Page 40 of Breakaway Bet

I want more. I need more.

I smell like him because of the body wash, and I love it.

The meeting goes until nearly eleven, but we have a solid plan in place for this client, and I have all of it in my notes.

Well, most of it. I may have tuned out for five minutes—or thirty—while I was thinking about that kiss.

But I got it all on the voice recorder, so we’re golden. I’ll fill in the blanks in my notes by listening to that back.

I move to send the audio file to Everleigh after she wraps the meeting and goes to schedule the next one…and, oh, shit.

Fucker.

I never hit record.

Shit!

As if I weren't already in hot water, now this.

I’m so fucked…and not in the good way I was hoping to be.

Once the client leaves, Everleigh shuts the door. I was sort of hoping this meeting would last all day and I wouldn’t have to face her at all, but clearly that’s not the case here.

She’s snarling. I think steam might be coming out of her ears, and there may be a bit of a grunt emitting from her. She’s a badass boss bitch, and it’s why I wanted to come work for her. It’s part of why I picked Vegas over San Diego—the other part being that my best friend is here. My sister is an amazing role model, and I know I could learn a ton from her.

I just never imagined she’d turn her wrath on me. Certainly not this soon.

She draws in a deep breath, and then she asks one question in a scarily even tone. “Why am I seeing headlines saying you married Cash Maddox last night?”

I press my lips together as I debate how to handle this, ultimately opting for the truth. “Um…because I married Cash Maddox last night.”

“You married Cash Maddox last night,” she repeats flatly. She walks over toward the window, and she pinches the bridge of her nose for a beat before she turns back to face me. She looks somehow almost scary, a silhouette against the backdrop of the bright window. “You married Cash Maddox last night?” she finally roars at me. “And then you have the absolute audacity to show up late in the same clothes you went out in last night?”

“I wasn’t late,” I argue. “And I took a shower.”

She glowers at me. “Congratulations. Want a freaking medal? Ivy, Ivy, Ivy. Vegas was the wrong damn place for you.” She shakes her head. “You keep moaning about how you want everyone to treat you like an adult, yet you continue to act like a child.”

“How is getting married acting like a child?” I ask. “Children can’t get married.”

“It’s irresponsible. Foolish. Did you get a prenup? Did you think about what happens next? The media is going to absolutely roast you, Ivy. And Dad’s going to prison for who the fuck knows how long, and now you’ve dragged one of our clients into the mess associated with that since the headlines are hitting in the span of a week. Cash was messy like Dad before, but he’s worked hard to become this golden playboy of the Vegas Vengeance. That image will take a hit, but do you even care? It’s not like you love him.”

“How do you know?”

“You’ve known him five minutes. Don’t give me some bullshit about love at first sight. It’s lust. That’s all. He’s hot, he looked your way, and boom.” She clenches her jaw as she shakes her head. “This isn’t a road you want to go down.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I do.” She’s adamant that she’s right, but in my eyes…she’s not.

Maybe this is a road I want to go down. Maybe I fucking love that I took hockey’s hottest bachelor off the market. Maybe I fucking love that I’m married now. I’m somebody’s wife.

So maybe it wasn’t the traditional route. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to give it a try. I was so fucking rushed to get here to appease my sister that we didn’t even have a chance to discuss whether he wants to give it a try, too.

Dinner tonight. We’ll talk about it then, I guess.

She lets out a frustrated breath. “I can’t believe you did this. So now what? Annulment? Divorce? How are we going to fix this?”

“I know you’re the fixer,” I say softly. “I know that’s the role you took on in this family. It’s what you do for a living. It’s your entire personality. But let me make myself clear.” I stand, and I walk over so I’m mere feet away from my sister. I look her dead in the eye when I say, “I don’t need you to fix my life. I just need you to let me live it.”