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So Eric has trouble with that too.

People admire success until they see what it costs—the late calls, canceled plans, and nights when something goes wrong and you’re the one expected to fix it. Work shouldn’t always come first, but some problems can’t wait until morning. You can’t run a hotel, or a company like Voss, if you refuse to answer the phone at three in the morning.

Sometimes being responsible means disappointing someone. It can be lonely being the person who always has to answer.

Chloe lowers her voice. “But she did tell me something else.”

“What?”

“It was personal.”

“And you’re going to repeat it?”

“If you don’t want to know⁠—”

I lean toward her despite myself. “What did she say?”

Chloe lowers her voice to a whisper now. “She’d had a few champagne’s by this point and she said Eric is thick.”

“He’s arrogant, not stupid.”

Chloe presses her lips together, trying not to laugh. “Not that kind of thick.”

It takes me a second to understand. Then heat rushes into my face. “Oh.”

“She also said he knows exactly what to do with it.”

Before I can stop myself, I remember Eric in the green room. The weight of him close to me. His fingers against the inside of my thigh and how such a small touch made my whole body tighten with want. Now my mind fills in the rest—Eric between my legs, his hands firm on my hips, his calm control never slipping as he finds out exactly how to make me⁠—

Jesus Christ.

I grab my champagne and take a long drink. “I didn’t want to know that.”

“Amelia seemed happy enough to remember it,” Chloe says. “It’s a shame he’s unbearable.”

I look at her. “What?”

“Eric. From everything you’ve told me, he sounds like a nightmare. Arrogant, difficult, completely in love with himself.” Chloe gives a small shrug. “He’s probably impossible to love.”

“Right.” Impossible to love feels a little harsh. Eric is ridiculous, yes. Arrogant, absolutely. His ego is large enough to need its own hotel. But I’ve also watched him sit in front of thirty strangers and treat every one of them with respect. I’ve seen how seriously he takes his responsibility to Voss. None of that makes him easy to love, but impossible? I’m not so sure.

“I’ve decided I won’t take him on as a client,” Chloe says.

“What?”

“Even if Amelia’s right and he’s great in bed, he sounds like a typical CEO. The kind who expects a woman to move meetings, cancel plans, and be available whenever he finds a free hour. His work would always come first, but he’d be offended the moment hers did.”

I almost defend him, because that isn’t what happened this morning. When the Hartwell called, Eric stepped back without being asked. He didn’t sulk or try to make me stay. He had a meeting of his own, and he understood why I had to leave before I explained.

He might be one of the few men who understands why a relationship can’t always come first. I turn my glass slowly between my fingers. Chloe doesn’t need to know that.

Across the table, Taylor finishes her story and looks between us. “What have you two been whispering about?”

“Nothing,” Chloe and I say together.

Lauren looks between us. “You’re both terrible liars.” She reaches for the drinks menu. “We need another bottle.”

“And dessert,” Taylor says. “One of everything.”