Total pages in book: 136
Estimated words: 135847 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 679(@200wpm)___ 543(@250wpm)___ 453(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135847 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 679(@200wpm)___ 543(@250wpm)___ 453(@300wpm)
Genny and Duncan were talking to Teddy Mankowitz, Elsa had managed to lose Baldwin, and she was making her approach to Genny’s group.
Therefore, his hackles raised after hours of watching her flirt with Baldwin, he approached too.
Elsa started when he wrapped his arm around her belly from the side, dipping his chin to the grouping. “Genny, Bowie,” he greeted the only true mom he had, and as one of the chosen few allowed to do so, he used her husband’s nickname. He then turned to Mankowitz. “Teddy. I need to steal Elsa.”
Before any of them could say a word, he ignored Genny’s startled look, Duncan’s knowing look, and Teddy’s confused one, and he stole her, pulling her away with his arm around her middle, then letting her go only to clasp her hand and drag her out of the ballroom toward the Oak Room.
She came with him, likely so she wouldn’t cause a scene.
The attendant with a list outside the Oak Room nodded to them as he dragged her in. He was thrilled to find it was empty. He closed the door behind them, pulled her in further, and around, so he was between her and the exit.
Pure Elsa, she faced off first.
“Kindly explain yourself,” she demanded.
“You can push your agenda with Mankowitz some other time. Tonight is not the night.”
“I was simply introducing myself.”
“Of course you were,” he derided.
“And I don’t have to explain myself to you,” she added.
“Tonight is about helping kids, not your career.”
Her torso jerked like he’d struck her.
Hale ignored that and kept at her.
“And on the subject you wanted to broach with Mankowitz, Dougal Baldwin is too young for you.”
Her head twitched. “Sorry?”
“And he’s a player. He fucks everything that moves.”
“I’m not…are you…are you honestly giving me shit about Dougal Baldwin?”
“It was just a date, a fake date, in your estimation, but you couldn’t have missed it meant something to me. So at least pretend you have a heart in your chest and maybe not outrageously flirt with some other guy when I’m in the fucking room.”
Her big blue eyes got bigger before she asked, “Are you insane?”
“Not in the slightest.”
“You ghosted me.”
“I fucking did not. But it was all business with you after that night. I knew my place, you made that clear.”
Now her very red, very full, very sexy lips parted in shock.
Then she snapped, “You have an interesting take, because it wasn’t all business with me, it was all business with you.”
He shook his head once, testily. “Oh fuck no, sweetheart. That isn’t the way it happened. You didn’t say, ‘hey, I had a great time last night, come over tonight, I’ll get in some takeout.’ You said, ‘have a look at this rough cut and let me know your thoughts as soon as you’re able.’”
“I needed you to have a look at the cut.”
“Obviously.”
“You didn’t say ‘great night’ either, Hale.”
“You set the scene, but I sure as fuck tested the waters, taking time I didn’t have to show at your office and ask you for coffee. And that’s when you were sure to put me in my place, weren’t you, Elsa?”
“No, you put yourself there, because, Hale, I report celebrity news. And I’d just seen pictures of you holding hands with Blake Sharp after you had dinner with her the night before.”
“So?”
Her cheeks were pink and getting pinker, and now her perfectly shaped brows hit her hairline. “So?”
“We’re friends. If you’d asked, you’d know. We’ve been friends a long time. Everyone knows that.”
“No, you tell everyone that and everyone suspects it’s something more. Do you know how many famous people say they’re ‘just friends’ with someone, and the next thing you know, they’ve secretly gotten married on some island somewhere?” Now her eyes narrowed. “Wait. Are you inferring I used you for that interview and then threw you away?”
“I’m not inferring it, that’s what happened.”
“Oh my God,” she bit out.
“Months have passed, Elsa.”
“Indeed they have, and when you arrived this evening, I was in line behind you, and by the way, you walked right by me without even glancing at me.”
That was when Hale’s body jolted, he was so shocked he hadn’t noticed her, especially in that dress.
She kept ranting.
“But I saw you holding hands with Blake during the step and repeat just hours ago. You came here with her as your date, and now you drag me in here like you’re pissed your side chick isn’t behaving when we had one date. One date that meant something to me too. And it was you who didn’t have the time to follow up, you went out with another woman, and now I’m supposed to get in line because you don’t like that some other guy shows interest in me? Like you own me?”
“Tell me you didn’t say that,” he growled.
“I said it,” she shot back.