Page 43 of Sinful Hearts

“I will be taking my business elsewhere, Ms. Guin. Perhaps when I call your bosses, I’ll suggest that as fuckable as their pretty little blonde pretend lawyer is, perhaps next time, they should send a professional—”

He gasps sharply, his words dying in his throat as his face turns pale, as if someone’s holding a steak knife to his balls.

Which is probably because someoneis.

Me.

“I’m going to stop you right there, fuck-face,” I growl icily, leveling my vicious gaze at him. “Before you say something you—or at the very least, your balls—will regret. Now: are you listening?”

He makes a pathetic mewling noise as I press the tip a little harder against his shriveled nuts through his trousers.

“I didn’t hear you.”

He nods eagerly. “Yes!” he bleats. “I’m listening!”

“Wonderful. Here’s what’s going to happen, Mr. Ken Doll.”

“Kenmore.”

“Interrupt me again.Please.”

He turns the color of oatmeal, his lower lip quivering.

“Here’s what you’re going to do, fuck-face. You’re going to get up, try not to piss all over the restaurant’s floor, and go pay the bill. And you’re going to tip like the rich fuck that you are. Afterthat, you’re going to call whoever you have to call at Crown and Black and tell them that unfortunately, you’re happy with your current legal representation,butyou were so blown away by Ms. Guin’s acumen and professionalism that you’re going to be hiring Crown and Black as accessory legal counsel. You’re going to promise them five million a year in billable hours—”

“You extorting little—”

Howard bleats again, turning a greenish white color as I ease the tip of my blade a little closer against his manhood.

“Make that six. It’s nowsixmillion a year in billable hours. And you’re going to bedamn surethat you give all the credit to Ms. Guin for that. Now, have I made myself abundantly clear?”

He nods vigorously, trembling.

“I’m sure I don’t have to mention that should you fuck this up, or screw her over in any way, Iwillbe removing your balls from your body while you sleep. And furthermore, since you’ve pissed me off, if and when it comes to it, I’ll be using something more like a fork instead of a knife.”

He looks like he’s going to throw up. But he manages to nod as he whimpers pathetically.

“Now get up. Andget the fuck out.”

The second I pull the knife away from his nuts, Howard isgone. I watch in amusement as he bolts across the restaurant, dumping a few hundred-dollar bills at the host station before all but falling out the front door into the street.

“He’s a spry little motherfucker for a guy his age—”

“What thefuckis wrong with you!?”

I swallow back the groan. It’s that fucking posh, polished accent of hers. Specifically, that posh, polished accent when it says completely unpolished things. Like the word “fuck”, which apparently makes me instantly hard whenever she says it.

I pour another splash of the wine into my glass and bring it to my lips as Elsa stares at me like I’m a maniac.

“Hades,” she hisses.

“Yes?”

Her eyes bulge. “What the hell are you doing here?”

I fix her with a look. “Really?”

“Reallywhat?”

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