Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 123579 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 618(@200wpm)___ 494(@250wpm)___ 412(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 123579 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 618(@200wpm)___ 494(@250wpm)___ 412(@300wpm)
“Daddy, please listen to me.” His dismissal whittles my voice, my heart, down to a nub.
“No, you listen to me, young lady.” No one seeing this man’s face, hearing his voice, would think I’m his daughter. There is nothing soft or protective in how he looks at me, in how he speaks. “I am on the cusp of the most important deal of my life, and Kyle Manchester is the linchpin. No one, not even you, will ruin that for me.”
“I don’t want to ruin anything, I just…I just thought you should know that—”
“That he’s not a good man. I heard you.” His face softens, but it’s a calculated yielding. A deliberate act to put me at foolish ease. “Sofie, let sleeping dogs lie, and don’t repeat this nonsense to anyone else.”
“Will he be there tonight?”
“No, he’s on vacation with his wife and children.” His mouth pulls back to show his teeth. “He’s a dedicated family man like me.”
“You do your deal, Daddy. I won’t get in the way since it’s obviously more important to you than I am.” I stand, shoving down the hurt long enough to make my face a rigid reflection of his. “But I will not be in the same room with that man again. Ask me to, and I’ll become difficult.”
Daddy crosses around the desk and intrudes into my space so quickly, I’m forced to recoil.
“Difficult?” He snaps, disdain distorting the distinguished face and filling the green eyes so like mine. “You haven’t seen difficult, baby girl. I don’t need you in the same room with him, especially now that I know the kinds of delusions you’re concocting in that pretty little head of yours. Stay away from Kyle altogether, or you’ll regret it.”
“Wow.” I walk to the door, turning to say the last words I plan to say to him for a long time. “I came here to tell you that vermin raped me, thinking it would make a difference, and you protect him.”
His face tightens at the word “rape.” A word I’ve so rarely even said aloud. And never to anyone, but my therapist, applied to me.
“Sofie, you have to understand. This deal—”
“Stop.” I lift my hand, blocking his excuses, which cannot possibly be good enough. “Just stop, Daddy. I’ll stay out of your way and you keep Kyle out of mine. It’s worked all these years. Why stop now.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Trevor
She didn’t wear the dress I liked. That’s okay, because what Sofie decided to wear has me, and, I suspect, every man in her immediate radius, adjusting myself discreetly in my pants. It’s some one-piece pantsuit thing with no straps that fits her body like she was sewn into it, plunging into a V that displays the tops of her high, firm breasts and leaves her shoulders bare. A mass of onyx and pearls hangs around her slim throat. Her hair, fair as white gold in places, is piled high in messy splendor, a few tendrils caressing her neck. In her heels, she probably stands only a few inches shorter than my six five.
“You’re catching flies, Bishop.” Harold stands with his back to the bar, elbows up on the surface. “Mouth hanging open over that woman again.”
“Fuck you, Smith.” I knock back the last of my scotch. “Shouldn’t you be back at the manor convincing Henri to finally give you a shot?”
Harold has a massive crush on our assistant, Henrietta. For a long time, it seemed destined to be forever unrequited, but lately she’s shown signs that maybe she’s feeling him, too.
“Shows how much you know.” Harold grins, making his face even more boyish than usual. “I’m taking her to dinner as soon as we get back from Cambodia.”
After two years watching him pine over her, I can’t even bring myself to teasingly deflate him. I extend my fist for a pound.
“Good work, Smith. So, where you taking her?”
Harold’s eyes go wide with panic, and all his color washes away.
“Hey, you’ve got time.” I pat him on the back. “We’ll figure it out. Don’t break out your inhaler.”
He nods, as if reassuring himself, the color slowly returning to his blanched face. He really likes Henri. Just as I’m about to ride him about it at least a little, I see a guy near Sophie who looks like he’s screwing up the courage to speak to her. Get in line. Actually, there isn’t a line. Only me. She just doesn’t know it yet.
“You okay there, buddy?” Harold nods to the end of the bar, where Sofie waits for her drink. “Need my inhaler?”
I nail him with a deadly look and then make my way down to her end of the bar before the guy can make his move. She glances up, doing a double take when she realizes that I’m so close.
“You again.” She cuts her eyes up at me. “Shocking.”