Free Taming The Boss (Billionaires In The City Book 7) by Mallory Crowe Page B

make it into town and drop the shells off with Steve before getting cleaned up for his “date.”
    Even though Cali thought she was getting the drop on him tonight, he had his own ulterior motives. As much as he wanted her out of his hair, he couldn’t have her running around when she was in danger. As long as she was here, she needed to be close to him. And that meant that after today, she’d be staying with him at his house. She just didn’t know it yet.
     
    ~~~~~
     
    Cali looked in the mirror. She really wished she had access to her vast collection of clothes back at her apartment, but this would have to do. He’d dropped off her bag, thankfully, so at least she didn’t have to worry about borrowing something from Mary.
    Even though she and the aging beauty were probably the same size, Cali didn’t favor the hippie chick look that Mary pulled off effortlessly.
    She’d stuffed a dress in her overnight bag at the last minute and that was paying off now. It took up hardly any room, so it hadn’t bulked up the bag. It was a blue paisley pattern, but the pattern was just slightly darker blue than the background so it wasn’t overwhelming but also wasn’t as boring as a straight blue dress.
    The waist was tight, but extra material around the top hung over to give the top a slight billowy look while the skirt hugged her hips, letting what ass she had actually stand out. Really, it wasn’t bad for a date dress because it was big enough to be comfortable but still flattering.
    She was in a small town, so she kept the makeup simple. Her collection of cosmetics had cost thousands of dollars as it had steadily grown over the years, and she used the basics to turn her decent complexion perfect, and added a neutral, light eye shadow with a cat-eye liner and a nude pink lipstick.
    As much as she loved to dress up and put on makeup, doing her hair was her least favorite part. Instead of filling it with product and hairspray, Cali twisted her hair into an easy, pretty braid. The roots had been freshly touched up just two weeks ago when she’d gone on her weekend trip with Easson.
    She winced at the memory. As much as she tried not to think about her short romance with the man who’d had her so fooled, the reminders kept coming up. Looking back, all the pieces clicked into place. How he’d casually run into her at the gym. How he’d had almost the same music on his phone, right down to her favorite Taylor Swift song.
    And all of it had been a lie. After that night at the Farrell party, she’d found out that he’d joined the gym just days before he “accidentally” bumped into her. And, from the file that Evelyn had shared with her, everything he’d told her about his childhood and life was one big lie.
    This was a man she’d spent the night with. Shared her body and some of her deepest secrets with. Which actually could work out in her favor. If he was truly mad at her for “betraying” him, at least he knew that the only friends she truly had were the Devereaux brothers, and they were already under protection. There was no one he could hurt to get to her.
    Ahh, the joys of not speaking to any of your family members.
    “Cali,” called Mary from the first story. “Rourke is here for you!”
    Well...now or never. Cali gave herself one more once-over in the mirror. After okaying the final look, she slipped on her four-inch ankle boots and glanced around the room to make sure she wasn’t forgetting anything.
    The bed-and-breakfast really was charming. The bed was decorated with a pink floral quilt, and even though the brown of the paneled walls and flooring was overwhelming, the view of the ocean along with the clawfoot tub and pedestal sink in her personal bathroom more than made up for it.
    Once Cali was certain she had everything she needed in her bag, she steeled herself for her night with Rourke. She really didn’t know what to expect from him. Dealing with Rourke was like dealing with a volatile stick of