Miss Goody Two Shoes

▪️ Emily ▪️ “To Olivia and Liam. May they have a long and happy life together.” Emily raised her glass in a toast, then kissed Olivia's cheek. “I love you.” “I love you too,” she said. “And thank you so much for this and everything else.” “Anything for you.” Liam gave Emily a hug. They’d met in business school, and though he was the antithesis of Emily—Liam was friendly, charming, and likable—they’d meshed, and after graduation turned their friendship into a partnership and started their own marketing firm. They poured everything they had into it, and now it was one of the hottest, trendiest companies in New York City, priding themselves on spotting styles and fledgling companies before they became popular, and employing innovative, creative people who weren’t afraid to think outside the norm. “Take care of her, or I’ll beat your ass.” “Yeah, yeah, ma'am.” Liam, who was big and brawny, snorted. But he had a heart

▪️Ace▪️ “Why’re you so interested in my sex life?” Irritated, he poured himself another glass of champagne. “Not yours, idiot Emily's. That girl never allows herself to have a moment of fun. She doesn’t exactly talk about sex. In case you haven’t noticed, she's…uptight a little of...goody two shoes. I can’t even imagine her having sex, she’s so closed off.” Oh, trust me, she’s had sex. She e knows her way around a dick.Ace shifted in his seat, his satisfied body and him wanting more is a testimony to that. “She’s not so uptight. And I wasn’t aware you shared sex stories, especially since you met the beautiful Olivia—ow.” Ace rubbed his arm. “What did you punch me for?” “Because. Don’t talk about Olivia and sex. It’s disrespectful.” “And so are you, trying to figure out Emily's sex life,” he shot back, defensive of Emily for some bizarre reason. “If you don’t want anyone thinking of you and Olivia doing the deed, don’t try and ferret out intel on E

▪️ Emily ▪️ If Ace thought he would rush right out and call his supposed reference, he was sadly mistaken. Emily fully intended to enjoy the rest of Olivia and Liam's wedding. Emily could see Ace shooting her looks, but Emily deliberately set her phone on the table and folded her arms. Inside, however, she was a mess. Amber had been with her for over five years and knew her like a well-worn suit—in fact, she picked out most of her clothes. How was she going to handle everything without her? The Company had a big presentation at the end of the month, and she was handling all the minute incidentals leading up to it. “We’re going to check out now. Our plane leaves at eight, and we’ve got last-minute packing.” Olivia slid her arms around Emily's neck and kissed her cheek. “I love you so much. Thank you for everything. I couldn’t have asked for a more magical wedding. Or a better sister. I wish Mommy could’ve been here.” She sniffled. “She would’ve loved Liam, don’t you think?” It was a

▪️ Emily ▪️ Emily took a corresponding step away from Ace. “It’s not about satisfying me. It’s about the clients and getting the job done and done well. I’m fine with a trial run.” Again in control, she lifted her chin and straightened her shoulders. “I’m going to the office now to set things up for you to come in tomorrow. You should be ready to work. Don’t think I’m going to go easy on you because you’re Liam's brother.” Ace's eyes narrowed. “I’ll meet you at the office later so I can start early and be fully on board and ready to go tomorrow. And for the record, I don’t need anyone to go easy on me. I can take it as hard as it comes. You should know that. Especially after yesterday.” “Cut that out,” Emily snapped, clenching her fists. This was the Ace she knew—obnoxious and always ready to push her buttons. “What?” Ace's wide-eyed innocence didn’t fool her. Emily darted a swift glance to each side and lowered her voice. “All the innuendos about what happened between us.” “I th

▪️Ace▪️ Emily shot him an unreadable look but said nothing and continued tapping on the keyboard. “All right. IT will also give you access to my calendar and the client lists. We have a lookbook of all our accounts. At the moment there are sixty active campaigns. You don’t need to know all of them, only the ones I’m dealing with, and right now, the main one we’re pitching for is Mojo, a lifestyle company that includes fitness, grooming, and food.” “Oh yeah, I’ve heard of them. Taylor used their stuff, but it was too rich for my blood.” Emily reached into a drawer, rummaged around, and pulled out a few tubes and a jar. “Here. They sent over samples. Take what you want.” “Seriously? Thanks.” Emily opened the jar and sniffed the hair pomade. “Nice. I know a lot of guys use their stuff and follow their routines.” “Yes. We’re hoping they hire us for all their media, and we can run their print as well as social-media campaigns.” “Yeah, sure. I’ll go over their files tonight.” “Good.