“I’m good at hiring. Elliot used to work at Rainier Investment and oversaw the Harborfront redevelopment project.”
“You need to fire Elliot—I don’t know why you have him working for you. He was a useless lump at Rainier Investment.” She cuts off a piece of her chicken. “I’m pretty sure his wife is telling him what to do, and she’s the only reason he hasn’t been set on fire in a performance review yet. Carolina talked with his girlfriend in the bathroom andsays Elliot is cheating on his wife—so you need to fire him once that blows up publicly and hire her. You can probably get her for half the price.”
I regard her. “You impress me, Creampuff.”
“Funny, you don’t impress me. In fact, you’re incredibly underwhelming. Which is what I’m sure all the women tell you.”
The outlineof her nipples is visible through the thin T-shirt fabric as she lies there sprawled on the couch. She didn’t take her makeup off, and it’s smudged around her mouth and her eyes. She looks like she just got fucked hard.
I stroke myself in time to the rise and fall of her chest.
Stop my hand way before I can even think about giving in and jacking off until I come all over her face and that half-parted mouth.
Instead, I leave the typewritten note between the valley of her breasts…
16
WINNIE
“Um, what the hell is this? This doesn’t seem like a harmless stalker.” Carolina waves the cardstock at me.
“He was here again?” I croak, blearily trying to sit up.
“Again? He’s been in here watching you sleep?” Carolina demands, standing over me on the couch. “Fidget!” my friend snaps at the border collie. “What the hell?”
The dog snorts and snuffles under the couch, back legs splayed.
“Ugh. I need to stop sleeping here. My back—” I twist, popping my spine. Kathy is sprawled out on my actual bed with the expensive mattress from the UK.
“You need to call the police about this.” Carolina taps the cardstock angrily.
“Did he leave any snacks or candy?Maybe a bottle of water, some Advil, coffee?”
“You know, for someone who claims she doesn’t want anything to do with her blond billionaire she’s been internet stalking—”
“The technical term is ‘creeping on’—”
“So much that she turns down a date—”
“It was just a joke because he’s an asshole—”
“She sure is happy to overdrink and flirt—”
“Not flirting!”
“And wear her best low-cut dresses around him.”
“I didn’t purchase any of these dresses, and they were unhappy accidents.”
“Once is an accident. Twice is a pattern of behavior.” Carolina’s eyes narrow. “At the very least, if you give him a chance, he’ll scare off Mr. Tall Dark and Creepy.”
“Give me that.” I snatch the note from her. “You’re passing judgment about a man you don’t even—oh.”
“Yeah,oh.”
Nice tits. I want to add them to my collection.
My stomach roils, and it’s not from all the expensive wine and rich pasta I had last night—not to mention the late-night pastries.
