Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 63862 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 319(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63862 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 319(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
He wasn’t wrong. Most of the women at the event weren’t only slim but almost alarmingly so.
“But me? I like my lady with all her curves. Our babies made those curves. They’re special.”
“Yes,” I agreed, giving him a genuine smile, “they are. I think you might be something special too,” I added as I accepted a glass of champagne from him.
Despite myself, I glanced back over my shoulder to look at Harrison and Charles.
Both had tense body language.
Charles had his pointer finger out, stabbing it at Harrison several times as he seemed to raise his voice.
Harrison handled it well, body lax, not rising to the bait.
But then I saw Charles turn toward me. And because I was watching him, I saw the words form on his lips.
That bitch.
Yeah, Harrison didn’t keep his cool after that.
He took a threatening step forward, towering over the older man, his jaw so tight that I could see a muscle ticking there from all the way across the room.
“There she is!” Mitch said, stealing my focus away from Harrison.
Then there was Marg, in all of her bouncy, sweet, motherly charm.
And Marg?
Marg knew everyone.
And thought I also needed to know everyone. Or, at least, know everything there was to know about everyone.
I lost track of time.
And champagne.
And names.
But it was hard not to enjoy Marg’s enthusiasm. And, well, the ambiance of the place. Even if I felt like an outsider the whole time.
“Oh, you think you feel like an outsider,” Marg said when I admitted that to her. She gave my arm a pat. “Try being someone who enjoys carbs.”
“I love carbs,” I told her.
“Oh, your handsome fella is making his way over here quick, fast, and in a hurry,” Marg said.
I tensed but tried to school my face into a look of innocence as we both turned toward Harrison.
“Marg, nice to see you again,” he said, giving the woman a warm smile. All traces of the anger that had just been on his face had disappeared.
“You too, Harrison. I was just getting to know this lovely lady. But I think I see my husband trying to eat more of those bacon-wrapped scallops. And he knows his cholesterol is a problem!”
She hurried off at that, leaving me surprisingly anxious to face Harrison alone.
I forced myself to feign nonchalance as I sipped my champagne.
When he said nothing, I decided I was going to need to.
“I’m not going to apologize.”
“I wasn’t expecting you to.”
“He’s a dick.”
“He is,” Harrison agreed.
“And I think it’s shitty that none of you said anything.”
“You’re right. It was.”
“I don’t care that you had some business deal with him. Wrong is wrong.”
“I don’t disagree.”
“Marg is delightful.”
“She is.”
“Why are you being so nice?” I snapped, narrowing my eyes at him.
“Am I supposed to be mad at you?”
“I insulted your business partner.”
“He had it coming.”
“He called me a bitch,” I said, watching his face.
“He did. And I will no longer be pursuing that business venture with him.”
“Because he thinks I’m a bitch?”
“Because he thought he could call you that.”
God, why did he have to continue to be a good guy in literally every other way but signing my annulment papers?
“You’re supposed to be annoyed.”
“I am.”
“At me.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“Sure it is. I’m really good at pissing people off.”
“By being a good person?” He asked, making a sound escape me that was dangerously close to a growl. “Did you forget to eat?” he asked.
“Yes, but I’m not annoyed because I’m hungry.”
“I’m willing to bet it’s not helping.”
“You don’t know me,” I said, narrowing my eyes at him.
“I know you enough to know you get grumpy when you haven’t eaten.”
I chose to ignore that.
“Aren’t you embarrassed?”
“For failing to speak up? Yes.”
“About me,” I clarified. At his knitted brows, I sighed and waved down at my body. “About my outfit.”
His gaze lazily tracked down my body. I swear each inch of skin he looked at warmed.
“Why the hell would how you look embarrass me?”
“This is inappropriately sexy,” I insisted.
“It is sexy,” he agreed, his arm lifting and going around my hip, pulling me closer.
“My boobs are practically out.”
“Not enough for my taste,” he said, his eyes sliding down my chest.
“The slits are completely indecent,” I told him.
“I’m a big fan of your legs.”
God, he had to stop pulling me closer. My mind and my body were always at odds around him. And my pulse was already thrumming, my skin warming.
“Fine. But you don’t want all your business associates to see them.”
“Why not?”
“Because they might think the wrong thing.”
“Like what? That you have nice legs and I like seeing them?”
“That I don’t fit in here.”
That got a deep sigh out of him.
“So, that’s what this is about.”
“What did you think it was?”
“A pleasant surprise.”
There was a quick jolt of guilt.
I hadn’t exactly considered that angle. That by showing up, he might have thought it was a sign that I’d been softening, reconsidering my feelings on our whole situation.