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“Well then,” he said, and finished putting himself back together.
I opened my purse and my mask jumped out. Fortunately G was trying to figure out how to button his jacket to cover the buttons I’d ripped off, and missed it.
I finger combed my hair and wiped on some lipstick. I didn’t have to look perfect, but I didn’t want to look freshly fucked, either. I headed for the door.
With my hand on the knob, I turned back to him. “Thank you. I had a very hot time.”
He took a step toward me but stopped. “Can I walk you downstairs?”
I looked down at my high heels, then back up at him. My attraction to him was palpable, but my anger with myself was even stronger. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to see myself out. Good night.”
“Good night, B.”
I flew out the door, down the two flights of stairs, and blended into the crowd. The last thing I wanted was for him to watch me leave. Our physical compatibility was undeniable, and it was shitty to deceive him and use him for my story.
He would never know the important role he’d be playing in my reporting, and I planned to keep it that way. I could see it now: The Man in the Venetian mask…
I might have just found my opening line.
Chapter 26
Varden
I gazed out my floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking San Francisco and gorgeous Bay Bridge. My admin had just brought my third cup of coffee for the morning. My late night drowsiness had been chased off by caffeine, only to be replaced by the jitters. And to be honest, some disappointment in the way Saffi had hit the road.
Crazy. Our “thing” could never go anywhere, anyway. And I was a shit for deceiving her. But on the other hand, I’d been able to come. I couldn’t pretend that wasn’t a big deal.
A knock sounded at my office door.
“Come in.”
Our newest associate, an attractive young woman named Dani, walked in. She wore a snug dress outlining her curves and those high-heeled ankle boots that all the women seemed to be wearing. No wonder the younger guys in the office were going crazy over her.
“Dani. What can I do for you?”
“Well, Mr. Gallagher—”
“Dani, I told you to call me Varden.”
She blushed. “Right. Varden.” She approached my desk and gingerly touched its beveled edge.
“Did you need something?” The coffee jitters had given way to a pounding headache, leaving me in no mood for someone who couldn’t get to the point.
“I did. I mean, I do. Need something,” she said, looking down at the desk.
I waited.
She took a deep breath. “I need some help with the valuation of that new company we have coming in.” She fin
ally looked at me. “I was wondering if we could work on it over drinks or dinner sometime this week.”
Jesus Christ. Last thing I fucking need right now.
“I’m happy to work with you on this, but we’ll be sticking to office hours.”
She walked around my desk to half-sit on the corner of it, parting her knees so I could see the top of her thigh highs, and…oh, shit. She wasn’t wearing panties.
Was she really doing this? Really?
