Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 98112 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 491(@200wpm)___ 392(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98112 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 491(@200wpm)___ 392(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
“No, thank you.”
Even Ms. Rose’s voice does something to me, especially reinforce how hot I am to do her.
“Xavian Costa.” I step around my desk and approach, hand outstretched. The gesture is professional, but I’m mostly itching to touch her. “You said something about a proposal?”
“Yes.”
The closer I get, the more familiar she seems. I stop in my tracks. “Have we met?”
She takes my hand with a noncommittal smile. A sizzle jolts up my arm.
Holy shit. Did she have the same reaction?
She looks startled, then quickly jerks her hand from mine, like I’ve burned her. “Thank you for meeting with me.”
So she feels it, too.
“I’ll leave you now. Let me know if you need anything.” Lisa hustles to the door and closes it behind her.
Now I’m alone with a woman who likely lacks the funds to invest. Rather than escorting her out, like I should, I’m hoping I can persuade her to lose her clothes and spread her legs for me.
Instead, I clear my throat and gesture to the chair in front of my desk. “Have a seat, please.”
She nods and grips the pale clutch in her hand like she’s nervous, then crosses the room, her heels a soft click on my bamboo floors. The scent of her perfume wafts past me like a tease, something tantalizing I can’t put my finger on. Something I’ve never smelled until her.
As we both take our seats, my heart revs. Through thick lashes, she lifts her gaze. Our eyes meet again. The zing of awareness nearly knocks me back.
Jesus, I’ve been attracted to women before, but this pull is insane. Still, she’s supposedly here for business.
“What can I do for you, Ms. Rose?”
With a nervous curl of her hair behind her ear, she swallows. “I wanted to talk to you in person. Like I said, I have a proposal. I think we can help each other.”
To scratch an itch? I’m all for that. But the determination on her soft face tells me her pitch has nothing to do with sex. “You’re not here to invest.”
“No.”
“You led my assistant to believe you were.” There’s a chiding note to my tone.
She’s unapologetic. “Would you have seen me if I hadn’t?”
If I’d known how beautiful she was, yes. But that’s not what she’s asking. “Probably not. I’m a busy man.”
“I know. I’ll make this as quick as possible.” She sets her clutch on the edge of the desk, then takes a deep breath and lifts her chin. “I’m Corinne Emerson, Parker’s sister.”
Her admission is like a slap. No wonder she looked familiar. I see it now, though her face is less round and her curves more filled out. She grew from a cute kid into a drop-dead gorgeous woman. And Parker knows my weaknesses… Goddamn it.
I stand. “Get out.”
As I march toward the door, she grabs my arm, her grip desperate. “Please. Just listen. Three minutes. If you still want me to leave then, I will.”
“Since your brother sent you to spy on me, everything you’re going to say is a lie. His ploy doesn’t surprise me, but it’s low—even for him—to dangle his eminently fuckable sister in my face. You should think twice about letting him use you as bait.” I pull free from her hold and yank open the door to my office. “Go. We don’t have anything to say.”
“We do if you want revenge.”
I shouldn’t be taken in by her BS or her pretty face, but that grabs my attention. “Explain.”
She side-eyes the yawning portal. “Shut the door and I will.”
I’ll probably regret this, but she said the magic word—revenge. Slowly, I comply. Of course I know Parker sent her to befuddle me with lust, gain my trust, and find out what I’m up to so he can devise new ways to bury me in the press. Or find fodder for his next book. Either way, I’m not falling for his bullshit. But I will take advantage of Corinne’s visit. If I keep her talking, she might divulge something useful, something I can use to destroy her brother once and for all.
Slowly, I shut the door and return to my seat. “Three minutes. If you don’t answer every one of my questions wholly and truthfully—”
“I will.”
Casting her a skeptical glance, I set a timer on my phone. “The clock is ticking. Let’s pretend you’re not lying to me.”
“I’m not.”
I scowl. “Why would you come to help me, of all people, get revenge against your brother?”
“It’s a valid question…with a long explanation.”
Is she trying to buy more time to lure me in? “Make it short.”
She lets out a breath. “I run my own business. I started it in college as a fun way to make ends meet. Three weeks ago, everything changed and I’m in a financial bind. I need assistance now.” She pauses. “Or a fiancé.”