looks, neither of which interested him. He knew he shouldn’t find it a hardship, but he wanted something real, honest. And so far he hadn’t found it.
He studied the photo of Kerry Roberts, and read her ad again. Her response to his question made him chuckle. Most of the women on the site were scantily clad, more than willing to show off their “wares” in order to gain attention. Her dress spoke of class, yet sexy—a woman who knew how to present herself. And her age gave her the wisdom he knew most girls on this site did not possess.
If that’s how old she is. Grayson scrubbed his stubbly jaw with a hand. She didn’t look over thirty, so either genetics worked in her favor, or she figured an ‘older woman’ might get her more attention.
From the profiles he’d read in the last few minutes, he knew most of the girls tried to come off as the daughter type—sweet, innocent, but an undercurrent pervaded—a willingness to negotiate favors of the sexual variety for a little cash, gifts and a whole lot of attention. That he’d witnessed first-hand from braggart clients. Only your clients? His subconscious had to add the jab. Kerry Roberts, on the other hand, held no pretense. She made it clear what she was looking for. Is she serious? Only one way to find out.
Grayson typed in another reply: Tell me about yourself.
He tapped his fingers against the desktop, waiting for her response. After a few seconds, her reply popped up on his screen: My profile says it all.
“Interesting,” he muttered. It irritated the hell out of him she’d outright ask for money instead of making her own way. At least she’s honest, more than you can say for Anna.
He shook the memory of his ex-fiancée from his mind. Why should he care if Kerry Roberts went in search of a man to take care of her? He didn’t want a woman like that in his life anyway. He’d gotten rid of one a few years back. And maybe you still wonder how someone could be like that.
Challengeechoed in his head. As a lawyer, he had a reputation for making people crack under pressure. Since he had no desire to speak to Anna at all, he wondered if he got to know what made a woman like Kerry tick, perhaps he could finally understand Anna’s intentions and let the past go once and for all.
He straightened up in his chair and prepared his questions.
Grayson: Current place of employment?
Kerry: I work as a legal clerk in a law firm.
Grayson: Which one?
Several seconds ticked by.
Kerry: Ah. You’re a lawyer. I obviously don’t work for you, now do I?
He laughed out loud.
Grayson: I work at Smith, Wesson and Glocks.
An eye roll emoticon popped up.
Kerry: Lame.
Grayson: Google it.
A tongue emoticon preceded her reply.
Kerry: Wasting my time. Let me guess—Smith, Weston and Porter. My office deals with yours on occasion. That makes you corporate. Big money. Got the bank statements to back it up?
Grayson choked on another laugh. The woman has balls.
Grayson: If you meet me for dinner, I’ll present my financial statements to you as per your request.
Why the hell did I offer that? Never mind. Follow your instinct.
Kerry: Dinner? Presumptuous. Coffee is a safer bet. We might hate each other after five minutes.
His eyes narrowed. Bingo . Asking a man for coffee ensured a short date. This meant one of two things—either she’d been on a few dates she wished had ended sooner, or she only needed a few minutes to deem him worthy to financially support her. Both probably apply. Did she do this often?
Grayson: Your ad doesn’t specify we need to like one another. Money, someone to tolerate your kids, and negotiation of sexual favors is what I read here.
Kerry: Are you saying you want sex as a part of the deal?
Grayson: I’m a man. Take a guess.
Several seconds ticked by before she responded.
Kerry: I suppose we don’t have to like each other to have an orgasm together. It also says I reserve the right to put out or withhold. That’s not