Page 3 of Arrogant Playboy

“It’s been a great team effort.” If the girls I work with weren’t so good at their jobs, we wouldn’t be getting the projects we have been getting lately. I’m not going to take all the credit.

“The girls have thrived since joining your team, and I’ve watched as you have mentored each one of them. My business wouldn’t be growing like it is if my employees weren’t growing with me. I’m genuinely so very proud of you all.”

“Thank you, that means a lot. My girls work hard delivering our clients their dreams.”

“And you all have been delivering. I want to start bringing you in on the bigger luxury projects, where the budgets have blank cheques.” She grins.Yes, please.“There are some exciting things happening in the future, and I want you to be a part of it.” That sounds exciting. I’m all in. Whatever it is. “The meeting is at one. We might grab a late lunch after, how does that sound?” Ivy asks.

“Sounds good. Let me tie up some loose ends with the team and I should be ready.”

I walk back to my office, excitement bubbling under my skin. Ivy gave us such high praise today and I’m excited to tell the girls.

“How did it go?” Adina, my assistant, asks as she walks into my office after I get back.

“Everything is perfect. Can you round up the troops for a quick meeting?” I ask her. She nods and gathers the rest of the team as I quickly refresh my emails and start going through my schedule, marking what is urgent and what isn’t for today.

Adina comes back in with Josie, Helena, and Beth, my three junior interior designers.

“Thanks, guys, just a quick one. I’m out this afternoon with Ivy, she’s asked me to pull the art for the Ayad project.” The girls murmur with excitement over that. “That means you guys will have to hold down the fort for me for the rest of the afternoon. We’re meeting at the DuPont gallery at one and then she said we’re going to grab a late lunch after, so I might not make it back to the office. I also wanted to let you all know to keep up the good work because Ivy just gave our team a glowing reference for being awesome.” The girls smile and clap at my compliment. “All our hard work together hasn’t gone unnoticed, so I wanted to thank you all because I couldn’t do it without the team.”

“Hell yeah,” Helena says as the other two nod in agreement.

“Let’s keep it up and see how far we can take it.” I grin as I dismiss the girls and finish up my work.

Ivy pops her head in. “Ready?” she asks.

“Yep, all good,” I say, grabbing my coat and bag and heading out of the office toward the town car so we can head to Mayfair.

“What are we looking for today?” I ask Ivy.

“We need entrance, staircase, two sitting rooms, a reception room, two studies, the principal bedroom, five extra bedrooms, and the dining room. They are looking for a more modern London architectural vibe for their villa in Belgravia. They have opted for neutral palettes in the public areas and have chosen snowy owl as the paint color. The art needs to pop on the walls. Their teenage daughter has chosen French Rose on her walls, this gorgeous soft pink, it’s divine, and then has asked for modern floral accents in the room. The younger daughter is the complete opposite and has gone with this rich velvet peacock color, all jewel tones. She wanted a moody bedroom,” she explains.

Nice. My mind is already racing with ideas. Ivy continues explaining what the clients want so I have a good enough idea of what I am looking for and it isn’t long till we are pulling upout the front of DuPont Gallery. There is a wall of glass with an art piece hanging in it. It’s an image of a woman standing on a cliff, her hair windswept as she looks like she is peering over the edge into oblivion.Interesting.I don’t know much about art, but I know my bestie Emily would love it. She would be in her element here, staring at art all day, she’s tried for years to get a job working in an art gallery but has had no luck. It’s all about who you know not what you know. Fingers crossed working the summer for Louis Marchant will help her get a foot in the door in the industry.

Ivy pushes the glass door and enters the gallery, and I follow.

“Miss Starr, it’s lovely to see you again.” A gorgeous dark-haired beauty appears silently out of nowhere, greeting us. I give her a once over as she looks incredibly intimidating, dressed in a black pantsuit, with bright red lips, a pale face, a severe black bob, and a French accent.

“Delphine, nice to see you, too. I’m here to meet with Daniel if he’s around,” Ivy asks, greeting the woman warmly.

“Of course, he’s finishing up with a phone call, he won’t be a moment,” she explains as those jade-green eyes land on me. I watch in slow motion as she looks me up and down assessing me. I think I look cute with my white shirt, navy sweater, caramel skirt that falls to my calves, and heels. My copper red hair is pulled up in a high pony, and my makeup is still on point, I checked in the car.

Ivy must notice and introduces me to Delphine, “This is Rosie Hunt, she’s helping me on the Ayad project.”

Delphine smiles at me, but it most certainly doesn’t meet her eyes. “How exciting for you.”

“Ivy, I’m sorry you had to wait.” A deep voice rumbles through the gallery. Then I see who is behind it.

No. No. No.

Panic creeps up my spine. Why the hell is my one-night stand walking toward me? And why is the man so fricken gorgeous. He must be six-foot-something, dressed in a white business shirt that clings to his muscles with a death grip. I watch in slow motion as every ounce of him ripples as he walks toward us, wow. His sleeves are rolled up, exposing his tanned skin, and there’s an expensive silver watch on his wrist. He’s dressed in navy slacks that cling to thick thighs, and I wonder if they mold to his ass as nicely as they do his thighs. He has silky chocolate hair that my fingers itch to run through, a square jaw, and piercing turquoise eyes that feel like they are undressing me with every step closer he takes. Probably because he already knows what is under my skirt. The handsome man smiles, and what the hell, dimples, the man has fricken dimples. How could I have forgotten those, and straight white teeth. It’s truly unfair how good-looking this man is.

“It’s good to see you again,” he says, kissing Ivy on the cheeks.

“I know it’s been a while. You haven’t been coming to our dinners,” Ivy questions.

Wait, he goes to dinner at Ivy’s house? She’s that close of a friend with him?

Oh no.

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