Total pages in book: 181
Estimated words: 171979 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 860(@200wpm)___ 688(@250wpm)___ 573(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 171979 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 860(@200wpm)___ 688(@250wpm)___ 573(@300wpm)
It was no wonder Valerie had been a virgin. She had hidden herself under those outrageously baggy clothes that practically warded off every man in a five-hundred-foot radius. Her face, however, couldn’t be dulled by the distraction of her clothes. That was the first thing he had actually noticed about her—the feminine soft beauty of it juxtaposed her usual attire, somehow making her beauty that much more astonishing. But, unfortunately, most men didn’t appreciate a good face with freckles. They only appreciated what was under the clothes.
Adjusting her shirt because it kept rising up her midriff, she cursed under her breath like she always did. “When are we going back to the house? I need to get a few things if I’m going to stay here for a while. These clothes are killing me.”
In that moment, as she pulled her shirt down lower, it only exchanged the view of her exposed stomach to reveal more of her breasts. That was when he contemplated burning her house down and every scrap of clothing she owned.
Never.
Walking behind Sal into what appeared to be another office, she grew nervous at the unknown. Figuring it was about finding a job here, she couldn’t help but feel self-conscious in how she looked. While she dressed like a boy in her usual day-to-day life, she did at least wear business attire to work. Looking professional was the only way a girl could be treated fairly in her male-dominated field. Not to mention she also hated how she hadn’t been able to afford to dye her hair lately. Every two weeks on the dot, she freshly box-dyed her hair a blue black, but recently, with every wash, it turned a more denim blue.
In college, she dyed it every color in the rainbow and sometimes all at once, but once she’d gotten her first big-girl job, sadly, the fun colors had to go. The blueish-black shade had at least made her feel more herself, even if it was just a hint of blue in the sun. It would always make her feel special when the blue would shine more. So, while she loved the color her hair was fading into, she knew it would have to go if she got a job here.
Looking down at herself quickly, Valerie would have at least preferred wearing her clothes from yesterday—she didn’t care if they had already been worn—but she could only spot her shoes before they’d left his place, having not seen her other clothes … or her bat, now that she thought about it.
When they were greeted by a beautiful woman with baby-pink hair, she instantly relaxed, feeling right at home. Oh, thank God, someone normal!
The perks of being in the mafia were really starting to rack up at this point.
“Hi, I’m Katarina,” she introduced herself with a smile. “But you can call me Kat.”
“You’re Sal’s sister?” She was taken aback by another surprise; never would she have guessed that the two were related. Kat looked so … cool, while Sal had such a stick up his ass.
“Yes.” She laughed, figuring she couldn’t see the family resemblance. “My brother has told me a lot about you, Valerie. So, it’s nice to put a face to the name.”
Oh, I’m sure he did. Knowing Sal, he probably had a lot to say about her. She figured she should be embarrassed, but his sister wasn’t at all making her feel like she should. In fact, she seemed to love that Valerie was a pain in his ass. “It’s nice to meet you, too.”
“I’m glad my clothes worked out for you,” Kat said, eyeing her approvingly.
“Oh!” Valerie took a breath of relief to at least not be meeting Sal’s sister in his girlfriend’s clothes. It made her feel like she was slightly less of a home wrecker, which was good. “They’re your clothes. I see it now,” she said, pointing back and forth at their attire. Kat, too, was wearing tight jeans and a top. Valerie only wished Sal would have bothered taking a cool leather jacket out of her closet, too. “I love your jacket.”
“Thanks. I offered Sal to give you—”
Sal loudly coughed, interrupting her words and butting into the end of her sentence. “So, do you have anything Valerie could do around here? The court won’t let her use a computer or anything, but I’m hoping you could find something for her.”
Again, Valerie should maybe feel embarrassed that another complete stranger knew of her criminal situation. But at this point, and especially after she stood there while Sal continued to pretend like nothing had happened last night between them, her life was a joke.
“Yes, I’ve actually been needing an assistant. I got a bit behind on some paperwork.”
“That’s perfect.” With his phone beeping, Sal became distracted easily. “I’ll be by in a few hours to check on you two. Kat, be sure to keep an eye on this one, and Valerie …”