Page 21 of Tempt Me

9.

JASE

Chloe’s not a gold-digger. She couldn’t care less about the cash. So that means she must really be in love him.

I would laugh at the irony if it wasn’t the mother of all cock-blocks. The one honest woman I meet, and she’s in love with someone else.

Monday morning can’t come fast enough. I type up my notes into a report about Chloe, click send to the client, and it’s done. Usually, I pride myself on hunting down the truth like a rabid dog, but fuck it, I’m taking a pass on this one. Never mind about whatever secrets she’s hiding in her past: those are going to stay hidden. I need her off my plate forever, so I can get back to life as usual: busting liars, cashing checks, and fucking like there’s no tomorrow.

I don’t have to spend another moment thinking about those soulful brown eyes.

I won’t ever have to wonder what secrets she’s hiding, the past she’s been running from.

And I sure as hell won’t have to wake up with the ultimate hard-on, forced to wank one out in the shower as I imagine her bent over on all fours, just to get the stiff ache out of my cock.

Even that climax wasn’t enough. I’m still in a foul mood, wound so tight I’m liable to snap. God help the men who decide to spar with me in the ring after work, because they’ve got a world of pain coming. And God help the woman I pick up after, because I’m going to pound her into the goddamn mattress tonight.

*

I’ve only been at work a couple of hours when the bell over the main door sounds. “Who is it?” I call, thrown. This address is invite only, and I’ve got nothing on the books. I’m about to get up when my office door swings open and Maxwell Mainwaring comes striding in.

“Her background is clear, no criminal records or other liabilities,” he reads from my report. “What the fuck is this?”

I stare. What the hell? “You’re the one who hired me?”

I figured it was one of the Mainwarings, checking that Chloe was good enough to join their ranks. But all this time, her fiancé was the one snooping into her past?

Some PI I am, I couldn’t see the truth when it was right in front of me.

“Of course it’s me, who else would want Chloe investigated?” Max looks surprised. “Although I should have saved myself the cash. You got me nothing.”

Now I’m even more glad I didn’t go digging. “You hired me to investigate,” I say coolly. “I did. There’s the result.”

“This is bullshit.” Max throws the pages down on my desk like a kid having a temper tantrum.

“What’s the problem?” I ask, my temper rising. “You’re in the clear. No bombs about to go off and damage the Mainwaring name. That’s what you were worried about, right?”

Max looks blank. “What? No. I need something real, some kind of excuse to break things off before the wedding!”

Break it off? I can’t believe this scumbag. He has Chloe wrapped around his little finger, and he’s planning to kick her to the curb. She doesn’t deserve this. Fuck, she’ll be devastated.

I shouldn’t care, but for some reason, I see red.

“Why do you need an excuse?” I ask, clenching my fists under the desk. “Just tell her it’s not working out. You’ll be doing both of you a favor.”

Max looks impatient. “If I break it off, she gets to keep the ring. That thing’s been in my family for generations. Do you know how much it’s worth?”

More than Chloe to him, clearly.

“Not my problem,” I tell him, done with this idiot. “Hell, if you ask nicely, I bet she’d give it back. Like I said in my report, she’s not after your money.”

“Every bitch in town is after my money,” Max sneers, and I want to smash my fist right in that pretty-boy face of his.

“Are you done?” I ask, getting to my feet. “You can write me that final check now—”

My office line rings, then clicks to voicemail. Suddenly, Chloe’s voice echoes in the small office.

“Jase? Hi, it’s Chloe. Chloe Archer. I, umm, I’m calling because I have some places to show you—”

---