Breaking Even (Sterling Shore 5)

She doesn’t.

“And I wanted to know if you need me to stay late tonight?” she asks, going into a sexier voice that has Brin inching toward the door.

Fucking shit. She’s ge

tting the wrong idea. Does Jessica always talk to me like this? Am I just super aware of it now that Brin is standing five feet away?

“I can’t imagine there would be any reason why you would have to stay late.”

“I can think of a few reasons,” she says seductively, and I visibly grimace.

“I should go,” Brin announces, and Jessica squeals and jumps, startled by the fact someone else is in the room.

“I’m so... sorry,” Jessica stammers. “I didn’t realize there was a client in here.”

Brin smiles tightly, and before I can correct her, Brin starts talking. “It’s fine. I’m just on my way out.” Then she looks at me. “And I’ll send the rest of the payments through Maggie from now on. That way... Well, I’ll let you get back to your conversation.”

She’s gone before I can even get my tongue untangled, and Jessica turns back to me with fear in her eyes.

“I really am sorry, Mr. Clanton. I honestly didn’t know anyone else was in here.”

I groan while gripping my head, and then I slam shut the drawer to my right while standing up. I need to go for a ride and clear my mind.

“That’s not really the issue, Jessica. I hired you for a number of reasons—one being the fact that my clientele is ninety percent men. And maybe I enjoyed the flirty nature at first, but this is work. Work means acting professional. If you can’t do that, then find a new job. Cancel my noon meeting. I’m leaving early.”

She holds back tears as I walk out. Great. Now I’ve made another woman cry. Fuck my life.

***

BRIN

“It was stupid, and I don’t want to talk about it,” I say numbly, staring at the TV even though I have no idea what’s on the screen.

“When I said get some air, I didn’t mean for you to go see him.”

Just the thought of that girl getting ready to strip naked in his office makes me sick. He just sat there, watching me watch them. It was the ickiest experience of my life. My feet felt so heavy, and I still feel like the world’s biggest idiot.

“I didn’t mean to go see him, but then I got in the car, and it reminded me what a freaking amazing guy he is. Was. Now he’s slime.”

I scowl at the TV like it’s Rye, and Maggie sighs. “Well, is the car good at least?”

The glacier encasing my heart warms just a little at the thought of my car.

“It’s perfect—which is why I went over there to pay him. He spent way too much, and then I was crying, and I don’t cry. I never cry. I didn’t cry when John ruined my life and stuck me with all of his credit card bills. I didn’t cry when he divorced me. And he sure as hell never did anything sweet enough to make me cry. Rye... I’m so... I don’t get it!”

Maggie looks torn about what to say, but she doesn’t have to decide because the devil himself walks into our house without so much as a knock. My heart sputters the way my car used to when I look up to meet his serious face.

I don’t know if I’ve ever seen him without a glint of mischief in his eyes until the past two days. I hate it.

“Rye,” Maggie says uncomfortably, sitting up in the chair.

“Care if we have a second?” he asks her, but his eyes stay on me as his jaw tenses.

“Um... Yeah,” she says uncertainly, looking to me for permission to leave.

I just shrug as she slowly gets up and leaves us alone. I don’t think I can get any tenser.

“Brin, about earlier... with Jessica, that wasn’t—”