Page 9 of Square Deal

I took a tiny, begrudging sip.

Isaac smiled victoriously and pulled over one of the upholstered chairs I had on the other side of my desk for client meetings.

He took the glass out of my hand and motioned for me to sit in my desk chair. Refilling the glass, he took a sip, then handed it over to me.

“Let’s get one thing straight, Princess. I’m not a misogynist. I love women and I love sex. That doesn’t make me a villain. It makes me a man who appreciates the beauty of the female body.”

I tipped my head back, drained the glass, and poured myself another. “You’re a manwhore.”

“Wow.” He chuckled, stealing the glass before I could drink anymore. He gulped down half of it and passed it back. “You don’t hold any punches, do you?”

“Can’t take it?” I countered.

“Nah,” he smirked. His blue eyes gleamed playfully. “I can take it. If it’s true, that is. What makes you think I’m a manwhore?”

“What makes you think I’ll waste my time explaining it to you?”

“You’re still here, aren’t you?”

I took a pensive sip and studied him as I savored the bubbly on my tongue. “Maybe I’m curious why you’re still here.”

“Maybe I’m curious about you.”

“Why?” I asked as I took another sip. “Because I’m the only woman on earth who’s ever turned you down?”

“A little bit, yeah,” he said, reaching over and pulling my rolling desk chair close.

He leaned down and picked up my feet. I nearly toppled over, but he paid no mind as he tossed my high heels on the floor and let me use the edge of his chair as a footrest.

“So. Why don’t you go first and tell me why you think I’m a manwhore?”

I giggled and helped myself to another glass from the bottle that seemed endless. “I mean, it should be pretty obvious.”

Isaac leaned closer, beckoning me in with a crooked finger. And, like an obedient little puppy, I hunched over. “I’m gonna let you in on a little secret, Han. All those women? There’s this convenient little thing called consent. You may have heard of it.”

I wagged a finger at him and shook my head. “Nuh-uh. Consent doesn’t mean you didn’t break their hearts. It just means you didn’t violate their physical boundaries.”

He shrugged and sat back in the chair. “Every woman that’s been with me knew what to expect on the front end. I never lie about what I want or what I can give.”

“And what exactly is it that you can give?”

“Mind-blowing orgasms and a night to remember. No strings and lots of fun. No awkward morning after. I’m transparent. I don’t date. I don’t marry. I fuck, and I do it well.”

“There are always strings, Lawson.”

“Not for me,” Isaac said, knocking back the last half of the champagne left in the glass.

I went to pour another, but the bottle was empty.

He pointed at my desk. “Bottom drawer.”

I yanked the drawer open and found a second bottle of Dom Pérignon. For a moment, I wasn’t bothered by Mr. Moneybags and his trespassing. Not when there was good champagne in my desk.

At the moment, I was more concerned with popping the cork than acting like I didn’t want it. The buzz eased the tension in my shoulders and I wanted to keep that going.

“If the women I spend my nights with catch feelings, that’s on them. Not me. I’m always upfront about what will happen.”

“Yeah, maybe,” I conceded as I downed another glass and passed it to him, empty. “But you’re with, like,a lotof women. Maddie’s told me about you.”

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