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I’ll be fucking damned if I let him see me cry Hell no

I simply fold my arms over my chest and wait And after what feels like forever, Declan simply shakes his head and walks away

Chapter Seventeen

~Declan~

"So what’s your news?" I ask Beth She’s sitting across from me at Café Amalie, decked out in a red dress that shows off her curves and her long blond hair She set to that First, how are you?"

"Great" I’m short with her on purpose I don’t want to be here I want to be with Callie I haven’t seen her in days

"Okay, I see how this is going to go," she says with a sigh "Look, Dec, I know you weren’t thrilled to be stuck with me when Laura retired and left the fir whole-heartedly

"I’ent, and if I hadn’t been under contract to stay with the firm, I would have left immediately That contract is up in six months"

"I know" She nods and sips her drink "But I’ve ed to keep you busy ork--"

"I’ve keptto get inon the table "Okay, let’s talk about that Why not me?"

"Excuse me?"

"Oh come on, Declan, we all know your reputation" She reaches out to touch me, but I catch her wrist in my fist

"Don’t touch me"

"I’ve made it clear that I’d like to sleep with you, and you never once took the bait Why?"

"Two reasons Because I’h to mix business with pleasure, Beth, and I’nation cross her face, but before she can speak, I continue

"If you think I’h to have a very brief affair with someone I do business with, you don’t know me very well I am an artist, but I also come from an influential business faet et me off"

She clears her throat "I see"

"Finally"

"What in the bloody hell?" I glance up and see Kate sto to our table, her furious face firmly in place

"Oh, is this the flavor of the week?" Beth asks

"Shut up," Kate snaps at her "I want to speak to you without the bi a bio to war

"Stop" My voice is firm and clipped "I’ll be back"