Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 62362 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 312(@200wpm)___ 249(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62362 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 312(@200wpm)___ 249(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
He shrugged and merged onto the highway.
“Fine.” She let out a groan. “Theo wants me to put him on speaker.” She hit the button on her screen. “You’re up,” she said to Theo. “What’s going on?”
“There are thousands of wedding planners in Manhattan. You don’t need to use Jade,” Theo said.
Knox set his jaw. What the fuck was Theo’s problem? He was the one who screwed things up with his fiancée. It was none of his business if Holly wanted to work with Jade.
“I want to get married at the Meridian, and she’s their wedding planner. Her family owns the hotel and she runs their entertainment. You know that,” Holly said.
“A place is a place. Pick somewhere else. It’ll be awkward for me.” Theo’s voice sounded more like a whine.
“This isn’t about you.” Knox was growing more pissed by the second. “It’s about Holly. And she is the only one who gets a say.”
He’d like to remind his stepbrother that Knox was the one paying for this wedding since their mother had disappeared with her latest wealthy pawn. Theo hadn’t offered up a dime. But Knox would never make Holly feel bad.
“You’re so full of shit, Knox. It’s not about what Holly wants. You just want to be around Jade. You always did have a hard-on for her. Guess you like my leftovers,” he said, chuckling, but Knox could hear the anger beneath the sound.
He forced out a deep breath and gripped the leather steering wheel harder. “Don’t you have playoffs to prepare for? Or are you still working off your last suspension?” Knox couldn’t help but deliberately goad his stepbrother. If something didn’t go Theo’s way on, or off, the ice, he made everybody miserable.
“At least I’m an athlete. You needed your daddy’s inheritance to be any part of a team.”
“Theo, cut it out,” Holly said, the joy from the day leeched out of her voice.
It was time to end this conversation. “I’d say it’s been a pleasure, but we both know that would be a lie.” Knox glanced at Holly. “Disconnect the call.”
Theo did the honors first and ended the conversation before she could hit the button on the phone.
“Sorry I let him push me into an argument,” Knox told his sister. “But don’t let him get to you. He’s always been self-centered. He thinks everything’s either about him or someone’s done him wrong. None of this has anything to do with you.”
Holly sighed. “I know. He never takes responsibility. Anytime something bad happens to him, it’s someone else’s fault.” She picked at her nails. “I’m sorry for what he said to you.”
Knox reached over and grasped her hand. “Don’t take his shit on yourself. Come on. What happened to the smug, giddy woman who set her brother up tonight?”
Holly blinked in an exaggerated fashion. “Who, me?”
He laughed, glad her good mood had returned. “That’s better. Now get to work finding us a restaurant.”
She turned up the radio and began scrolling on her phone, giving Knox time to think about Theo’s reaction. If a mere photo with Jade had set his stepbrother off, Knox could only imagine what Theo would do if Knox actually spent time with his stepbrother’s ex. And unsurprisingly, he didn’t care.
Chapter Two
That evening, Jade left the expo early. Lauren, the best assistant ever, had offered to run the booth until the event was over and even handle cleanup. Jade had apologized for saying no to Lauren’s plans tonight and yes to Holly but Lauren had been giddy that Jade was going out… with Knox.
Without Jade having to say anything, Lauren understood that, with her migraines, Jade would be in sensory overload from the noise in the convention center. A nap before dinner would definitely help her recuperate for tonight. Lauren was a true friend and Jade owed her one.
Back at her apartment in Manhattan, she took a long shower, washing off the grime of the day. She dried her hair and settled into bed, hoping exhaustion from being on her feet all day would pull her into a deep sleep. It didn’t.
She couldn’t stop thinking about Knox Sinclair. He wasn’t an easy man to put out of her mind. She’d always been a sucker for a man in a suit, and Knox, dressed in a sport jacket and white shirt, unbuttoned enough to show a sprinkling of chest hair, had made her mouth suddenly go dry.
But Jade wasn’t breaking her man fast, not even for the sexy guy who had reappeared in her life. When a woman was betrayed as often as she’d been, she learned to be cautious, regardless of the chemistry. Still, she’d be a liar to deny the attraction. And if she wished she could unbutton that shirt and lick his chest? Nobody would ever know.
After twenty minutes of staring at her ceiling, she accepted she wouldn’t be getting any sleep, but her ears were no longer ringing from the noise echoing around her. She got out of bed and walked to her closet. Picking out an outfit to wear for dinner with a man she didn’t want to be tempted by wasn’t easy. Still, her pride made her want to look good.