Something dark and nasty gnawed at Ethan’s gut. It was that thing—that creature inside of him—that told him to keep going. Somewhere inside, he knew he was pushing things too far. But that voice of reason wasn’t speaking loudly enough for him to hear.

Maybe it was because of his boss. Maybe it was because he wanted things that he didn’t have. Or maybe it was just because he was still pissed. He didn’t usually resort to these sorts of tactics to get what he wanted, but he was backed into a corner at work, and if he could convince Harper that Casey had fucked them both, perhaps he could swoop in and steal the deal back that was his in the first place. Be the knight in shining armor for her. She’d have no choice but to work with him, as she should have in the first place.

A long shot, but it was the only shot he had. He wouldn’t have operated like this a few years ago, but a few years ago he was still on the rise. Now he was on the downhill, and men on the downhill had to fight dirty to climb their way up the summit again.

“Look,” he said, “I was totally shocked. I never expected she’d pull the deal out from under me like that.”

Nate knit his brow together and stared at Ethan as if he were speaking a foreign language. The silence worried him so he kept talking.

“She’s got a good rep,” Ethan said, words spilling out quickly.

“She does,” he grumbled, finally saying something.

“That’s why I was so surprised. That’s why I went looking for other opportunities. I didn’t think she’d screw me over like that. But you know what they say about women in business,” he said, with a scoff.

Nate stared at him, narrowing his eyes. He shook his head. “No. What do they say about women in business?”

Ethan gulped. A tinge of red splashed across his cheeks. Then, he sucked down his embarrassment and kept piling on. Truth and lies began to blend. Everything he said felt true because it sure as hell seemed to him that Casey Sullivan had stolen his idea. “I just mean she’s kind of a ball breaker. She’s tough. She’s cutthroat. She goes after exactly what she wants, no matter what.”

Nate pushed his fingers against his temple and rubbed. Closing his eyes, he lowered his head, and let out a frustrated sigh. Then he looked up. “Hey man, I need to go. I have a board meeting. Was there something particular you wanted to talk about? I thought you wanted advice on something.”

Ethan waved a hand in the air. “We’ll talk another time.”

Nate rose, tossed a few bills on the table, and turned to go.

Ethan called after him, plastering a smile on his face. “Your money is no good here. I’ll take care of the coffee.”