Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 66753 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 334(@200wpm)___ 267(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66753 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 334(@200wpm)___ 267(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
He laughs. “Right. It’s Tyler. And no one cares who you sleep with if you make them the kind of money you make your clients.”
“This is where I point out that you aren’t my client, and with you offering so much praise, that’s kinda crazy, right?”
He laughs. “You never know how the tide will turn. There might actually be an opportunity there. My situation isn’t as rosy as I painted it.” He taps the table. “I got you a front-row seat. Enjoy the show and if you want, I’ll give you a ride home.”
“I have to go home early. New puppy, remember?”
“Right.” He starts to get up and sits back down. “If I sign with you, I won’t keep hitting on you. There are lines. I know where to step.” He motions for me to get up. “Come on, I gotta impress you. Make sure you want to sign me.”
Laughing, I stand and he opens the door for me. I exit the room with him at my back and find Tyler standing in front of me.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Bella
My heart slams against my breastbone at the sight of Tyler standing before me and oozing confrontation with as much confidence as he wears his pinstriped suit. He hasn’t been home, which could lead me to all kinds of dark places I can’t go right now when he’s clearly going to do something we’ll both regret. What is he thinking? I’m going to kill him if he blows this deal for me or ends up in the news and in jail.
Which I can’t let happen.
I don’t even think before I act.
I step into Tyler and press my hands to his chest. It’s not discreet. It’s not something I would do to “my boss,” but it’s a desperate move to halt whatever it is he intends to do right about now. “What are you doing?” I demand. “Don’t do something stupid.”
His jaw tics and his gaze lifts over my shoulder to Becker. “No, Tyler,” I warn again.
“See you out there, Bella,” Becker says, and I can hear his footsteps fading, thank God.
“Tyler?” I press, still not sure the situation is defused, considering he’s watching Becker depart.
Finally, his gaze lowers to mine, seconds passing—long, long seconds, it seems—before he catches my hand and starts walking. Once again, I’m luggage being pulled down the hallway, but as angry as I am with him right now, my hand still tingles with his touch. My body still hums with his presence. The power he has over me is terrifying. How can I sit with Becker, a major country star, a gorgeous, major country star, who was hitting on me and I don’t feel these things, but I do with Tyler? And Becker wasn’t with Debbie today.
He exits through the door I’d entered with Becker, and the space beyond is an unused parking lot. The minute Tyler halts and turns to look at me, I confront him. My finger goes up.
“Are you crazy? He’s a potential client.”
“He wants to fuck you, Bella. He will never be a client of Hawk Legal.”
“You’re acting like I’m yours. I am not yours, Tyler. I’m not even close to yours. And I’m not a damn fool. I established a business-only relationship with him tonight, and guess what? He does have trouble with his agent. I’m going to sign him.”
“I don’t want him signed, Bella. I told you—”
“Stop. Just stop. Why is this even an issue? I work for you, and we had sex. Get over it. I mean clearly, you have with your damn lists and Debbie. So, I repeat, why is this an issue at all?”
“I was not with Debbie.”
“And you know what?” I challenge because I’m not done spewing my anger at him. “I might have plenty of money, Tyler, but I need an identity beyond that money. I love what I do. I like the money I earn by being good at what I do. Don’t blow this for me or you, because you want to own me for a few months.”
Before I know his intent, he scoops me close, his powerful legs pressed to mine, one hand between my shoulder blades, fingers splayed wide. The other hand cups my face. “I don’t want Debbie, Bella. She walks into my office and I feel nothing. You walk into my office and I feel everything. It’s always been that way. I swear to you, nothing happened.” His mouth closes down over mine, a hot slide of his tongue against my tongue. I tell myself to resist, that this has gotten too complicated, and I’m going to achieve anything by crying over this man.
But he’s impossible for me to resist.
I sink into the kiss, melt into the warm cocoon of his arms, and for just a moment, there’s no fight, there’s no list, there’s no contract. There is no Debbie. He tastes of whiskey and man, and everything forbidden I cannot ever truly call my own. So much so, that when our lips part, I want to pull his mouth back to mine. I want one more moment of not caring about anything but how he feels.