Page 20 of Death is My BFF

Tiara shut the office door and snickered.

“That would be the sixth applicant for the art counselor position,” she said with a vile gleam in her smile. “Definitely less emotional than the girl before her.” Despite the sour look in her eyes, I didn’t shrink back as she strutted toward me. “Little advice, darling.

Turn around and go back to whatever poorhouse you came from. I know what money looks like, and honey, you aren’t it.”

“Are you always this caring or is this just for me?”

She scoffed. “This is an elite corporate building—”

“Maybe I should leave, then.” Once Tiara seemed convinced, I burst out laughing. “Psych. I couldn’t care less about your assumptions of me. Now get your fake ass out of my way and step aside, I don’t want to be late to my appointment.”

I started to move around her, when Tiara curled her talon nails into my arm and yanked me back.

“How dare you talk to me like that? I can ruin your life, and believe me, you’ll regret—” Tiara retracted her hand and stepped back. Before she could finish her threat, the door to Devin’s office had swung open, and out came an unexpected face. His son.

DavidStar.

When he moved, he carried his height with confidence and dispersed fresh, clean cologne into the room. Strong shoulders filled out his pressed white Armani shirt. Thick chestnut-brown hair with natural highlights was styled casually from his face. He was clean-shaven, emphasizing a prominent jawline and full lips.

All he needed was a fan blowing on him, and he’d be fully equipped for a photo shoot.

David scrolled through his phone and stepped up to me.

Without looking up, he spoke. “There’s broken glass in my office.

Clean it up.”Oh, hell no!He sauntered past me to Tiara. “Tia, I’m going out. Cancel any other job applicants today. Tell them I have the stomach virus that’s going around. Yeah, I have it bad. If they get pushy, say I shit myself or something.”

“Excuse me,” I interjected irritably. “I’m not your maid.”

David looked sharply in my direction. His eyes were mesmerizing, a deceiving soft milk chocolate, considering their hard cruelty as they raked my frame once. You know that savage look people give you when they’re judging you instantly?

Yep.

His stare pierced mine with every long-swaggered stride he took in my direction. He was the storm after the calm, and I was in the eye of it. I feared this man’s awareness of me, especially once he got closer.

“Wait a minute, I know you . . . ” His deep, slightly husky voice crooned over his words with an effortless charm. My brain typed out a prompt reminder that the Star family annoyed the shit out of me.

My hormones never received the memo. “You’re the cute goth girl who hates my guts.”

My face blistered with embarrassment, a small laugh tumbling out. “We may have gotten off on the wrong foot.”

To that, David said nothing, his head tilted down to the portfolio clutched under my arm. “Don’t tell me you’re the art girl too?

Small world.”

“Apparently,” I replied warily.

David flashed a grin that held no genuine kindness. It wasn’t quite as heartless as Tiara’s at least. He turned and glided to his door to hold it open for me. “Please, come in.”

“There’s been a misunderstanding,” I said. “I’m scheduled to see your father, not you. To discuss the situation with my car.”

For a second, David appeared to be biting back a laugh. Did I forget to wax my upper lip? The weight of the world lifted off me as his eyes fell away from mine and dropped to the portfolio again.

“Then why did you bring your portfolio?”

“Oh, I—”

He snatched it out of my grasp. “Fantastic, I’ll have a look.

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