Read Online Sizzle in the City by Wendy Etherington - Free Book Online Page A

authorities would make him pay?
    Eventually, anyway.
    No easy answers. Like the most challenging of life’s fights, not everybody could win, not everybody would be satisfied with the battle plan. Not all the lieutenants…
    She whirled to her friends. “His assistant would know about the meeting.”
    Her friends stopped long enough to drag themselves from their debate and gave her identically confused looks. “Who’s assistant?” Calla asked.
    “Max’s.” The oven timer beeped, so Shelby retrieved the last batch of cookies. “Somebody’s fielding calls, sending out invites and booking a conference room.”
    “He could be doing all that himself,” Victoria said, though she looked speculative. “He could be holding the meeting in his own hotel.”
    “You really think Max is doing his own paperwork?” Calla asked, clearly doubtful.
    “Exactly.” Shelby ripped off her oven mitt and approached the kitchen’s center island where her friends had gathered. “So there’s a secretary, assistant or clerk who knows what’s going on. We just have to get to her.”
    “Or him,” Calla said.
    “Her,” Victoria insisted. “You really think Max is evolved enough to have a male assistant?”
    “He has an office somewhere,” Shelby said, hoping to head off another skirmish. “Let’s find out where. Did either of you get his card?”
    Victoria nodded. “I did, but no address. Just a phone and email.”
    “We could ask sexy Detective Antonio,” Calla said.
    “I don’t care how sexy he is,” Victoria said, raising her eyebrows. “Which you’ve reminded us of at least four times in the last hour, by the way. The last thing we need is a New York City cop catching wind of what we’re doing.”
    They hadn’t really done anything. Not yet.
    Except lie, her conscience reminded her brutally.
    “Max’s card is a place to start.” Shelby paced beside the counter. “What’re we going to do when we find the address, though? March in and demand the assistant hand over the investors’ information?”
    “Maybe your boyfriend can help us out,” Victoria said drily.
    Shelby shook her head. “Trevor is far from my boyfriend, and I’m not getting him involved in this, regardless.”
    “Why not?” Victoria asked.
    Shelby knew her excuse would sound lame, but she was going for it anyway. “I’m keeping him and Max separate.”
    “Separate?” Calla echoed, sounding doubtful.
    “Does the phrase sleeping with the enemy ring any bells?” Victoria asked, typically blunt.
    Shelby shook her head. “I’m not sleeping with him.”
    “Not yet,” Victoria said.
    “Trevor doesn’t have anything to do with Max’s schemes,” Shelby insisted, transferring the cookies to a cooling rack.
    Victoria swiped a warm cookie from the pan. “And you know that due to his good looks and slick, flirty smile?”
    “Stop already,” Calla said. “I happen to agree with Shelby.” Before Victoria could follow through with another reality check, she added, “Which I base on hard evidence. He’s loaded because of legitimate means. Why would he need a shady scheme?”
    Victoria shrugged. “Some people do it for the thrill.”
    Calla narrowed her eyes. “Now you’re being deliberately difficult.”
    With obvious joy, Victoria contemplated another bite of her cookie. “When am I ever easy?”
    Calla and Shelby exchanged commiserating looks. Despite Victoria’s healthy bank account and in-crowd business connections, she had plenty of issues to deal with. Her drive to succeed was a living, breathing, often invincible force that ruled her life.
    Calla slipped her arm around Victoria’s shoulders. “Never. It’s part of your charm.”
    Smiling, Shelby moved the cooled cookies to a pastry box. “You know we’re grateful for your honesty.”
    “We could all use a bit of bluntness at the moment,” Calla added.
    “Fine,” Victoria said. “Ask Trevor about the investors’ meeting.”
    Shelby closed the box. “He doesn’t know