Page 11 of One Night with the CEO

Mia was waiting for her at the gallery entrance when Genevieve arrived. She gave Genevieve a warm smile and walked up to meet her. She was holding the painting Genevieve had purchased. “Hi. I’ve got your painting.”

“Hi, Mia. Thank you; it truly is lovely. I have the contact here. Do you have an idea of where you want to go?”

“Anywhere you’d like. I don’t often do this kind of thing, and I’m not sure where would be appropriate.”

“Fabiola is a good place for these kinds of celebrations. Great drinks, and some snack food if you’re hungry.”

“That sounds great.”

Genevieve experienced no small amount of déjà vu while leading Mia to her car. The last time had been under entirely different circumstances, but both situations had one thing in common: Genevieve was sure it was going to end well for both parties.

She put the painting carefully in her trunk, positioning it so that it wouldn’t get jostled during the ride.

The upscale bar was already busy, but Genevieve took one of the booths with a table, which was quieter and more private.

“Business first, I think. Here’s the contract. If you’d like to have your lawyer take a look at it…”

“No, I can read it for myself. Legal jargon doesn’t scare me.”

Genevieve was sure that Mia would reconsider when reading the contract. It wasn’t deliberately complex, but picking through legal terms was usually difficult for artists like Mia, who were more creative than analytical.

However, Mia seemed to have little trouble with it. Her brow made the most adorable concentration furrow as she read. She asked a few questions, but Genevieve read comprehension and—even more attractively—intelligence in her face as her eyes followed the writing on the papers.

“That seems fair—exactly what we agreed on. I’m happy to sign this.” Genevieve was about to offer a pen, but Mia came up with her own and signed the contract. She handed it over to Genevieve, who added her name.

“Perfect. I’ll have a certified copy made and sent to you tomorrow. I’d love to see more of your work sometime.”

The drinks arrived and Mia raised hers in a toast. “To our new partnership.”

Genevieve did the same. “To our partnership. May it be long and fruitful.”

4

Mia

To say Mia was elated was an understatement. She was ecstatic to have landed an investor as big as Genevieve Mitchell. She had initially thought their one-night stand would complicate things, but Genevieve wasn’t acting weird about it, so Mia was determined to do the same.

They toasted and each took a sip.

Genevieve was the first one to broach the subject. “I never imagined that the Illuven Archer spoke about would be you. I got quite a surprise, to say the least.”

“You and me both. I knew you were a CEO, but I had no idea you were running Wisdom Investments.”

“Yes, well, my tongue was somewhat occupied the last time we were together.”

Mia chuckled and almost choked on her sip of champagne. “Mine as well. How are we going to handle that?”

“We’re both adults. I’m sure we can keep the past in the past. It was just a one-night stand. It’s a weird coincidence that we’re now working together, but I don’t see why it should interfere with our business relationship.”

Mia was glad that Genevieve took that stance, but she did have a few concerns about her ability to hold up her end of that bargain. If she was being honest with herself, she was practically champing at the bit to get Genevieve back into bed.

Genevieve’s black pantsuit was cut perfectly around her body highlighting her curves in a way that meant Mia couldn’t take her eyes off them. She wore black Louboutin heels that were super sexy and her hair was an exquisite icy blonde bob. Her eyes were shimmering blue.

Of course, trying to proposition her new investor would be extremely inappropriate, even given their history. Still, Mia couldn’t help wondering whether Genevieve would be open to such a development.

The impression Mia got of her was that Genevieve was emotionally reserved, but she wasn’t opposed to connecting to others with sex. Mia wondered if Genevieve was only interested in one-night stands, or if she might be open to a more regular arrangement.

Genevieve’s voice brought her guiltily out of her thoughts. “I’d love to see where you work sometime—if you’re willing to show me, of course.”

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