My Cruel Lover (Wicked Poison #3) - T.L. Smith Page 0,4

line, the cashier gives me a look of pity, and I find I’m not even hungry anymore.

Chapter 3

Beckham

“Do you really have to be such an asshole?” Rylee asks, sitting opposite me, her drink in hand as she watches me. “She’s nice. Give her a chance.”

“Why are you sending me accolades for this woman,” I ask. My attention has now gone from the account I’ve been working on non-stop. It’s one of the biggest accounts in the country, and I am trying to acquire it.

“Do you even know she was an employee here before she got the job with you?” One of her brows slides up. “No, you wouldn’t, because you pay no one any attention.”

“You’re sitting here, are you not?”

She waves me off. “Please. I’m your sister. You can’t get rid of me.”

“Hurry this conversation along. I need to get back to work.”

“It’s late, and we’re the last two here. You should get a life.” Rylee stands and walks toward the door.

“I have a life.”

“Something apart from fucking things that have two long legs,” she sings as she shuts my door with a click.

I scrub a hand down my face, grunt, and then get back to work.

She’s sitting at her desk the next morning. I check my watch to make sure I’m not late. Nope, I’m here at my normal time, before everyone else, so I can get things done before any shit hits the fan.

But no, the woman with chocolate hair sits at her desk, head down, as she studies something on her computer. I silently stalk toward her, stopping in front of her desk to simply glare at her. She doesn’t notice me at first. Her eyes reading the screen before she pauses then glances up. I watch as her back straightens, and she turns slowly to face me.

She’s beautiful, in a classic way. Her lips are painted red, and she’s wearing a red suit jacket with a dark-colored skirt. Her heels are kicked off under her desk, which I noticed.

“Sir,” she greets me and offers a smile.

I stare.

Who is this woman?

“What’s your name?” I ask.

“Jacinta, sir. We’ve actually met before.” I pause at her words. “I had a round belly then.” Her cheeks flush, and she looks away.

“You fucked my sister’s ex.” Her eyes find mine, her mouth falls open, and she draws her head back quickly but says nothing. “Yes, it was you.” I remember her now. “You also married my sister’s boyfriend.” I click my tongue. “You sure do get around.” I turn and walk to my office door. As I grasp the handle, her voice comes loudly from behind me.

“Not that someone like you would understand, but … I had my reasons.”

Glancing back to her, she is standing, so I look at her bare feet and let my eyes drag up her legs until I get to her face. She is curved in all the right places. Beautiful. Classically so. I like my ladies with a little more … spice.

“Someone like me?” I question.

“Yes, someone who has family, money…” She pauses. “Is there anything I can get you this morning?” she asks sweetly, her tone changing, clearly wanting this conversation to be over with.

That makes two of us.

Ignoring her, I head straight into my office and shut the door behind me.

Working all morning, I hear her answer calls from her desk, and when lunchtime rolls around, a small knock comes on the door.

“Yes.”

She steps in at my bark, a sandwich in hand, and places it on my desk before she turns to walk back out. Just as she reaches the door, she stops.

“What do you need?”

“Rylee said you’re trying to land the Jackpot account?”

“What do you know about that? And Rylee shouldn’t be sharing that kind of information with you. If she didn’t own half this company, I would fire her ass.”

She bites her lip before she continues, “I did some research. It seems the CEO goes out every Friday night to Hogs and Goose. Maybe if you offered him an invitation to meet you there, you could talk to him in person?”

My head tilts to the side as I study her. “Who told you to research them?”

“No one. I simply thought it may help.”

I glare at her, and she squirms under my gaze for a moment before she walks out the door.

The sandwich she brought me sits on the desk, but before I touch it, I email the Jackpot CEO asking him to meet me for dinner tonight. He replies within minutes and