Revenge for Hire (The Get Even Agency) by Janice Lynn

the day.
    “I am.”
    His gaze dropped to her chest. “I’ve seen you more pleased.”
    She rolled her eyes. “Is sex all you ever think about?”
    “As my marketing department just reminded me, it is what I get
paid to sell.”
    Avery’s gaze shot to his face. “You don’t sound as if you like
it.”
    “Sex?” His lips twitched. “Don’t think that for a moment. I
enjoy sex as much as every other man in this country. Possibly more. However,
I’m striving for Playhouse Magazine to be about more than just nudie pictures. I
want there to be class and education amidst the photos.”
    Avery frowned. “I don’t think class and education are why men
buy Playhouse.”
    “Have you been talking to the marketing department?” His tone
was teasing, but she picked up on real vibes of dissention.
    Uhm , she might use
that to her advantage.
    “No.” She sent him a look purposely full of mixed signals. “But
I have changed my mind.”
    “On?”
    “Tonight.”
    “You’re not going?” He looked disappointed.
    “I’m going.”
    He raised a brow, and made her want to come on the spot with
the way his eyes danced. “You’re going to save me a dance?”
    “No.”
    “You’ll go with me?”
    “Yes.”
    He grinned, as if whatever stressed him about his meeting with
marketing vanished into thin air.
    “Pick me up at eight.”
    Eight would make them about an hour-and-a-half late arriving. Not
too late, but enough that Mrs. Yamaguchi would take note.
    “Eight?” He grimaced. “Can’t we go earlier?”
    “No. I’ll be here till five. I’ll need time to shower and
change and do my hair and make-up.”
    “For the record, you already look beautiful. Don’t worry about
spending a lot of time getting ready.”
    “I won’t be ready until eight.”
    “Angel, you can take off early.”
    She sent him a scalding look.
    “I don’t want favors like that.” It pleased her that he’d been
thoughtful enough to offer to let her leave early though. “I’ll work till five.”
Later if at all possible and she’d come up with a hundred reasons to keep him
at the office late, too. “It’s eight or not at all.”
    He shrugged. “Then eight it is.”
    It surprised her that he let her manipulate him. She hadn’t
expected to hold him to eight.
    Not really.
    Which begged the question, why had he?

 
 
 
    Chapter Seven

 
    Green silk gathered across Avery’s breasts then fell in a
smooth fall over the rest of her body, perfectly caressing every curve without
sticking to her. The top of the dress was strapless and Avery wore borrowed
from Tiffany’s emerald and diamond earrings. The store manager once used their
services. They had an open offer of jewelry loans.
    Avery had never taken the woman up on the offer, but the dress
needed something. The manager insisted upon Avery taking the matching necklace,
but Avery liked the uncluttered smoothness at her throat and left the necklace
in its velvet box.
    “Whoa,” Randi said when she glanced up from her computer game. “You
look hot.”
    “Yeah, it’s quite unfair that I get to go play waitress while
Miss Gorgeous here gets to look like Cinderella on her way to the ball,”
Cassidy teased. Cassidy was going in disguise as back up. She’d never joined
their table at the bar, so Jude never got a good look at her, but they were
taking no chances.
    “Where’s he meeting you?” Cassidy asked.
    “Downstairs.” She’d made a mistake when giving Jude the name of
the apartment building. She’d left strict instructions with the doorman to not
let Jude inside the building. He didn’t know their apartment number and she
preferred to keep it that way. She planned to be waiting for him when he
arrived.
    “Here?” Randi looked up from the laptop again. “You have him
coming here ?”
    “Just to the building. He doesn’t know our room number or
anything like that. He doesn’t even know that I live with you guys.”
    “You’re taking a lot of chances with this one,