“People don’t stay, Nathaniel. Look at what you did. So why does it matter if I sleep with people and then move on?” My words are a low blow. Ones that aren’t warranted. His face pulls tight and his jaw clenches, but he doesn’t react to them.

“Promise me, Jase. We’re not doing all this hard work for nothing.”

“I promise.” I roll my eyes, stand, and move about the room.

I don’t know how I feel. About this. About the conflict on Hendrix’s face or the words she said—and didn’t say—that are stuck in my head.

The woman is good under pressure. She doesn’t back down or get intimidated when almost all other women would have asked where to sign on the dotted line without a second thought.

But she had many of them. She voiced them.

The terms are negotiated. The contract is signed. The deal is done.

And for a fucker like me who rarely thinks of anyone other than himself, I can’t stop thinking about her or her expression when she signed the contract.

And then the concern and regret that glanced through it shortly thereafter.

“I’ll be right back,” I say to Nathaniel.

It only takes me a few seconds to get to the elevator and out to the parking garage where no doubt she parked. I spot her immediately on the far side of the vacant, dim structure.

“Cookie,” I call out as I jog over to her.

“Everything okay?” Hendrix turns, and I’m greeted full force with the reason I suggested her for this in the first place. Her kindness. I know she must be a little overwhelmed and yet her smile is sincere and her hazel eyes are wide with concern as she asks me if I’m okay after everything we just unloaded on her.

“Yeah. Why?” I ask and study her.

Hendrix Wright is definitely not the typical Gizmo type of blond hair, long legs, and a cluster of fake things on her: hair extensions, breasts, eyelashes, nails, fillers, you name it. God love all of them too.

No. She’s the total opposite. Natural with light makeup but that’s it. Her hair is light brown and it falls in waves down her back. Her eyes are hazel, framed with thick lashes. They could be considered oversized, but that only showcases her every emotion. Her skin is pale, which serves to highlight the dusting of freckles across the bridge of her nose and the blush of pink on the apples of her cheeks.

And then there’s her mouth. It’s about as sexy as the curve of her ass. Her lips are full and a dark pink, and she has a tendency to bite her bottom lip, which drives me somewhat mad.

“Did I forget something?” she asks when I don’t respond to her first question.