Art of War and Love: A Rogue Encounter by Honey Mavryck

Author:Honey Mavryck [Mavryck, Honey]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: InkedPlot Media
Published: 2024-01-29T00:00:00+00:00

Precisely at 7 pm, a crisp knock echoed through my small apartment and I felt a second of dejavue. I took a deep breath, smoothed imaginary wrinkles from my carefully selected red pencil dress, and swung open the door.

My old nemesis turned partner in crime turned to face me, his firm lips pursing and releasing a low whistle. My strapped heels put me nearly at eye level. As his piercing blue eyes swept over me, a hint of appreciation warmed them before his expression shuttered.

"Ready to go knock some elitist socks off?" he asked, offering his arm with a roguish grin.

I lifted a brow, ignoring the pleasant flutter the sight of him in a tailored jacket and tie inspired. "That depends. Are you going to tell me who exactly we're meeting?" I grabbed my clutch and locked up.

"Patience, Firefly." The gravelly endearment sent a shiver down my spine as we walked to his sleek car. Always with the secrets. But the prospect of gaining backing for the exhibit overrode my irritation. I'd play along with his scheme, whatever it was.

The mystery only deepened when we pulled up outside Mastro's, one of the ritziest restaurants in San Diego. My heels clacked across the polished floors as the maître d' led us to a private room. Crystal chandeliers glittered overhead and I fought an instinctive urge to turn and run from the opulent setting.

At a large round table an older, distinguished couple waited, along with a woman dripping in diamonds and a silver-haired gentleman. They stood to greet us, curiosity lighting in their eyes. My nerves kicked into overdrive.

"Mom, Dad, Senator Clark, Mrs. Ambassador," Hunter addressed them smoothly. "Thank you for coming on short notice. This is Callie Cline, the talented art curator I mentioned."

The night snapped into sharp focus. These were Hunter's parents and clearly two very influential friends. We were ambushed by San Diego royalty and they were scrutinizing me like the latest new zoo monkey.

On autopilot, I exchanged polite greetings, discreetly wiping damp palms on my dress. Hunter guided me to my seat with a hand pressed lightly at the small of my back before taking the chair beside me. I avoided his gaze, trying to project poise despite feeling sucker punched.

Over appetizers I finally learned the distinguished older couple were his parents, Richard “Maverick” James and his wife Celia. The woman dripped in ice was Ambassador Marie Clark, wife of State Senator Tom Clark, old family friends. They made breezy small talk about travel and local happenings while I silently freaked out.

Finally the Senator turned to me. "So Hunter tells us you're organizing some sort of...exhibit at The Kill Zone? Forgive me, I'm still rather confused by it all." His patronizing smile raised my hackles.

I shot Hunter a questioning look but he just gave an imperceptible nod. Right. Time to put on the charm offensive.

Squaring my shoulders, I launched into my prepared spiel about contemporizing The Kill Zone's image to attract new crowds through showcasing local artistic talent.

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