AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Though I try not to, I can't help smiling just a little. He is likable. And sexy. And smart. I've always been a sucker for men like that. But I never get involved with a client.
I walk out of Hugh's office.
Then I go back to the huge hotel suite Lady Sommerleigh had arranged for me. It's the biggest suite in the fanciest hotel in London, which means it's much too big for one person. But I can't complain. I have a jacuzzi in the bathroom and a bed so soft I could practically have an orgasm just from lying on it.
Lady Sommerleigh had been explicit in her instructions to me—fix Hugh at any cost. I will succeed, despite his behavior today.
I change out of my work clothes and into my favorite satin pajamas. They're sky blue with puffy white clouds on them. Yes, I enjoy wearing silly PJs, though nobody else knows about that since I live alone. I might be a hard-ass at work, but I like to feel girlie in my off hours. I also like to indulge in the occasional junk meal, which is my term for anything I eat that doesn't involve vegetables or have a high fiber count. Though it's only mid-afternoon, I order room service and request a sirloin steak, a baked potato with all the trimmings, and an extra-large slice of coconut cream pie.
Just as I'm shoving the first forkful of pie into my mouth, my cell phone rings. I check the caller ID, then answer with my mouth full. "Hello, Derek."
"I think you said hello, but I can't be sure. Sounds like you just got home from the dentist. Did one of your clients deck you and crack your teeth?"
"Ha-ha." I wipe my mouth and set my plate of pie on the end table. "Why are you up so early? It's not even noon yet in your neck of the woods."
"Just wanted to check in on my baby sister. Don't get to see you much anymore, what with all your traveling." He sighs. "I wouldn't mind if you were off having fun on a tropical beach."
"No time for that. My services are in high demand."
"Yeah, I know, and I'm proud of your success. But I miss you. With Mom and Dad gone, all we've got is each other."
"I miss you too. Promise I'll be home for Thanksgiving this year."
Maybe I have missed every major holiday for the past two years, but I can't help that my job often requires me to take off at a moment's notice. My clients need help urgently. My brother has never understood that. When scandal strikes, the rich and powerful need someone like me.
But Hugh Parrish doesn't seem like the rich-and-powerful type. He's more middle-of-the-road wealthy. I know that because Lady Sommerleigh told me. She wanted me to have all the boring details about her son before I took on the task of crawling under his skin to root out the cause of his current problem—aka, the Duke of Wackenbourne scandal.
"Which asshat who has more money than God are you helping this time?" Derek asks.
"God doesn't have money. He has no need for it."
"Don't get snarky with me. I'm seriously worried about my sister."
"Sure you are." I tuck my feet under me cross-legged and sneak another bite of pie before I speak again. "Do you think I can't handle myself?"
"No, of course you can. That's not the point."
I devour a huge mouthful of pie, getting whipped cream all over my chin. "Tell me what you've been up to since I left for London."
"You just left yesterday. I ate, slept, showered, and ate again. Are you going to tell me about your client?"
"You know I can't do that. Client information is confidential."
"Okay. I'll get online and look up London tabloids. That oughta give me a clue."
I laugh. "Do you have any idea how many scandals there are in this city? In this country? Rich Brits have a way of getting tangled up in sticky situations and becoming the objects of gossip."
"Well, at least tell me if your client is a man or a woman."
"No way. You will not use my job as a makeshift matchmaking enterprise."
Derek laughs so loudly I swear I can hear the spittle flying from his lips. "I don't need any help getting dates. It's you I worry about. When was the last time you got laid, Avery?"
"We don't talk about sex, remember? It's too weird."
"Not asking for a play-by-play. Just wondering if you're so obsessed with work that you forget to make time for the good things in life. Everybody needs to cut loose now and then." His voice drops to a sarcastic whisper. "I won't tell anybody you eat with your mouth full. What kind of pie is it, anyway?"
I stare at my loaded fork. "How did you know…"
