Page 59 of The Billionaire and the Maid

“Gus, I’m really not in the mood,” I start. I glance in the hallway mirror and grimace as I see my puffy eyelids and blotchy cheeks.

He puts up a hand to stop me from talking. “I know. I just wanted to check on you.”

The coffee maker beeps, and I take the mug and hold it up. “You want one?”

“What flavors does she have?” he asks.

“Have at it,” I reply as I open the cupboard with the coffee pods and take my mug over to the sofa. I sink onto the cushion and stare out at the white tips of the waves as they roll onto the beach.

“You’re better off without him,” Gus states as he waits for his coffee while leaning against the counter.

I turn and glare at him. “We aren’t discussing Chase Marino.”

He holds up his hands defensively. “OK, OK. I just thought…maybe you would need to vent.”

“No,” I say but then the verbal diarrhea begins. “Argh! Why did Ken have to be so sleazy? And what the fuck? Why the hell would Chase tell him about our…relationship? And why would Chase act all nice and bookish boyfriend-like and then just be a total dick?”

“Whoa, slow down there, Miss Out for Revenge. Who the fuck is Ken anyhow?” Gus grabs his coffee cup and walks over to sit down next to me.

I sigh and blow on the hot coffee. “He works for them. He’s like Luca’s assistant or something.”

“And what did he do exactly? Greta didn’t go into much detail.”

I look at Gus and bite my lip.

Gus goes from concerned to ready to murder someone in less time than his car takes to go from zero to sixty. And that’s saying something because his car has some serious horsepower.

“It’s nothing,” I say since I don’t really want to relive that conversation.

Gus places a hand on my leg. “It’s something. Talk.”

Sighing again, I place my coffee down and turn toward him, crossing my legs.

“Well, he sort of propositioned me,” I state.

“He fucking what?” Gus roars.

“Calm down. He’s just a sleazy asshole. He said something about how he knew all about Chase’s and my arrangement and that we had had sex, and he would love a fake girlfriend who put out if I was available after I finish with Chase,” I ramble as I nervously play with the fringe ends of a blanket on the sofa.

“Oh, that prick is a dead man,” Gus says from behind a clenched jaw.

“What are you going to do? Hire an assassin?” I ask, giving him a pointed look. Gus isn’t exactly a fighter. He’s basically a golden retriever. He wouldn’t hurt a fly.

“I’ll figure it out. Death is too kind.” He pauses and cocks his head to one side. “How exactly do you know that Chase told him all of that?”

“Ken said Chase told him.”

Gus stares at me, his jaw unclenching. “Why would he do that?”

I shrug. “I don’t know.”

“Do you think Ken could be lying?” Gus asks.

I pick up my coffee again. “Why would he lie? What does he have to gain?” I ask as I consider Gus’s question. I don’t know Ken, but might he have a reason to lie?

Gus raises an eyebrow. “That, Nancy Drew, is a good question.”

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