“I’d like to hear those ideas all the same.”

“I thought you didn’t micromanage.”

“Why are you being so snippy?”

The nerve of him to ask.

“I’m not. I’m sweaty and what I’d like to do is go take a shower. Last night, I wanted to discuss ideas, but you seemed more interested in trolloping. And I don’t want to talk about it now.”

Richard scowls. “Aurora isn’t a whore.”

“I wasn’t talking about dear Aurora.”

As soon as the words leave my mouth, I regret them. He’ll catch me now, see right through me. The boss will know this is all my jealousy talking.

“Judging again, are we?” Richard’s voice rises. “I’m an adult and single. I can do whatever I please.”

Thank you, boss, for showing all the limitations of your male brain.

“Of course you can.”

“And you can stop your self-righteous tantrum and bring that prissy ass of yours back to earth.”

I narrow my eyes. “If you think this is me judging your lifestyle then you’re such a brazen idiot, I feel sorry for you.” And then I add what I’ve really been burning to say. “Or you’re playing dumb, which is even worse!”

Working behind my back, I give the key another try and finally manage to slide it into the slot. In a swift move, I free the lock, enter the room, and slam the door right in his idiotic, arrogant—stupidly handsome—face.

Richard pounds his fists on the wood almost immediately. “What’s that supposed to mean? Hey, open this door.”

I unstrap my iPod from the belt on my arm and plug it into the dock station sitting on the nightstand. “Sorry, I can’t hear you,” I shout. And to make sure my statement is true, I blast the speakers until I can’t actually hear the pounding anymore.

With a nod of satisfaction, I shed my sweaty clothes to the floor and hop into the shower.

***

“If you keep staring at that window like that, it’ll melt,” Richard says.

I scoff, shrug, and do not turn my head. I keep my arms crossed over my chest and my gaze focused on the clouds out of the plane’s window.

“So you’re going to pretend I don’t exist for the next six hours?”

Finally, I turn. “How could you sleep with Aurora?” I hiss.

Richard raises both eyebrows. “Excuse me?”

“Of all people, why her?”

“Why not? Aurora is very attractive… a lot of fun.”

Which I’m not, I suppose. Oh, why did I ask? His words are like daggers to the heart. Richard wants to keep pretending I’ve no reason to be upset?

Let’s pretend along.

“She also stands for everything you hate,” I point out, trying to move the conversation away from my obvious, blinding jealousy.

“What do you mean?”

“Aurora never had to work a day in her life for what she has. Mommy fed it all to her with a silver spoon.”

“Oh, so that’s where the drama comes from. You’re jealous because she beat you for the editor position at Évoque.”