Read Online September: Calendar Girl Book 9 by Audrey Carlan - Free Book Online Page A

eyes, and blush made me rosy-cheeked. Luckily, I was one of those girls who didn’t need to wear a lot of makeup to turn an eye, and I knew exactly what Blaine liked. I wore my hair down and full and over one shoulder, something he once told me he loved.
    Making my way through the patrons, I spotted him outside. The patio. Of course, he’d pick the most romantic location possible at the same table where we sat on our first date.
    He stood as I approached his table. He gazed up and down my length like a predator assessing his prey, stealthy and quick, never missing a beat.
    “Trying to score points by picking this table?” I asked and sat down, a scowl firmly planted on my face.
    His features, on the other hand, lightened considerably. “You remembered, I see. That’s good, pretty Mia.” I cringed. God, I hated hearing him call me that old endearment. When we were together, he’d constantly tell me how pretty I was, how beautiful, and that there would never be another who could catch his eye quite like I had…until, of course, he caught the two-for-one deal with his receptionist and her hobag twin. Who fucks sisters anyway? Gross.
    Before I could say another word, the waiter came over with a bottle of wine. I knew that label. I’d recognize it anywhere.
    “ Signore , the Cignale Colli Della Toscana Centrale Cabernet Sauvignon.” He poured the dark crimson liquid into Blaine’s glass.
    He picked it up, swirled it around the bulbous glass, sniffed, and took a sip.
    So fucking pretentious, I could gag.
    “Two thousand and six?” he queried the waiter.
    “Absolutely, signore .”
    Blaine nodded, and the waiter filled our glasses a quarter of the way full. I grabbed the glass and downed the liquid in one go.
    Blaine looked around and smiled before placing one hand on the railing overlooking the serene waters of Lake Las Vegas and the other on the stem of his glass. His eyes were lasered on me.
    “I’d like another,” I said, and he grinned, leaned forward, and poured another serving. This one I sipped and waited for him to speak. For a long time, he didn’t. He just watched me, seemingly cataloging my appearance. Eventually, I couldn’t take the silence.
    “Where’s Ginelle?”
    A sharp, dark look came over his snakelike eyes. “She is being taken care of, I assure you.” His tone was sweet, belying the subject matter.
    I huffed. “Really? Is that what you call kidnapping and beating the hell out of an innocent woman on her way to work? Taking care of her?” I gritted through my teeth. I was gripping the wooden table so hard my nails might have actually left little crescent-shaped indentations.
    Blaine waved his hand and leaned closer. “Mia, you and I both know that if I wanted your friend dead, she would be. Now let’s relax and enjoy our date.”
    Date. Did that lunatic just call this coercion a date?
    I blinked rapidly to try to clear the red rage. I wanted to grab the knife, so helpfully placed within range of my hand, and drive it straight into his cold heart. Unfortunately, the fucker likely wouldn’t feel it. He was already dead inside.
    “I don’t understand why you want me here. You know I’m good for the money,” I whispered and looked around. “There’s no way in this lifetime that I’d stiff you.”
    He grinned. “Oh, but my pretty, pretty Mia, you have already made me stiff.” His eyebrows waggled, and I sucked down the vomit I wanted to spew out over the table. Once upon a time, I was genuinely into Blaine. He’s devastatingly handsome, ridiculously charming, and a great lay. Now, I could barely stomach the sight of him and what he stood for.
    “Blaine, you’ve taken something very precious to me, and you want to talk about sex?”
    His eyebrows rose. “I don’t want to talk about it, no. I’d rather being doing it with you, if that’s what you’re asking.”
    I clenched my jaw tight. “That’s never going to happen, so get that out of your head right now. You fucked