Page 10 of The Mastermind

What could I get a man who had everything already? Two years older than me, Grayson had designed and built his new house close to the seashore. He didn’t need furniture or kitchen utensils. Wait a minute. He liked to grill . . . An idea bloomed in my head.

I browsed the shopping plaza and purchased a large grilling gift set and an aromatherapy essential oil diffuser. Everyone needed one of those to help them relax. My brother could be a workaholic, and this would help him. It helped me.

After buying a dozen cupcakes from Colorful Taste Buds, I drove to East Providence. My phone rang, and I tapped the button on my steering wheel to pick up the call from my best friend.

“Hey, Kiera! How’s Miami?”

“The photoshoot went well. There’s a tropical storm coming, so I’ll be back tomorrow. We need to catch up! I met this model . . . he’s so yummy,” she purred.

Laughing, I envied that she got to hang out with all these sexy guys. She worked as a fashion photographer and traveled all over the world to capture men in all kinds of clothing—or lack of clothing.

“I hope this guy lasts longer than a month.”

“Shut up. It’s not my fault I have high standards. Anyone with roving eyes can go roving in the singles lounge. Kiera Ford doesn’t have time for that. So, how did the HR meeting go?”

I told her what happened, and she gasped when I mentioned my recording.

“I can’t believe you did that! I loooove it! SSG 003 all the way!”

We had dressed up as the Super Spy Girls for a Halloween party one time, and that title stuck. I had a thing for the spy who preferred his martini shaken, not stirred.

“A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do, right? I don’t trust that family. They knew I had issues with Lawrence for a while and did nothing. If things don’t stop . . . I don’t know. I’ll resign and take them to court, but I hope it doesn’t come to that. I don’t need more stress.”

I felt more secure knowing I had evidence against Lawrence.

“Hey, we’ll catch up later.” I made a turn down a street with several expensive-looking homes. “I’m late to Grayson’s housewarming.”

“Tell him sorry, I couldn’t make it. I’ll bring him back a seashell from Miami.” She laughed, knowing he’d probably toss it out.

“Grayson doesn’t need anything. Oh my God.” I drove up to a gorgeous house that was a spectacle to look at. The light from within illuminated the tall windows, and light fixtures cast a lovely glow on the brick façade. Several lampposts lined the long driveway, making the entrance warm and welcoming. “Yup, he definitely doesn’t need anything. He can get his own seashells from the Providence River, which is within walking distance.”

“I guess I’ll bring him back a bag of sand then. Not all sand is the same. Have a good time. Ciao.”

“Catch you later.”

Chatting with Kiera had released my tension. She and I met when I took summer classes at Rhode Island School of Design, where she had majored in photography. I went to Boston University for marketing, but during the summer, my mom enrolled me at RISD, knowing jewelry was my passion. I became Kiera’s model for some of her assignments, and in exchange, she wore my jewelry pieces when I had presentations.

I pulled into the side lot, parked next to averyexpensive car in navy and white, and got out. After retrieving the massive gift bag, I turned toward the extraordinary car I’d never seen before. I was drawn to the innovative design that made it appear animalistic rather than a simple automobile. It was a sporty beast that dominated the road—dominated any space it was in. I spent more time examining the car than I should.

Hey, I was already on Grayson’s property, and I was already thirty minutes late. What’s another five, right?

I sucked in a breath when I rounded the hood and saw the red logo. “Holy shit. Who’s driving a Bugatti Chiron?” The car probably cost more than Grayson’s house!

A silly thought popped into my brain.I want to touch it. I almost pushed that desire away, but when would I ever see this car—this irresistible beast—again? It probably belonged to one of Grayson’s wealthy clients. He designed custom homes and buildings for the rich folks.

This was the closest I would ever get to this kind of luxury car. It was several levels up from my Acura sedan, which to me was a dependable, luxurious car. I held my index finger close to the navy exterior and hesitated to run my finger over it. My finger wagged back and forth, and I laughed at myself.

Just do it.

The car gleamed like a gem waiting for me to touch it. Why did it feel like I was desecrating something? My hands were clean, thank you very much. The car parked next to me for a reason. That it had already been here before my late arrival didn’t matter.

It’s waiting for you, Audri.My illogical brain concluded.

“Thanks.” I rolled my eyes at myself.

Glancing around and not seeing anyone, curiosity pushed me forward, and I ran my finger over the logo.

“What does it feel like?” A soft but commanding voice tingled my skin.

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