Page 35 of Carnal Wagers

“And if they kill you? Do you really know what you’re getting yourself into?”

“I’m not naive. I know how men like him operate.” I cracked open the seed pod and dug my nose in. Slightly sweet and citrusy. “I’m set on doing this, but I would really like your help.”

“Ride or die.”

“Oui, ma belle.” Yes, hon.

She sighed hard as something metallic clanked and tapped across the line, followed by loud whirring. “So how’s this going to work? You know he’s not some simpleton. You don’t get to where he is and keep his position without brains. He’ll probably see you coming a mile away.”

I gasped. “Maeve Hackett, are you underestimating me?”

“Just saying, you can be a little rash. Do you even know where you’ll stay for the next six months?”

“I’ll figure it out.”

“Like you’ll figure out how to seduce a man who’s notorious for being celibate?”

I shrugged, biting my cheek. “I have my ways.”

“There are rumors the guy hasn’t dated anyone since his wife. I mean his late wife. The one…before.”

“I understand what you mean.” I ground a tuft of grass under my boot’s sole.

“Right. Well, getting his attention ain’t going to be easy. So what’s your plan?”

“Simple. I’m not going to take no for an answer.”

She scoffed. “Really? That’s it?”

“I’m going to do what no other woman has tried. I’m going to force myself into his life. He won’t be able to overlook me or avoid me. I’ll be on his mind twenty-four-seven. As he makes a business deal, as he tucks himself into bed at night, in his dreams, as he greases his salami—”

“Strokes the salami. Or slaps. Oh my god.” She cackled. “Greases? Really?”

“Se graisser le salami. Makes better sense than slaps. Who slaps themselves to masturbate?”

Her snickering turned into a full-on guffaw, punctuated by high-pitched snorts. Her signature laugh amused me more than what we’d said. I tugged a leaf off a low-hanging tree branch, abundant with seed pods, as I waited for her to calm down. Its perfume reminded me of a flowered meadow mixed with touches of honey and warm bread. It would make the perfect perfume accord for the newest scent I’d been working on before my sabbatical. I collected more leaves and some seed pods and slipped them into my purse.

“Man, I needed that.” She was still catching her breath. “Two guys got hurt on the job site today, and my assistant put in an order for the wrong concrete. Plus, the provider overlooked the lack of a signature. A real pain in my ass.” She huffed a drawn-out breath. “Okay, so let’s review your master plan a sec. You somehow get him in bed.”

“Repeatedly.”

“Sure. And that’ll what? Make him somehow fall in love with you? I call bull.”

“I’ve got charm.”

“Yeah, but the guy’s emotionally constipated. Sexy as fuck, but I’ve never seen a photo of him online where he doesn’t look like he’s either about to bust an aneurysm, die of boredom, or about to rip someone’s throat out. And you want to seduce that into love so he’ll willingly sign divorce papers? Babe, there’s a word for that. Delusional.”

“How about we bet on it?”

“Oh yeah? What’re you going to give me?”

I twisted the stem of a leaf between my index finger and thumb. “I fail, I’ll get you season tickets to the Bruins.”

She practically squealed across the line. “Oh, I like this game. Yes, yes. Okay, great. Now you have to lose.”

“Very funny.”

“I love you, babe, but it’s hockey. You’re seriously testing my loyalty here.”