Total pages in book: 55
Estimated words: 54520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 273(@200wpm)___ 218(@250wpm)___ 182(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 273(@200wpm)___ 218(@250wpm)___ 182(@300wpm)
I can’t think of a single thing she’d have to say to me, but hell if I’m not curious.
I nod. “We can talk in my office.”
Before I can lead the way, a rustling noise breaks out behind me, killing the moment. “Stop moving, dumbass, I can’t see.”
“I’m trying, but your fat head’s in the way.”
Turning, I catch Danny, Cole, and Mick peeking around the corner like a bunch of horny teenagers, trying to sneak a look.
Un-fucking-believable.
Harlow leans around me, amusement dancing in her eyes as she gives them a better view. “Hello.”
The idiots nearly topple over each other, scrambling upright like they hadn’t just been caught spying like a bunch of girls.
Cole recovers first, stepping forward with an eager grin. “I’m Cole.”
“Harlow.” She smiles, returning his greeting.
Mick follows, offering his hand. “Mick.”
She shakes it, her head tilting. “I recognize you. You were a grade below me in school, right?”
Mick nods. “I was.”
Danny, the boldest of the bunch—or maybe the stupidest—steps in next. “And I’m Danny, the newest recruit,” he declares, propping an arm against the wall beside her head with far too much swagger. “Don’t let the rookie status fool you. I’m fully experienced.”
Harlow laughs, clearly entertained by his pathetic attempt at flirting.
Something dark twists in my gut, coiling tighter with every second he’s in her space. “You want to have that chat or not?” I ask her, voice sharp.
Her smile doesn’t falter. If anything, it deepens. “Ready when you are, Lieutenant.”
I don’t miss the way she mocks that rank, and neither does Mick.
He ducks his head, hiding a smirk.
Ignoring him, and the other two yahoos, I lead Harlow to my office.
Once inside, I shut the door and notice how much smaller the room feels.
“Wow, great office,” she says, scanning the plain walls with fake admiration. “You must be pretty important around here.”
I don’t play into her hand, my expression staying flat. “Cut the shit, Harlow, and tell me why you’re here.”
She drops the front, the mask slipping clean off. “Okay, look…this isn’t easy for me, so I’m just going to say it.” Despite that statement, she steals herself with a breath, straightening her shoulders. “I need a favor.”
My brow arches. “A favor.”
She nods once.
I lean against the desk, arms folding across my chest. “And what exactly would that be?”
Her gaze holds mine, steady but tense. “I need you to come to Vancouver with me for the weekend of my sister’s wedding and pretend to be my boyfriend again.”
For a second, all I can do is stare. Certain I misheard.
“You’re shitting me, right?”
She shakes her head, completely serious.
A laugh of utter disbelief escapes. “Now, why the hell would I do that?”
Her chin lifts. “Because you played along the first time, and now my family thinks we’re together. Like it or not, you’re already in this.”
I smirk, amused at how easily she spins that logic. “Nice try, sweetheart.”
Her shoulders sag with defeat. “Come on, Linc, please?” she begs, shifting tactics. “It’s just one weekend.”
“I don’t care if it’s one hour. The answer is the same. Abso-fucking-lutely not.”
“I can’t walk into that wedding alone.”
“Then don’t,” I counter easily. “I don’t know why you would in the first place. A little uncomfortable, don’t ya think?”
She shakes her head, gaze falling to the floor. “You wouldn’t understand.”
I study her carefully, a thought creeping in. “Don’t tell me you still have feelings for this asshole.”
Her head jerks up, eyes blowing wide. “God, no.”
The sudden relief that rushes through my chest is completely irrational.
“This isn’t about Finch,” she insists. “It’s about Hattie. She wants me there. And even though she’s been a shitty sister, she’s the only one I have.”
The crack in her voice almost breaks me, chipping away at walls I’ve spent years building to keep her out.
Stay strong, Masters. You owe her nothing. Least of all this.
Logically, I know this. Yet, as she stands just feet away, barely holding it together, I feel myself slipping…
Goddamn it.
A rough hand scrapes through my hair, my breath heavy in the quiet. “Let’s say I agree. What do I get out of it?”
She straightens, clearly not expecting that. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, if I’m putting myself through an entire weekend of this circus, I want something in return, especially after bailing you out last time.”
Her arms fold tight across her chest. “Fine. What do you want?”
I shrug. “Not sure yet. I’ll let you know when I figure it out.”
Her eyes narrow into slits. “Forget it, Masters. I’m not signing up for some open-ended favor. For all I know, you’ll expect me to sleep with you.”
The words strike like a match, sending me forward. In two strides, I’ve got her caged against the door.
Her lips part on a sharp inhale, wide eyes locking on mine.
“Let’s get one thing straight,” I murmur, voice dropping with the nerve she struck. “I don’t need leverage to get laid. If I ever end up between those pretty thighs of yours, Harlow, it’ll be because you fucking begged me for it. Got it?”