Page 14 of Heart on Ice

“He’s your client, why can’t he stay with you?”

Pierre crosses his arms and glares at me. “You’re going to have to get used to me being around you, Issy, seeing as my brother is dating your best friend.”

“No, I don’t have to.”

“I’m also going to try to get picked up by The Mavericks,” Pierre declares.

“You’re doing what?” Have I fallen into The Matrix or something. He wants to jump ship when he probably has years left on his contract and at his age, but now wants to move to a team that just signed his brother, his much younger brother. I turn to Felix because this is crazy. “I didn’t think you ever wanted to play on the same team as him. You said he was too competitive against you.”

“I push him to be better,” Pierre argues.

“You bulldoze over him because your fucking ego is uncontrollable. And it looks like nothing has changed since college,” I yell at him.

“My life has blown up. I was supposed to be getting married this weekend. My career is circling the drain over this. Everything I have worked for could vanish,” he says loudly. We glare at each other. Silence falls around us. I hate his stupid face. “Please, Issy, give me one week and then I’ll be out of your hair. I promise.”

One week. One hour, no, one minute is too long. “Can’t you go back to Quebec with your mom?”

“She’s staying in Italy with my sisters, they are having a holiday,” he explains.

“I don’t feel comfortable,” I tell him.

His face softens. “I promise you won’t see me. I’ll stay in my room.” Just his presence alone is enough. I can’t have him roaming my home, my private space. I shake my head. No. This man is not staying here with me. Pierre’s face tightens. “Fine, I’ll play hardball then. I thought my agency would try to help their client get out of a contract and find them a new one. That’s what managers do, don’t they?”

Is he fucking serious? My eyes narrow on him. The asshole. How dare he use my business against me. “One week and then you are fucking out of my house.” I point my finger at him in warning before I turn and leave the kitchen. I have to get away from this man. I hate the stupid spicy cologne that he’s wearing, which swirls around my head, messing it up. And I still hate his stupid, perfect face.

“Oh, one more thing,” Pierre calls out to me. Seriously, there’s more? I stop and look at him angrily. “I need to go get Frankston.”

“Frankston? Who the hell is Frankston?” I ask.

“My dog.”

“Your dog.”

“He’s my baby, I can’t leave him,” he explains.

“And you want to bring him here, to my home?”

“He’s house-trained. He’s a good boy.”

Pierre’s being serious. He wants to get his dog and bring it to my house.My house.But I’m not a heartless bitch and it’s not the dogs fault his dad is the world’s biggest asshole. “Fine, but if he destroys anything you are paying for it.”

“Promise.” He grins as I walk out of the room.

“Issy, wait,” Harper calls after me.

“Don’t talk to me, you traitor,” I say as I stomp through the house trying to get away from everything just as the front doorbell rings. Shit. That’s breakfast. I head over to the front door and greet the waiter, I grab the platter and shut the door behind me. “I ordered food, I knew you would be hungry. I even had champagne chilling because I thought you might need it. I thought you and Felix had broken up, and I knew you’d be sad.”

Harper’s face softens. “You did that for me?”

“Of course I did, because I’m a good friend, unlike you.”

“How about I take this from you?” she says, walking over and taking the platter from my hands. “And we can talk. I’ll explain everything.”

“Fine, but bring the champagne, I think I’m going to need it,” I say, rolling my eyes.

4

PIERRE

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