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“And that’s how it’s fucking done,” I tell him. “God, I’m glad to be back among people who get it.”
This is exactly what I want, peers that understand the drive, the want. Profit over sentimentality. It’s good to be home.
John chuckled. “That bad, huh?”
“You have no idea.”
“Sounds like you need some stress release.” John’s eyes glint as he nods over my shoulder. “There’s a fine-looking one right there.”
I turn, already knowing he’s referring to a woman. I find the one he means soon enough. The whole bar is looking at her. She’s tall and slender, with gorgeous hair the color of chocolate. And in the tight red off-the-shoulder dress she is wearing, it shows off what paid for assets she does have. Typical gold digger, not the marrying type. But great for a one-night stand.
Or so John tells me.
“Just your type, eh?” John says, giving me a wide smile.
Every part of me wants to brag to John and tell him that I’m not interested because I have to leave here to meet Mr. Moore. However, I’m not stupid. Though John and I get along, he is just as much a shark as I am. To give him the opportunity to steal my biggest client would be naive on my part.
I pause for a moment, contemplating the situation before letting a chuckle escape my lips. “No, she isn’t. She’s all yours.”
Normally, I’d continue the jab. Perhaps hint to him how he could take her home, not that he needs help. He’s usually successful. The moment he brought up the woman, a pair of green eyes flashed through my mind, causing my heart rate to pick up and a sick sense of unease to fill my stomach.
I shouldn’t have left, but I did. I left after kissing her, and every part of me screamed to go back. Thinking of when I saw her sitting before the painting, sweat glistening over her skin, I mentally freeze the moment. To anyone else, Kylie’s painting may have looked obscene. But to me, it wasn’t. There was tenderness in the image, a sense of desire and drive that is too hard to explain. But I understand more than she knows.
The need for control and the desire for release.
It’s the entire reason why I fell in love with the dark side of sex: my own need for control.
“You gonna call up some fun tonight then?” John raises his eyebrows at me, pulling me from my thoughts of Kylie. “Get rid of that small-town funk?”
I take a deep drink of my water to avoid answering right away. Even as I think of saying yes just to get him to leave me alone, a mass of red curls wrapped around my fist appears in my mind. The heat of Kylie’s body against mine, the feel of her pressed against me, the taste of her lips. Fuck, I still don’t know what came over me.
Kylie Simmons is off-limits. Has been from the first moment I saw her, not that I’d had these sorts of urges when we were kids. I mean, hell, the last time I saw her she was a freshman in high school, though I had always been curious as to how she would turn.
Not the kind of woman I desired to play with.
“No,” I finally reply. “I’ve had my fair share of entertainment the last few days. I think tonight I’ll just call it early. Perhaps dive into my emails and try to get caught up.”
John watches me for a moment, his brow lifting as he nods. “Suit yourself. It’s been fun, Lewis. But I’m going to snag that one at the bar before some other guy gets the nerve to do it.”
I watch as he stands, sauntering his way towards the bar as I turn back to my food and take the last bite of my chicken before gesturing towards the waiter. The staff here are remarkable and within minutes our tab is closed and I’m stepping into the elevator headed to the top property I have picked out for my biggest client.
* * *
Thirty minutes later, I’m unlocking the doors to a large office building on the north side of the city. There aren’t many properties on the island that are open for people to build what Moore is looking for, but I’ve always got connections.
Two of the properties are empty, this one being my first pick. However, with a few others I have to show him, the current owners are easily persuaded when it comes to money. Unfortunately, closing those kinds of deals always tends to take longer. Which is why my fingers are crossed that he selects one of the first two.
The top two floors are already set up as a penthouse, and it won’t take much for the rest of the building to be renovated to suit Moore’s needs. Though, I know deep down that the view is what will captivate him.
Finding a property like this that stands high enough to look out over the city with floor-to-ceiling windows, that is completely empty, is rare. Like finding a needle in a haystack-rare.
Though I pulled it off. Just as I always do.
Taking a seat on a chair in the abandoned receptionist area, I wait for Moore. There is still plenty of time until he gets to the property, and my mind can’t seem to leave the thought of Kylie. Her captivating green eyes have been haunting my mind since the moment I left her in her studio.
Letting my fingers slip into my pocket, I pull out my phone and flip through my photos to the image of Kylie's painting. I have no qualms about taking a closer look at it. When I look past Kylie, staring at the painting, I’m instantly filled with regret.
I should never have taken this damn picture. Not that it isn’t erotic—my cock is currently proving it is. I want to look at Kylie’s painted body and envision what it really looks like. Is Kylie the sort to boost her vanity by hiding her flaws, or does she embrace them?
