A Mess of a Man (Cruel & Beautiful #2)(62)

Nick and the sales and banquet managers are waiting for me.

“So sorry. I slept like a log last night. So you have papers for me?” I can feel Nick’s eyes on me, but I refuse to look his way.

“Yes. Here are the final bills for everything.”

“Thank you. Give me a minute to look these over.”

“No problem.”

It doesn’t take long for me to see everything is in line as it should be. I sign my name on all the pages where designated and take my copies.

“Thank you so much. It’s been a pleasure doing business with you, Miss Calhoun.”

I stand and shake hands with the sales manager. “Will I ever convince you to call me Samantha?”

“Maybe the next time we work together.”

“I hope so,” I say as I watch her walk away. This is the part I’m dreading.

“So, you and Rhoades, huh?” Nick says with a hint of a sneer.

“Uh, yeah. Didn’t we already have this conversation?”

“Yeah, I guess so. I hope it works out.”

I don’t like the way he says that, but I let it drop.

He gives me a curt nod and I watch him stride to the hotel doors.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m leaving. I’ve already had breakfast and checked out, like most of the others.” The meaning behind his snide comment isn’t lost on me.

“Fine. I’ll see you at work on Monday.”

Ben is dressed when I get to the room. He can tell something is wrong. So I tell him.

“Let it go. He’s jealous.”

“But why?”

“Samantha, look in the mirror, sweetheart. You’re a prize and he wants you.” His words are gentle and kind, yet they don’t comfort me.

“I honestly feel he thinks he’s looking out for me.”

“Maybe. But I’m going to look out for you much better.”

I finish packing and we leave. He walks me to my waiting car and kisses me before I get in. It seems lonely without Ben. I roll down the window and he asks, “Tonight?”

“Early?”

“Five?” he asks, laughing.

“My place or yours?”

“Mine.” With the way my heart starts to flutter, it makes me wonder if I can hold out that long.





My ringtone screams at me, waking me from a dead sleep. I bump my head against Sam’s, waking her up in the process. We didn’t get much sleep after our night together, which seems to be a thing with us. I can’t get enough of her and she me.

“Sorry, babe.”

Simply silencing that damn thing wouldn’t be satisfying enough as I ponder the merits of throwing it against the wall to make it stop. I’m about turn it off when I see my sister’s picture flash on the screen. She doesn’t call me before the sun is up for no reason. Immediately, I’m awake.

“Jenna?”

“Oh my gosh, Ben.”

Rising up on one arm with my heart beating like rapid gun fire, I ask, “What is it? Are Mom and Dad okay?”

My heart stops beating for one minute and it’s Drew all over again, waiting for the news that he was gone.

“They’re fine.”

I exhale all my worry and replace it with no-morning-coffee level annoyance. “What the hell, Jenna?”

“Ben, aren’t you supposed to be at work already? It is Monday morning.”

“It’s …” I check the time. “Six.”

“Yeah.”

Shit, what else could she be calling about? “So, what? Did you talk to Dad and he wanted you to check up on me?”

I wouldn’t put it past him. There’s no law that says I have to be at work at the crack of dawn. And this morning, I have a reason not to be.

“No, I’m calling because Mom and Dad’s thirty-fifth anniversary is this weekend and I completely forgot.”

“You, who schedules everything? Trying to decide between the stiff shirt Senator, dad’s choice,” I cough into my fist, “and the tattooed auto mechanic, who you really want, must be keeping you up at night.”

“Haha, very funny. Seriously, I dropped the ball and I don’t have to explain to you why because you forgot too. Besides, we need to plan something big.”

I run a hand through my hair. “And you’re telling me, why? You usually handle this. Just tell me how much money I need to give you.”

“Of course you would dump this all on me.”

“Don’t you normally take care of it?” I tug at my hair, ready to pull it out. Sam’s smaller hand plucks my fingers loose.

“Yeah, but still. I’m busy, too, you know.”

“Fine. I’ll make dinner reservations or something. What else do you do for a thirty-fifth anniversary?”

“Is that your sister?” Sam asks.

“Is that Sam?” Jenna asks.

They speak at almost the same time. I nod and Sam frees my hand of the phone.

“Jenna?”

And I’m on the outside looking in. I decide to use the time to mold my hand over Sam’s chest. I move in and flick a tongue over her nipple.

“Yes,” Sam says squirming. Her voice betrays what I’m doing to her. “No, I’m okay.”