Page 17 of Damaged

“Bachelor?”

“Dog,” he corrects. “I think Hailee used achewing up girls like bonesanalogy.”

“I see. I didn’t know you’d be so whipped so fast.”

Alex grins like he admits he’s under his girlfriend’s thumb on this one. “Is it that crazy of a request?”

“No, I guess not. She’s one girl in a city of millions. So again, I won’t chew her up.”

“Thanks. I heard from Hailee that she’s a little sick of her job, anyway. Maybe you could find her a new one in the art world. You know, somewhere else.”

“Youreallydon’t want me around her.”

Alex shrugs. “Hailee’s a protective friend. Maybe overly.”

I find it interesting that he felt the need to double down on his request. Is it because he knows just as well as I do how attractive Sophia is?

Probably. No man could deny her looks. If she was more ambitious, she could be on the cover of magazines.

Maybe the word she’d choose is vain, not ambitious. I can understand why some women might not want that life. Living on looks alone.

I’m as private as they get. No social media. No interviews. No peacocking so the world can see my handsome, lavish life. I have it. That’s all I care about. Not showing it to others.

Besides, a low profile is safer as the head of a technology security company. The real power is always behind the curtain, and I’ve never cared for fame. Everyday people recognizing your face is an inconvenience.

So maybe Sophia is truly passionate about art and history. Good for her. Her expertise will come in handy for my plan. I don’t look forward to working with Jessica. She came up to me with her feet touching and back straight like a teacher’s pet and asked if there was anything I needed, not to hesitate to call her day or night.

There was a ring on her finger, but from how her eyes lingered on mine, unblinking, I don’t think she was strictly talking business.

No, Sophia is going to be my lead on this. We’re going to have to get along better than we have been. It was smart of me to give her a ride that snowy evening.

I can tell she’s not my biggest fan, but she seems to think that I must have some kind of a heart. If I can keep it quiet upstairs, too, I think I can get her to melt in no time. But I don’t want her liking me too much. I plan to honor my word to Alex.

Getting Sophia to like me is not manipulation—I simply plan to be less of a dick.

“So where are we headed tonight?” I ask. This is, of course, only the pregame.

“I’m not leading the charge tonight. A potential client wants to take me out. He’s a young guy. Trust-funder. His father owns eleven thousand acres in Nevada and wants me to mine it for gold.”

Alex is the CEO of a mining company. His job is international. Gold in Nevada. Lithium in South America. Uranium in the steppes of Asia. He meets far more people through his work than I do. I’m not envious of him for that.

“Do you like the guy?”

“God, no. He’s an insufferable little one. He wears boat shoes around Las Vegas, but a contract is a contract.”

“Why drag me into it?”

“Because I’m only here for one night and I want to see you.”

“Aw. You’re so considerate.”

“I just had to make sure you weren’t going to piss off my girlfriend. I’d like us all to be friends, you know?”

“You don’t have to worry about me.”

“Have you got a girl right now?” Alex asks.

I think about his question for a moment. I’ve had girls to the new apartment, but I don’t blame Sophia for thinking I’m some kind sex freak.

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