Page 109 of Can't Get Enough

“I think you feel so confident stepping away if it comes to that because you think Maverick can get you anything you want, and you’re probably right. I never used him that way, though.”

“And I have no intention of using him, either.” I make a fist on my desk, squeezing my frustration into a knot of calm inside my hand.

“Fucking a billion dollars makes you real bold, doesn’t it? A cash security blanket comes with spreading your legs for a rich man.”

“You would know.”

Her gasp on the other end tells me my aim was true. I hit my mark before I even realized I was throwing. This conversation is quickly slipping out of my control.

“Look, I think we should both take a beat,” I say. “I didn’t mean that, Zere, and I don’t think you actually believe I’m with Maverick for his money.”

“With him.You say it so easily like he’s always been yours. Wait. How long has this been going on?”

“We weren’t… the attraction was there, but we both fought it because we wanted to avoid this. We didn’t want to hurt you and knew how messy this could get.”

“Were you guys together at my birthday party and just fooled me? Just pretended not to be?”

“We decided after the party that we’d try to—”

“My birthday was two days ago,” she sniffs. “Did you fuck him on my birthday, Hendrix?”

Shit. What do I say to that? She rushes into the silence I’m not sure what to do with.

“You did that to me?”

“I didn’t do anything to you, Zere. I know it feels that way, but we haven’t done anything wrong.”

“You know what? I was gonna call girl code, but that’s for friends, and obviously we aren’t.”

The line goes quiet, dead when she hangs up without another word.

I toss the cell onto my desk and lean back in my seat.

“Dammit.” I rub my eyes. “That went great.”

I call Maverick.

“Hey, Gorgeous,” he says, the warm rumble of his voice wrapping around me like a blanket. “You on your way home to me?”

I smile in spite of the shit show of a call with Zere.

“Yeah. I got my vacation hair and I’m ready to frolic.”

“You can frolic to your heart’s content in Malibu. Plane is set to leave first thing in the morning. That works for you?”

“Yeah.” I release a pent-up breath. “I still have to get some work done while we’re gone, but I need a break. Especially after the call I just had with Zere.”

“Didn’t go well?”

I bark out a laugh void of all humor. “That’s one way of putting it. Disastrous would be another.”

“Maybe I should have talked to her first.”

“I don’t think that would have helped. I don’t think anything would except us not being together.”

“Well, fuck that.”

“Agreed,” I reply softly, meaning it in spite of the mess we’ve made.

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