Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 129676 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 648(@200wpm)___ 519(@250wpm)___ 432(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129676 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 648(@200wpm)___ 519(@250wpm)___ 432(@300wpm)
“Oh?” I swiveled in my executive chair. “How so?”
“It’s Rebecca.” He turned around to face me, a dark glower on his face. “She put the mess in embarrassment.”
“There’s no mess in embarrassment.” I frowned.
“You should tell her that. She misspelled the word in a company email.”
I pressed my lips together to suppress a smile. Karma never disappointed.
“I’d say she is stupid as a rock, but that’d be offensive to rocks everywhere. If she ever had a clever thought, it died alone and afraid.”
“Rebecca is a Dartmouth graduate,” I said primly. “She is extremely—”
“Disposable,” he finished. “Come back.”
I sat up straighter. I had no intention of coming back. I liked not having him as my direct superior.
“Whatever happened to ‘people will talk’?” I smirked.
“I’ll cut everyone’s tongues off.”
“That’s a lot of lawsuits.”
“I have a lot of money,” he deadpanned.
I laughed. He didn’t. Oh. Of course he was serious.
“She’s also hitting on me,” he added. “Constantly. Offering kinky sex that’s depraved, even by my standards.”
Smiling to hide the simmering rage bubbling beneath my skin, I groused, “Guess she can fill in for me when I don’t make it upstairs.”
“In case you forgot, we’re exclusive.” He motioned between us. “I’ve no interest in other cunts. And trust me when I say you don’t want to see what happens to any man dumb enough to try to touch you. Now, come back.”
Standing up, I swanned over to him, stopping when I was shoulder to shoulder with him. Fine, shoulder to elbow. The arsehole was tall. We both stared out the window.
“That is a firm no, Tate. By the way, I forgot to tell you, I’m meeting Cal and Dylan after work today.”
His face clouded over in my periphery, a muscle jumping in his cheekbone. “It’s not safe.”
“I’ve accepted the Ferrantes’ security detail.” I gestured to Enzo and Filippo, who were messing with their phones and conversing in Italian. No point in trying to get myself killed, I had an entire season of The Bear to catch up on.
“Enzo did a shit job tracking you down three days ago,” Tate said.
Enzo’s head snapped up from his phone. “She was out the building before I set foot in it. It’s not my fault you can’t put your woman on a leash.”
“We stopped doing that in the twenty-first century.” I smiled serenely at Enzo.
“Depends on your kinks.” Enzo shrugged. “Though I guess Tate’s vibe is staying a virgin.”
“Achilles punished Enzo by fucking his high school sweetheart,” Tate said without breaking eye contact with Enzo, a sadistic smile on his face. “Or should we call her ex-girlfriend now, Enzi boy?”
Enzo’s cheerful smile never wavered.
“That’s awful.” I gave Enzo a sympathetic face.
“I concur,” Tate agreed. “The punishment for losing my wife should be, at the very least, death.”
Enzo rolled his eyes. “Bro, she’s your wife by name only. I’ve seen her show more sympathy to half-eaten subs at her desk.”
“Enzo is doing an excellent job,” I clarified, mainly because I didn’t want Tate to add an entire SWAT team to watch over my every move.
“He’s not doing an excellent job keeping his mouth shut,” Tate said.
“Hoo boy,” Enzo smirked. “Someone got bitch-slapped by their own emotions.”
“I only trust myself to keep you safe,” Tate argued.
“Well, I need a break from you,” I countered. “Go make plans with your mates.”
“Don’t have any.” He turned to stare at me, looking angry and lost and…boyish, almost.
“Shocking stuff,” Enzo muttered, playing with his knife.
“Find some.” I breezily made my way to the door, opening it and jerking my head for him to leave. The entire floor was at a standstill, watching as if we were the best show in town. Not every day did they see Tate Blackthorn brought to his knees. “In the meantime, I’m busy, and you should be too. Go make us millions, stud.” I winked, blowing him a little kiss.
His steadfast, unrelenting scowl melted in an instant, making way for something gentle and beautiful. Almost childlike. He wasn’t smiling, but he looked…content.
He enjoyed when I pretended to like him. That I assumed the role of the playful wife.
He made his way out the door. When he brushed past me, I gave his arse a small slap, the way he did me when he was done eating me out in his office. “You’re dismissed.”
Tate side-eyed me, giving me a barely audible woof.
Promising to punish me for that little flex.
I couldn’t wait.
From: Dr. Arjun Patel, MD
(arjunpatel@stjohnsmedical.com)
To: Tate Blackthorn
(willnotanswerunsolicitedemails@GSproperties.com)
Subject: Appointment
Tate,
I started a new email chain just in case.
Following this up to see if you’d like to schedule an appointment. I’ve been refilling your prescriptions, but the pharmacy notified me that you’ve not been picking them up. If the issue is around scheduling, we can meet virtually, or I can make a house call as discussed. I would advise keeping with the agreed upon protocol to avoid a setback.