue what happened to her at her old work, but I knew it still weighed on her. I’d known all along that she’d been hesitant to date me because of something that happened with another boss. I cleared my throat and headed for the main room. “Hurry up, and we can grab some room service.”