Page 33 of Ruthless Rival

“You look stunning, honey,” Edward told me as he plainly stared at my body. “I’d buy you a bunch of dresses as nice as these if you’d answer my calls more.”

“I’ve been busy,” I replied as I ran my fingers up his chest. “But I cleared my schedule just for you.”

Edward grinned. His stubble was slightly overgrown around his boxy-shaped face. He wasn’t overweight, but he had a stocky build and broad shoulders. He was taller than me by merely a foot. “Have a seat. Let’s drink and catch up,” he invited me as he gestured to one of the open bar stools.

I nodded and took a seat, smoothing down my dress as he sat beside me. His arm brushed mine, making me tense up. This was just as bad as when he was my date to the wedding. He was so touchy, and it wasn’t done in a charming manner either.

“Vodka cranberry please,” I told the bartender, wanting something light but with a tiny bite to get me through tonight. Part of me wanted to drag him to the room to get this over with, while another part of me wanted to get him so drunk that he passed out in the hotel room and I could escape.

“I’m so glad you invited me out tonight. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since the wedding,” Edward said as he held a glass of whiskey in his hand.

It had been terrible when the wedding got cut short because of the fire, but it was a blessing for me since it meant the end of my date with the governor. With how much he was flirting with me that day, I was turned off and could not wait for the date to end.

“That was a fun time,” I replied, forcing myself to sound and look as gleeful as he did. He was so hooked on me. Getting him in bed would be a breeze. Having to hold a conversation with him was the hard part.

“Be honest. Has another man been keeping you away from me?” Edward asked. “You’re so gorgeous that I wouldn’t be surprised, but I can be much more than a wedding date to you.”

I could hear the envy in his voice. When he was jealous, he sounded whiny. When Alberto was jealous, he sounded sexy and possessive. Yet, he had no right to act possessive over me. He had to care about me to be like that.

“Of course not,” I assured him. “I’ve been busy… with work.”

“You wouldn’t have to work a day in your life if you came out with me more. We could travel to Houston or Nashville any time you wanted,” Edward proposed as he placed his hand on my knee.

I almost rolled my eyes at him. Did he hear how desperate he sounded? He was so worried I would disappear again that he was trying to lock me down since we were together again. Sleeping with him would only make him get more attached until I dropped the blackmail bomb on him.

“I like working,” I told him. “Have you been busy with work?”

Edward shrugged, seeming to deflate when I didn’t immediately jump to accept his proposal. “Here and there. Always some sort of problem to take care of,” he muttered.

“Like?” I asked him. He could be a good source of information when it came to what was going on in New Orleans. He was connected, even if he didn’t put those connections to use. He could have a good connection with the Mancinis, but he was too scared to get involved with the most powerful crime family in the area. What a dumb move.

Edward chuckled and patted my knee. “Nothing for a lady to worry about,” he assured me.

I tightened my jaw, trying my best not to glare at him. He was the type who wanted a submissive mistress, and I wasn’t the type to be that. I refused to live in his shadow, to be nothing but a servant and incubator for him. I would be with a man who saw my worth as a woman and mother.

That man could’ve been Alberto Mancini if he didn’t just see me as a way to get to the governor. He should be the one sitting on that barstool treating me like I was more than a trophy piece and a means to an end. If Alberto wanted to treat me like that, he was nothing to me but a way to take down my father.

“Silly me. I just love gossip,” I said with a fake laugh. He had to see me as a ditzy girl instead of a mastermind who was about to blackmail him to hell and back. So many men underestimate women, and Edward was about to learn a lesson when it came to assuming things about people.

“Politics is where all of the drama is at,” Edward pointed out before sipping on his drink.

He had no idea where the true drama was in the heart of New Orleans. It would be where the Mancinis and Castillos were gearing up for war. The entire city would feel the jolt of the first hit, and everything would change once the fight was over. There could only be one crime family to rule the Big Easy.

“I don’t want to waste too much of our time at the bar,” I said as I placed my hand over his. Talking to him was driving me crazy. I needed to get this over with.

Edward stared at me. “Oh, really?” he asked.

I smiled and nodded. Flirting with him was as torturous as dragging my feet through glass. It didn’t surprise me why he was single. He had no game in the slightest. “I have a room here. Want to go there and continue this conversation?” I asked him as I slid my fingers up along his arm slowly.

Edward nearly shuddered at my touch. He nodded and slapped money on the bar to pay for our drinks. “Let’s go, baby,” he said as he took my hand and pulled me away from the bar to the elevator. “It’s been hard for me to resist you too. You look so good in that dress.”

I hit the button for the third floor, watching the elevator doors shut. As much as my skin crawled and my stomach turned, I remained steady and determined. If this was my way of showing Alberto that he could work with me, I would do this, even if the thought of Alberto made me want to grind my teeth into powder. I would just use him like he used me. “That’s why I got the room,” I replied as I peered at him.

Edward chuckled and leaned his back against the elevator wall, letting his eyes roam over my body. “I’m going to unwrap you like a present,” he told me.

I could’ve thrown up in my mouth. When the elevator doors slid open, I walked out into the hallway and toward Room 317 with the key card in my hand. The moment I stepped into the room, my eyes shifted around, trying to locate the cameras.

I didn’t see them with my naked eye, so that was a good thing. This entire operation would’ve been blown if Edward saw them. My fingers brushed along the surface of the queen-sized bed, discomfort making my body tense. I wanted to be anywhere but here right now.

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