Bethany"You're not trying to make me better. You're pinpointing my lack of common sense. That's not something you learn in accounting classes." She put her hands on her hips as heat rose up her chest and coated her throat. "And your tone is starting to get on my nerves. If you want to coach me to understand the details of shipment times at the client's warehouse, that's fine, but talking to me like I'm a dumbass because you know how things run at the Tampa plant and I don't isn't coaching."He let out a long breath. "I understand that you think we should be holding hands and smiling at each other after this morning, but I'm not interested in a relationship. If you're not willing to be a woman who’s worth my time, then you probably need to let me know that now. Save us some time."Bethany took another step back as a large ball of regret pressed into her throat, the room seeming hot all of a sudden. She wasn't even sure how to react, so she didn't. She dropped the paper she had picked

She smiled as the flight attendant stopped beside her, the boy metro for sure but handsome. His smile widened a little as he looked down at her. Bethany smiled back, letting the gesture reach her eyes."Something to drink for you?""What do you suggest?" She leaned toward him a little, her tongue touching the edge of her mouth. "I'm not in the mood for liquor, but I am so thirsty."The boy's smile lifted a little until Damon cleared his throat. Bethany glanced over at him. His stare pinned her with accusation, but she ignored it, chuckling a little."It would seem my boss is thirsty as well.""Boss?" the boy asked."And my brother, actually." Bethany stared at Damon for a minute more, the light in his gaze dimming a little. Was he hurting from the way she was? She wanted to be glad of it, and yet it tore at her resolve. She couldn't do this for long. It wasn't who she was at all."Gin and Sprite," Damon responded before leaning back and closing his eyes."I'll just have the Sprite." B

BethanyBethany followed him closely as they walked into the house, his shoulders slightly slumped, which was cause for concern. He looked over his shoulder, his eyes heavy with exhaustion."You hungry?""No. Let's take a nap, and then we'll get something to eat.""Yeah. That sounds good." He moved toward his bedroom, stopping to lean against the wall as he pulled his foot up and tried to get his shoes off.Bethany moved in front of him and knelt before him, working to untie his shoes as his fingers slipped into her hair."Don't lie to me again, okay?"She looked up as she tugged a sock off his foot. "Lie about what?""Anything. I guess I understand the Sadie thing but don't lie to me again. One more time and I've nothing left to give you. Got it?""Don't treat me like I'm not intelligent again." Bethany stood, dropping the sock and looking up at him, her voice strong and steady. "I'm fucking brilliant, and you tore me down yesterday because you have the sensitivity of a grizzly bear.

Bethany"You guys get everything sorted out?""They did." She crossed her legs and leaned back in her chair. "Are you going to this outing tonight?""Yeah. It's just to a local bar.""Another club?" Bethany mumbled, rolling her eyes."No. Just a bar. We're going to have a few drinks. I'm going. You should come with us.""I'll see. I was hoping to catch up with some old friends back on campus.""Damon an ass while you guys were there?""He was pretty stressed out. He had his moments.""I hear he and his girlfriend are having issues. I would just steer clear of him. He always acts like this when he's upset about stuff." Ben smoothed his hand down his chest, flattening the tie before standing. "Anyways, keep that on the down-low, but I know you have to interact with him a lot, so don't take anything personal."His girlfriend? Was Ben referring to her and he didn't know? Bethany was aware that she was far from his girlfriend, but surely the senior associate in front of her wasn't talking

BethanyBeing back on campus felt good, felt right. Bethany breathed in deeply, the heat in Texas stifling, but the smell of fresh-cut grass and honeysuckle made it worth dealing with. She wasn't looking forward to working for one of the business professors for the next semester, but it was a requirement of the master's program. She would just buckle down and get through it and keep her eyes on the future.The future.It seemed as though Damon was willing to be a part of that plan. She honestly couldn't fathom it without him in it, and yet they still had so many obstacles to jump over to get there. The fact that they were about to be family was the largest, but working together and both being so damn bullheaded were competing for a close second.Bethany moved back as a large group of girls piled out of the business building, one of them turning to give her a once-over. She chuckled and slipped into the coolness. Wanting anything other than a man had not occurred to her, but it was bec