Sweet Little Lies

Chapter Four

When Harry walked into the office after lunch the Friday before his and Ivy's meeting he was met with a familiar face. One that he didn't expect, mainly because he thought he was currently traipsing around Asia, but also because no one was allowed in his office without him. Yet here he was.

A shit eating grin spread wide across his face, smug as ever, "There he is."

"Dev." He greeted, "What are you doing here?"

"I thought it was about time I came home and spent some time with my good friend."

"We're not friends."

Dev frowned playfully, "Always such a moody thing, aren't you."

With a roll of his eyes, he closed the door behind him, "Seriously, how did you get in?"

"Your secretary is a flirt." He told him, "Something you should probably be warned about. Just think, I could be here to kill you, and she just let me in because of my pretty face."

Harry made a mental note to fire the girl at the front desk.

"So, you're back in town? Why?" Harry asked, walking around his desk to reopen his computer. Fifty new emails from the last hour.

"A little birdie told me about a blossoming romance, and I had to come see it for myself." Dev said with intrigue in his eyes.

Harry raised an unimpressed eyebrow, "Really? That's why?"

Dev scoffed, "Don't play this off. You and I both know this is a big deal. You and the Whiskey Heiress? It's Queenstown royalty."

"That's a bit much." He replied dryly, although it was true.

"Tell me," he leaned in, "did you do it to piss off your dad? No way he's keen on this matchup."

"It was actually his idea." Harry supplied.

There was a beat of silence.

Then, "Shit."

Dev had grown up in this city, and while he wasn't born into crime, he was certainly living adjacent to it. He knew very well what this was.

"So," he leaned back in his chair watching Harry carefully, "she's gonna be the Missus?"

Harry sighed, "Yes."

After a few seconds, Dev continued lightly, "Well, at least you get a stunner. Ivy Malone is..."

His words were cut off by the glare Harry sent his way. He hadn't meant to, but his reaction was inevitable. Technically, the contracts weren't signed just yet, but that didn't change a thing. Ivy was his.

A glint of amusement sparkled in Dev's brown eyes, "Ah, look who's already smitten."

"I'm not smitten." He bit out.

"What's she like?"

Harry considered this. "Different." Was what he came up with.

Dev's grin widened, but he didn't say anything.

"What?" Harry demanded, annoyed.

His hands went up in defense, but his stupid fucking grin was still on full display, "Nothing... Nothing."

"Just say it." He bit out reluctantly.

"Well, since you so graciously asked," Harry glared at him, only amusing him further, "everything I know about her is telling me that she's gonna give you a hell of a time. She doesn't have a submissive bone in her body."

"And you know her so well?"

Dev shrugged, "We're on friendly terms."

Harry's back straightened at that, "You've spoken?"