avy silver pen between his fingers. The faint scent of her floral perfu

eo poked his head in, a wid

nging them to your workplace now? I have to say, I'm impressed. T

to his desk with a sharp clatter. A cold smile, th

mth. "She thinks she can use me as a weapon against him

l, man. Playing with people

"I'm merely observing a predictable, if ambitious, move from

sation was over. "Your funeral.

ly thanks to the ice and rest, allowing her to wear a low-heeled, elegant black boot with a discreet ankle brace hidden underneath. She chose a simple, elegant shea

n known for its Michelin-starred pastry chef and exorbitant prices. The

n art deco lamp. He was out of his white coat and in a perfectly tailored dark gray suit, looking every bit th

d a radiant smile on her face, and walked towa

sliding into the leather seat across

. It wasn't a look of admiration or desire. It was an appraisal, as if h

aid, placing his phone

sie tried to fill the silence, launching into a light, breezy an

her, his expression blank, before letting his gaze drift

l stiff, painted on. She took a sip of water, the cold liquid doing little to

phone vibrate

his expression, a softening around his eyes that she had

replaced by a warmth, a gentleness that was utterly disarming. "No, I'm not busy... Of c

familiar. He was a different person on the phone. Patient. Indulgent. The cold, arrogant

s if a switch had been flipped. The mask of

eyes focused

to keep up this charade?"

r off guard. "I-I don'

s damsel in distress act. The calculated seduct

reached a hand across the table, a desperate, instinctive g

her touch might contaminate him. The look

in the booth. His face was a

d, his voice low and brutal. "You

et, and extracted a crisp hundred-dollar bill. He tossed i

aid, the words drippi

ushed open the glass door and disappeared into the stream of anonymous faces on the New York sidewalk, leaving her