Million Dollar Devil (Million Dollar #1)(25)

I growl. “Yeah, well. If you only knew the half of it.”

“What do you mean?” Luke frowns.

I shake my head, tossing back another shot without answering.

I’m going insane.

Fucking insane.

Elizabeth . . .

Woman’s driving me fucking insane.

“Not very talkative today, huh, Jimmy?” Luke prods.

“Nope. Just want to sit here and simmer for a damn minute, if that’s all right with you.”

“Simmer from what? You sound frustrated.”

That’s the unanswerable question. I can’t even say. Due to the fucking contract, there ain’t a whole lot I can talk about.

“’Cause I am,” I growl, giving him a look that demands he cut it off.

Luke raises his hand. “Okay, man, I’m backing off. But I’m here, you know. Me and all the tequila you need.”

“How about one more, to start.” I raise my empty glass, which Luke promptly refills. I shuffle through some notes, scan a couple of emails, and call home.

“What’s up, kiddo?”

Charlie says, “Do you know what time it is?”

“Late. Sorry. Did you do your homework?”

“Always.”

Charlie is such a good kid. “I’m proud of you.” I tell him often since our parents aren’t here to do it.

“Can you be proud of me at six in the morning? I’ve gotta get some z’s.”

“Yeah. See ya tomorrow. I’ll be there to make you some breakfast.”

“’Kay . . .” His voice drifts off, and the line goes dead.

After Luke calls some drunk an Uber, he locks up and saunters over. “Look, Jimmy, I’d never met your woman before the other night.”

“She’s not mine.” The bite in my response is because I’m frustrated to the point of blue balls here.

Fuck this.

Can’t pretend my pride doesn’t hurt and that she’s not a whole shit ton better than me. Completely unavailable. And there I am, letting her shave me, like a dog playing tricks in the hopes she’ll throw me a bone or two. No bones, just boners.

When I signed her contract, I had nothing to lose. That was my first thought. Why not? I’ve got nothing to lose. And I needed the cash. I’m constantly two months behind on rent, always teetering Charlie and me on the edge of eviction. A million dollars can buy me a hell of a lot of wiggle room. Maybe get Charlie into a private school, away from assholes like Denny’s brothers.

But maybe I should’ve thought about more than just the money, for once.

Lizzy pitches a helluva deal, but what if I want more? I might. I mean, we’re adults. We could have sex without the strings. Right. Thanks to Lizzy’s BFF adding a written clause to the contract about my not attempting to form a relationship with Ms. Banks herself, those strings are pulled pretty damn tight.

And thanks to her stubborn need to keep me at bay, well . . .

I’m pretty fucked.

Not a good thing, as I’m a man who likes to do the fucking.

Luke shoots me a look that proves he already knows the thoughts that are stirring up my brain. “She stumbled in here looking for a drink, and that’s all there was to it. She didn’t have a motive. She may have been down on her luck. She was pretty negative until she met up with the likes of you, and it’s like you were the angel come down from heaven to rescue her from her problems.”

I’m not sure what I’m allowed to tell him about our arrangement. If anything. I’m not sure about anything about this whole deal anymore.

“More like the devil of temptation who will take her nowhere good.” I drag my hand down my face and wonder what the hell she really saw in me to do this whole ordeal.

“Was she the inspiration for you doing something different with your hair?”

“Fuck you, Luke.”

He laughs. “Looks good on ya.”

I hold up my hands. “Do these look any different to ya?”

“No. Why?”

“I had a fucking manicure. Can you believe that?”

“Damn.”

“Yep.” I’m not sure what his one-word response means. If his expression is any indication, he’s impressed. “I’m stumped.”

“I can see why,” Luke says, nursing his beer. “She’s keeping you up, and you haven’t even fucked her. Have you?”

“I’m working on it. Believe me.”

“Don’t get hung up on her, Jimmy. Women like that come out of the womb with their men practically chosen for them. They know exactly who’ll get that ass for life. Their families arrange it. I know we’d never think of this ’cause your parents were simple people who loved each other and worked hard for what they had.”

“My folks worked nonstop to provide the best that they could. Hell, my parents weren’t rich. They were comfortable, but ordinary. Dad was the best man I’ve ever known, and Mom . . .”

She would’ve approved of Lizzy. I scoff at the thought.

I wonder if that’s why Elizabeth Banks is so appealing to me? Is it because I know Mom would approve, just like I know she would’ve disapproved of the long string of women I had before? Couldn’t see introducing a single one of them to Charlie.