Read Online Wilde Magic (Wilde Women Book 3) by Suzanne Halliday - Free Book Online Page A

continue.
    “Charlie.”
    She heard the warning in her sister’s voice. Gosh, and her heart was going crazy in her chest. I’m not a kid, she thought. Making out with a Mr. Sexy Pants was normal stuff for girls her age. Maybe she was making a big deal out of nothing. The pounding heart rate made a lie of that statement. What happened was a very big deal. For her. Rhi would understand.
    “Rhi. He has very nice hands. Big. Strong but gentle.”
    “Sweetie,” she heard her sister purr. “Oh, sweetie. Do you think he’s the one?”
    She didn’t have to draw Rhiann any pictures. Her sister got the gist of what Charlie was trying to say and would know full well the implications of her admission to enjoying a man’s intimate caress.
    “I could ask you the same question about your boss.”
    Rhiann sighed heavily. “What strange convergence of planets finds all three of us spinning out-of-control over men at the same time?”
    “Word,” Charlie mumbled. “I can’t do what you’re doing and avoid him. I’d get sacked in two minutes—so what do I do? It’s not all right that he came at me through my job.”
    Rhiann snorted with laughter. “Wake up, little sister. A man on the prowl will use whatever means available without remorse. Scruples be damned. Sounds to me like Paws has his radar set on you, little girl.”
    “Paws?” She let loose a burble of giggles.
    “Yep! Paws it is. Brynnie’s got the Butt Whacker so Paws seems fitting.”
    “So how do I play this? Paws off?”
    They both cracked up laughing.
    “Nah,” Rhiann exclaimed with delight. “That’d suck for you. Especially if he’s got the touch. Just remember who you are sweetie. This man’s fucking with the granddaughter of Bryanna Charles Baron-Wilde. All you need to ask yourself is, What Would Nana Do?”
    God, she loved her sister. “W-W-N-D. I love it! Better add that one to our expanding list of snark-ronyms.”
    “Snarky Acronyms for everyone!” Rhiann bellowed through the phone.
    “On that note, I’m signing off. Getting a technology headache.”
    “Come home soon, Charlize.”
    “Love your face, Rhiann.”

    A week later she was in full diva mode as she suited up for her initial getting-to-know-you meeting with her new client and his physician. He wanted to play with a marked deck? Fine. She’d be happy to demonstrate just who the hell he was dealing with.
    Destroying her tiny closet in the process, first she’d considered one of her Coachella-inspired outfits. The bohemian-gypsy look suited her well but discarded the choice when she saw how short it was.
    Next, she tried on her favorite vintage jeans with rips in all the appropriate places, pairing them with a smart-looking fringed jacket and a sexy lace camisole.
    That outfit also landed in a pile on the floor of her little bedroom. After a couple more misses, including a frumpy skirt and vest she thought made her look like a granny, Charlie prayed for inspiration.
    She needed something that gave at least a hint of the real her but also looked grown-up enough that the doctor would take her seriously. In the end, she went with an oldie but goodie: black tights, over the knee boots, and a short flowery dress with a cute denim jacket. Her usual array of necklaces and bead bracelets went on automatically. She rarely went anywhere without at least one crystal. On a whim, Charlie wrapped a long purple scarf around her neck several times. Fall was coming, and though the days were still quite warm, the temperatures plummeted once the sun went down. They were meeting late afternoon, so the scarf was practical.
    Posing before the mirror on her bedroom door, she undid her ponytail, shook out her hair and studied the reflection. This is who she was. A little bit rock ‘n roll, a double dose of 70’s chic and the finishing touches of a stage actress. There was nothing overtly sexual about her outfit unless you scored the short dress with extra points. The tights were opaque and not at all