Page 27 of Pleasure Island

10

Mila

The entire ride was spent in taut silence.

He took up his entire half of the car, sitting with his hands open and relaxed on his thighs, his eyes constantly moving.

He seemed to try and take in everything.

I had no idea what he expected to find.

This whole idea was insane.

Once I got a hold of my father…

I narrowed my eyes as I thought about telling the cab driver to forget the previous address. I wanted him to take me to see my father.

But that wasn’t an option. I had two clients due in today, and the first one would be in my office within the hour.

We arrived with roughly a half hour for me to open up the office and lay down some ground rules. As Liam toured the small waiting area of the office, I moved to cut in front of him.

“We need to get some things clear,” I told him.

He stopped and angled his head, waiting.

Liam clearly wasn’t a big talker, but he was listening, so that was something.

“This is my office – my place of business. I have clients coming in shortly, and you willnotbe in the same room with me as my clients.”

He looked like he wanted to argue, but after a few seconds, he just nodded. “I’ll wait outside the door.”

“Fine.” It was the best I’d get from him, for now at least, and I knew it. “The people who come to see me do so knowing I’ve promised utter confidentiality. As far asyouare concerned, you’re blind and deaf to everything that happens concerning my clients.”

He blinked, thick lashes concealing those pretty green eyes for a moment. When he looked back at me, he had a faint smile on his lips. “Unless the client poses a threat to you, I don’t much care what he’s doing here or why.” I must not have looked very convinced, so he added, “I’ll be discreet. I’m not exactly here to chat up your clientele, anyway.”

Heaving out a breath, I nodded then gestured to the waiting room where we currently stood. “This is where you can do your thing.” Pointing through the doorway, I added, “I work in there. Don’t interrupt.”

He looked like he wanted to say something, and I paused, giving him a chance.

But all he did was nod.

“And as soon as I can get a hold of my father, you’re out of here,” I added, feeling like I needed to have some control over the situation.

He just aimed that faint half-smile at me and said nothing.

“You know, you’re allowed tospeakon this job,” I said, trying to get some sort of reaction out of him.

“I’ll speak when needed,” he responded, his tone level, like I hadn’t been needling him and being bitchy about it too.

IknewI was being bitchy. I couldn’t help it – I was so pissed off at this stunt my father had pulled, I couldn’t see straight.

But that didn’t mean I had to take it out on this guy.

I opened my mouth, almost about to apologize, but he glanced down. I heard the faint vibration only a second before he pulled a phone from his pocket. With another one of those half smiles and a polite nod, he stepped over to the far side of the room to take the call.

“I’ll just make myself scarce,” I muttered, shaking my head and turning on my heel. I needed more coffee. And maybe some chocolate.

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