Choosing Happy (Madison Square #2) by Samatha Harris Page A

heads.”
    She laughed. The musical sound flooded through me, going straight to my dick. I shifted in my seat as it strained against my zipper.
    “I work with a lot of guys like that. They’re in it for the money and the power, and I get it. But I get off on winning out over the power brokers in favor of the little guy.”
    “Really? What else gets you off?” I teased.
    She shifted in her seat, looking everywhere but at me. I cursed myself for going too far. Just when she was starting to open up. Fuck.
    She bit her lip and looked down at the table, sucking in a long breath.
    “You okay?” I asked, worried I’d just killed any progress I’d made with her.
    “Yeah,” she choked out.
    “You sure? You just looked nervous all of a sudden.”
    She took a deep breath and finally met my eyes, and I could have sworn I saw a little bit of fear.
    “I just want sex,” she blurted. “I’m not looking for a relationship.”
    I’m not gonna lie, I was a little startled. While normally a woman telling me that all she wanted from me was sex would have been a dream come true, it was the last thing I expected to hear from her.
    “Okay,” I said with a hesitant frown. I watched her chew on her bottom lip. Something told me that this just sex idea wasn’t something she’d come up with on her own. Her reaction and the nervousness told me she was uncomfortable with the idea of a relationship based on just sex, maybe as much as she was freaked out about a relationship with the potential for more.
    “I think it’s important that we both make our intentions perfectly clear up front. So no one gets hurt.”
    “I see,” I said, taking a long drink from my wine glass.
    “I want to be perfectly clear,” she continued. “I’m not looking for a relationship.”
    “So you said.”
    She sat back in her chair, looking relieved but still a little confused.
    “Is it my turn now?” I asked.
    She nodded.
    “Since we are laying it all out there,” I said. “My intentions are to spend as much time as I can with you.”
    “That’s sweet, Sean…”
    I sat back in my chair and folded my arms across my chest. “There’s that word again.”
    “I don’t think you understand. I’m not looking for anything serious, just something casual, fun.”
    “You want to take things slow, I get it.”
    She huffed, exhaling a long, frustrated breath. She was adorable when she was frustrated. I made a note of that for another time.
    “I’m talking about sex, Sean!” she said, probably a little louder than she intended. She looked around nervously and lowered her voice. “Casual sex.”
    I glanced over her shoulder, my eyes going wide as I saw Gran standing behind her, holding a plate of food in each hand. She winked at me, and I tried my best to keep from laughing.
    Madison frowned, then realization took over and her muscles tensed. Slowly, she turned and spotted Gran, who raised the food and stepped forward to place the plates down in front of us.
    Madison was mortified. Her face was so red it was almost purple. She dropped her head in her hands, shaking it back and forth, no doubt trying to will time to move backward.
    Gran leaned down to kiss my cheek and smiled at me before facing Madison.
    “Gran, this is Madison,” I said as she reluctantly lifted her head to shake Gran’s hand.
    “It’s nice to meet you,” she said, that forced polite smile spread across her muddled red cheeks.
    Gran wasn’t the type that would make her feel any worse then she already did. So she smiled, tucked her hands into her apron, and said, “You too, dear.”
    Madison seemed to relax a bit, and I bit my lip to keep from laughing. This night couldn’t get any better.
    Gran turned back to me, her face lined, full of wisdom and humor. She was my saving grace, the bright spot in what was more or less a shitty childhood. She always was the glass half full type and refused to allow me to wallow in my teenage angst. Instead she taught me that humor was the