Money Man (King Maker 1)

“Miss Glick.” As much as I didn’t want to, I faced him, keeping my features schooled as impassively as I could. I waited a beat and then he added, “Sleep tight.”

I closed the door on his smirk. Miss Glicks. Not lass or Bailey. Why the hell did I want to cry? Because I was a fool. Kalen Brinner was a player and I’d been played. Well done, Bailey. You’ve certainly earned your scarlet S now.

Eleven

Lizzy was nowhere to be seen when I walked in, until the door closed.

She popped her head out of her room and said, “You’re home,” stating the obvious. “Give me a second.”

I took off my coat and hung it in the closet. By the time I took a seat in the living room, she was there.

“Don’t leave me in suspense… Wait. You weren’t gone very long.”

I sighed. “No, it seems Kalen is a stickler on time.”

“Oh,” she said, pouting. “He wasn’t there.”

My hair tumbled over my shoulder and to my back as I shook my head no.

“He was there, all right. Grumpy as ever.”

“Grumpy but gorgeous?”

I laughed because that was so true.

“Yes, grumpy but gorgeous. He started off giving me a lecture about being late.” As her jaw opened, I finished with, “But I shut that one down. He ended up driving me home as I fucked him.”

Her eyes narrowed as her head angled some. “Is that a metaphor?”

I blew strands of hair out of my face. “No. He drove as I straddled his lap and fucked him.”

Her mouth opened before laughter filled the air.

“Way to go, champ. My little Bails has gone full slut mode. I’m so proud of you.”

I groaned and covered my face with my hands. “What have I done?”

Her giggles didn’t subside. “Don’t shame yourself, girl. Be proud. You’ve taken control of your sexuality and had fun. But I really would like to hear more about moving car sex. It sounds intriguing.”

Needing to free myself of the burden, I told her. “I wouldn’t have believed it myself, but it happened.”

She tapped a finger against her lips. “You know, I think I’ve heard of someone else doing it. It was on a highway in the middle of the night with little traffic, but go you. I’m actually a little jealous.”

“Don’t be,” I said, sagging on the sofa. “He didn’t ask me for my phone number. Only told me to sleep tight. And what does that mean? How do you sleep tight?”

“It’s a saying,” she said.

“I know,” I whined. I wasn’t that backwards with my church upbringing. “But what does it even mean?”

She shrugged and I let my head fall to rest on the back of the sofa. The phone rang and she walked over to answer the wall-mounted contraption that allowed the doorman to communicate with the residence.

She listened before saying, “Send him up.”

It was my turn to let my mouth hang open. Was he here?

“Don’t worry. It’s a delivery guy,” she said, reading me perfectly.

I checked the time. “Who would be delivering at this hour? Did you order something?”

She pursed her lips. “No.”

We eyed the door suspiciously as if a mass murderer would knock at the door any second. When it came, we both jumped and eyed each other before Lizzy took bold steps toward the door. It was stupid to let fear grab hold of us. Who could possibly want to target us? Yet…

Behind the door, a teen with brightly colored hair and makeup to match held up a bag.

“Bailey Glicks,” she said to Lizzy.

Curious, I stood, wondering what this delivery was about. The delicious smell, however, was telling. Yet I hadn’t ordered any food.

“I’m Bailey.”

The girl smirked at me before stepping forward, but Lizzy didn’t budge. Teen or not, this was New York and Lizzy didn’t let her through the door.

I held out my hand, wondering what she knew that I didn’t. When I reached her, she dumped the bag in my hand.

“Enjoy,” she said, spinning on her combat boots and leaving without waiting for a tip.

“What was that about?” Lizzy asked, watching the girl make her way to the elevator before softly closing the door.

“I don’t know,” I said, setting the bag on the island and slowly opening it.

On top lay an envelope. I snagged it and hopped up on a stool. Lizzy came over to lean over my shoulder.

“What does it say?” she asked.

I read it out loud. “My plans for tonight were to feed you before fucking you. I always make good on my promises. –K.”

That explained the smirk on the teenage delivery girl’s face. The envelope hadn’t been sealed and she’d obviously peeked at the note.

The question was if the handwritten note had been penned by his hand. When did he have the time?

“Well, well, well,” Lizzy began. “The man scores points for being a gentleman.”

I arched an eyebrow. “I thought you didn’t like nice guys.”