Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 86105 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86105 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
So I smile and dip my head, accepting the praise like it belongs to me. Even though my stomach twists with the knowledge that if Julian ever learned why I suspect Grizz is different… all of this could combust.
All I can do is keep my expression composed, my breath at a normal cadence, and hope he can’t feel the fault line running beneath my feet.
I’m still trying to steady my breathing—still trying to process what it means for Julian Langley to say I’ve done the impossible—when a ripple of movement at his side draws my attention.
Two women step into the circle of light beside him, materializing as if summoned. They’re both beautiful, but not in the glossy, ornamental way I’m used to seeing clinging to wealthy men at events like this. Their elegance is more refined, almost with a self-made vibe.
And then I realize why… I know one of them.
Tall. Striking. Hair in a sleek knot. A black silk jumpsuit that somehow outshines half the outfits in the room. That’s Alessia Renard. The Alessia Renard. The fashion designer whose dresses I’ve worshipped since journalism school. The woman whose runway shows made me scribble frantically in my notebook, trying to figure out how to put the vision into words. She greets Julian with a touch to his arm.
The second woman is just as striking, though I don’t recognize her. Dark hair in soft waves, emerald earrings brushing her jaw, carrying herself with the ease of someone accustomed to this level of exclusivity.
Julian turns to me, offering a polite, final nod. “Excuse me, Daisy. I have to tend to other matters. Enjoy the rest of the game.”
He steps away, effortlessly folding himself into the orbit of the two women—one on either side, both leaning in slightly as he speaks. I stand there for a second, trying not to look like someone who just dropped lamb chops at this man’s feet and then received the best performance review of her life.
Elias appears at my elbow, holding a fresh drink he absolutely did not get for me but hands over anyway. “Well,” he says lightly, “that went well.”
I blink at him. “You heard everything, didn’t you?”
He tilts his head in an It’s me you’re speaking to manner. “Obviously. I’m not deaf. And your expression was screaming at me from across the suite.”
“He said I’ve done the impossible.”
“Well, you have tamed the beast,” Elias says. “At least temporarily.”
I swat his arm and grin.
Then his eyes move toward the trio across the room—Julian with Alessia Renard on one side and the other stunning mystery woman on the other. Julian makes them both laugh. His posture is relaxed, a man entirely in his element.
Elias whistles softly. “Look at that. The man never disappoints.”
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“My uncle,” Elias says, easing closer so he doesn’t have to project over the hum of the suite, “always has women with him. But not… you know.” He wiggles his hand in the universal sign for bimbo with big tits. “That’s not his style. He likes the impressive ones. The intimidating ones. The ones with pedigrees or empires of their own.”
I glance again at Alessia, her laughter soft but unmistakably refined. Julian bends slightly to speak into her ear. The image is striking—cinematic.
“So what,” I murmur. “They’re dates?”
“Dates. Companions. Guests. Whatever label you want.” Elias shrugs. “Point is, if they’re in that suite with him tonight, they’re part of his… rotation.”
“Rotation,” I echo.
“Don’t look horrified,” he says, grinning. “He’s discreet. And generous. And they know exactly what they’re signing up for.”
I raise a brow. “Which is?”
“Oh, you know…,” Elias says casually, “a weekend trip to his place in Paris. He takes them on his Gulfstream and leaves either Friday night or Saturday morning depending on his mood.”
I stare at him. “His home in Paris?”
“I mean… if it’s just a weekend trip. If he has longer, he’ll fly them to his place in the Maldives. He’s quick to travel when he needs a little escape from the grind of running this whole shebang.”
“And they just… go with him?”
“If he invites them.” Elias smiles over the rim of his glass. “And believe me, he invited both of those women the second they walked in the door tonight. If he didn’t already ask them earlier.”
My eyes drift back to Julian and the two exquisite women at his side. Clarity strikes me—there are levels to this universe I haven’t even begun to understand. I’m playing a role in an environment far more complex—and far more delicate—than anything I’ve written about or navigated before.
Elias taps my arm gently, drawing me back. “Welcome,” he says with a half smile, “to the real inner circle.”
And with that, the period horn blares below us, echoing up to the suite.
Chapter 18
Grizz
The moment the final horn sounds, the scene on the ice explodes into joyous noise. Fans pound the glass and music blasts through the arena speakers, all part of the electric post-win rush that makes hockey the best sport in the world.