Page 8 of Bastard In A Suit

Chapter 3

Jake poursa glass of beer from the pitcher and slumps in his chair. “That guy Kingston is a motherfucker.” He shakes his head and his eyes go dark. “Thinks he can just walk all over people. Rich asshole.”

I shoot him a look. “Calm down, Jake.”

I think he might be getting drunk.

Meanwhile, the delicious scent of fried cheese wafts from the deep-dish pizza at the center of the graffiti-riddled table. I resist picking at it, not wanting to ruin my appetite. Like I’ll be able to eat when I’m out with Duke, anyway.

“At least we’re still in the game,” Forrest says, taking a sip of Guinness. Foam sticks to his upper lip and he licks it away.

I pretend to be the reasonable one. “The important thing is that we have a second shot here. Let’s not blow it.”

Jake snorts. “No, you have a second shot. Duke Kingston wants nothing to do with me and Forrest.”

Forrest gives me a look as if telling me to ignore Jake’s whining. “If we make a deal, we all get paid regardless of who Duke Kingston meets with.”

“Yeah, well maybe she’ll be able to do something you and me couldn’t do to close the deal,” Jake mutters.

I turn to him, my cheeks blazing. “What the fuck does that mean?”

“Don’t listen to him,” Forrest says. “He’s drunk and pissed off because Marissa broke up with him.”

I sigh, trying to decide between feeling angry at the way Jake’s behaving or showing sympathy over his personal loss. I end up somewhere in the middle. “You guys will get back together,” I tell him.

Jake just shakes his head and holds up his cell. “Marissa’s done. For good this time.”

I’ll believe that when I see it. The two have been dating for the better part of the last three years. I’m not surprised Marissa’s called it quits, since they’ve always been extremely volatile. I am a bit shocked, however, that Jake appears to accept that this time it might be for real.

Jake’s never done very well when the two have split for short periods of time in the past. He has some kind of obsession with Marissa…and I suppose she must like it, because she keeps getting back with him again and again.

“She’ll be back,” Forrest says, echoing my own sentiments.

My thoughts turn back to Duke—his cold, calculating mind and that rock-hard body. Sin practically oozes from his pores. And those eyes. Wicked. The intensity of his stare almost gave me a damn orgasm.

I cross my legs tighter together in an attempt to curb the tingle between my thighs, but it’s useless. I’ve been in constant discomfort since we left Kingston Industries. And that scares the shit out of me.

Especially knowing I’m going to be alone with him in a matter of hours.

“Can you believe that, Hailey?” Jake’s voice snaps me out of my thoughts.

“Sorry, believe what?”

A flash of annoyance crosses his face. “Can you believe that she said she won’t even give me one last face-to-face conversation for some closure?”

I reach across the table to put my hand on his arm. “I’m sorry, hon. She’ll come around.”

He flinches away from me and his expression darkens. “She’d better,” he mutters.

Our table falls temporarily silent.

Forrest clears his throat. “Can we move on to issues of real importance?”

Jake downsthe last of his beer, and pours another. I’ve barely made a dent in mine.

“We have a second chance with Kingston Industries,” Forrest says. He doesn’t meet my eyes, which tells me he’s put off that I’m the only one who was asked to go to dinner.

“We need a strategy,” I say, nodding, looking to my partners for help.