Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 106150 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 531(@200wpm)___ 425(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106150 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 531(@200wpm)___ 425(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
“Shit. I’ll take Rowe to my Hamptons house instead. It’s private there.”
Bash looked at me as if waiting for an argument, but he wasn’t going to get one. For one thing, I was in this now, and I didn’t want Austin to get away with his crimes. For another, I’d googled the Hamptons this week after Bash mentioned having a house there and found some interesting information thanks to Real Housewives that made me really want to see the place for myself.
And, okay, yes, I also wanted to spend every possible second with Bash while I could, but I was going to pretend that wasn’t actually a factor in my decision.
Silas’s exhale had attitude this time. “Sebastian, can I speak to you privately?”
“Fine.” Bash gestured Silas toward the door. “Make sure Austin’s not out in the hall, and I’ll meet you in Kenji’s office.” He kissed me softly on the cheek. “I’ll be back in a minute, then we’ll swing by your cousin’s place to get your stuff, okay?”
I nodded and tried to give him a smile, though my stomach roiled with nerves.
Once the two of them left, Kenji remained seated, his eyes on me. “Bash likes you,” he said at length. It sounded a little like an accusation.
“I like him,” I admitted. My gaze darted toward the closed door like I was searching for one more glimpse of Bash. “Possibly too much.”
“Then you should know Bash doesn’t do relationships. He doesn’t fall for people. Not in the whole time I’ve known him.”
I nodded. “And he certainly wouldn’t fall for someone like me. I get it. You don’t need to warn me off, Kenji. I’m very aware that he exists in a different world than I do. I don’t have any long-term expectations. No hopes of a fairy-tale romance.”
Oh, look who’s decided to be a lying liar again. I only hoped Kenji couldn’t read me as well as Bash could.
He leaned closer. “I’m not warning you off. Not at all. You seem… nice. Dedicated. Despite the lies—metric fuck tons of them, mind you—there’s something strangely authentic about you. And I have to admire the way you knocked Bash’s perfectly tailored life off kilter. He needed some excitement.”
I snorted. “We’re talking about a man who climbs mountains and jumps off cliffs. I don’t think he was lacking excitement.”
“Mmm. Maybe. But I think that stuff was just a mask for what he was missing: something, someone, in his life who was worth taking a real risk.”
My heart beat faster with a combination of fear and excitement, but I shook my head firmly. “This… Bash and me… it’s not like that. We barely know each other. It’s not real at all.”
“Isn’t it?” He tilted his head. “Well, if that’s the case, I am warning you off. Sebastian’s falling for you. And if you don’t feel the same, you need to tell him so immediately… Because if you hurt him, Rowe Prince, be aware that I have a line item in my budget dedicated to you and a bunch of contacts Upstate who can make a body disappear.”
I knew exactly which part of that statement sent a shiver through my body… and it wasn’t the part about me likely ending up in a shallow grave.
Still, I threw back my shoulders. “Bash is an adult. And his personal life is his own business. He’s strong, and smart, and more than capable of taking care of himself. I appreciate that he has people who care about him and want to protect him, Kenji—really, I do—but he’s too nice to draw boundaries with you, so I will: you need to mind your own beeswax and back off.”
“The kitten has claws.” Kenji’s face creased in a smile, and he pressed his hands to his knees before standing up. “Oh yes, you’ll do,” he murmured nonsensically. “You’ll do just fine.”
I was still blinking at him in surprise when the door opened and Bash and Silas walked into the office, still arguing.
“No, Sebastian, I do not understand. Running off to the Hamptons right now is the worst thing you could do. If you want to get rid of Austin, fire the asshole and be done with it,” Silas said angrily.
Kenji scooted behind them to close the office door before glaring at Silas. “Would you like to give the entire office a heads-up that this is happening? Keep your voice down.”
Bash rounded on his friend. “And I told you, this isn’t just about getting rid of Austin. Jesus, Silas. I liked Austin. I trusted him. I would much rather that none of this had happened, but it did. He stole this idea—I’m convinced of that, even if you’re not—so the person you should be angry at is Austin, not Rowe.”
“I’m not angry at Rowe!” Silas yelled back. He caught himself and gave me a look that was half-apologetic. “I’m not. Your story is very plausible, Rowe. I believe you invented Daisy Chain. But… I’m worried about all of this. I’m worried about the attention it’s going to bring to the company and any legal exposure we end up battling because of all this.”