Page 22 of Seduction in Spades

CHAPTER FOUR

And the Academy Awardgoes to... Avery Baxter! I’m pretty sure I pulled it off and Trey didn’t pick up on any of the sexual chemistry between Nolan and I. Granted, there was more of something going on between Ryder and me than Nolan.

He laid it on pretty thick. I have no idea if he was trying to distract Trey from figuring out Nolan and I slept together, if he was only trying to irk my brother, or if he was truly hitting on me.

I like Ryder’s charm and hope some of it rubs off on Trey. He’s been too serious for too long. From the little emotion he does express it sounds like he’s happy at Four Aces, and he’s found good friendships in Ryder, Drake, and Nolan.

Nolan.I sigh.

Trey glances over at me. “Give me ten more minutes. I need to run some numbers by Drake and then we can go. You can hang out in Nolan’s office across the hall if you want. I’ll be finished by the time he comes back down. Or you can hang out in the waiting area with Nancy.”

“Don’t worry about me. Take your time. Absolutely no rush.”

I try not to appear too anxious as I leave the conference room in search of Nolan’s office. There’s only one open door in the hall and I pop my head inside. It’s smaller than Drake’s office, which also serves as a conference area, but has a similarly stunning view of the city.

I keep my hands at my sides as I walk around Nolan’s desk, looking for signs of a wife or girlfriend. There’s an array of photos on a shelf and I squat down to investigate the pretty woman he’s hugging. I see her in another picture with an older couple. And then in a third with a man and two little children.

I figure she must be his sister and let out a sigh of relief. His desk is minimalist like his home. Neat and orderly without being too cold. I move to the windows and search for buildings I may recognize.

“What the hell are you doing in here?”

I turn and face Nolan, who is clearly not happy to see me. He closes the door behind him then storms across his office, making it feel small and cramped, and gets in my face.

“You played me,Avery.Trey is one of my best friends and you forced me to lie to him.”

“Excuse me?” I fold my arms across my chest in rage. “How dare you speak to me this way.”

“HowdareI? Your little game oflet’s not reveal our nameswas so I wouldn’t know you were Trey’s sister. Are you happy? Was my cock worth ruining a friendship? A business partnership? You had me fooled that you were... Well, I didn’t think you were a slut.”

I gasp and slap him. My heart thumps in my chest and my face heats in fury. “You, Nolan, whatever your last name is, are a pompous, arrogant, jackass.”

“Me? I didn’t lie to you. I had no idea who you were. I was upfront from the beginning.”

I grit my teeth and seethe. “You really think I knew who you were? I had no idea you worked with Trey. I didn’t even know he was in business with a man named Nolan. I’ve only heard about Drake. Seeing you in that conference room today was just as much a shock to me as it was to you.”

Nolan’s face falls a fraction.

I shake my head and move away from him. “How could you think I lied to you all night?”

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