Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 76390 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76390 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
But when she woke up the next day, the first thing she saw upon coming out of the bedroom was a brand new iMac set up on an equally new office table in the corner of her living room.
Walking to it, she saw a note on the keyboard.
Out to buy breakfast.
Will be working here today.
I hope you don’t charge me for rent.
Nik
As soon as she read the message, she spun around and ran back to her room. Snatching her cellphone from the dresser, she hurriedly sent a group message to Alyx and Yanna, telling them exactly what had happened.
Daria: You guys believe me now, don’t you? Nik’s starting to forgive me! It’s God giving me a second chance!
Yanna: I think so. :)
Alyx: The devil has many disguises.
Daria: You’re so paranoid.
Alyx: Wrong. It’s called being REALISTIC. He’s the DEVIL. So stay away from the devil!
“Ready to eat?”
Daria almost jumped a foot, and the words were out of her mouth before she realized what she was saying. “Speak of the devil!”
Nik had one shoulder leaning against the bedroom’s doorway, one eyebrow raised questioningly at her.
Damn you, Alyx, Daria thought even as her heart skipped several beats before jumping into a rollercoaster for another ride. Up, down, up, down it went as Daria struggled not to show just how exhilarated she was at seeing Nik.
He had obviously showered, and he had changed clothes, too. Gone was yesterday’s formal suit, and it was replaced instead with a maroon V-neck shirt and denims. A casual look, but with Nik’s air of sophistication, the clothes became catwalk-worthy.
“You look beautiful,” she blurted out.
“Thank you,” Nik said solemnly, “but that’s not going to make me forget you called me a devil.”
She colored, protesting, “I wasn’t talking about you.” Damn you twice, Alyx. “Actually, I was speaking to the devil.”
“Ah.” A knowing expression crossed Nik’s gorgeous face. “Alyx?” he guessed correctly.
“In one,” she confirmed sheepishly.
Nik pulled her close to him, and bending down, he whispered against her lips, “Tell your friend...”
Her eyes closed. “Tell her w-what?” She arched her neck as his lips moved down, her body shivering at the little kisses Nik pressed against her skin.
His mouth moved back up, and he bit her lip. When she whimpered, he said silkily, “It takes one to know one.”
Daria froze.
And then his meaning sank in, and she burst into peals of laughter. Nik didn’t laugh with her, but she did catch a glimpse of amusement in his eyes before he caught her mouth in a deep, passionate kiss.
After, he murmured, “Good morning.”
Daria was dazed. Was that his version of a good morning kiss? If so, could she buy reserves of it?
The rest of the day passed in a haze of pleasure. This was the first time Nik was spending the entire Tuesday with her, and the entire time Daria struggled to keep her impulses in check and not blurt out anything that could ruin this perfect moment – no, this perfect day – between them.
Did he notice how much things had changed between them, Daria wondered. Did he realize he never called what they did fucking anymore? Did he realize that he had become such an integral part of her life he didn’t just know her closest friends and vice versa – he also knew her passwords, her brand of shampoo, her favorite food for breakfast?
Did he realize that all these things made Miranda seem like his mistress and Daria his fiancée?
Chapter Eight
From the window of her office, Miranda stared down at the creeping pace of traffic below, knowing that one of the cars coming out of the building would belong to her fiancé, the mysterious Greek billionaire Nik Alexandropoulos. The most eligible catch that the world never knew about, the man whose ring was on her finger.
And yet, Miranda thought, that same man couldn’t leave the office fast enough to get to his mistress. If she had known things would turn out this way, she would have let Daria Everest be the fiancée and she’d have stayed on as his mistress.
Moving away from the window, she returned to her seat, her gaze unseeing. Life as she knew it now trailed past her eyes. Everyone looked up to her. Everyone. She was beautiful, sexy, intelligent, and with wealth of her own. Men had literally begged to have a chance with her, so why, dammit, why couldn’t Nik see the same thing they did?
Why did he want that woman more than Miranda?
They were both sluts in their past, and at least she had poverty and her stepfather’s beatings to push her into the life she had carved out of herself. What reason did Daria have? She had slept with all those men because she had wanted to be richer than she already was?
Why couldn’t Nik see Miranda was the better person for him?