Page 49 of Burn With Me

“Regardless of what you or the tabloids think, I’m drowning in pussy. I have no interest in chasing after your sister. Simple women like her can’t hold my interest, and I’m not into redheads.”

“She’snotmy sister!”

“Either way. We ran into each other in the park, and she helped me get a good photo to make it look like I cared about the animals. Gotta keep up the charitable image, after all. And you gotta admit she takes a pretty picture.” Shrugging, I open my laptop and pull the counteroffer back up. “You have nothing to worry about from me. Good luck on your trip, Mr. Calloway.”

You vile prick.

Chris seems placated by my answer. Smoothing out the jacket of his navy checkered suit, he gives his head a sharp nod. “Thank you, Mr. Tailor. For telling meexactlywhat I needed to hear.”

After I finish the counteroffer, the rest of the afternoon is spent catching up on emails and skimming contract negotiations—though my thoughts continue to stray to the other night on my couch. After I reread the same paragraph for the fifth time, I will my erection away before heading out of my office.

Stacey isn’t at her desk, so I don’t have to deal with her disapproving regard and questions about where I’m going at three in the afternoon.

“Where are you going?”

Spoke too soon.

Turning, I see her holding a stack of files and tapping her foot as though she already knows where I’m headed.

Busted.

“What? I got all my work done,” I tell her as though she’smyboss and not the other way around.

“What are you doing with that poor girl, Jackson? Because if you’re serious, then I will get behind it, but if you’re just waiting to wear her down and then drop her–”

“It’s not like that!” Cutting her off, my voice is sharp and final.

Stacey’s eyes widen a fraction before she shakes her head. “Okay then. I hope you know what you’re doing.”

As the elevator doors open, I watch her for a moment—mumbling to herself as she walks away—before stepping through them.

No, I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing.

Michelle stares at me like I’m a fly she just found in her cup of coffee. The lime green neon jumpsuit she wears is a glaring monstrosity, and I have to wonder if she genuinely likes wearing the clothes she does. “Ginny sure is popular today. She’s down in the big room with the families. I’m guessing you’re here tohelp out?”

My eyebrow raises, and I’m about to ask what she’s going on about when I hear, “Jackson? What are you doing here?”

Turning, I see my uncle coming through the door that leads to the rest of the building. “I could ask you the same thing?”

It hasn’t escaped my attention that something is going on between my uncle and Ginny. At first, I thought that it might be sexual. There was even a point where I wondered if something had happened at the club between them. Then he mentioned forgetting about the names the first day I met her, so he knows she works at Désirer.

But the more time I spend with her, I no longer thinkthat’s the case. However, it’s starting to unnerve me that they act as if they’re in on a secret that only they know about.

“Dropped by to make a donation. Ginny organized the whole thing, but the resources are limited, so I thought I’d help out a little.” He buttons up his black peacoat and wraps a dark gray scarf around his neck, even though the temperature outside is nearing sixty-five.

At my confused look, he points behind him. “The little carnival for the kids they set up downstairs? She’s been working on it for weeks.”

“Funny, she never mentioned it.” Looking back at Michelle, I see she’s watching our interaction through the glass window, a giant Starbucks Frappuccino in hand, as though we’re a live version of a trashy reality TV show.

“Ah, well. Whatareyou doing here?” My uncle makes his way to the entrance while waiting for me to reply.

“Just wanted to see Ginny.” It’s not a lie. But it’s notmeeither. The honesty has him drawing his eyebrows together as he looks at me with consideration.

“Be careful, Jackson,” he finally says. “It’s a dangerous thing…love. It will turn you into something you don’t recognize faster than it takes you to realize you’re even in it. As much as I’d hate to see Ginny get hurt, I don’t wanna see you suffer because you ran headfirst into something you don’t understand. If that’s where it’s headed, take it slow.”

“You married Aunt Sadie after four months.”

“And look how that turned out. If I could go back and do it over again, I would. I’d still marry her. But I’d do it properly, after a respectable amount of time dating. Give her a chance to know therealme, instead of the front I put on trying to impress her.”

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