Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 57874 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 289(@200wpm)___ 231(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57874 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 289(@200wpm)___ 231(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
It was an odd little setup—the salon and the store separated by only a step down into the convenience store side, but I’d never had any issues with it. Sometimes I would pull the curtain I’d had installed when I got the place across the store for a little privacy, but mostly I just left it open. The business was pretty small, but we made a decent living. We didn’t do great by any stretch, as evidenced by the way Jessie occasionally donated money towards Cody’s school supplies, but we got by.
I double checked my appointment book to confirm that I didn’t have anyone in until eight-thirty that morning. As I was checking it over—Lenore was at 8:30 and Margaret at 9:10—I was surprised to hear the little bell over the door ring. We took walk-ins, but it was unusual to get one first thing.
Putting on my friendly customer service smile, I said, “Hi, welcome to The Cut. What can I—?” I broke off abruptly when I saw who it was.
Ethan Chambers the original tall, dark, and dangerously handsome. Also the last person I wanted in my shop. He smiled at me, his mouth smooth and sensuous, moving like it was making promises before he even had a chance to say anything. “Good morning,” he greeted, his dark eyes lighting on me instantly. “Are you Diana Leone or does The Cut cater to models now?”
It was a feat, but my body simultaneously bristled at the cheesy line and melted at the smooth deepness of his voice.
Jesus, I need to get laid if I think Ethan Chambers is sexy.
Not that he wasn’t, but when you add in the kind of baggage he was rumored to carry with him, the attractiveness went down a few notches. Or at least it should have.
“I don’t know about any models, but I can confirm I’m Diana. Do you have an appointment?” I asked only because I knew he didn’t and I needed something professional to say. Business was a good cover when I was nervous and I was most definitely that. Or maybe scared as hell was a better term for it.
Ethan Chambers had a reputation for scaring the crap out of people.
“I don’t, but I’m not really here for a haircut anyway.” His dark eyes dipped lower than my face, dragging over my body, which was half covered by an apron and a pair of what might constitute mom jeans beneath that, so what was he even looking at?
But knowing how I was dressed didn’t do anything to stop my body from ramping up in response to his gaze. Shivers, good and bad, ran through me. “Then what would a man of your…reputation be doing here?”
His eyebrows rose, but his smile didn’t drop, which was good. It occurred to me after I spoke that I was implying he had a bad rep. And he did, but I doubted he liked hearing about it. “My reputation?” he repeated. “What have you heard?” He set his elbows on the back of one of the stylist chairs, leaning towards me slightly. He looked amused by the conversation.
I swallowed. “You own half the commercial property in town. You’ve made a name for yourself. Not exactly the sort of high profile clientele The Cut usually gets,” I answered as smoothly as I could. I didn’t mention the rumors of him bribing the police or blackmailing the politicians. Nor did I mention the rumors of cruelty, violence, and worse.
He laughed a little. “Don’t sell yourself short. You’ve got a lovely little place here.” He winked at me. “And the view’s great.”
I pursed my lips together. The view was an abandoned building across the street and a brick wall on the side. Not exactly prime real estate. I crossed my arms over my chest and forcing a fake smile, I asked, “What do you want?”
There was that long moment and that grin on his lips that suggested he would make some other comment about wanting me or at least wanting my body. But I was surprised when he straightened up, suddenly turning into a shark of a businessman. “I just wanted to ask about your business. Have you been doing well?”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Well enough,” I answered tersely.
“Plenty of business?”
“Yes, thank you.”
He smiled. Not a smile like he wanted to devour me, but a smile like he had a secret. Like he was in control. Like he knew something I didn’t and he was more than happy to use that to his advantage. “You’ve really got a great location here.”
I thought again of the abandoned building across the street and the brick wall. “Yeah, it’s good.”
“I was thinking you might be kind enough to give me a quick tour of the place?”
I raised an eyebrow at him. When it was clear he wasn’t kidding, I lifted an arm and waved it in the air above my head to indicate the room. “This is the shop. What you see is what you get,” I told him drily.