Page 15 of The Bad Girl

Harry smiles. “Exactly as expected. You should have seen the look on her face when she realized she hadn’t married a billionaire.”

“There’s something wrong with you.”

“I just don’t like opportunists.”

“Now, I have to text her an apology later, you ass.”

I purse my lips, wondering if I should tell him what’s on my mind. He’s easily one of my smartest friends, but he has a big mouth. Still, he’s the best shot I have at figuring this all out.

“Harry, I have a question for you.”

“What is it, boss?”

“Do you think it’s at all possible for Nadine to have a wild side?”

He scoffs. “A wild side? I give the girl a lot of shit, but a train wreck she is not.”

“Do you think she ever goes out in a leather skirt and fishnets?”

A titillating laugh bursts from his mouth, and after I fail to follow up, his brow skews. “Max, what are you getting on about?”

“I was on my way to meet Sayo last night. It wasn’t far from my attorney’s office, where I was conducting business, so I decided to walk. Anyway, I’m walking past some biker bar, and this woman gets thrown out the entrance, and when I look down, it’s Nadine.”

“No!” he says, mouth gaping.

“Yes, and get this, she was wearing a tiny leather skirt, six-inches max, thigh-highs, fishnets, tiny low-cut shirt—I’m talking, tits out kind of top.”

Harry scrunches his nose in distaste.

“Oh, fuck off, Harry. Why are you such an ass to her?”

“She is exhausting. She’s never taken a damn risk in her entire life. Women like her never make history, they don’t even make it into the footnotes of men like you.”

“If everybody were wild and crazy, there’d be nothing exciting.”

“She dims my vibe!”

“If anything, around her, you’re luminescent.”

Harry rolls his eyes and releases a condescending breath. “Are you serious about her tacky post-work wardrobe choices?”

“Yep, and get this, her leaving early came up.”

“Of course, it did. She would have burst if it didn’t. That’s another thing that irritates me about her.”

“Heaven forbid someone has their life together and value their job.”

“Can I get back downstairs? You have no respect for my personal time.”

I wave him away and turn my attention back to the monitor, or rather, to Nadine.

She is a beautiful woman, which has been apparent all along, but what I now know is that she’s also an interesting woman. A woman capable of capturing my attention in a way I didn’t think possible.

The women in my life come and go as often as the weather changes. If one leaves, there’s no shortage of women vying to take her place. Because of this, they’re never all that memorable.

But Nadine—well, she’s had my mind running laps all night. I couldn’t stop thinking about her during my date, and even Little Miss Lengthy Limbs couldn’t take my mind from her.

And the truth is, I’m not even into trashy-looking women. Her new image isn’t what has my interest piqued. It’s the mystery.

I’m a good judge of character. I have to be in my line of work, so Nadine throwing me this curveball has me going bonkers.

My phone buzzes and I pull it from my pocket to see a text from the very woman occupying my thoughts.

Nadine:I need your help.