Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 61851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 309(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 309(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
She laughed again. “It’s all good, I swear,” she said, then turned her phone screen toward him, showing him one of the celebrity posts. “Look.”
He glanced at the picture, then read the caption, his eyes going wide. “Holy shit. That’s amazing.”
She showed him half a dozen more, enough for him to realize that Claire’s smear campaign and her attempt to sabotage Jessica’s business and upcoming lingerie line had backfired. In a big way.
“So, I take it you’ll be eating breakfast this morning?” he asked with a grin.
“Yes,” she said, her mood boosted with a rush of adrenaline. “I’m starved!”
She made herself a cup of coffee and sat down at the small dining table, scrolling through all the supportive posts and comments that spread nothing but kindness, altruism, and social consciousness within each community. Her spirits were totally uplifted, and while Derek made breakfast, she attempted to respond to many of the DMs streaming in, feeling overwhelmed but also grateful for the viral celebrity endorsements that now dominated social media.
A short while later, Derek set a plate in front of her, and Jessica was surprised to see French toast along with a small bowl of fresh berries and cream. She set her phone down and smiled at him as he sat across the table from her, his own dish piled high.
“You said you couldn’t cook,” she said, slathering butter on the thick, fragrant piece of pan-fried bread. “I think you were holding out on me.”
“When it comes to dinners, not so much,” he said with a shrug, drawing her gaze to his still-bare chest. “Breakfast is pretty straightforward.”
She took a bite, the cinnamon, nutmeg, and maple syrup all mingling on her tongue. “It’s delicious.”
A few more bites in, Jessica set her fork down on her plate and met his gaze. “You do realize that I need to confront Claire about what she did.”
Jessica wasn’t asking for permission, just giving him a heads-up regarding what she intended to do. Claire had hurt too many people with her spite—including the models in the pictures she’d stolen—and Jessica wasn’t about to let the other woman get away with her behavior. Even if it had ultimately worked in Jessica’s favor.
Derek opened his mouth, she assumed to argue or take charge and insist on confronting Claire himself, but then closed it again and sat back in his seat. “Are you going to set up a meeting with her?” he asked, and she knew what it cost him to let her handle the situation herself.
“No. I don’t want to give her time to prepare. Claire caught me off guard, so there’s no reason why I can’t do the same to her. She always posts her whereabouts on social media, so I’ll just wait for the right time and place.”
The right time and place came much sooner than Jessica anticipated. An hour and a half later, after Jessica had showered and was getting ready to head to the boutique, Claire’s Instagram showed her most recent post. An “outfit of the day” photo, along with the caption: Heading out for lunch at Sadelle’s.
Of course she’d mentioned the trendy hotspot, which wasn’t too far from Derek’s apartment. In the picture she’d posted, Claire looked very subdued—unlike yesterday’s giddy celebratory photo with her influencer friend—but not defeated, considering the twist in fate she’d no doubt woken up to. No, someone like Claire wouldn’t show a crack in her armor and would act as though her scheme hadn’t turned around and bitten her in the ass. Which meant dressing up in her designer finest and fake smiling for her phone’s camera so her followers believed her life was a charmed one.
Jessica couldn’t wait to wipe that smug look off the other woman’s face.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Derek asked, looking down at her screen.
She glanced up. He was dressed in a dark brown suit for work, which made his green eyes even sexier. It was after eleven a.m., and he’d already let Ben know that he’d be late to the office.
She didn’t miss the concern in his voice or the protective way he placed his palms on her hips. “I have to.” She smoothed her hand down the lapel of his suit jacket, the heady scent of his cologne warring with her desire to drag him back to the bedroom and have her way with him. “Or else you and I both know that this bullying will never end.”
“I could end it,” he growled fiercely.
“Thank you, but no,” she said, patting his chest. “I love that you want to be my knight in shining armor, but I refuse to be cowed by a bully, and she needs to know not to mess with me.”
“That’s my girl,” he said, his voice now low and intimate. “As much as I want to beat my chest like a caveman, I respect that you need to do this your way.”