by Lila Rose
“Yes.” I nodded with a small smile. Then I made a slurping sound because my mind was still back on Robert sucking him off. The poor guy. I wanted to reach over and pat Randal on the back, wishing him luck. Still, I refrained and thought I should pat myself on the back because I did tend to do and say silly crap all the time. Robert hated it. I’d learned to accept my uniqueness.
Robert’s jaw clenched. “I’ll see you at home, sweetheart.”
No, actually you won’t. I wanted to throw my head back and cackle like a madwoman. Robert leaned in as if he were going to kiss my cheek, until he pulled back and chuckled. “I better not. Can’t afford to get sick.”
Picking up my purse, I quickly excused myself. As I took the steps away from Robert, my hands shook even more. Was I really going to do it? Yes, I had to. I was tired of being walked over, tired of being the one in the wrong, because apparently, it always turned out to be my fault in the end.
Just like my leaving.
I knew Robert would lay on the guilt trip, pleading for me to understand what we had was perfect and not to leave. He’d insist I would just have to change a few things and everything would be back to the way things were when we had first got together.
Yet the things he would ask to change would be more of myself, and I wasn’t willing to let go of myself anymore.
Unless… maybe it was me? All in my head?
Shit. No, it wasn’t.
Shaking my head as I stepped out front into a warm afternoon, I had to believe I was making the right choice. It wasn’t me imagining things.
Placing my bag strap over my shoulder, I searched through it while the valet waited for my ticket.
“Excuse me?”
As soon as my fingers landed on it, I lifted my head and held it out to the valet, only he wasn’t looking at me, but over my shoulder. Following his gaze, I jumped when I found a handsome man standing there.
“Sorry?” I asked, looking left and then right, just to check he was, in fact, talking to me. Had I done something on my way out? I clenched my free hand to make sure I wasn’t holding anything, in case I had stolen a fork in my haste. I wasn’t. The ticket slipped from my fingers. I glanced back at the valet to see him give me a nod, and then he left me alone with the stranger.
“Hi,” the smooth voice said behind me, and again my body jolted when I felt his hand at my elbow. When I turned, I stepped back out of his reach. His hands came up and a soft smile tipped his lips up a little. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”
Robert didn’t like me talking to men. I flicked my eyes over his shoulder and then back.
Huh, screw Robert, he wasn’t there.
“It’s okay. I’m, ah, I’m gay,” he blurted, and I watched his cheeks heat before his palm thumped his forehead.
A laugh escaped me from his outburst. My palm came up to cover my mouth. I found myself thinking how it was a pity the man before me liked penis.
He removed his hand and smiled down at me. God, he was tall. My head came up to his chest. He wore a designer suit and, as I glanced down, he had on shiny shoes. I supposed most gay men dressed really well, or was that something someone made up? I wasn’t sure, but the man before me certainly seemed to take pride in his looks. Even his dark brown hair was gelled to perfection.
“Did I do something?” I asked.
“No. Not at all. In fact, I couldn’t help but overhear—”
My eyes widened, and I interrupted, “Were you the one to call my husband a fuckhead?”
His brows dipped, guilt flashing across his features, and then he ran a hand over the back of his neck. “He was being a fuckhead at the time. But that’s not why I stopped you. I heard you may be looking for work.”
My head jerked back in shock. “And you followed me to offer me a job?” I guessed.
“Well, yes. Sort of. Actually, it’s my brother who’s looking for an assistant.”
Leaning in, I whispered, “Why would you ask me?”
Did he pity me?
“The truth, my brother goes through a lot of assistants and when I heard you had a business degree, I thought you may have more brain
Acknowledgments
To the readers who read my work no matter what I write, thank you so much for your support. For your trust in my writing. I’m glad you like and understand my humour because I love writing stories where I can gain a smile, even a laugh, from readers. The world can be very trying a lot of the times, I wanted to help share even a little light to get a person through their struggles… I hope, in one way or another, this story has done that for you!
* * *
Becky, at Hot Tree Editing, thank you always for being such an amazing editor.
Amanda and Lindsey, thank you both for all your help with Fumbled Love x
Wander, for getting the perfect photo for the character Carter.
Letita, I’m so glad to have gained you as my cover designer, your work is amazing.
Also by Lila Rose
Romantic Comedies
Making Changes
Making Sense
Hawks MC: Ballarat Charter
Holding Out
Climbing Out
Finding Out (novella)
Black out
No Way Out
Coming Out (novella)
Hawks MC: Caroline Springs Charter
The Secret’s Out
Hiding Out
Down and Out
Living Without
Walkout (novella)
Hear Me Out
Break Out (novella)
Fallout
Standalones related to the Hawks MC
Out of the Blue (Lan, Easton, and Parker’s story)
Trinity Love series
Left to Chance
Love of Liberty (novella)
Paranormal
In the Dark
Death (with Justine Littleton)