Irritation simmers inside of me. I know who he is. Jason Hunt, a doctor. He was with Maya for months before they ended their relationship. "Where did you see Jason?"
She shifts her feet. "On the street. He's looking for an apartment. He asked if I could help him find a place to live."
I trust her. I know that she's not the type of woman to fuck one man and then crawl into another's bed the same day. "Are you considering taking him on as a client?"
"It would be awkward. I suggested he talk to another broker from Carvel, but he said he wants to wait to see if I become available to help him."
"If you become available to help him?" I arch a brow.
"I told him I was involved with someone. I didn’t want him to have any false hope."
I'm relieved. I'm also annoyed that he's confident that she'll be available at some point to help him find a place to live or a place to fuck her. "It sounds like you took the best approach with him."
"Have you told Isadora about us?" She pushes her phone into her purse.
"No," I answer truthfully. "I see no reason to bring your name into what's going on between us."
"What is going on between you?"
I see confusion written all over her face. I want to soothe her and chase it away, but that's impossible. Isadora called earlier demanding a meeting. My assistant directed her to Chloe, but she's insistent on speaking to me directly.
I'm days away from securing Isadora a new job, but until that happens, I have to keep her at bay.
I rake both hands through my hair. "I'm leaving it all to my attorney. She's handling Isadora."
It's not enough of an answer to satisfy her but her time is limited. I can tell when she glances at the clock hanging on my wall. "I need to meet Charles."
"Can I see you tonight?"
She chews on the corner of her lip. I already know that's a sign of agitation for her. "Can we figure that out later? I have a full day. I'm not sure when it will be over."
I'm disappointed, naturally, but I won't push for more than she wants to give me. "I'll be thinking about you, Maya. I always do."
The corners of her mouth curve into a soft smile. "With or without my clothes on?"
"You're determined to leave me with a hard-on." I curve my arm around her back to press her body to mine. "I'll have to go fuck my fist if I want to get any work done today."
"I think I just came." She kisses me softly. "I want to watch you do that."
"As long as I get to watch your fingers slide over your tight little pussy."
She inches even closer. "I like you, Julian."
"I like you too, Maya." I kiss her one last time before she leaves me, and my aching cock, behind.
Beinga ruthless son-of-a-bitch is a requirement if you want to get ahead in this town. That is one of the most common misconceptions out there.
A man, or a woman, can be an honest, hard-working soul and they'll work their way to the top, right next to those who step on others on their way up.
I've never considered myself an asshole, but there are certain people who bring out the bastard in me. The man sitting in my office now is one of them.
"The deal I worked out is with Isadora." Bruce Tortin runs his finger along the edge of my desk. "I want her in this meeting. I won't negotiate with you, Julian. You can go to hell."
I want something he has and I need to find a way to get that without involving Isadora. "Bruce, Isadora is on leave. I have ahighly qualified legal staff. You can pick any of them to come to the meeting if you feel the need to have my counsel present."
He should have his lawyer here, but Bruce doesn’t waste money on essentials like an attorney skilled in the art of negotiation. He's been working strictly with Isadora to hammer out a deal to sell Bishop the four boutique hotels he owns in California.
All four of them are currently running with a loss. I have every intention of changing that.
