Page 63 of Mr. Perfect

“Your ethics.” He laughs. “Honey, if you want to succeed in this business, you play the game. And right now you owe me. You almost killed me, Miss Hatcher—”

“But I didn’t kill you. And I didn’t do any of that on purpose. I just forgot about my sandwich, that’s all. I’m sorry. There’s nothing more I can say about it. I’m just sorry.”

“I’m not sorry. It gives me power, Miss Hatcher. You’re about to publish a very high-profile book. Well”—he sneaks me a sideways glance that looks slightly evil—“if you can manage to get a publisher. I’d like to be in that book, Miss Hatcher. Be one of your case-study stars. Perhaps we could tour together.”

“Tour together?” I scrunch up my eyes. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Be my personal advisor, Miss Hatcher. I could propel you to success. Get your book published, but then you’d owe me again. Two favors.”

“Um,” I have no idea what is going on but I suddenly know how Mac must’ve felt when he stumbled into my delusions. Brutus is creeping me the fuck out. “I don’t need help, Mr. Brutus, but thank you for the offer. Now, would you like to reschedule the interview for next month? Or is there a better time for you?”

“No to the book deal?” Brutus says, one eyebrow cocked. “Well, I’m surprised. What else can you trade for the interview? An office fuck? I’ve heard you like to mix business with pleasure. You,” he says, one finger reaching up to tap me on the nose, “are the talk of Stonewall Entertainment these days, Miss Hatcher. I’ve heard all about your tryst with Mr. perfect in the other room. I have insiders. So perhaps you’d like to screw your way to the top with me as well?”

I slap him in the face. Then I stare at my hand, then the shock on Brutus’ face, and do it again. “How dare you!”

“How dare I?” He laughs. “You’re the one slutting around in the office. Not me. I keep it all very discreet, Ellie. I’m not anything like Mac. No one will ever know.”

I stand up. “I’m leaving.”

“You’re going to walk out? Even if I agree to a one-on-one interview with you?”

“Me? Jesus Christ, what planet are you living on? I’m not a reporter! I’m a scheduler.”

“So pencil me in, Ellie. Pencil in time to suck my cock right now and I’ll do the interview you were sent here to get,” he says, standing up and placing his hand on my breast. “And just FYI, I like the slapping.” He grips my breast, squeezing it. I twist away, but Brutus catches my arm, tugging me so hard, squeezing me so tightly, I can feel the bruise forming.

“Stop it!” I say, wriggling. He grabs me around the waist, pulling my back into his chest, his disgusting breath heating up the skin on my neck. I have to swallow down the bile that wants to come up. “Let me go!”

“You can slap me around all you want,” Brutus says. “I knew that little Miss Innocent act was just that. An act. It’s always the sweet ones who want to be fucked hard.”

“That’s enough.” Mac is standing in the open door, eyes blazing, voice low as he growls it out again. “That. Is. Enough.”

Chapter Twenty-Five - Mac

“Ellie,” I say. “Go wait in the car.”

For the first time since we started this trip today, she doesn’t argue with me. Just squirms and wriggles until Brutus lets her go and then half walks, half runs towards the door.

“He’s lying to you, Ellie. You have no idea who this man is,” Brutus says.

Ellie ignores him, clutching the low-cut front of her dress together as she walks past me, eyes downcast, shoulders slumped like she feels responsible for what just happened.

I close the door behind her and then take my attention to Brutus. “Was that fun? Does pawing reluctant women make you feel powerful, Allen? Is that it? Your dick is small, your mouth is big, and the only way for you to feel in control is to take something by force?”

Brutus smiles in a way that is too familiar to me. “You haven’t changed,” he says.

“Neither have you. Still the same low-life asshole I knew in college. Still sick, still mean, and still pathetic.”

“You know, I bet there are a lot of people who’d be interested in your past. Those news programs you head? Should I start there?”

“You know the risks. Take them if you want, but my lawyers will have you in jail before dawn if you breathe a word to anyone.”

“Stonewall Senior isn’t going to like how this turned out. He was very interested in getting me back on the show.”

“That’s because he had no idea who you were.”

“We have that in common, then,” Brutus says with a sneer. “You’re no different than me, Mac. Don’t pretend you are. And it doesn’t have to be me who outs you to that fine piece of ass waiting in your car. I’m not the only one who knows the truth.”

“Go ahead and try it,” I say, taking a step closer to him. He backs away out of instinct, then catches himself and stands his ground. “I’m up for the challenge.”