Page 15 of Lie With Me

Other than that, my wallet is undisturbed.

As I push open the door to Jackson’s office, he looks up from his computer. “What happened to you last night? I know you said you weren’t coming back to the office—not that I care—but now you’re showing up late? You’re never late.”

He doesn’t stop typing as I fall into the chair on the other side of his desk. “I met the most incredible woman last night. Like, seriously, fucking incredible. I spilled coffee on her and offered to replace her dress. We ran into Emily, and she basically gave her a big fuck you right to her face. Then I took her to Jean-Georges and was planning on being the gentlemanyou know I am and sending her home in my car, but this woman kisses me and tells me to take her home to my place. So, I do, and we have this amazing night. She’ssosexy. I mean, I ate more pussy last night than I have in my entire life and would have again this morning if it weren’t for the fact that she left before I woke up, didn’t say goodbye, and didn’t leave her number. Just a kiss mark in lipstick on a scrap of paper on my wallet.”

“Breathe, Tripp. And maybe you aren’t that good at it if she left and didn’t leave her number.” Jackson laughs without looking away from his screen.

“Fuck you, she complimented my skills multiple times, thank you very much.”

Jackson stops typing and sits back in his chair, eyeing me curiously. “I don’t think I’ve heard you talk about a woman since Emily.”

“When I tell you this woman is my dream girl, I mean that in every sense. I came six times last night. Six! I didn’t even know that was possible, and she didn’t even suck my dick.”

He lifts an eyebrow and smirks. “Only six? Ginny and I fuck that many times in an hour.”

“Yes, Jackson. We all know how good you are at sex. Want a gold star?” I deadpan.

“She knows where you live. Maybe she’ll show up again. Did you get her name? Pull the security footage from your building and have her face scanned. Your mom is good at that background shit. You have a plethora of options at your fingertips.”

“Uh, yeah, I’m not going to ask mymotherto dothat. Also, did I mention that the giant fuck you to Emily was making fun of her engagement ring while also telling her thatweare engaged?” Bianca’s scent saturates my senses as I scrub at my face, and I inhale deeply like a man starved.

“Funny, I don’t remember you giving me a diamond.”

“Funny, I don’t remember you being this much of a jackass. You’ve been spending way too much time with Tyler. In fact, I’m beginning to get jealous that you’re gonna ask him to replace me as your best man.”

That wipes the smile off my best friend’s face.

Tyler is his aunt’s husband. He’s also younger than us, putting him twenty years younger than her. And he annoys the shit out of Jackson.

“Dick.” He pauses. “So, Emily is engaged, huh? How are you feeling about that?”

“To be honest, I haven’t really thought of it much.” My brows draw together as I realize that while the initial news stung, Bianca pushed it out of my mind just as fast as Emily had announced it.

I let out a short laugh at this discovery. This girl really was amazing. “I gotta find her, Jackson.”

“You need to get to work.” He goes back to typing on his computer but follows up with, “Ask your building for the security footage, and I’ll get someone on it.”

While my name carries a lot of weight, Jackson’s carries more. And the guys in our technical department like him better than they like me,probably because he’s the one signing their paychecks.

“You’re the best, man. Does this mean I’m stillyourbest man? Or am I gonna have to fight Tyler?”

He chucks a paperclip at me. “Get out and get to work, slacker.”

Lenni

“Youneverhook up with guys outside of the club,” Ginny exclaims as we slide into the corner of a crimson velvet bench at Cafe Bilboquet with our coffee and quiche.

“I don’t know how to explain it, Gin. There was just this instant magnetic attraction. From the time we ran into each other throughout the entire night, we justvibed. And the sex…god, don’t even get me started on the sex.” With a throaty groan, I let my head fall back, shutting my eyes and remembering all the ways Ken made me come last night and into the early hours of this morning.

“So, why’d you leave then? He sounds like Mr. Perfect, if you ask me.”

“I had to,” I tell her quietly, picking up my fork to take a bite of my food. “If I’d stayed, and by some miracle he wanted to continue seeing me, I would have had to keep lying about my name. And my job.”

“You saymy joblike you’re ashamed of it. Once upon a time, you told me there was no shame in making money doing something you loved.” She fixes me with a concerned look while she sips her iced Americano like a psychopath.

Seriously, who orders iced coffee when we have to walk four blocks back to her job in the windy thirty-eight-degree weather?

Her fiancé, Jackson, is filthy rich.

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