Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 111732 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 559(@200wpm)___ 447(@250wpm)___ 372(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111732 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 559(@200wpm)___ 447(@250wpm)___ 372(@300wpm)
“She does? Oh. Wow.”
“My dad is the one who found the place. And now that he’s seen her results, he’s every bit as sold as me. I know Ripley talks a lot; but I’m thrilled about that. Every time she chatters on, I remember where she was when she started school, and I want to cry with relief and joy.”
“I . . . I had no idea.”
Marnie smiles. “Don’t worry about Ripley. She’s doing great, thanks to my father. He not only helps me with all of her expenses, he also won’t let me pay him rent. Thanks to him, I’ve been able to start a college fund for Ripley. My father plans to leave this house to me, so that’s a huge help, but since my mother’s illness wiped out a lot of Dad’s savings, I’ll definitely need to have some funds tucked away for Ripley’s education. Also, her medications, if she still needs them as an adult, which I’m told will be the case.”
I feel dizzy. Like I’ve been punched in the stomach. I had no idea little Ripley was such a fucking warrior—or that Marnie has had quite this much on her plate. No wonder she fell prey to my father. For so many reasons, Marnie was vulnerable as fuck—and Alexander Vaughn is a master manipulator.
“Please, don’t worry about us,” Marnie says. Clearly, she’s reacting to my facial expression, whatever it is. “Ripley’s doing great, and so am I. Work is starting to pick up for me, thanks to a great referral from Victoria. My plan is to impress my fancy new client so much, they can’t resist referring me to all their wealthy friends.”
The pit in my stomach is overwhelming me. “Can I ask a sincere question? Why do you think you haven’t been more successful with your business? Given how good you are at the cooking end of things, I can only assume you’ve struggled because you’re not so good at the business side of things—marketing, operations, networking.”
“Correct. I’m honestly horrifically bad at that all stuff.” She chuckles. “I’m an artsy-fartsy type. A creative soul. I love concocting new recipes and feeding people’s souls, but the business stuff gives me hives. In my defense, being a single mom means I have to drop everything when Ripley gets sick. I’ve definitely lost a few clients that way.”
I bite the inside of my cheek. My head is spinning. My heart panging. “I tell you what. I’ll do some research into your industry and come up with a solid business plan for you. A step-by-step guide of what you should do to finally get your business off and running.”
Marnie clutches her heart. “Oh my gosh, Max, thank you. My father has tried to help me, but he’s an engineer, not an entrepreneur.”
“This is something I do for a living. I help start-ups on a regular basis. Give me a couple days, and I’ll figure out a game plan for you.”
She throws her arms around my neck and kisses my cheek. “Thank you so, so much.”
I can’t handle her proximity. Her lips on my flesh. She smells too fucking good. My tongue is suddenly remembering how good she tastes. My cock is remembering how amazing she feels. I jolt up from the couch and cover my rising hard-on with my hands. “Thanks for the meal. It’s been a long day. I’m gonna head out.”
“Oh. Okay.” She blushes and rises alongside me. “Do you need to work another long day tomorrow?”
I’m walking toward the door now, and Marnie is following. “No,” I say, keeping my hands in front of me. “I successfully pawned off all my workload today in anticipation of camp next week and the mountain of work I’ll hopefully get from Wayne Walters when we get back. For the first time since before law school, I’ll wake up tomorrow with absolutely nothing stressful on my plate.”
“How lovely.”
I stop at the front door and pivot slightly, still keeping my hands in front of my crotch. “What about you? Are you working tomorrow?”
She nods. “I’m working for my big new client tomorrow while Ripley’s at school.”
“Awesome. Go get ‘em, Boo.”
She giggles. “Thanks, Boo.”
“Thanks for agreeing to do this for me.”
“No need to thank me. Like I said, I’m getting a lot out of it, too. Thanks for the amazing fake engagement ring and the offer to help me with my business. I’m ecstatic about both.”
“You’re very welcome. When do you want to talk about whatever business plan I’ve come up with? I’ll spend at least part of tomorrow doing research, so I’ll probably have some solid ideas for you by Wednesday afternoon.”
“Awesome. I’ve got a client that morning while Ripley is in school, but I’m open after that. Would you like to come over? I’ll feed you again.”
“It’s a date. I mean, an appointment. A plan.” My eyes drift to her lips again, despite my best efforts to maintain eye contact. “Goodnight, Marnie.”