Accidentally His: The Girl Who Trespassed

rt's

-

at when Julian pull

e Carter stands on the sidewalk, both hands wrapped around th

o idea wha

f my mouth. Almost a sm

n stays down. Engine hums underneath. Horns blare. Somebod

lls from Matteo. Board emails flagged

opening a new m

ine Carter. Columbia grad stud

*Already on it. Saw the street ca

moves ahead befor

r. Trespassing. Lying. Instead I sat there, aware of her weight

is still

es I haven't mapped. Not my style. I don't leave outcomes to chance. N

last name. They arrive rehearsed, all smiles a

ost absurd bluff I've witnessed. Then looked at me with those haz

the window. Glass towers. Heavy machiner

actly am

ng. The press catalogs the empty chair beside me at every event. My compet

voice. Last time I saw him. *Men like

swering thos

nts. A smile for the cameras. Clean u

hanges. Juli

ation puls

business, marketing. Honors. Two jobs. No criminal record. Dad gone since s

ad it

tion underneath the bluff when that girl pushed her. She wasn't performin

-

floors, the city spread below. Rossi Internati

out, opens t

ck," I hear

in the rearview mi

re we we

. Starts

epping out of a coffee shop around

down.

t, eyes wide. Then the c

me laugh. Nobo

out to pass out. I prefer

makes he

threading through. "Should I curt

A smirk forms b

opens the door and slides in. Press

rt g

ve the partition open. I

then pull apart. Her knee bounces once and stops the moment she notices it. She presses her palm

rly projections and the Milan expansion. I catch her watching my

s. Silence fi

irst. "Where

o formalize ou

rt where I'm lock

u attend six events and

is. "Six events?

of a month. Did you think I r

face. She turns

-

es her neck, throat working as she swal

out an

lows. Ev

ditioning at a steady hum. My security team nods a

een floors, she steadies

out of habit.

h what I have

e space allows. Watches the numb

small talk. "

No appetite for boasting

. Doors open

w. Art on the walls from years of travelling. She s

cle. Her eyes move acros

ches herself before touching it. Her hand hovers at the edge of

k here,"

Ye

ery

st d

ys noth

lio. His eyes move to Adeline. Take in the ripped jeans, the oversized sweater, the

glish clearly aimed at her.

area. "Miss Carter and I are

eyebrow joi

preads the documents across the glass coffee table while A

Appropriate attire will be provided. Discretion is required. In

roduces an actual contract with actual legal language and

her bag strap. She clears

ind of e

usiness dinners. Social oblig

fice, at me, at everything surrounding us. "You're you. S

gendas," I say. "You

w. "So I'm your

e my so

hat pr

tract closer. "Sign, and we pro

in her wrist beats visible against her skin. She reads more carefully than I

of me at these eve

. Allow me to introduce you as my comp

priatel

lf. That's

to mine. "You'r

potential legal exp

e contract. At th

ithout movemen

t. Uneven loops acro

necessary. Index finger pressed flat a

e wardrobe consultation and send the details

Nearly catches her boot on the c

er to the

in, I hold out my

"You already

d it

s it aloud. "Albert Rossi.

ngers go slack. The card drops and

a breath. "You're *

hing take

ss Carter." A beat. "Try

doors

cation pi

ground check fl

f something?*

check. Seventy-two hours a

brow

Wh

layers. Whoever it was

ber descends. For

ing her before she

just got a lot m