A Mess of a Man (Cruel & Beautiful #2)(71)

Her eyes rake over me and the excessive attention says she’s still very interested. “I should. Sam says the same thing.”

Bringing up Sam is a mean thing to do as I watch her face fall, but I can’t deal with anymore crazy women.

Dad’s admin steps up next to Lisa. “Don’t you have work to do?”

Lisa’s face pales before she nods and rushes off. “That girl and her puppy crush,” Trudy tsks.

Pressing my lips closed, I hold in the chuckle that threatens to escape. Trudy is in charge of all support staff and just did me an incredible favor.

“Here is what you requested. Let’s walk and talk and I’ll fill you in what I know.”

“Before that, can you send our sorry we missed you letter from the client luncheon and this letter,” I hand her a copy of the letter from the mutual fund company, “to our lawyers. See if you can get a meeting with them today at their offices or ours.”

“Sure. Want to tell me what’s going on?”

“Not enough time but there could be a potential lawsuit. I want to know what they think of the merits of any such action against us.”

She isn’t making notes, but I know she’s memorized everything I’ve said. Dad has sung her praises on a number of occasions. “Okay, let me tell you about the Dunbrookes.”

After the meeting, I finally find a minute to text Karen about her planned dinner. And I choose not to call so there would be a record of exactly what I said.



Me: I can’t make your blackmail dinner tonight. So you’ll have to sue me.



My phone rings and when I pick up she gets right to the point.

“Clever of you, Ben. But I’m not playing your game.”

“This isn’t a game. I can’t do dinner. I have a ton of things I have to finish tonight.”

This is true. My office has been a revolving door all day. Most people have finally gone home, and I have to get my own work done. I haven’t been able to touch any of my responsibilities yet.

“Fine, tomorrow night, and no more excuses.”

“Tomorrow,” I say with no certain terms because I very much doubt I will see her for dinner.

By the time I call Sam and explain that I can’t see her tonight, it’s late. I do a few other things before I finally head out my office door. I haven’t eaten dinner, but decide against it when I stare at my phone where I’ve pulled up my contacts. I set the phone down on the passenger seat haunted by what I’d been about to do. It’s automatic to call Drew when I have a shit day.

It’s a good thing I don’t live far from work. I breeze through my door and head straight for a bottle of whiskey, pouring myself a healthy glass.

“You f*cker, you. I almost think you did this on purpose so you wouldn’t have to deal with my shit.” My words echo in the empty room after I drain the contents of my glass. “Who the f*ck am I supposed to call now?”

I think about Cate and immediately shake my head. She’s trying to get her life together. She doesn’t need me to bring her down. She left because she wants to move on from her grief. So don’t call her, you *.

The phone is in my hand as if it materialized there.

“Hello,” a sleepy voice says.

“Sam,” I breathe.

“Ben, is everything okay?”

It is now. “I just wanted to hear your voice. I’m sorry to wake you up.”

“My voice?”

You don’t know how talking to you soothes me. “Yeah, it’s sexy.”

She laughs. “Sexy, huh? Is there a reason you need sexy?”

It’s way more than your sexy voice. “Is there ever a bad time for sexy?” Her laugh makes a smile form on my face. “Hey, do you think you can meet me for lunch tomorrow? I should be tied to my desk, but I need to see you. Work is hell on wheels.”

“Yeah, I think I can do that.”

“Great. I would ask you what you’re wearing, but then I’d never get to sleep. Goodnight, gorgeous.”

“’Night.”

My morning meeting with the lawyers sends me over the moon. Only, when I get back to the office, I feel like I need people to take a number to stop the pile-up outside my door.

“This is what it’s like to be in charge,” Trudy says laying out my calendar for the day.

“It’s like another full time job.”

“That’s why your dad comes in early and stays late. It’s the only time he has to himself.”

Her message to me is loud and clear.

“I need a little more time at lunch.” She eyes me like my mother does. “I have something I need to take care of outside the office and I need travel time.”

“I’ll shift things around, but you need to tell me your schedule in advance.”

“Fine, this is all new to me. I never had problems scheduling my own meetings before.”

“And now you have me, temporarily,” she adds.

When lunchtime comes around, I’m armed with an envelope and drive over to pick up Sam. I find myself in a trance when she walks to my car. She’s dressed in an outfit that makes my mouth water and tongue hang out like a panting dog. My dick is on high alert and it sucks I can’t act on it.

“Hey, where are we going for lunch?”