Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 79040 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79040 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
“So,” I say carefully. “If my instincts are on, I’d say something bad just happened with the way you barged in there. Anything I can help with?”
She narrows her eyes. “He’s not a gentleman, but he follows a girl in distress to ask how he can help? Either you’re a liar, or there’s something else going on here.”
“Hmm,” I tap my chin, pretending to think deeply. “I suppose I could have devious intentions. You just have to ask yourself if you’re curious enough to find out what I want, or if you’re going to tell me to leave you alone. Of course, you’d spend the rest of your life wondering what I wanted, but that’s your call.”
She eyes me, amusement battling with trepidation in her expression. “You make yourself sound dangerous.”
“Oh, absolutely. Very dangerous. Especially if you’re allergic to peanuts, because I eat peanutbutter every day. I might even be deadly, in that case.” I give her my best scorching glare.
There’s the smile again. Hypnotizing. That’s a good word for this girl.
“I don’t know if I’m desperate enough to get tied up with a dangerous man like yourself, Mr. Wolfe.”
Now it’s my turn to be surprised. “You know who I am?”
She nods. “Um, yeah. You’re Jameson Wolfe, right? I recognized you and Nolan Gray back there. You two run Gray Wolfe publishing. I know because I’ve been memorizing everything about the publishers at the convention in case it would help me get noticed. Well, also because my boyfriend, Vaughn, never stopped complaining about you two.”
A chill runs through me. “Vaughn Vanderlesh?”
She nods again. “Actually, I need to stop calling him my boyfriend. We’re breaking up. He just doesn’t know it yet.”
“Well, shit,” I say softly. On the one hand, score. Maybe I’m an asshole for internally celebrating her impending breakup, but I also know Vaughn Vanderlesh. That guy is scum. She’s better off. On the other hand, her connection to a business rival makes me feel like I’ve just been handed a puzzle piece. I don’t know where it fits, yet, but I’m sure there’s a place. There’s a way to take advantage of this. “How the hell did Vaughn land a girl like you?”
“Maybe I was the only one dumb enough to fall for his obvious tricks?”
The look on her face tells me that’s a deeper question than I realized. So much passes over her expression in a few silent moments. Eventually, she just lets out a soft breath and gives me a scrap of the truth. “I always believed him,” she says simply.
I nod. There’s more to it. Plenty more, but I don’t press her for it. Something happened back there and they are breaking up now. As some asshole who just barged in on her private moment, maybe that’s all I deserve to know for now.
I sit down beside her, giving her a respectful foot or two of personal space. “Want me to get him back for you?” I ask.
She looks up sharply. “What?”
I grin, then shrug. “Just say the word. I’ve always hated that little prick. He’s the son of our biggest rival. I don’t really need an excuse to make his life a little shittier, but I’ll take one if you’re offering.”
She shakes her head, looking sad. “No, it’s okay. My big brother, Troy, is already hard enough to keep under control as it is. When he finds out about this, it’s going to take all my effort to keep him from beating Vaughn up.”
“Oh, I wasn’t talking about violence. I’m more of a backstabber than a front-puncher.”
That earns me a laugh from her. “Can’t say I’ve heard that one before. But, no, thank you for offering to backstab my soon-to-be ex. I don’t really want payback. I just want to move on with my life.”
I nod, waiting. Despite what people probably think about me, I can be thoughtful and considerate. Right now, she’s not looking for a solution. Her world just got turned upside down. She needs a little bit of an open ear, and a little bit of a distraction. I’ll be happy to offer both.
She lets out a breath. “I’ve always thought seeing the best in people was a good quality. I was proud of that. And now I’m just sitting here wondering if I’ve been stupid all along for being so trusting. Look where it got me, right?”
“Nah,” I say. “I don’t think it makes you stupid. Trust is kind of the whole point, isn’t it? You put your neck on the chopping block, hand someone an axe, and wait to see if they deserve your trust. Kind of insane, if you ask me, but the whole world is playing the game.”
“Let me guess, relationships are a game you don’t play? How is that working for you?”
“Hey, now. We were talking about your problems, not mine. I prefer to maintain a healthy level of mystery.”