AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“That’s the frustrating part.” I nod, then take a long sip of my wine, savoring the citrusy hints of the chardonnay. “Jackson’s mood has been horrible all week. He’s barely talked to me. And the only words he has said are work related.” I sigh heavily, hoping he gets over it soon. “The anger they have toward each other is raw. So, if you ask me, I think they are probably just a lot alike, and these two alphas can’t seem to figure out how to be friendly toward each other.”
Mallory nods agreement. “Just be careful okay? I don’t know, I’ve got this bad feeling about it all. Someone is going to get hurt here.”
“Well, it won’t be me.” I glance into the mirror that’s behind Mallory, seeing my hair is sticking up from the wind outside. I settle the unruly strands into place then add, “I get to have this weekend with Liam, and that’s it. I have no idea why Jackson hates Liam so much, but I can’t hurt Jackson. I’m all he’s got.” Because as much as I don’t have a family life, neither does Jackson.
“That’s why you’re such a good friend,” Mallory comments, giving her sweet smile. “I’m sure Jackson knows that. He’ll get past this and realize he’s being silly, and that you did this for a good cause.”
Part of me wants to believe her. The other part of me knows that I did this so that I could be with Liam for a weekend. I knew the second he saw my name on the charity auction’s list, he wouldn’t stop betting until he won the weekend with me. I did feel bad about that, a little. Though I’m also thinking of me. I need to kill this lust for Liam, and kill it quickly. I’ve been without a steady boyfriend for three years, and I know that’s because no one compares to Liam.
To get the focus off me for a little while, I ask her, “What about your date? Any word on who bought you?” Mallory went onstage three people after me. The bidder had won her through a telephone bid of fifty thousand dollars.
Mallory half-shrugs. “The only thing I know is that we had to change our date from this weekend to start on Tuesday morning and end on Thursday instead.”
“Why?”
“Scheduling conflict or something.” She fiddles with the edge of the napkin on the table. “Anyway, Liam didn’t mind that I took a couple days off during the week, so that was that.”
I ponder. “You still don’t know who the man is that placed the bet?”
“Nope, and it’s beyond creepy. I mean, I really hope I’m not dealing with some sick serial killer who likes blondes.”
I laugh; my girl is always dramatic. “His name will be recorded with the event organizer so I think you’re probably safe.”
“That’s true,” she says with obvious relief. Apparently, she hadn’t considered that. “Regardless,” she adds with a firm voice, “keep your phone on this weekend. I’ll text you as soon as I know who he is so that you have his name and his details in case I go missing.”
“Of course,” I reassure her with a soft laugh. “Who knows, though, maybe you have a secret admirer who’s been lusting after your hot ass for months.”
“Yeah, right.” She rolls her eyes. “Exciting things like that never happen to me. I expect my weekend date to either be with a man twice my age or someone boring as hell.”
“Positive thinking,” I remind her.
Mallory waves me off and grins from ear to ear. “I positively know that you are going to have a wildly wicked weekend.”
I grin back. “I positively know that, too.”
Just as we laugh, the waitress delivers our pasta to the table, setting mine down first. I inhale the comforting scents of butter and cream. I lift my wineglass. “To wild adventures.”
She clinks my glass with hers. “Hear! Hear!”
* * *
LIAM
In the central business district, I sit behind my desk in the corner office on the fiftieth floor. It’s a typical Wednesday afternoon in the modern offices of Maxwell LLC, having spent my morning in meetings. I’m preparing for another long round later this afternoon, discussing the Bakker deal to solidify the offer for my clients. Outside my door, the employees of Maxwell LLC hustle, getting the job done. I’m proud of what my law firm has become in the ten years since I left my mentor at one of Los Angeles’s top firms to go out on my own. I played the game right, schmoozed the right people, and Maxwell LLC is now a leading contender in corporate law.
And yet as I glance out the bank of windows behind my desk, staring off into the distance at the mountains, I know that while professionally I’m right where I want to be, my personal life has taken a considerable blow. That’s not because I’ve spent too much time working rather than investing my time in a relationship.
Aria. That’s my trouble right there.
Ever since I walked into a meeting at Jackson’s law firm, finding his new assistant with the expressive eyes and the chemistry burning between us, no one else compares to her. I’ve tried, and tried hard, to forget her.
That’s the problem. She’s unforgettable.
I draw in a deep breath, staring down at typical, heavy Los Angeles traffic, knowing I must play my cards right. I cannot fuck this up. I get one weekend with her. This is my only shot. I need to ensure that by the end of the weekend her loyalty shifts to me.
“Vivian Markle is on line one for you.”
At the sound of Mallory’s voice through the speaker on my phone, I spin in my chair to again face the doorway. She is sitting behind her desk in the office across from mine, her eyes glued to her computer monitor. I press line one and scoop up the phone. “Good afternoon, Vivian.”
