Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 119852 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 599(@200wpm)___ 479(@250wpm)___ 400(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119852 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 599(@200wpm)___ 479(@250wpm)___ 400(@300wpm)
“No need to be so touchy,” he teases, his smile shark-like as he looks to his father for backup. If Brent scents blood in the water, he’s right, but it’s his own. Not Kayla’s, that’s for sure. She’s staring him down like she wants to smush him beneath her toe like a bug but is calculating the cost of a professional shoe cleaning to remove his guts from her sole. Yet, he stupidly goes in for more. “Most women appreciate being told they’re beautiful…” His eyes drip over Kayla, making me want to poke them so far into his skull that they pop out his mouth. “And intelligent…” He is not looking at her brain. “And successful. Right, Dad?”
He nudges his father with his elbow though his lascivious gaze stays locked on Kayla. “Uh, I don’t—” David stammers uncertainly. He seems to understand this is entirely unprofessional and most definitely ill-advised considering the woman across from them. “Brent, maybe we should—”
Kayla doesn’t give the older Jessup a chance to smooth over his son’s egregious fuckup and interrupts him to emphatically state, “Most women don’t need a man to tell them things that they already know. Especially about themselves.”
“Touché,” he scoffs, “I forget that you’re one of those high-maintenance, high-value, evolved women who don’t appreciate flattery.” With every sneered word, he watches her closely, hungry for her to have some sort of emotional outburst, probably hoping his cruelty will make her dissolve into tears.
Instead, Kayla’s jaw is rock hard, her chin firm, and her entire presence is that of a woman ready to straight up castrate this man. Her eyes have gone steely, and I don’t think any of us are breathing. Except for Brent, who seems to have no concept, or at least no care, to the monster he’s awoken. Surprisingly, I’m not talking about Riggs or me either. This beast is all Kayla, and she’s mad as hell.
“I provide my own maintenance, high or otherwise, so it is assuredly none of your concern. My value is non-negotiable, so your attempts to demean me ultimately only devalue your worth to me. Professionally.” She cuts her eyes to David, warning him to get his son under control.
“Brent—”
But the younger man brushes his father’s reprimand off, chuckling as he tells Kayla, “I don’t like you very much, but since I’m stuck with you now, I think we’re going to do some good business together. Sooner or later.” He reaches for Kayla’s hand, slowly and intentionally laying his over hers as he drawls out, “Preferably very soon.”
Riggs makes a growling noise low in his throat, his expression mirroring every bit of ‘what the fuck’ I’m feeling, but I kick his leg under the table in warning. We need to let Kayla handle this, I remind myself because I’m as close to punching this asshole as Riggs is.
David takes a desperate sip of his water.
Kayla pointedly removes her hand from the table. More importantly, from Brent’s reach. “My vagina has bled four days of the month since I was thirteen years old and yet, I survive. I think I’ll survive your not liking me, given I don’t like you either.”
David chokes on his water. I cover my laugh by clearing my throat. Holy fuck! Atta girl!
But Kayla’s not done. “And before you attempt to further hurt my feelings, you should know, I don’t have any. But you probably do, so consider it your fragile ego’s lucky day that I’m not interested in exchanging tit for tat insults with someone whose overinflated, insecure ego clearly exists in a perfect negative correlation to the size of his underinflated, unimpressive dick.” Damn, if that’s her not insulting him, I’d really love to hear her version of a verbal takedown.
Brent’s grin falters, but like he can’t help it, his arrogant smirk returns. “You know, I like a strong woman. It makes it that much sweeter when she submits to a man the way she should.” I swear to God, the asshole winks at Kayla. He. Winks. At. Her. My grip on my steak knife tightens dangerously. It’s not the sharpest I’ve ever seen… but it’s enough to do the job.
The implication that he expects Kayla to somehow bow down to him is laughably ridiculous. Admittedly, Kayla does surrender to me and Riggs, but it’s earned because we respect her and we just as readily get on our knees for her too. The power dynamic is constantly evolving, consensual, and never expected. That is not at all what Brent is describing. He seems to think that because he has XY chromosomes, he’s inherently better than Kayla. He couldn’t be more wrong. He’s not even on her level, and it has nothing to do with his chromosomes and everything to do with his brain, skills, and ethics, or lack thereof.
Kayla, meanwhile, is in full dissection mode. “Men like you seek out women you can break because it’s the only way you can feel powerful. Do you know why that is?” She doesn’t wait for him to hazard a guess. “Because at your core, you’re weak. Strong men want strong women, and vice versa. The same is true of weakness.”