I paused, although I knew he wouldn’t reply. And he didn’t.
“I spoke with Leslie about those reports you needed, and she’ll have them for you this afternoon. The painting you bought at the Hope Gala last weekend is being delivered to your place later today, so I’ll run over there and sign for it. That means I’ll be out of the office for an hour or so.”
“I need dinner reservations for tomorrow,” he said, still not looking up. “For two. Tulio or Assiaggo are acceptable. Not Canlis. And book a room on Maui for ten days, beginning Saturday. One of the usual resorts. Doesn’t matter which one.”
I probably could have indulged in the smug smile I tried to hide. It wasn’t like he was looking at me. But I nibbled my lip to stop myself anyway. Dinner for two at Tulio or Assiaggo, but not Canlis, and a last-minute trip to Maui meant he was breaking up with his latest gold-digger, Svetlana.
“Should I clear your calendar?” I asked, knowing he was going to tell me he wasn’t going. He’d send Svetlana on the trip to appease her for breaking up. But I had to pretend I didn’t know that, and ask anyway.
“No, I’m not going.”
“Okay.” I indulged in the smug smile. I hated Svetlana. She was a ridiculously gorgeous Bulgarian model—tall, slender, big boobs. A woman that heartless should never have been granted such phenomenal beauty. But the fact that she was stunning wasn’t why I hated her. I loathed her because I knew she was only with Mr. Calloway for his money.
She didn’t even try to hide it. Strutted around here like she owned half the company—which you could tell she thought was a forgone conclusion. As if he’d marry her. Ugh. The very thought made my skin crawl.
Granted, she wasn’t the first gold-digger he’d dated. He attracted them like a super-powered electromagnet. Most of the women he dated were similar: insanely beautiful, of varying intelligence, and primarily interested in the extravagant lifestyle they assumed dating—and even marrying—Shepherd Calloway would give them.
They were in for a rude awakening when they found out Mr. Calloway was not the type of billionaire businessman who lavished his girlfriends with luxurious gifts. Nice dinners, perhaps. And they could attend exclusive events among Seattle’s elite perched on his arm. He was certainly a means to being seen.
But from what I could tell, he was just as cold and unemotional with his girlfriends as he was with his employees. And he never spent a lot of money on them. They undoubtedly went into it picturing limo rides to romantic dinners, beautiful jewelry, and fancy vacations. What they got was a man who ignored them almost as much as he ignored me, and who didn’t buy them presents—probably because it never occurred to him to bother.
Svetlana hadn’t lasted long, but that wasn’t a surprise. He’d been seeing her for a couple of months—not that I kept track, really—and it seemed she’d already chafed his nerves more times than he was willing to live with, regardless of what she looked like. And boy, was I glad.
I had no reason to care. Mr. Calloway and I weren’t friends. So it shouldn’t have mattered to me whether some woman was trying to latch onto him for his money. But it did. I did care about him, even though I knew better. I couldn’t help it. I figured I was just built that way and tried to ignore it.
Except for moments like this, when I could privately gloat.
“That’s it,” he said.
“Sounds good, Mr. Calloway. I’ll be at my desk if you need anything.”
I said that to him every day, too. And he never replied. But it had become part of our routine, so I said it anyway.
Back at my desk, Steve gave me a reassuring smile. “You sure are tougher than you look.”
I shrugged and grinned, feeling a little glow of satisfaction. I always felt that way when people commented on my job. I’d lasted longer than any other assistant Shepherd Calloway had ever had. And I wore that distinction with a great deal of pride.
Only two types of people lasted at this company: people who were close enough to being his peers that they weren’t intimidated by him, and people who didn’t have to interact with him.
Anyone else usually lasted six months—maybe a year if they were tougher than average.
I’d worked for him for three years—a company record. Before me, he’d gone through assistants like some women went through purses. In one season, out the next. But me? Miss Everly Dalton? I was the only assistant he’d ever had who could actually handle him.
Really, I kind of got off on it. I liked having access to the man everyone was afraid of. The man with the power in this place. I liked the respect my position earned me. Outside these walls, people took me for a sugary-sweet, plain as vanilla, boring blond girl with a big smile.
But my coworkers saw me as something else entirely. They looked at me in awe, wondering how I could possibly handle the big bad wolf. How I never got bit.
It wasn’t as hard as they all thought. Once I got to know him—as well as I could, considering he didn’t speak to me very much—it was easy to get along with him. Learn his routine. Make sure anything within my control was executed on time. Stay out of his way.
And it worked. I didn’t rock the boat. I didn’t expect anything I knew he wouldn’t give. He wasn’t going to be friendly. No asking about my day or thanking me for a job well done. Which was fine. I knew I did my job well, and my pay reflected that.
The situation worked for me, and whether or not he’d ever acknowledge it, I knew it worked for Mr. Calloway too.
I winked at Steve, and grabbed my phone. I had work to do.
KEEP READING FAKING MS. RIGHT
Afterword
Dear reader,
I hope you enjoyed this little romp through Miami with Cameron and Jude. This book was a ton of fun to write. I love writing banter and these two had some great back-and-forth exchanges.
The concept for the Bluewater Billionaires came from a conversation between myself, Lucy Score, Kathryn Nolan, and Pippa Grant. We wondered whether readers would be into a twist on the billionaire trope. What if it’s not the hero who has all the zeroes in his bank account, but the heroine? And what kind of badass man would it take to be the perfect hero for her?
That was something all four of us REALLY wanted to write. So the Bluewater Billionaires were born.
One of the things I loved about writing this book alongside three other authors was how we each took a broad concept (a lady billionaire romance) and made it our own. The four books touch on some similar themes, but they’re also distinct and different. We had plenty of space to make the books our own, with our own interpretations, characters, and voices.
When it came to The Mogul and the Muscle, I kicked around a few ideas before I landed on a bodyguard romance. It’s a theme I hadn’t written before and it fit perfectly with our Bluewater concept.
Cameron is accustomed to handling things for herself and doesn’t particularly like to rely on others. That would require letting them get close. She shies away from allowing anyone “in,” largely because she knows the pain of losing people close to her. She’s used to going it alone, so she doesn’t think a bodyguard is necessary.
Jude wants to live an ordinary life, whatever that means (he isn’t really sure, to be honest). He’s a former intelligence operative trying to retire in sunny Miami, but he keeps getting roped into security jobs. He doesn’t want to take on another client, but he’s a softie at heart, and can’t say no to a favor for his friend.
These two begin their relationship with some skepticism toward each other. They circle around the feelings that develop for quite a while in the name of “keeping it professional.” If you read between the lines, it’s clear they’re both doing it for deeper reasons. They both have a hard time trusting others, particularly when it comes to being intensely vulnerable.
As much as I loved writing their banter, it was watching them open up to each other that was especially gratifying. The rescue scene at the end, where they both word-vomit details of their lives despite the fact that it’s
really not the time, had been in my head for a long time before I wrote it. I loved the idea that in the midst of this slightly wacky external conflict, they both decide to lay it all out there and make themselves vulnerable to each other.
I hope you loved Cameron and Jude’s story as much as I did. And if you haven’t, check out the other Bluewater Billionaires romantic comedies. Cameron’s BFFs Emily, Luna, and Daisy have fantastic stories and fabulous HEAs.
And if you enjoyed The Mogul and the Muscle, it would be awesome if you’d leave a review on Amazon and Goodreads.
xoxo,
CK
Acknowledgments
Thank you so much to all my readers for coming on this journey with me. I love your beautiful faces!
Thanks to everyone on my team who was a part of making this book a reality. Kari for the beautiful design work and graphics. Nikki for suggestions, encouragement, critiques, and for helping me keep my head above water. Elayne for your editing work so my books are always polished and professional.
Thank you to David for your never-wavering belief in me, and to my family for supporting me in this crazy job.
And thank you to Lucy, Kathryn, and Pippa. Not only for sharing this quirky Bluewater world with me, but for being my people. I love your guts.
Also by Claire Kingsley
For a full and up-to-date listing of Claire Kingsley books visit www.clairekingsleybooks.com
Bluewater Billionaires
Hot, stand-alone romantic comedies. Lady billionaire BFFs and the badass heroes who love them.
The Mogul and the Muscle
A billionaire and her bodyguard hot romantic comedy.
The Price of Scandal, Wild Open Hearts, and Crazy for Loving You
More Bluewater Billionaire shared-world stand-alone romantic comedies by Lucy Score, Kathryn Nolan, and Pippa Grant
Dirty Martini Running Club
Hot stand-alone romantic comedies with huge… hearts.
Everly Dalton’s Dating Disasters
Free Faking Ms. Right prequel
Faking Ms. Right
A hot fake relationship romantic comedy
Bootleg Springs
by Claire Kingsley and Lucy Score
Hot and hilarious small-town romcom series with a dash of mystery and suspense. Best read in order.
Whiskey Chaser
Sidecar Crush
Moonshine Kiss
Bourbon Bliss
Gin Fling
Highball Rush
The Miles Family Series
Sexy, sweet, funny, and heartfelt family series. Messy family. Epic bromance. Super romantic.
Broken Miles
Forbidden Miles
Reckless Miles
Hidden Miles
Gaining Miles: A Miles Family Novella
Book Boyfriends
Hot romcoms that will make you laugh and make you swoon.
Book Boyfriend
Cocky Roommate
Hot Single Dad
Remembering Ivy
A unique contemporary romance with a hint of mystery.
His Heart
A poignant and emotionally intense story about grief, loss, and the transcendent power of love.
The Always Series
Smoking hot, dirty talking bad boys with some angsty intensity.
Always Have
Always Will
Always Ever After
The Jetty Beach Romance Series
Sexy small-town romance series with swoony heroes, romantic HEAs, and lots of big feels.
Behind His Eyes
One Crazy Week
Messy Perfect Love
Operation Get Her Back
Weekend Fling
Good Girl Next Door
The Path to You
The Jetty Beach Box Set Books 1-4
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About the Author
Claire Kingsley is a Top 10 Amazon bestselling author of sexy, heartfelt contemporary romance and romantic comedies. She writes sassy, quirky heroines, swoony heroes who love their women hard, panty-melting sexytimes, romantic happily ever afters, and all the big feels.
She can’t imagine life without coffee, her Kindle, and the sexy heroes who inhabit her imagination. She’s living out her own happily ever after in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and three kids.
www.clairekingsleybooks.com
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The Mogul and the Muscle: A Bluewater Billionaires Romantic Comedy Page 28