Brazen Bossman: A Hero Club Novel, стр. 49
Gabs: I know you’re awake, so I thought you’d want to know that I heard back from my friend. I made our offer, so it’s official. I’ll send you the email so you can see our negotiations. It was harder than I thought. Apparently, the interested buyers pool is a deep one. Don’t reply to this. Go to fucking sleep.
I chuckle at her bossiness and hit the text box before to give her some kind of snarky reply when my screen changes, showing an incoming call. The one I’ve been waiting on pins and needles for.
I slide my thumb over my screen to answer.
“Piper,” I say in lieu of hello.
I hear a soft sigh before her voice caresses me ear. “Hi.”
“I didn’t think you were going to call,” I tell her honestly.
“I almost didn’t.”
“What changed your mind?”
“Wise advice from a wise person.” I can hear the faintest smile in her tone.
“I’m sorry about earlier,” I say with a sigh.
“You don’t have to apologize. I know it’s late and we should both be getting to bed, so I just wanted to call and tell you I would love to go to the Hamptons with you this weekend.”
I have to physically stop myself from hopping onto the sofa in happiness like Tom Cruise did that one time on Oprah.
“I’m really happy to hear that, baby.”
“But, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared.”
“Don’t be scared. It’s me and you. No one and nothing else. Okay?” I wish I could reach through the phone and pull her into my arms.
“When should I be ready?” she asks.
“How about we both skip work tomorrow and head up early in the morning? Have a long weekend? I have a feeling your boss would approve a mental health day for you.”
“Hmm. I’m not sure. He can be a bit of an asshole sometimes.”
“Don’t worry about him. I’ll take care of it.” I smile. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning at ten? Just bring whatever you need to have through Sunday evening.”
“Won’t people talk if they see we are both out on the same days? Considering the scene I made earlier this week?”
“I’ll handle that too. As long as you trust me.”
She doesn’t even hesitate before she answers, “I do.”
“Good.” I stand from my sofa and pad across the marble to my bedroom. “What are you doing right now?”
“I’m on my couch, trying to summon all of my energy to move from this spot and go to bed.”
“It’s late. You need to rest.”
“I will go to bed if you do,” she says as she stifles a yawn.
Even from across the city, she’s trying to take care of me.
“You’ve got a deal, Ms. Kingston.”
“I want proof though. I don’t trust you to not just tell me what I want to hear. Pics or it didn’t happen,” she giggles.
“Hey, if we can request pictures, I have a very specific one I’d like from you,” I tease.
“No nudes, Mr. Lennox.” I can hear the ruffling of sheets from her side.
I press a button on the wall that lowers my curtains from their home above my windows, shielding me from the lights of the city.
I cradle my cell phone between my ear and shoulder as I strip down to my boxer briefs and climb into bed, resting on my back with arm tucked behind my head.
“I’m in bed.”
“Prove it,” she demands, but there is a clear playfulness in her voice.
I sigh out a laugh and snap a photo, sending it to her phone. “Happy now?”
“Very. Now, just stay put and sleep for once.”
“I will. Goodnight, Piper.”
“Goodnight, Nathanial.”
I end the call and place my phone on the nightstand beside me, but within moments, it lights up again, only this time, it’s with an incoming picture.
I open it up to see she’s sent me a photo of her in bed. No makeup on her face, the sheet pulled up around her chest, and her hair is fanned out on her pillow. She looks so perfect like that. Don’t get me wrong, I love when she’s all done up for work, but seeing her stripped down, completely bare and vulnerable, tugs at a place deep in my psyche that awakens a part of me I didn’t even know existed.
On the bottom half of the picture is a scribbled message she must have written with her finger, and it makes my body ache in excitement from head to toe.
I can’t wait for tomorrow.
Chapter 18
Piper
“Kate, I promise I’m okay.” I switch my phone onto speaker, then place it on my bed, so I can make sure I have everything I need in the small overnight bag I’m bringing with me.
“Well, the last time I saw you, you were clearly very upset over him. I wouldn’t be doing a very good job as your best friend if I didn’t at least check on you. Especially after he emailed me this morning and asked that I add a meeting to his schedule, which I’m assuming is a ruse.”
I smile. “Yeah, that would be a ruse, all right. He just doesn’t want anyone to be suspicious of us both being out.” I toss a pair of shoes into my bag. “And Kate, I wouldn’t go if I was worried, you know? It’s needed. I need this.”
I rifle through my mental checklist as I spot things in my bag. Bikini? Check. A couple of simple outfits? Check. A few essentials? Check and check.
“When is he supposed to be there to get you?” she asks.
I check the time on my alarm clock. “Any minute.”
“Are you nervous?”
“I’m so nervous that I’m shaking, but at the same time, I’m so sure about it I feel settled. It doesn’t even make any sense.” I plop to the edge of my bed and fall back.
“What