My frustration toward Brandon had significantly simmered down since I dragged her in here, but it hadn’t been the sex that cooled me down. Honestly, talking to her about everything that happened made me feel better. It was rare for me to open up.
I couldn’t properly describe what I felt for Madison. At times, the intensity of it made me nervous. It wasn’t anything like I had felt before, it was intoxicating, drawing me in. The last thing that I wanted was to be apart from her, but we had to act like we didn’t matter to each other here. After putting on a serious face, I left the room, hoping that I could blend into the world around me and not let my feelings get in the way of that.
Chapter 17
Madison
It was hard to ignore the heat coursing through my body as I headed back to the ballroom where the conference was being held. The last thing that I wanted to do was talk about business when all that I actually wanted to do was go back and see Tyler.
I hadn’t felt this happy in a while. Maybe ever. I’ve had crushes before, but what I felt for Tyler seemed different. It reached deeper, taking over my entire body and mind and leaving behind a warm, tingling feeling. It was nice to feel, but I knew that it would hurt me in the end if he didn’t feel the same way.
We couldn’t just keep sleeping with each other without talking about what we were doing. I didn’t see him as a fuck buddy, but what if that was all I was to him? But he was also so kind to me. I couldn’t escape the confusion that racked my brain constantly, making me wonder what was going on between me and my boss. At some point, it would be time for us to talk about this. Even if we couldn’t be open about our relationship until after my internship was over, we could still agree to be a couple in secret. The thought of officially being with him made an uncontrollable smile tug at my lips. I felt like a shy teenager with a massive crush all over again.
I adjusted my blouse before walking into the ballroom, my eyes sweeping around to see if anyone was looking at me weird. Thankfully, it seemed like everyone was occupied doing their own thing, whether they were talking or looking at booths. I headed into the fray, blending in, and acting like I hadn’t snuck out to fool around with Tyler.
I only managed a few steps before a familiar blonde terror came into view. I halted in place, forcing my eyes not to widen as Sara stepped in front of me.
“Done talking to Brandon?” I asked her, tilting my head slightly. I didn’t mean to sound so sassy, but she decided to go and talk to him when I told her that he was our top rival. She just couldn’t help herself when it came to a handsome, successful man.
Sara laughed, but it didn’t sound all that friendly. It sounded cold and sharp, like the sound could stab me. “He was definitely interesting,” she said as she ran her hand through her hair, twirling one piece around her finger.
I nearly rolled my eyes at her. I felt like she only talked to Brandon because I told her not to. She was like a rebellious toddler, only doing things to annoy me or get a reaction out of me. I wasn’t going to stroke her ego.
“I heard he’s a jerk,” I replied evenly.
Sara shrugged, looking completely unbothered. “It’s not like Tyler is the nicest guy… unless he’s with you,” she said as she lifted an eyebrow at me. “Where did you two run off to so fast?”
It felt like ice flooded my veins, jolting me with a shock. I didn’t know that she had seen Tyler and I leave the ballroom together. I had to think of some sort of excuse to tell her, but what excuse could I even give her that didn’t sound somewhat guilty?
“I… left something in the car. He had the keys,” I replied. The three of us had taken the same car from work to get here. It wasn’t the best excuse in the world, but it gave Tyler and m a reason to leave together for a brief period of time. If only it had actually been brief.
“He couldn’t just give you the keys?” Sara asked, not looking convinced.
I forced a light laugh, trying not to look as panicked as I felt on the inside.
“I’m an intern. He doesn’t trust me with the keys to a car worth more than what would I make in two years,” I replied. I hated how nosy she was. Now, I had to be extra careful around Tyler, and he couldn’t show me an ounce more attention than he did to Sara, or she would be jealous.