Page 63 of Seductive Scoundrel

We have the potential to be friends, but we aren’t friends yet. That’s reserved for my small – very small – inner circle I can completely trust and let loose around.

With Mike, we have a foundation that goes back as far as the sandbox when he was still eating glue. He denies it, but I was there. He turned out okay, but it was pretty rocky for a while.

“Dean?” Jacqueline’s smoky voice fills my office as I’m getting ready to face Manhattan traffic. It would probably be faster to take the subway or, hell, walk, but then I couldn’t multi-task and play catch-up on my emails.

My thousands – literally – of emails. It’s a tangible reminder about why I don’t take time off, but then again, the world didn’t stop, I’m still rich as fuck, and I wouldn’t trade my weekend away with Mia for anything.

And I want more weekends alone with her. A lot more.

“What’s up?” I ask.

“I’m going to bump Mike. Not that you’ll care because something more important came up. I just wanted to make sure you didn’t head out.”

I glance at the clock and realize I only have twelve minutes to get to Buvette, so undoubtedly Mike is already there because he’s chronically early. Canceling now would be a dick move, and one that I’ve probably pulled in the past – okay, I’ve definitely pulled it.

It’s a miracle my friends put up with me.

“Why?”

She huffs out a breath and I can picture her frowning face. “Well, let’s see. Maybe because you’ve been blowing off your actual responsibilities lately? You’ve suddenly decided to startdatingand –”

“Can you answer me minus the insubordination?”

I can almost hear her jaw drop. “It’s true!” she sputters. “You’ve made me cancel legitimate business meetings for weekends away with your girlfriend. This is so unlike you that it scares me. I think you need to get your damn head scanned.”

“It was one weekend.” I don’t bother to correct her on Mia’s title in my life, which I’m sure she was waiting for – hoping for. She isn’t mad that I took a recreational weekend at the end of a business trip. She’s mad it wasn’t with her.

But Jacqueline doesn’t like me. She likes the idea of me and the instant status she’d get on my arm. Normally I’m fine with that because my interest in women ends with the tip of my dick, but Mia is different.

Hell, maybe sheismy girlfriend, a title that no one before her has ever earned.

“You’re not blowing Mike off,” I tell her. “Whoever you wanted to put in his place –”

“Henrik,” Jacqueline interjects. “He said it’s urgent. Really urgent.”

“Fuck.” I scrub my hands over my face because Henrik is far from a diva. If he says it’s urgent, it actually is. “Put him in my calendar after my last meeting today.”

“Your last meeting is at eleven PM. You’re going to be on calls until midnight.”

“It’s fine.” I don’t care about not sleeping, but I do care about Henrik not getting the answers he needs to move forward. “Have him email me and copy Jeffrey. If whatever the issue is can’t wait, then Jeffrey will connect him to the right executive on the team.”

I disconnect the intercom and stride to the car waiting downstairs. Mike has been trying to see me ever since his party and I didn’t spend much time with him then because I was too busy with Mia. It doesn’t sit right to put work ahead of people I love anymore.

Mia is starting to make me soft and give a shit about having a personal life.

The drive is spent on autopilot answering emails, and I don’t bother to look out the window. I love New York City, but I’m usually too busy to take much notice. I wouldn’t have the background of my life set anywhere else, though, because I love the energy of a city that only sleeps if you know where to look.

Mike is waiting at a table on the patio when I arrive at one of my favorite low-key French restaurants. I never get used to the sheer size of Mike, who played lineman in college and did a few years in the NFL before he blew out his knee. All 300 pounds of him is in a custom-made suit now that he’s switched from owning the field to dominating the courtroom.

“Hey, man.” He greets me with a slap on the back that rattles my bones. His hands are the size of holiday hams. “Nice of you to make time for your old buddy.”

“Oh, fuck off.”

He laughs, a loud bellowing sound that never fails to make me smile. “I already ordered for us since you were so late.”

A glance at my watch reveals I’m three minutes late. “Sorry, your highness.”

“Keep it up and I won’t invite you to my next party.”

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