Page 3 of Mister Rival

“Yes! In the sack, for heaven's sake, do I have to spell it out? Angry sex can be great, or so I’m told.”

I gape at her like she’s just grown another head. “That man just accused me of dating a dude the same age as his son — to which I reminded him that wasn’t even close to being true. The idiot can’t seem to get over the photoshoot I did with Shawn in the summer, and even if it was true, what business would it be of his?”

“Sounds like he’s jealous,” Lexi singsongs.

I snort. “I told Tristan if I had fucked him, he wouldn’t know what hit him in the dick.”

Her eyes go wide, then she bursts into laughter. “Please tell me you didn’t!”

I nod, my face in my hands as though I can hide. “He just gets me so riled up!”

“Hot angry sex,” she chirps. “I think you could do with some.”

“And I think I could do with a lobotomy before I’d ever considered having sex with Tristan Lucas! He thinks he’s so fucking funny! And that fake charm? Urgh! While I don’t disagree, he is easy on the eyes, he’d be the last man I’d ever sleep with.”

“Next you’re going to say you wouldn’t do him if he was the last man on earth.”

I level her with a gaze. “I wouldn’t.”

She pulls a face, hugging her iPad to her chest. “That just isn’t true. If he was the last man on earth and civilization depended on the two of you, I’m sure you’d rethink that decision.” Why does she have to sound so smug?

“You’ve really gone to the extremes there. That scenario is so unlikely and clearly ridiculous,” I pipe, unable to now let go of the thought of Tristan naked beneath me, looking up at me with those sexy blue eyes I hate. Yes.Beneathme. There is no way I’d be letting Tristan hit it on top. That spot is reserved for men who don’t want to rip my eyeballs out.

“Hmm, come to think of it, that whole family is gifted.” She starts to reel the Lucas men off on her fingers. “There’s Joshua, the eldest, an ex-jock and muscles in all the right places.” She fans herself and I can only roll my eyes in response. “Next we have Bradley, who’s the serious one and looks like he could use a good old rollicking himself to loosen up; he also rocks a suit like nobody’s business. Then there’s young Noah, who looks like an angel but who’s rumored to have more bedmates in LA than he’s had hot dinners…”

“Is this tirade ever going to end?” I sigh.

“You can’t deny it, those men are genetically gifted.”

“Or the apple doesn’t fall from the tree because, between you and me, Joshua can be an asswipe just like his dear old dad.”

She has the audacity to giggle again. “I’ve read about this.”

I sigh again. “Don’t you have work to do?”

She ignores me and continues. “In all of the hot romances I read, the enemies to lovers vibe is the one thing the two main characters have in common, and it always ends up with a romp in the hay. The dude is always extremely well hung and dirty. I mean, a girl has to orgasm. Why not get off and get a deal done at the same time?”

I gape at her bewildered; it takes a solid second or two before I can even speak. “Please tell me that’s the end of your speech.”

She shrugs like the dangerous little maniac she is. “Just a thought.”

“Well, my thought is I need a Tylenol and some really cold water more than ever.”

She snaps her fingers. “Coming right up! But might I suggest a dab of lavender at your temples if you’re feeling a headache coming on? It works wonders for me.” I stare at her retreating figure as she trots off in her elegant heels.

In her spare time, Lexi likes to mix essential oils and swears that a crystal a day keeps the doctor away. I don’t believe in any of that woo-woo crap, but I have used her bat-shit crazy oils to get out of more than one headache.

If only she could wave some under Tristan’s nose and persuade him to sign those goddamn papers.

He’s toying with me. That’s all it is. He wants the upper hand because we’ve had this rivalry ever since I opened my agency. It doesn’t matter that several dozen others have opened up since, or that there’s more than enough business to go around. Tristan Lucas cares about number one.

We both know his dumb property has been on the market for a while now and it’s a good offer. If he wants to counter, thenfucking counter. Why take it to these measures? Oh, I know why, because he’s a fucking prick! I take a deep breath, unable to calm myself, then I hear Lexi approaching again. The little click of her heels is a giveaway.

“You’re doing that thing that’ll only make it worse,” she says, setting the little tray down with some Tylenol, a glass of water and a little bottle containing the lavender oil. “You know he’ll sign, or counter eventually. What I really think you need is a vacation, and I know just the place.”

I glance up at her as I swipe the pill from the tray and swill it down with the water. “You’ve lost your mind.”

“Nope, but your high school reunion in Palm Springs is coming up next month and I thought it’d be an excellent opportunity to run your success in the noses of those that said you’d amount to nothing.” How she says all of that with a sweet smile on her face, I’ll never know.

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