Page 9 of Hard Wired

He pivoted, hands dipping into his pockets as he strolled away. Sylvie could only stare after him, the heat in her body turning into humiliation.

He’d been playing her. Toying with her. The asshole.

Priyanka was right beside her. “What the heck was that?”

Crane was making a fool of me. And I just stood there and let him do it.“Nothing. Let’s get the Wi-Fi password from the housekeeper.”

“But—it seemed like he was into you. I thought you guys were going to strip down right in front of the security panel and start screwing. At least, I was hoping for that.”

Jeez, Sylvie’s assistant needed to get laid. The girl was over-the-top horny. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Wi-Fi password, Priyanka. Focus.”

She didn’t see Crane again for the rest of the afternoon. Yet Sylvie couldn’t get him out of her head, either.

It was like he’d known exactly how to push her buttons, all for the purpose of walking away and leaving her cold.

He’d definitely known what he was doing.

Her dislike for the man had been purely abstract before. Now, it was personal.

Rationally, she knew that a man like Crane wouldn’t lead her anywhere good. He knew exactly how attractive he was, and he was a fucking jerk about it. A guy like that toyed with other people’s emotions, enjoyed manipulating them.

But unlike Sylvie’s boss Max, who also had a decent-sized ego, Crane didn’t care whom he hurt. In fact, proving his effect on her had been the entire point. Proving his control. Well, the guy could take his beautiful face and his athletic body and shove it into a wood chipper for all she cared. She was never going to see him again if she could help it.

She didn’t care what Max said. She didn’t even care if every gang in Los Angeles came after Crane. No way was she doing him any favors again, on Max’s behalf or otherwise.

And she was definitely not going to fantasize about Crane later on tonight.

His salty scent, the dark curls hanging into those eyes, his long tongue swiping across his lip…

Nope. Definitely not.

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