Page 71 of Pretty When She Breaks

“I don’t usually pay people to invade my personal space,” he said coldly.

“Apologies, sir,” the tailor said. “Just a few more.”

“No, sorry. It’s fine,” he amended, which surprised me even more.

I saw the tailor purse her lips as she reviewed her notes, and I wasn’t surprised. I doubted any of their baseline fits would work easily.

She left and returned with some shirts that he tried on. Yup. Slim fit was definitely the right choice for him, and he didn’t argue. And so it went, with suits and pants until we had a wardrobe that would make the right kind of statement in the suite. He asked for more casual wear, too, and I had mercy on him and got him a looser fit for those.

We—I—paid for a rush order on the tailoring and took home a suit for this evening. I hung it up carefully in Jade’s orange Bentley.

I was dying of boredom as he tried on oxfords, my mind wandering back to how he had looked in his suit, when a wonderful idea came to me. I grabbed my phone and texted Jade, asking her to pick up some suspenders. I sent some pictures of what I was looking for.

Jade: Babe, those are NOT suspenders. Those are chest harnesses.

Me: Can u get some or not?

Jade: Duh I can get u kinky bedroom shit ;) So who is this mystery man that I’m driving around? Are you two a thing?

Me: No, he’s a total jerk

Jade: …you can have a thing with jerks

Me: It’s NOT a thing.

Jade: And you’re getting him bondage gear because…?

Me: BECAUSE I’m trying to trick him into wearing it with his stupid suit. So get ones that look like suspenders.

Jade: LMAO

I smiled at the screen, and despite everything that had happened in the past few days, it felt so good to have Jade back as a friend.

“Wait,” I told Finch as Jade pulled up outside the casino.

He folded his arms and looked at me expectantly.

“You should get a haircut,” I told him reluctantly. “And wear some expensive jewelry.”

He gave me a flat look. “Jewelry,” he repeated.

“Like, watches? Rings? Necklaces?”

“What gave you the idea that I have anything like that?” he asked.

“For fuck’s sake,” I said under my breath. “You have got to be the worst criminal I’ve ever met. If you want people to takeyou seriously in the suite, you have to make it obvious you have serious money. Jade, you got anything you could lend him?”

Jade glanced at him in the rearview mirror, raising an eyebrow. “Course I do, babe,” she said, giving me a wink. “You’re fronting any missing pieces, though.”

“Okay. Can you drop it off at his place, please?”

We got out of the car, and I donned my hat and sunglasses to lead him through the casino. I adjusted my disguise as we neared the salon and spa, keeping a smile on my face. I couldn’t let anyone catch me seething in public, no matter how annoying the company. We stopped just outside the entrance.

“Barber is through there,” I said, but he wasn’t looking at me. He was staring up at the wall, at the huge banner strung across the room. The banner where I was almost naked.

Fuck my life.

I could feel my cheeks heating as I followed his gaze. His bond was wide open, and I felt his arousal spiking in response to the nearly nude full-body shot of me in that stupid bath.