“Dentist,” the woman at her desk replied.
“Two breakfasts, please,” Sin said. “Three, if you haven’t eaten.” And with that, he opened the door to the corner office and gestured for Evangeline to walk through.
Biting back a gasp, she crossed the threshold. Despite the upscale furniture, the large space was warm and inviting with rich browns, soft beiges, and muted grey walls. The wall behind his desk housed built-in bookshelves flanking a massive credenza, but it was his lustrous mahogany desk that caught her eye. The room was large enough to include a beige leather sofa flanked by two black leather chairs and two end tables.So elegant.
The floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked M Street reminded her that this was prime real estate in the heart of Georgetown.
And yet, there was still space for a conference table surrounded by four sleek, leather chairs. From his shiny mahogany desk to the expensive-looking sofa, Sinclair Develin didn’t do anything small.
He lifted a bottle of vodka and two glasses from inside the credenza and set the items on the desk. In went a generous portion of alcohol followed by orange juice. As soon as he handed her the drink, she drained half the glass.
“Please, have a seat,” he said, gesturing to his conference table. She eased into a chair and he sat beside her. She tossed back another mouthful, hoping the liquor would help take the edge off.
When he turned his full attention on her, the air got sucked from her lungs. Though he appeared more at ease in his own office, the power that followed him around magnified tenfold here. He oozed confidence and his eyes burned with determination.
“Tell me what happened this morning.”
She hesitated. If she refused his help, she would be at the mercy of a team who may or may not unearth the truth. But when he shot her a smile, the floor fell out from under her. That damn smile of his did it for her every single time.
Trust him and tell him.
Sitting tall, she related the recent details that had wreaked havoc with her life. When she finished, he opened his laptop and pulled up the video.
“Ready to get to work, Evan?”
* * *
Sin wanted to pull her into his arms, stroke her back, and tell her everything was going to work out. But she was his client, not his lover. He was going to clear her name and ensure she got her job back, not lose himself in her exotic eyes and promise her the damn moon.
That’s not how things worked at Develin & Associates. He kept things above board. While he promised his clients nothing, he always delivered winning results.
Going forward, he had to treat this client like every other client, which meant he had to keep a tight lid on his emotions—something he had a hard time doing from the moment he met her.
Evangeline rose. “Thank you for rescuing me from the press. You made that look easy and, for that, I’m grateful. But I can’t afford you and I’m not sure how you can help me.”
Sin leaned back in the chair and crossed his leg at the ankle. “You told me I owed you one. This is payback. You and I are the only two who know that’s not you in the video, so let’s roll up our sleeves and prove it.”
On a sigh, she sat back down. “Birdie knows, and that woman he screwed does, too.”
“I’ll deal with Birdie.” He retrieved a remote control and tapped a button. The blinds behind him closed and he turned the laptop toward her. “Do you need me to bring in a chaperone?”
“A what?”
“If you’re uncomfortable watching this with me, I can ask Erica to join us. This is a workspace. My workspace. And I want you to feel safe and comfortable in it.”
The angst in her eyes faded away and she leaned against the cushioned back of the chair. “That is the most respectful thing anyone has ever said to me.”
He shot her a brief smile. “Erica or no?”
“I’m fine without her. You?”
“I’m good.” He hit the play button and they spent the next eight and a half minutes viewing the very graphic sex video.
Sin wasn’t aroused from the lackluster screwing, but he was well aware he was watching it with Evan. Once, he’d referred to her ashisEvan. Yes, it had been in the confines of their kink world, but for those few hours they spent, week after week, she felt like someone he wanted to make his.
He paused the video and slid his gaze to her. When she peered into his eyes, the air became charged, the desire to touch her so strong that he curled his hand into a fist.
“I’m not sure how we’re going to prove that isn’t me.”
