Dexter takes a sip before responding. “I guess you think I’m fairly predictable.”
“Well, you’re definitely not one of us simple folk, now are you?” Anderson winks and salutes the air, mocking Dexter.
Tension has been building since the moment we all climbed into Anderson’s truck. By the time dinner is over and Dexter gets up to pay the bill at the front of the restaurant, I feel like I’m going to burst.
“That guy sure is a piece of work, isn’t he?”
I close my eyes, sigh, and then look back at Anderson. “He is, but you’ve been quite the opponent tonight.”
Anderson raises his brows. “The guy works for me, yet all he’s done is insult me. And don’t think I couldn’t hear him yelling at you when I left the office earlier. I swear to God, if he hadn’t quieted down when he did, I would have ejected him from this island so fast.”
“Quiet,” I hiss. “This isn’t Survivor. Dexter is intense, but he’s harmless.”
Anderson glares and shakes his head. “Bullshit. The guy is a grade-A prick. If you didn’t work for him, I’d have fired him by now.”
“Jesus, Anderson, please don’t say that,” I hiss. “This is my job at stake.”
Anderson presses forward against the table. “You could find a better one. He doesn’t respect you, and he sure as hell doesn’t trust you if he had to pop in with a surprise visit.” He blows out a breath. “He has no right to speak to you the way he does.”
“He’s my boss.”
“He’s not a very good one.”
I can’t argue with him there. And while I know I need to tell him the truth about Dexter’s visit, I certainly cannot do that here. The last thing I want is to cause a scene. “He’ll be gone soon. Just please, keep the peace until then.”
Anderson leans back into the booth, his jaw still tense, but he seems to be relaxing some. “I can still taste you,” he whispers while tugging on something in his shirt pocket. When I recognize my ripped panties, I gasp.
I can feel my cheeks heat as I dart a look over at Dexter, who is still waiting for the bill. “You still have those?”
Anderson smiles. “Let’s just say they’ve acted as the perfect comfort for the day I’ve had. Whenever that prick says something idiotic, I think of those little tremors your body got when you came in my mouth.”
Fuck me, he’s not holding back. My heart rate spikes as my cheeks heat even more. “Anderson, please.”
He bites down on his lower lip and tucks my panties deep into his pocket. “Fine. But when your asshole boss leaves, all bets are off.”
As soon as we get back to camp, relief is already pouring off me in droves. Dexter will leave, and then I can finally tell Anderson what I should have told him from the beginning. Today was too close of a call for me to want to risk him finding out about Dexter and me any other way.
Anderson extends a hand to Dexter in the parking lot. “Great to meet you. Thanks for stopping by.”
They shake hands right when the sky begins to rumble at the first sign of tonight’s storm, but they don’t even seem to notice.
“Absolutely,” Dexter says. “Anything for my clients. I’m happy to hear Hope has been taking good care of you.”
“Great care.”
Dexter looks between us now, his eyes settling on me. “Hope, if you don’t mind. I’d like a private word before I take off.”
Anderson takes a few steps backward. “I’m going to go make my night rounds. Do you want me to keep the office unlocked for you, Hope?”
“No, I think I’m done for tonight. Thank you.”
Anderson nods and kind of lingers for another second before he turns and walks away. I can sense that he doesn’t want to leave me with Dexter, and part of me doesn’t want him to leave either. But I think we both know that my boss isn’t going anywhere until he has his final word with me.
Once Anderson has vanished from view, I turn to Dexter and pinch out a smile. “Thanks again for stopping by. You should probably hurry if you want to make that ferry.”
He doesn’t take his eyes from mine. “I have plenty of time.” His eyes soften. “It’s been tense today, and I’m sorry for that. I’ll take the blame. Maybe we should go back to your cabin and spend some time together.” He smiles like he’s finally giving me something I’ve been waiting for.
“We can have that talk about us,” he adds with a playful tilt of his head.
While he waits for my response, his entire demeanor reminds me of what made me fall hard for him on that private jet from Seattle to New York. The way he had smiled so sweetly then held my hand after I panicked and told him it was my first plane ride ever. The way he never left my side during every client meeting and event that week. The way he lingered outside my hotel room door every night before saying goodnight, like he wanted to invite himself inside but knew he couldn’t cross that line. Until our final jet ride back to Seattle when he eased my panic with a bottle of champagne and a slow kiss that led to hours of fucking.
Months later, I know Dexter well enough to know that when he wants to turn the charm on, he does so full throttle. But I’ve seen too many sides to him to know that these sweet moments are too few and far between. I deserve better. Or maybe he does.
Dread hammers through me. “I’m sorry, Dexter. I think that’s a bad idea.”
A deep frown creases his forehead. “Why?”
“Because,” I say with a laugh, “this isn’t some hotel we’re staying at. We’re at an empty campground. How is that going to look to our client if my boss sneaks into my cabin?”
Dexter glares. “And you’re worried about what our client thinks, why? It’s not like the guy can keep hiring Urgency for much longer anyway.”
I let out an exasperated breath. “I’m here to work. Why can’t you respect that?”
“Why are you being so difficult?”
“I don’t want to talk about us, okay?” I shouldn’t have blurted it out like that.
Dexter looks stricken, like I just slapped him across the face with my words. “Now or ever?”
I squeeze my eyes shut then open them again. “I don’t know. Things haven’t exactly been smooth sailing lately.”
He lets out a huff, his expression revealing his deep confusion. “Yeah, because I want something that you clearly don’t.”
I bury my head in my hands and shake my head. “You want me to make this big decision right this second, but I’m not ready.”
“I’m not asking you to marry me. I’m asking you to be my girlfriend. As hot as it is to fool around behind everyone’s backs, I want more with you.”
I growl and rip my hands from my face. “It’s like you’re not even listening to my concerns. You’re asking me to give up my reputation in the office. Do you know how hard it’s been to earn respect from my peers? Do I really need to explain to you that what you’re asking me to do is not as simple as you’re making it out to be? You might not care about your reputation, Dexter, but I care about mine. Deeply.”
“More than you care about me?”