The Devil of Downtown (Uptown Girls, #3)

by Joanna Shupe

“I thought I wasn’t your type?” He lifted a shoulder and shoved his hands in his trouser pockets. “The more you argue with me, the more ‘my type’ you become.”

Men are the way they are because we’ve allowed them to run roughshod over us for centuries.

“Why are sons not taught to change things? Why must the burdens and problems of this world constantly fall on the shoulders of women?”

And while he loved every bit of it, nothing lasted forever. A king only remained a king if he learned how to adapt.

Come on. Let’s face the dragons together.” He presented his arm and, after she sucked in a deep breath for courage, she accepted it.

Oh, but when the criminals lived above Forty-Second Street, they were called tycoons.

“You said I wasn’t your type.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “I lied. Shall I prove it to you?”

He made no effort to speak. Just took up space while he drank the beer. Years of experience had taught him that employing silence was often the most threatening thing a man could do.

it was like the entire world wanted to make money off what lay between a woman’s legs . . . then punish them for it.

The only two things Americans cared about were alcohol and money. He would soon have a lot of both.

“Asking for what you want is not selfish. None of this is about who wins or loses. We don’t keep score. If any man ever tries to tell you otherwise, he deserves to be beaten.”

She had considered asking Jack to come with her, but immediately rejected the idea. She could do this on her own. For years, she had been looking after herself. Merely because he kissed her from time to time didn’t mean she could trouble him with every little problem.

“We are good together. Tell me, are you so eager to throw that away, too?” Hurt flashed across her face and he almost took the words back. Instead, he fell silent and let her think about what walking out meant. It meant no more bowling or afternoons on Bond Street. It meant no more kisses or carriage rides. It meant no more laughing or fucking or just breathing together. And if she took all that away, he’d never be the same.