Casey
If it’s possible to screw up a good thing, I’m the girl who’ll figure out how. So when I get a new job, I celebrate with one last night of fun before focusing on climbing the corporate ladder.
Until my night of fun walks into the office and I discover who he really is. My firm’s biggest client and my new nightmare.
Egotistical, entitled a
nd infuriating, Andre Lavin is not making it easy for me to ignore him. In a battle of wills, we’ll see who can hold out the longest.
And who is still standing at the end.
ASK ME is the kind of outrageous romantic comedy that will have you clutching your pearls and laughing until you cry! This standalone romance features crossover characters from the USA TODAY bestselling book BEG ME.
Get ASK ME Now
Excerpt of ASK ME
© October 2018 M. Malone
ANDRE
I push through the revolving door and into the lobby of the Madison building. Jason is already in the waiting area talking on his phone. Philippe should have been here already, too. I glance at my watch and then scowl at the time.
This is our third meeting with our marketing agency in the last month and I have no confidence this one will go any better than the last two.
Not that I can voice that opinion. Apparently I’ve been difficult to work with lately so anything I say will be taken negatively.
Kate rushes into the lobby looking harried. “Mr. Lavin! You’re here early.” She gives Jason a hard look before pulling out her phone.
I don’t respond, unsure why being early requires a warning.
Jason shrugs. “I was trying to call you. Our last meeting ended early. Hopefully James can accommodate us.”
“Of course! I’m sure it’s fine.” Her voice is upbeat but her fingers fly over the screen of her phone frantically.
Who could she be texting right now when we have a meeting to attend?
Jason leans over. “She’s probably warning everyone upstairs that the dragon has left his lair.” He chuckles when Kate glares at him.
I hit the button for the elevator. The past month has been a test of my patience in every way. Although I originally planned to stay in the States during this brand transition, last week I made the decision to go back to Milan for the duration. Why stay in a concrete prison enduring rain and questionable air quality when I could be at home, enjoying the exceptional weather and exquisite food?
“I’m ready to get this meeting done. We have a schedule to keep,” I grumble, already irritated. We’re flying back to Italy in just a few hours and another pointless meeting is not how I want to spend my time before getting on a plane.
Jason clears his throat before glancing at me. “So, before we attend this meeting maybe we should nail down what we hope to accomplish today. The last couple of meetings have been a little chaotic.”
“Meaning that I’ve hated everything they’ve come up with.” I adjust my tie slightly in the mirror image on the elevator doors.
He shifts next to me. “Meaning that you’ve made up your mind to hate everything because you’ve been in a shitty mood for what feels like six months straight.”
My hand pauses on my tie.
After Jason broke the news that the investigators couldn’t find Casey, I thought I’d come to terms with it. But even after I called off the official investigation, she was never far from my thoughts. I couldn’t stop thinking about her at the most random moments and my lack of focus did not go unnoticed.
So I threw myself into my work with a vengeance, staying later at the office and coming in earlier. Maybe I was subconsciously punishing myself for allowing the most captivating woman I’ve ever met to slip through my fingers or maybe I truly thought that work could help me forget. But that time, Philippe was the one given the task of telling me that several of my staff members were on the verge of quitting.
Now I’ve reached a point where I have to accept that this isn’t something I can fix. No amount of hard work or dedication will right this situation.
“You’re right. I haven’t been myself.”