Free The Decent Proposal (Trust In Me) by LB Shaw

he said—” Beth stopped mid-sentence, threw a five on
the bar, and picked up their drinks. “Let’s go over here and I’ll fill you in
on something.” She guided Ana over to an empty table.
    “I asked Rich some questions after that first
date. I thought you two hit it off, and I wanted to make sure Rob was on the up
and up and… you know, good enough for you.” Beth nervously scanned the ballroom
and lowered her voice. “Apparently, Stephanie and Rob dated for a couple of
years. She’s the ex-girlfriend. Now according to Rich, it’s definitely over,
but from what Mr. Congeniality over there says,” Beth waved her wine glass in
Dan’s direction. “Ah… who gives a shit what he says.”
    “Jesus, Beth! Why didn’t you tell me?”
    “I thought about it, but to be honest, I figured
Rob would. And he might still. Hell, who knows, maybe he doesn’t want to make
you uncomfortable or maybe he’s waiting for the right moment. Give him a
chance. You’ve only gone out a couple of times.”
    “Ugh, I know.” Ana was painfully reminded that
Beth didn’t understand the basis of their relationship. Yet. She looked up and
saw Rob approaching. They stood up from the table, and Beth scurried away as if
fleeing the scene of a crime. Ana quickly decided she would give Rob the benefit
of the doubt and not say anything. After all, their relationship was just
professional, even of no one else knew that.
    “I thought I lost you. Everything okay?” he
asked.
    “Yeah, everything’s fine. We were just… making
fun of some of the couples dancing.”
    Rob’s mouth turned up in a warm smile. “Can I
get you anything?”
    “No, I’m fine.” Ana paused before asking, “So am
I going to have a chance to meet your boss? What’s her name, Stephanie?” Ana
wasn’t good at keeping her mouth shut sometimes. At least she—unlike
Beth—knew how to show some couth when prying for information.
    Rob gave her a puzzled look, making her feel unentitled
to such privileged information. “I suppose so. Who told you about Stephanie?”
    “Some guy named Dan asked if I had met her. Said
I shouldn’t trust her.”
    Rob sighed and rolled his eyes. “Good old Dan. I
can always count on him to be a royal pain in my ass.”
    “You two don’t like each other?”
    “Not really. Never did. I get the feeling he’s
jealous of me.”
    “Jealous? Of what?” Ana had the distinct
impression he was attempting to change the subject in an effort to avoid
discussing his ex.
    “Nothing. Anyway, to answer your
question—yes, I am sure at some point you’ll get to meet her. She likes
to pull no-shows sometimes, depending on the purpose of the event. Personally,
I think it’s a commitment issue.”
    “How exactly does a CEO get away with not
attending her own company hosted dinners?” Ana asked, wondering if he would
bother to mention that they were once an item.
    “Well, charity events and fundraisers—she
always attends those. But these other dinners we do for our own benefit are
more of a morale booster, and sometimes at the last minute she’ll decide that
her time is better spent doing other things. She gets away with it because she’s the CEO.”
    Stephanie’s history of indecisive behavior obviously
rubbed Rob the wrong way, especially while they were dating. Not giving her
another chance to ask any questions, he threw his arm around her waist and told
her he had some people he wanted her to meet. After approaching several men
standing by the chocolate fountain, Rob introduced Ana as his friend. He kept
her pulled close as they chatted with the men when out of the blue she felt his
hand slip down to her hip. It made her skin sizzle with desire.
    Sensing that he was trying to send the message
that she was his woman, Ana reciprocated, letting her hand wander down his
side, drawing him even closer, if that was possible. She looked at his profile
as he spoke, taking in every detail. God he was gorgeous—with a strong
jawline and a