Page 78 of Failure to Match

Wow, he reallydidlike it when I was mean to him. Weirdo.

“Adrien’s not the pet sitter,” I clarified, even though he already knew this. “He’s a friend.”

There was a short pause. “Like how you and I are friends?”

My pulse kicked. No. That was absolutely nothing like this.

“He’s married to my best friend,” I explained, not sure how else to answer him. “So, he’s kind of like my brother-in-law.”

“Ah.” His mouth quirked with what my brain was trying to convince me was relief. “And why does Cat love him so much?”

I shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine. It might be a scent thing? Also, Adrien spoils the shit out of him, so the love has grown over time.”

The two of them were ridiculous together.

“Spoils him how, exactly?”

“You know how spoiled Harry the hairless cat is? Diamond collar and all?” When he nodded, I said, “Child’s play. You haven’t seen shit.”

Jackson huffed a laugh. “Oh yeah?”

“The day after the two of them met, Adrien bought him the biggest, most elaborate cat tree you’ve ever seen. It had a literal throne andmultiplehammocks.” I held up a hand when he opened his mouth. “I haven’t even gotten started. Toebeans has had his own room in Adrien’s penthouse since before him and Ria were even engaged. It’s bigger than my current apartment and a lot nicer. It also has a throne.”

“That’s nothing.”

“His food is made in Switzerland and custom-tailored to his preferences. It took two weeks of testing to perfect the recipe.”

“That’s it? That’s all it takes?”

“Okay, you know what? You not getting it isn’t my fault.”

“Do you even know what spoiled means?” His brows were all tangled like I’d somehow insulted him.

That did it. My eyes flicked to the ceiling as I rolled my chair back a foot. “Okay.”

“Swiss food, Jamie?”

“All right.”

“That’syour pinnacle of fine feline dining?”

“You’re being very rude. Go away now.”

Shockingly, he didn’t argue this time. Even more shockingly, he dragged his chair all the way back to his desk, sat down, and started to type away at his keyboard.

And for the next six hours I genuinely believed that, for the first time since I’d started to shadow him, Jackson Sinclair was actually getting work done.

I was not correct.

21

“Behold!”

Looking slightly more wild-eyed and unhinged than I’d thought possible for him, Jackson threw the set of double doors open to reveal…

“Oh. My. Fucking. God,” I breathed, frozen stupid.

“I know.”

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