I let my gaze slide toward Violet, watching as she perches on the edge of her seat, those wide, velvety brown eyes taking in everything that asshole Lawrence has to say. My skin tightens as I imagine her looking at me like that. Like I hung the moon and stars and everything in between, all of it just for her.

Yeah, I’ve fantasized about her. More than once. Who wouldn’t? Sometimes even when I’m fucking Pilar, I’ve imagined Violet in her place. Pictured her beneath me, all that long, silky dark hair spread across my pillow, her cheeks glowing, that velvet gaze stuck on me. Only me. There’s just something about her shy, reserved personality that drives me out of my fucking mind. That makes me want to drive her out of her fucking mind.

With my cock imbedded deep inside her tight little body.

“I don’t know. This idea comes with zero guarantees,” I finally say with a quick shake of my head. One wrong move and we could both be fired. I can’t afford to screw around. I need to focus. I need to get away from Pilar once and for all and get her to back off.

I need to grow the fuck up and do something with my life. I’m tired of dealing with distractions. But sick as it is, Pilar is all I have. There’s no family, no real close friends. It’s hard to let her go.

And she knows it.

“Just when I was ready to agree with your plan, you act like this. You’re no fun.” Pilar mock pouts. “You’ve become awfully serious lately.”

“I have to be. Look, Pilar.” I lean across the table, wanting her to see just how damn serious I am. “I can’t afford to fuck around anymore. I want that promotion. I want the fuck out of here. We start pulling too many people into this and actually … hurt someone, the CEO’s daughter for Christ’s sake—it’s too damn risky.”

“Oh, it’ll be fun. And like you care about Violet’s feelings. When has she ever done anything for you? She usually looks at you like you’re a piece of dirty, sticky gum on the bottom of her shoe.”

Pilar’s probably right. Doesn’t matter, though. I may be a user, but the idea of pushing Violet over the edge doesn’t sit well.

Guess I have some morals after all.

“I don’t know …” I start, but she cuts me off.

“Please. You can’t do this for me?” She waves a hand, dismissing my words. Since when did this plan turn into her project? “After I took you in. Gave you a job when you had nothing. You’d be dead if it weren’t for me.”

Fuck. I know. She’s told me often enough.

“You owe me,” Pilar continues. “I loaned you money.”

“I paid you back, didn’t I?” Freaking tenfold, I want to add but don’t.

“I saved your life,” she reiterates. “Come on. I think your idea sounds fun. Everyone gets what they want.”

Fun. The idea is much more than just fun. “Meaning me and you,” I say.

“Darling, we are the only ones who count in this world. If we can’t look after each other, then no one else will.” She reaches across the table and settles her hand on top of mine. “Come on, my darling, sweet boy. Do this for me—do this for you—and we can ensure each other’s climb at Fleur. I guarantee it.”

How the hell can she guarantee anything? I’m not the same gullible kid I was when she first found me. “Knock it off, Pilar,” I mutter, sliding my hand from beneath hers.

I swear I feel Violet’s eyes on me, watching me. Judging me. Little prude. She probably thinks I’m a complete jackass, when she’s the one inviting the biggest asshole on the planet into her bed every night.

Makes me wonder how she is in bed. Uptight? Prim and closed off? Lawrence probably has to pry her thighs open with a crowbar to get in there and then she dissolves into tears every time they have sex.

Sounds like a nightmare to me.

Yet I’m still hard as a rock just thinking about it.

Which means … I should do this. Fuck it. What have I got to lose? And if it all comes together as planned, I have everything to gain. Everything.

“If I do this …” I start, lowering my voice. The excitement that flares in Pilar’s eyes fuels my own. “If I fuck her … play with her for a while, we have to be discreet. Meaning you have to keep quiet.”

Pilar nods, her eyes going wide. “I can do that.”

“You fuck Lawrence and cause them to break up, but don’t make a huge scene. Then we get him the hell out of Fleur,” I say, laying it all out. “I console Violet, we become closer. I prove to her father that I’m perfect for the London job and he has no choice but to promote me. I leave Violet behind, devastated that I broke up with her so harshly, and then she’ll need to—go away for a while to recover. That’s when you slide in and take over her responsibilities.”

“Sounds perfect,” she croons, her hand covering mine once more, her foot sliding along my leg. My cock twitches to life, both from Pilar’s actions and the challenge of the hunt, the chance at the prize.

Fucking Violet Fowler and getting a promotion in London, away from Pilar? I couldn’t ask for anything better.

“After her, this is it, though. No more games. We remain friends only, Pilar. That’s all,” I add.

The smile on Pilar’s face diminishes, but I can still see the glow in her eyes. She loves it when I talk like this because she thinks I don’t mean it. This time, though, I do. “Fine. Whatever you want, darling. It’ll be fun. We can compare notes.”