The phone jerked her out of her daydream.Quinn shook her head and willed her heart to slow down.Work.That was the best thing for her now.She obviously had way too much distraction on her mind.Picking up the phone, she got to her job.
****
“The man is an imbecile,” Max muttered under his breath.How he could fuck up a relationship with Quinn was beyond his understanding.He’d had a hard-on for her since the day he interviewed her for the job as his assistant.He might’ve been thinking with his dick that day, but she was invaluable to him now.
But he had no right to bring her into his world.Everything about him was a lie.His art gallery nothing but a front for hisCaïd, the big boss, as they used the deception for exchanging currency and laundering money.His life belonged toLe Milieu,La Famille Lemaire.
When his cell rang, the caller ID was blocked, which meant it was the other business.
“C’est Chevalier.”
“Une livraison arrive à midi.Veuillez prendre vos dispositions.”
“Already made.Text me when you’re here.”
He disconnected the call.Paintings come in, paintings are bought, money is cleaned.Dirty business was his job.
Chapter Two
For a Monday it wasactually boring, which was good for her frame of mind.She wasn’t really up to the challenge of sorting out problems or dealing with clients.As much as she loved art, artists could be pains to deal with.Around lunchtime Max came out of his office.He had been there all morning.
She gave him an overly bright smile.
He frowned.“You should get some lunch.”
Her smile slipped a bit.“I’m not very hungry.”
He looked at her desk.“It would do you good to eat something, go outside.”
“I’m just not up to it.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake.The prick wasn’t worth it,” he snapped at her.He stopped and half turned away, running a tanned hand through his dark hair.“Sorry, that came out a bit too harsh.”
She gazed at him, anger slowly building.“You’re right.He isn’t worth it.I know that and I’ll get past it, but right now I don’t feel like doing anything.Being rejected is cruel, no matter how I felt about him.But I bet you’ve no idea what it feels like to be spurned, to be belittled.I bet no woman has ever turned you down.”
His brow furrowed.“Wait a minute—”
