Chapter 6 Firing Back At Her

• Kirk returned to the Hoffman Group with the file in hand after an hour.
• Behind the mahogany table sat a man in a grey suit. His forearm was sinewy and strong, and the intensity he evoked as he worked was pressurizing to observers. He looked only up after he had sorted out the papers in front of him.
• Kirk then put the file he brought back on the table. “Ms. Cook has signed on it, Mr. Hoffman.”
• “How did she look?”
• “She was h-happy.” What Kirk related was true to what he had witnessed. “Ms. Cook put pen to paper very quickly as she thought this to be a parting gift from you. She also mentioned that she had seen the news report this morning and thought Ms. Snydell a better fit for you.”
• Sebastian cussed as he opened up the file. The sticky note of appreciation with the imprint of lipstick on it fell onto the floor.
• He could infer the flawlessness of the enticing lips just by a cursory glance at the perfect shape of the imprint.
• It ignited the passion in Sebastian’s heart.
• Her moans. Her impish laughs. Everything she did when she was with him was all an act. But the thing was that he loved it and it was the reason why he kept her around all this time.
• A year was, strictly speaking, not that long of a duration. He too had grown a little weary at this point. What he did not expect was how much more eager she was to avail herself of him than he was of her.
• As Kirk assessed his boss’s reaction, he took a moment to measure his own words before he spoke. “Mr. Hoffman, I’ve noticed the presence of a man inside her dressing room when I went there.”
• Sebastian’s eyes darkened as he lifted his head. “Who was it?”
• “It might have been that award-winning actor Claude Nealey.” Kirk cleared his throat and appeared a little sheepish. “I overheard Ms. Cook complimenting your skills in bed and also mentioning how she enjoys the way you...”
• Sebastian smirked when he heard what his assistant said. “As lovely as she put it, it didn’t prevent her from moving on to her next mark. And boy, did she pick a good one.”
• Kirk silently concurred.
• That Ms. Cook sure knows how to put her own lethal combination of seductiveness and daintiness to good use. She seduces one man after another with her charms and her wiles, and outdoing herself at every turn!
• But Kirk preferred to exercise prudence around Sebastian and keep these private thoughts to himself. “Your flight tonight is at seven, Mr. Hoffman. We should be making our way to the airport soon.”
• Sebastian did not take his eyes off the luscious lip print on the sticky note in his hands. “Reschedule my flight to tomorrow afternoon.”
• That woman must be over the moon after signing the paperwork. He thought about showing up in front of her to see how she might react and see the expression on her face for himself.
• Kirk was stumped momentarily but being the professional that he was, he recovered just as quickly. “Understood.”
• Throwing the sticky note in between his fingers into the file, Sebastian ordered, “Take down all of those tabloid reports, and deal with that news agency that first broke the news.”
• “Affirmative.” His assistant felt sorry for that company.
• Knowing Mr. Hoffman’s temperament, they should have done better than to let Nova lead them by the nose!
• Natalie lethargically tidied up her desk.
• She was worn out from busying herself in the office all day. As she was about to head over to the news department to look for Zoey, her friend had called in first. Zoey apologetically explained that she had to leave as her father needed her for something, and promised to make up for it by preparing any dish Natalie liked the following evening.
• This call had Natalie back down in the doldrums. As the night was still young and she did not want to go back yet, she decided to go drinking at the bar.
• She was vexed from recalling the awful exchange she had with Claude earlier in the day, so the troubled woman continued to knock back one drink after another in a bid to stave off her festering emotions.
• How could one simply walk away from someone whom one had loved with all her heart?
• A reunion like this did nothing to lessen her pain.
• Her face that was caked with makeup did nothing to diminish her natural beauty. As she lay slumped and intoxicated at the bar counter, more than few men came up and tried to take advantage. All of whom she repulsed, one after the other.
• When she finally got fed up with it, she removed her heels and wielded them in her hands. Seeing one unfortunate bloke receive a few solid whacks over the head and an earful of cusses for his ancestors was enough to ward off the other would-be wooers.
• Another three drinks later, the room was spinning inside Natalie’s head as she almost passed out sprawling over the counter.
• “Mr. Hoffman would like to invite you over, Ms. Cook.”
• Natalie had no idea who whispered in her ear, and cussed as she was half led and half dragged along in fits and stops. “Who the heck does he think he is by asking me to go over? Does he take me for some hostess?”