Hitched (Imperfect Love Book 2) Read Online Free Page A

I’ll ever be. We just have to go for it.”
    I squeeze her shoulder in reassurance. I’m almost . . . proud of her. She’s shaking in her high heels and yet she’s still standing here, ready to fight.
    “We’ve got this,” I promise her. “Don’t look so worried.”
    It’s time to grab the bull by the balls. I pull open the glass door, and we head inside and slip past the receptionist like we know where we’re going. I figured that the element of surprise is always better when you’re playing hardball.
    But when we enter his corner office, Bradford looks like he was expecting us all along, with a smug grin stretched across his face.
    “What, no pack of hungry lawyers? I figured that’s where this was headed.” Smirking like he’s already won, Brad rises from his desk.
    His office is furnished in a traditional style—a large free-standing mahogany desk facing the door, rows of bookshelves holding volumes of textbooks. A framed photograph of a rabbit hanging on the wall. Okay, that last thing is weird . . .
    I stand my ground, gazing steadily at Brad, letting him know that his bullshit posturing doesn’t intimidate me one bit. “We could come in here and threaten to sue your ass off, but we both know that would give you exactly the satisfaction you’re looking for—a court battle, a media circus, Olivia’s name dragged through the mud.”
    Brad’s eyes narrow. “The mud? I think that’s a bit optimistic. Olivia’s name would mean nothing by the time I’m done with her.”
    Olivia shifts next to me. Her flinch is subtle, not enough for Brad to see, but I feel it. I reach over and take her hand.
    “Anyway, we’re not here to sue you,” I continue. “We just thought we’d pay a visit to catch up. How’s your old college buddy? What was his name . . . ?” I tap my lips, pretending to think. “Franklin Ashby?”
    “How do you know him?” Brad responds just a little too quickly. His eyes dart from mine to Olivia’s, and his brow pinches unattractively.
    Geez, what did she ever see in this pencil dick?
    “Oh, come on,” Olivia chimes in. “You two were roommates all through undergrad. Always bro-ing it up. Did you forget I was your girlfriend then?”
    While we were strategizing last night, inspiration struck me when Olivia mentioned the name of Brad’s college roommate. A name that I’d heard before, floating around New York’s elite social circles. It only took a few quick phone calls to confirm everything.
    But even though Olivia gave me this whole idea, the last thing we need right now is a verbal firefight between the two of them. I’m pretty sure that’s what happened when he called her, and it got her nowhere. (Although it didn’t exactly get Brad anywhere either.)
    So I wave my hand in Olivia’s direction to stop her. Just let me do the talking for a little longer, baby.
    I start explaining to Brad exactly how screwed he is. “About six months ago, just before his company’s big announcement, your friend Ashby exercised his stock options and purchased almost a quarter million shares. He made a killing.” I rub my chin. “Funny, I seem to remember you doing pretty well too. Your stock trades even went through in the same week. Isn’t that an interesting coincidence?”
    “How do you know that?” Too late, Brad tries to recover. “I mean, what are you implying?”
    “To answer your first question, Frank likes to brag when he’s got a few drinks in him,” I reply with a cheerful shrug. “And to your second question, insider trading.”
    The color drains from Brad’s face. “You have no proof!”
    I suppress a triumphant grin. “Maybe not right now. But the private investigator I hired to sift through the stock trade records for Frank’s company and verify the personal connection between you two?” I suck my teeth with a loud tsk ing noise. “Within a few days, he’ll have enough evidence for probable cause. And then you can explain to the SEC why you and