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Authors: Marie Harte
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talked about yourself all evening. You didn’t once ask me what I thought or felt about anything.” He’d asked for honesty. “I found you narcissistic.”
“Oh?” He smirked at her and leaned closer. In a low voice, he answered, “I find you beautiful but cold. It intrigues me to think I might be able to thaw you out. As for why I never asked you anything, I don’t care. I didn’t ask for a date because I wanted to talk.”
She sat in stunned silence while the waiter arrived to clear their plates. Once he left, she gathered her composure. “I’m really glad we never had more than one date, in that case. Imagine how awkward this dinner could have been,” she said drily. What an egotistical ass.
“I’m just being honest. I thought you liked that?”
“You know, I was impressed by your candor. Part of me still is, while the other part is grossly offended.”
He huffed. “This isn’t because of that guy at the gym, is it? I know you’re single. I asked around.”
“Whether I am or not is irrelevant.” She relied on her ability to detach herself from the situation and answered with cold logic. “The fact of the matter is we had one date and didn’t suit. Not money, appearance, or the size of a man’s cock is a factor in who I decide to fuck. Honest enough for you?”
He nodded, his eyes wide.
“We’re going to be working together. I’m not arrogant enough to assume you asked for my company’s services because you’re hard up for a woman. However, if this situation makes it awkward for us to do business, you’re of course free to opt out of the contract for our agreed fee and go elsewhere for assistance. Or you could assign someone else as your liaison when dealing with me. It’s up to you.”
He shook his head and smiled. “You really are one cold bitch, aren’t you?”
She blinked. “Do you really want to ruin your company because you managed to mess with the wrong woman? I don’t mix business and pleasure. Ever. We don’t do that at McNulty, Peterman. Which is one of the reasons why we’re the number one firm in the city.”
He stared at her in silence, and she wondered if he could hear her heart racing as she did her best to appear calm and not at all frazzled by the fuckhead she wanted to kick really, really hard.
“This has been educational.” His lips twisted in a half smile.
Educational. The story of her cold, emotionally unfulfilling life. “I’m glad.”
He laughed. “You’re something else, Vanessa Campbell. If you ever change your mind…”
“I won’t.”
“Even if I were to think about pulling my business and taking my assets elsewhere?”
“Do what you need to. I won’t change my mind.”
He sighed. “Fine. I think it best for all involved if you deal with my assistant Henry from now on. But I want you to know there’s no one I’d rather have working for us than your company, and you specifically. I trust you, and I can see why your references are so amazing.” He stood, and she stood as well. She was more than ready to leave.
“One more thing.”
“Yes?” she asked, gripping her briefcase tight. If this asshole expected her to pay the tab, she’d tell him to stick that bill up his—
“I like Jameson’s Gym. Can I assume it won’t be awkward running into you there?”
“Not if you don’t mind that you couldn’t buy your way up my skirt.” She couldn’t help at least one zinger.
He snorted. “I’ll survive. See you around.” He walked away.
Not planning to stick around for another agonizing round of educational , cold , or frigid adjectives in case he came back, she sought the lounge around the corner. After making sure John hadn’t decided to do the same, she ordered a drink and sat at a table, alone, facing the bay.
She wanted to cry. God, what was wrong with her? She’d handled that jerk with aplomb. He’d tried to buy her, like she was a whore. There were thousands more Johns where he’d come from. Dicks who thought
“Oh?” He smirked at her and leaned closer. In a low voice, he answered, “I find you beautiful but cold. It intrigues me to think I might be able to thaw you out. As for why I never asked you anything, I don’t care. I didn’t ask for a date because I wanted to talk.”
She sat in stunned silence while the waiter arrived to clear their plates. Once he left, she gathered her composure. “I’m really glad we never had more than one date, in that case. Imagine how awkward this dinner could have been,” she said drily. What an egotistical ass.
“I’m just being honest. I thought you liked that?”
“You know, I was impressed by your candor. Part of me still is, while the other part is grossly offended.”
He huffed. “This isn’t because of that guy at the gym, is it? I know you’re single. I asked around.”
“Whether I am or not is irrelevant.” She relied on her ability to detach herself from the situation and answered with cold logic. “The fact of the matter is we had one date and didn’t suit. Not money, appearance, or the size of a man’s cock is a factor in who I decide to fuck. Honest enough for you?”
He nodded, his eyes wide.
“We’re going to be working together. I’m not arrogant enough to assume you asked for my company’s services because you’re hard up for a woman. However, if this situation makes it awkward for us to do business, you’re of course free to opt out of the contract for our agreed fee and go elsewhere for assistance. Or you could assign someone else as your liaison when dealing with me. It’s up to you.”
He shook his head and smiled. “You really are one cold bitch, aren’t you?”
She blinked. “Do you really want to ruin your company because you managed to mess with the wrong woman? I don’t mix business and pleasure. Ever. We don’t do that at McNulty, Peterman. Which is one of the reasons why we’re the number one firm in the city.”
He stared at her in silence, and she wondered if he could hear her heart racing as she did her best to appear calm and not at all frazzled by the fuckhead she wanted to kick really, really hard.
“This has been educational.” His lips twisted in a half smile.
Educational. The story of her cold, emotionally unfulfilling life. “I’m glad.”
He laughed. “You’re something else, Vanessa Campbell. If you ever change your mind…”
“I won’t.”
“Even if I were to think about pulling my business and taking my assets elsewhere?”
“Do what you need to. I won’t change my mind.”
He sighed. “Fine. I think it best for all involved if you deal with my assistant Henry from now on. But I want you to know there’s no one I’d rather have working for us than your company, and you specifically. I trust you, and I can see why your references are so amazing.” He stood, and she stood as well. She was more than ready to leave.
“One more thing.”
“Yes?” she asked, gripping her briefcase tight. If this asshole expected her to pay the tab, she’d tell him to stick that bill up his—
“I like Jameson’s Gym. Can I assume it won’t be awkward running into you there?”
“Not if you don’t mind that you couldn’t buy your way up my skirt.” She couldn’t help at least one zinger.
He snorted. “I’ll survive. See you around.” He walked away.
Not planning to stick around for another agonizing round of educational , cold , or frigid adjectives in case he came back, she sought the lounge around the corner. After making sure John hadn’t decided to do the same, she ordered a drink and sat at a table, alone, facing the bay.
She wanted to cry. God, what was wrong with her? She’d handled that jerk with aplomb. He’d tried to buy her, like she was a whore. There were thousands more Johns where he’d come from. Dicks who thought
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