Page 10 of King of Desire

I don’t want to leave, which is a big fucking problem.

I could barely concentrate on the call with Mason and I’m about to offer to take her on a tour of my house, just to spend more time with her, when my phone dings that someone is at the gate.

I pull the phone from my pocket, a text message immediately popping up that Veronica has arrived.

I should be relieved. Veronica will be an excellent reminder of why touching Honeyeh is a bad idea.

Then again, Veronica is abrasive on a good day. Spoiled. Entitled. She has a difficult time taking no for an answer, which means she’s not taking the break-up well.

It doesn’t matter that I was clear. But Veronica isn’t used to being held to rules.

“In that case, I’ll leave you to your paperwork.” I turn to leave, Mrs. Raith passing by the doorway to her office to answer the door.

I’m about to close the door to the office, but the sound of Veronica pounding on the front door before Mrs. Raith has a chance to reach it, stills my hand. I let out a rumble, not appreciating how this meeting is starting.

Veronica knew the terms. I date women for one month. That’s it. But every one of the ladies thinks she will be the exception to my rule. That she will be the one who changes my mind and my ways and turns me into husband material.

Like I said, Veronica has always been more of everything. And she definitely thinks she’s special. Whatever she’s here to say will not be pretty.

Not that I care.

But Honeyeh is about to hear it all. It’s part of being on the staff, but it would have been nice…

It’s no use playing outwhat ifsnow. I wanted to keep Honeyeh at a distance and Veronica is about to help me accomplish that goal. I leave the door open and step into the hall.

Mrs. Raith answers the door, Veronica yelling before she’s even through the door. “Where is he? I want to see that rat fucking bastard so he can tell me we’re done to my face.”

Honeyeh emits a soft cry behind me. I know it’s a sound of distress, but my cock still twitches. It’s the pretty kind of noise that women sometimes make when they…

“Ms. Clairmont. Good to see you.”

“Please, Mrs. Raith, don’t placate me. Like we don’t both know that I was just the next number on his roster of women. I mean, I knew he was a low-life scumbag, with a filthy cock, but I thought he might see reason this time.”

Clearing my throat, I step into the entry, just wanting this one over and done.

But the moment that Veronica sees me, her face twists into a rage. “You English bastard!” she cries, her hands clenching into fists.

There are a lot of names I can be called, and some of the ones she first lobbed landed with some accuracy. But English aristocracy takes the termbastardseriously. As the spare to a dukedom, a bastard is one of the few insults I am not. “Wonderful to see you too, Veronica.”

“Don’t you dare patronize me,” she stomps toward me, her Jimmy Choos clapping on my marble floor. “You ‘terminated our relationship’ via a Docusign?”

Docusign is efficient. “You weren’t nearly as irritated when I asked you to sign the initial relationship agreement with the termination date clearly stated.”

She huffs, “That’s because I thought?—”

I know what she thought, I don’t need her to finish.

“I’m sorry to have disappointed you, Veronica, but I was nothing but honest.”

Her lip curls. “Honest? That you were using me for sex? Or was it to further your career?”

I softly snort. The sex was mediocre at best and while she did make good tabloid fodder, it hardly helped me close any deals. The truth is, she was another pretty face to pass the time even if her father was a successful investment banker two decades ago.

She opens her mouth to yell some more, but then stops again, her eyes going over my shoulder, narrowing.

My jaw tightens because I already know that Honeyeh has stepped out of Mrs. Raith’s office.

Veronica’s hands unclench just enough that her nails resemble claws. And they’re aimed right at Honeyeh.

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