Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 53052 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 265(@200wpm)___ 212(@250wpm)___ 177(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53052 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 265(@200wpm)___ 212(@250wpm)___ 177(@300wpm)
“I do. I’m nervous about the waves and the morning sickness, but I want to go.” I want to meet his friends and his sister, but I refuse to consider why. “A yacht trip sounds fun.”
My phone buzzes from its place on the table. Jack and I both glance down, and I see Chandler’s name on the screen. Jack’s gaze shifts from mine.
Shit. I’ve been in Miami for a few days, including the one before I stopped by Jack’s club, and I haven’t checked in with anyone except my sister since I arrived. Especially not Chandler. That’s not to say he hasn’t tried to reach me. I’ve ignored his texts, needing space, but he doesn’t seem to understand the concept.
I glance at Jack, feeling my cheeks flush. “I … need to take this. Excuse me.” Grabbing my phone, I walk to the bedroom, shut the door, and answer the call.
“Hello?” I grip the phone tightly in my hand.
“There you are,” Chandler says, too calm. “I was beginning to think you lost your phone.”
I narrow my gaze, certain the punch line is coming. “What do you want?” I ask.
“The Performing Arts Festival schedule of speakers has changed. The Governor is attending, so he’ll be speaking before me and since you’re introducing me, your comments are even more important.”
“I already told you I’d be there,” I say through gritted teeth.
“Yes, you did. But I want your speech on my desk ASAP. I need to make sure I approve of your comments.”
I roll my eyes because he could look at it the day before if he wasn’t such an overbearing ogre. “You’ll have it,” I mutter.
“I’d lose the attitude, darling.”
Silence descends between us. I’m so sick of his games. He’s nice, he’s pissed, I never know what I’ll get from him.
“Speech in my email by tomorrow morning. Or there will be consequences.”
I’m pacing the floor of my bedroom and my anger is all-consuming. “Like what?” I snap at him, regretting the words as they come out of my mouth.
“Like your charity will get an anonymous email with information you don’t want to get out. I’m certain things will snowball from there,” he says in a calm but determined voice.
I draw a deep breath. “In that case, I’ll tell the police what I know about you.”
He lets out a low chuckle. “It might almost be worth it to see you face the humiliation and losses that will follow.”
My stomach clenches because this is the first time I feel like he’s more of a wild card than I thought. That mutually assured destruction might not save me. But he’s too much of a narcissist to risk the career and power he loves so much.
“You’ll have the speech in the morning,” I say and disconnect the call. My hands are shaking and so are my legs.
Realizing Jack is still in the other room, I call out that I’ll be right there, then toss the cell on the bed, sit down, grip the mattress, and take calming breaths. Chandler never fails to upset me, unnerve me, and make me doubt my plan. That’s because you don’t have a plan, a voice in my head mocks me.
I grab my phone from the mattress and rejoin Jack in the other room.
He stands as I enter from the bedroom. “Is everything okay?” he asks.
I’m assuming I’m looking as shaken as I feel. Not wanting to lie, I give Jack a kernel of truth. “It was an ex. He’s been giving me a hard time lately. I just needed to reiterate that he needs to leave me alone.”
A scowl replaces Jack’s normally easy-going expression. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
I take his hand and pull him down as I sit. “It’s not that bad. I’ve been ignoring his texts, so he decided to call. I put him in his place. Nothing to worry about.”
He purses his lips and I can tell he’s not convinced.
“I swear,” I say, hoping he believes me.
He jerks his head. “Okay then. About the yacht …”
He’s going to let it go, and I blow out a relieved breath. “Let’s do it,” I say. A day on a boat in the sunshine is exactly what I need to forget about Chandler and the mess waiting for me at home.
“Great. I’ll let Tristan know and make sure we pick the nicest day of the week.” He winks and my stomach does a flip like I’m a teenager with a boy that I like. Except Jack is all man, something I know firsthand.
I clasp my hands together on my lap. “But about dinner tonight, can we reschedule? I have some work I have to get done by the morning. It just came up.” While I was on the phone with my ex. It doesn’t sound particularly plausible.
I feel awful, but there’s no way I can go out for dinner and then write a glowing speech about Senator Chandler Cross. I’ll be exhausted when I get home. Even with this afternoon free, it’s going to take all those hours and more to get words down that don’t sound mocking or fake. Add in the nap I’ll need to take, courtesy of the pregnancy … I have no choice but to make Jack the casualty.