Page 32 of Start With A Slap

“I...” It was a natural fit for her, having grown up as an unofficial assistant to her father, but she’d chosen the field chiefly to support herself. Seeing the unpredictability of gallery ownership — and losing everything with her mother’s death — made her seek a profession that was dependable and solid.Don’t you mean safe?“Maybe; I don’t know.” She looked down at the faucet, rinsed her toothbrush and mumbled, “A weekend inParis.”

“Yeah,” he said slowly. “Didn’t he tell you that on the way to the elevator?”

No, he dry-humped me and I almost came.“Of course he did! It just... sounds odd in the light of day.”

“Right; you were juiced last night too. I feel like I pressured you to say yes or something.”

“No, you didn’t.”Hedid.“Anyway, I’m not going.” Even if it is Paris. “I don’t think.”

“Hey, it’s your call.” He turned on the shower. “It’s the City of Art, I get it. You’re a sophisticated gal, don’t let the hayseed hold you back.”

“‘Sophisticated gal’?” she teased him. “What am I, a racehorse?”

“All I’m saying is, you can go if you want. He said you’d barely see him except at the conference. You can sightsee, catch up with your old friends...” He adjusted the knobs. “Just don’t get swept up in the romance of Paris withhim.”

She laughed a little too loudly, her heart pounding. “Gross!”

“Has no one told you you’re a right sexy work of art, love?” Jason said, taking on an exaggerated version of his father’s accent, tone and body language.

Ivy was shocked, disturbed and instantly turned on. “Ew!”

He even did the little lip-twitch sneer. “Come on, petal, I know you fancy me.”

“Stop that!” This was so completely wrong on every level, and she could not deal with this right now!

“Get in the shower with me, you saucy—” he laughed and dodged while she swatted at him, “little… minx!”

“Ew! No! I’m leaving and never coming back!”

“Okay, okay, I’ll stop, babe,” Jason relented, mercifully dropping the act. “Shower’s nice and hot, just like you like it...”

“Too late, you ruined it,” she teased him, leaving the bathroom. The truth was, she’d taken a long shower at midnight, after Jason had passed out. The handheld showerhead’s PULSE setting helped her purge any lingering lust for Sever Mark from her system, once and for all. It was one of the most satisfying orgasms she’d ever had. She slept like a baby and woke up refreshed, determined to say no; to never let him near her again... But now she knew why he was so confident that she’d say yes: it was a trip to Paris. The rich man’s all-access pass to Paris. It was cruel, is what it was.

Ivy felt an urgent need to confront him about this.

Sever’s cell went straight to voicemail. She considered texting him, but then she remembered the business card he’d given Jason the night before. She couldn’t really imagine him working, but it was worth a try.

“Mark International Holdings, CEO’s office, this is Mayumi.”

Mayumi had a sexy, self-assured voice that made Ivy wonder what she looked like. Stepping out onto the balcony and sliding the door closed behind her, she said, “Yes, my name is Ivy Tyler, I’m?—”

She was abruptly cut off with, “One moment please while I connect you.”

Well, Mayumi clearly knew Ivy’s name and that he’d speak to her, which made her feel both special and suspicious.

She recognized the dark melodic hold song as something her goth college roommate used to play on loop while she put her makeup on. It occurred to Ivy that it must have been released by Sever’s record label back in the day. Did that mean he was once a goth kid? She’d have to do a Google search later for photos but that wasnotthe point and what did that matter to her?

Ivy stared unseeingly at the urban sprawl beneath her and thought,Next weekend I could be looking at Paris.How dare he dangle Paris at her like a carrot on a stick!

“Good morning, gorgeous. To what do I owe the immense?—”

“Paris?”

“Sorry?”

“This ‘little conference’ of yours that you somehow think I’ll be assisting you on.”

After a pause, he said, “Did I not mention it’s in Paris?”

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