Rhys's fiancée (1)

Rhys's fiancée (1)
KIRA

Fiancé?

Of course he is engaged. Rhys is most women’s dream man; wealthy, powerful, and so handsome that he could have been a supermodel. Not to mention, he asked me to be his fiancée in the past, despite claiming to find me unattractive. He must have been desperate—makes sense that he would find someone else as soon as possible.

Why does it hurt so much? I knew whatever was going on between us was purely sex, and it hasn’t even been going on for long. I shouldn’t want to pull his fiancée’s hair for merely existing.

I must have been staring into space for longer than I realized because the woman starts tapping her foot impatiently.

"I’m sorry, Miss, who is your fiancé?" I ask like a fool. Maybe the man he is referring to is not Rhys, and she got the wrong office.

"Rhys Redmond," she says the name like it’s a sacred vow, like she wants to slap me across the face for wasting her time.

I look at my computer screen. I want to take my sweet time to make her wait, but mixing my job with unnecessary feelings is what got me here in the first place. So instead, I swallow my thoughts, offering the woman the brightest smile I can manage. "Mr. Redmond is in a meeting. I’ll show you to the waiting lounge and let him know you are here."

She groans, reminding me of a spoiled princess who didn’t get her way. The woman is breathtaking, with long, pin-straight brown hair that reaches down her waist. Her makeup is a work of art, with bold red lipstick that matches the shade of her dress. Her shoes and accessories all look like they cost millions—maybe they did.

The fiancée of a man like Rhys must be of the same social status as him, while I’m a nobody in comparison. Even if I used to be a mafia princess, right now, I am a woman trying her best not to get her throat slit.

I shouldn’t worry about such trivial matters. If Rhys gets married, he will no longer have a reason to protect me. But, to be honest, it’s not what stings the most.

When we are in the waiting lounge, I let Rhys’s fiancée occupy one of the posh velvet chairs. "Please wait here, miss…?"

"Mrs. Redmond," she corrects me. "Does my maiden name matter if I will change it in a few weeks?"

Strange, it almost feels like she is trying to provoke me.

"I will let you know when Mr. Redmond is ready to see you."

"Get me a cup of coffee," she orders, setting her bag on the table and crossing her legs at the knee. "I like mine black with one sugar."

I hold back my urge to slap her. "I’m sorry, we are all out of coffee."

"Then go out and buy some."

Her words aren’t offensive, but something about her tone unnerves me. She’s looking at me like something stuck to the bottom of her expensive shoe.

"I’m sorry, that’s not part of my job description."

The woman smiles. "I get it. Kira, right? A little birdie told me you’ve been sleeping with my fiancé. Woman to woman, don’t let it get to your head. You will never be good enough for him."

I don’t care who this woman is, I will not let her lecture me like I’m her husband’s mistress. I force a smile of my own. "Woman to woman, don’t piss off your future husband’s secretary. She may hold valuable information."

I leave before she can say anything, but as soon as I’m out, I question my intelligence. If she asked Rhys to fire me, would he?

….

Rhys returns an hour later. I’m tempted to keep his grumpy future wife waiting, but I can’t keep risking my job over a few minutes of gratification.

He jerks his head in the direction of his office on his way, signaling me to follow him.

"Your fiancée is here," I say as soon as I close the door. "She is not impressed by the lack of coffee in the kitchen pantry. You may want to take her out for coffee to make it up to her."

I hope my voice is not dripping in as much jealousy as I fear. I like Rhys Redmond—obviously. I wouldn’t have slept with him if I were indifferent—but I didn’t think it was anything beyond sexual attraction.

The man doesn’t look nearly as bothered as I am. He grabs me by the waist and pins me against the wall as his hand slides under my skirt. I swat it away.

"Behave yourself, Mr. Redmond. I just said your fiancée is here."

"Really? I didn’t know I was engaged."

His response is enough to get my heart beating again. It’s as though I had been frozen, and now the sun is shining on me, thawing away the ice.

That’s the beginning of lunacy, I tell myself. Rhys’s hands are all over me, but I want to be done with that woman. Can I really trust his words alone? I have to hear it from her.

"Black hair, tall, supermodel figure. Ring any bell?" I ask.

Rhys stops touching me for long enough to say, "I should have known. Let her in."

My eyes are stinging by the time I reach the waiting lounge. So he does know her. After pretending not to be engaged for a grand total of five seconds, he indirectly admitted it.

I find Future Mrs. Redmond on her phone, her brows knitted in fury.

"Mr. Redmond is ready to see you."

"I didn’t know his meeting was with his little secretary at her desk," she taunts, glancing down at my chest. I follow her gaze to find two of my buttons undone. I grab the front of my shirt.

I want to slap the smirk off her face, but something else catches my attention. Why is she acting like it’s normal for her fiancé to be sleeping around?