Filed to story: Watch Out, I’m The Lady Boss (Eleanor & Sebastian) Book PDF Free
Casual.
“You’re not joking?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer.
“I’m not.”I opened my mouth.
Closed it.
Tried again.
I probably looked like a dying goldfish on land.
“My cousin tried something similar,” he said.
“Hired a girl to play the girlfriend act. It was Christmas Eve, the whole family was there. They fooled no one. His mum cut off his allowance for three years. Till he brought home a real girlfriend”I stared.
“Wait-seriously?”He gave me the “I’m-a-man-of-facts” look. Do1 look like I lie for fun?”No. He looked like he filed lawsuits for fun.
But that was beside the point.
My brain whirred like an overheating hard drive.
If someone saw through us, would Sebastian get hit with the same treatment?
He didn’t exactly strike me as the type to take criticism lying down let alone roll over for a punishment.
Still. I’d promised I’d cooperate.
While I was still standing there like someone had brained me with a frying pan, Sebastian got up from the sofa like he hadn’t just casually drop-kicked my sanity.
He brushed past me on his way upstairs and tossed over his shoulder, “I’ll be home early tomorrow.”Then he disappeared around the landing.
I stood there in the middle of the silent living room.
My legs finally gave a sad little twitch of protest, so I dragged myself upstairs and faceplanted onto the massive bed.
As soon as I shut my eyes, the word “kiss” started doing naked cartwheels across my mental sky.
I must’ve fallen asleep somewhere between shame and denial, because the dream that hit was straight-up X-rated.
I was flat on my back, pinned to a leather sofa I didn’t recognise.
Someone was kissing the breath out of me-hot, messy, and way too real.
My skin felt like it’d been cranked up to lava and my brain had noped out entirely.
I tried to push him off, but every time I squirmed, he just followed.
The room was blurry.
The world didn’t exist outside of that touch, that mouth, those hands.
I couldn’t see his face, but everything in me screamed I knew him.
My body did, anyway-my heart was too busy having a meltdown.
Then, just before dawn, the dream finally handed me a name to go with the body.
Sebastian Laurent.
I jolted awake like I’d been tasered.
“Nope,” I muttered, slapping my cheeks to manually reboot my system.
I grabbed my phone-7:30 a.m.
Countdown to kissing practice had officially begun.
Nope nope nope.
I needed a plan.
Preferably one that involved not being within ten metres of Sebastian’s mouth.
Time to make a run for it.
The CEO’s office was silent except for the knock on the door.
Dominic Everett stepped in, carrying a folder thick enough to strangle someone with.
“Mr Laurent, this is everything on Nyx Collective.
He placed it on the desk.
Sebastian picked up the folder, flipping through it without a word.
With each page, his jaw set a little tighter.
By the time he hit the middle, the muscle under his cheekbone was pulsing.
So that was what Eleanor had been dealing with.
Petty backstabbing.
Undercut by her own team.
Screamed at in meetings by people who couldn’t carry her shoes.
“Fucking hell,” he muttered.
He leaned back in his chair, report still in hand, fingers tapping against one name.
“This Rexford Caldwell-why does that sound familiar?”
“He runs Titan Growth Fund, which invests in Nyx Collective, but he’s not involved in the studio’s day-to-day running. He asked to meet you last week, but your schedule was full.”
“Right.” Sebastian rubbed his chin. The name clicked now.
“Tell him make time. Set it up.”
“Yes, sir.”Once Dominic left, Sebastian reopened the folder, slower this time.
The report was more thorough than what Cassian had been able to find out from Yvaine.
According to the last section, some C-list actress was having custom jewellery made for a film festival in Italy, and that started the whole row.
He pulled out his phone and made a call.
“The Venice Film Festival next month. You going?”The voice on the other end perked up instantly.
“Of course I am. Why?”
“You wearing jewellery?”
“Duh. I’m planning to kill it on the red carpet. The dress and the set are both exclusive pre-season drops from-wait for it- Amarante. I’m the first celeb to wear them.”
“Return the jewellery. You’re wearing mine.”
“What?” She actually yelled.
“Since when do you make jewellery?”
“I don’t. My wife does. You’ll wear her design.”Silence.
Long enough that he thought the line had dropped.
Then: “Sebastian Laurent, Are you out of your mind? Or is this some kind of practical joke?”No Let’s do dinner. I’ll introduce you He hung up before she could argue.
***
Still no sign of her.
Sebastian hadn’t moved from the sofa.
He’d eaten dinner alone-half a steak, three bites of salad, and engingh scotch to strip varnish.
She’d texted him at six, chirpy as hell: [Out with Yvaine. Might be back late!]
Back late, his arse.
Eleanor didn’t just “casually” go for drinks.
She didn’t do “casual” anything.
He knew a tactical retreat when he saw one.
So he’d sent Cassian.
The bastard reported back with confirmation.
“She invited Yvaine. Not the other way around.”Right. So it was a retreat. Dressed up as a girls” night out.
He’d waited anyway.
Like an idiot.
And waited some more.
Then: “Get Carlisle out of there,” Sebastian barked into the phone.
“I want Eleanor back. Now.”Cassian let out a laugh that sounded more like a choke.
“Mate. You two are insane. I’m not your goddamn messenger boy. If she wants to stay out, let her.”Click.
Sebastian tossed the phone aside.