Page 88 of Forty, Flirty & F*cked

I glance up. “Some what?”

“Some temporary pussy.”

The words put me on my feet. I slam down my pen on the desk, the thud echoing.

"Careful,” I warn.

"No, you be careful." He sets the paper down hard. "I've seen this before. With James. With that girl who made him forget everything he'd worked for..."

"Don't."

"He lost focus. Lost control. And then?—"

"Get out."

"Connor—"

"I said get out."

He studies me for a long moment. "You're making a mistake."

"Wouldn't be the first time." I turn back to my spreadsheet. "Close the door on your way out."

He does, leaving me alone with my thoughts and approximately forty tabs of supplement regulation research.

My phone buzzes:

LILY BRISTOL: Hey! Thanks for letting Ariana slip me your number

LILY BRISTOL: So… hypothetically

LILY BRISTOL: If someone's dad ordered 10,000 protein powder samples

LILY BRISTOL: And maybe signed a contract with a "supplement influencer"

LILY BRISTOL: How mad would you be about helping with legal fees?

I shouldn't respond. Shouldn't get more involved. Shouldn't care this much about a family that isn't mine.

But I'm already pulling up contract law resources.

ME: Send me the paperwork

ME: And maybe don't let your dad sign anything else without legal review

LILY BRISTOL: You're the best!

LILY BRISTOL: No wonder Ari's always smiling at her phone

LILY BRISTOL: Though fair warning - Dad's already designing merchandise

LILY BRISTOL: Hope you like protein powder puns on t-shirts...

Something in my chest does a slow roll.

Because this is dangerous. Caring this much. Wanting this much.

My phone lights up with another message:

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