Page 3 of 21 Week Hiatus

No. Please God, no.

Don’t panic. Keep your composure and deny Savi. Remember, innocent until proven guilty. She could very well know nothing and just be speculating.

Squaring my shoulders, I sit up a little straighter and compose myself and do my best to come across as slighted by her accusation. “I’m sorry, what?” Suzan keeps her unwavering glacial gaze on mine, and thecorner of her lip lifts into a haughty smirk. “First of all, I haven’t been screwing Logan Peirce and secondly I don’t have a boyfriend. So, I don’t know where you’re getting?—”

“Do yourself a favor and save your whole affronted spiel for someone stupid enough to believe it, Savannah. I saw you and Logan together the night of the gala dinner.”

Oh crap.

Okay, I wasn’t expecting that response.

My ass is sweating!

My hands start to get clammy, and my pulse just spiked a notch. Lying isn’t only something I’m uncomfortable with, it’s something I’m terrible at.

I swallow against the aridity of my throat while my brain scrambles to find a plausible excuse to justify whatever it is she saw Logan and I doing. “I’m not sure what it is you think you saw Suzan, but I was coordinating his event...”

Suzan’s eyes narrow and she nods as she pushes a folder sitting on her desk to the side. “Yes, you weresupposedto be coordinating his event, so can you explain to me what you were doing upstairs in a room together and why he was kissing you?”

Well, shit, I suppose I might as well come clean now, there’s no point in lying any longer. We’ve been busted and by the worst possible person.

Panic consumes me but I bare no shame over my relationship with Logan, so I intend to act as such, even if I do lose my job—which I will. “I, uhm…” The words refuse to form and get lodged in my throat.

“I wondered why Logan was so adamant about having you manage his event in Istanbul,” she says, leaning back in her chair with a knowing smile. “Why would someone of his stature insist on an apprentice handling such an important event when he could have had the best in the business? Of course, I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt because I know you have some talent. But after seeing the two of you together and how he changed completely when you were talking to thatchef, it all became clear.” Suzan pushes her chair back and stands up. “Logan didn't choose you because he believed in your abilities or qualifications. He just wanted an excuse to whisk away his little plaything for a secret rendezvous without anyone raising any suspicions.” She leans over my shoulder, speaking quietly into my ear. “Isn’t that, right? Or was the event just a ploy and he paid fifteen thousand dollars to hire you for a dirty weekend? If so, I hope you at least made it worth his dime.”

My eyes well up with tears that I furiously blink away and my stomach twists at her venomous words. I’m fighting to contain the anger rushing through my veins, making my blood boil. Did she just insinuate that I’m a whore?

In the past, I would have taken the criticism silently, head down in shame and accepting every hit without fighting back. But I am no longer that girl; I refuse to be. The new Savi will not stay quiet and accept condemnation for simply falling in love with a man. A wonderful man, no less. Yes, this person happens to be my ex's father and nineteen years older than me, but I can't help who my heart chooses to love any more than Suzan can her crow's feet.

Logan and I are in love, and I believe with my whole heart that what we have is worth fighting for, so that’s exactly what I will do.

Smoothing out my skirt, I draw in a slow breath to curb my anger and slowly stand before I turn to face the Botox-infused cow. I have the urge to slap that haughty look right off her face but with all the fillers she has injected monthly I’m sure her nerves are deadened, and she wouldn’t feel a damn thing anyway.

Instead, I keep my eyes locked on hers and give my lips a slow lick. “You already know there was an event Suzan because I provided you with all the invoices for the suppliers and venues, but to answer your question, the trip was certainly more aboutpleasurethan it was business.” I state with a smirk and shrug. “And don’t worry I made sure I gave Logan more than his money’s worth, and he couldn’t get enough. He loved every second of it.” Suzan scoffs and gives me a distasteful look. “My personal life and who I choose to spend my time with when I’m off the clock is none of your business.”

Suzan takes a step toward me, her eyes flash and her face reddens. “I couldn’t care less who you spread your legs for in your own time, but when you represent me and my company everything you do concerns me. That includes spreading your legs to one of my key clients and jeopardizing my company’s reputation.”

“First of all, when I met Logan, I didn’t know he was a client or Trent’s father for that matter, not untilafterwe started seeing each other.”

“And yet you continued sleeping with him anyway,despitehim being your boyfriend’s father and knowing it’s against the rules to consort with clients.”

“Ex-boyfriend!” I interject ardently. “Trent and I broke up before I met Logan, and yes I continued seeing him because we’re both adults, both single and free to date and screw whomever we want.”

“Well, sweetie, I assure you yourex-boyfrienddoesn’t quite see it that way.”

I blanch, “You told him?”

Ugh, of course she squealed to Trent at the first opportunity.

Suzan's laughter echoes through the room as she tosses her glossy hair over her shoulder. The sound is like a knife scraping against glass, sharp and grating.

“Sweetie, of course I did,” she proclaims with a smug grin, “Trent's mother April is my best friend. Did you really think I would keep something like this from her?”

I bite down on the inside of my cheek, fighting back the urge to roll my eyes. “Your best friend?” I repeat incredulously, adding a derisive simper to my tone, “Well, aren't you just the epitome of loyalty.” My gaze narrows as I meet hers daringly. “I wonder if your so-called 'best friend' knows that you've been trying to seduce her ex-husband since the moment they separated? Notdivorced, separated.” I voice and slowly cross my arms over my chest feeling rather smug. “I'm going to take a wild guess and assume not.” There’s a fleeting look of apprehension thatcrosses her face before she regains composure and places her hand at her bony hip before taking a step toward me, shrinking the space between us.

I can tell she’s doing her best to keep her poise, but her eyes are practically spitting fire. “Little girl,” Suzan sneers, her tone dripping in distain. “If I had any interest in seducing Logan, he would have already been mine.”

Even though deep down I know Logan has absolutely no interest in Suzan the thought alone of her touching him scalds me from the inside out. “Little girl? No, you can address me as Savannah, thank you very much.” I rebuke dourly. “And you had plenty of interest in him. You forget that I’ve worked for you for a while and I know all your telltale signs. You were practically drooling every time you saw him. Your voice would drop an octave to come across more seductive whenever you spoke to him over the phone or the way you would prowl for any excuse to invite him out for lunch or dinner under the guise of discussing ‘business’. When the truth is if Logan had shown any interest in you, you wouldn't have hesitated to betray yourfriendshipand spread your legs for him, so you know what you can do, you hypocritical bitch, you can go fuck yourself and your goddamn company policies. I don’t care what you, or Trent or anyone else has to say on the matter because I love Logan and he loves me.”

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