Page 25 of Forbidden Boss (Manhattan Billionaires)

I had the upper hand in that negotiation, and I hadn’t even known. So he wasn’t the all-important god he thought he was.

Phil was right. The best thing for me to do was milk this for all it was worth, even if I had to wear a boring beige suit while I did it.

I lifted my chin and arched my brows at him. “Regretting your decision to hire me?” I challenged.

His lips curled into a mirthless smile. “Not even a little bit, Jordan. Now keep up. We haven’t got much time.”

NINE

ROME

Nikki’sshiny black shoes poked out from under the tan fabric of her pants. She leaned against the side of the elevator as we traveled up toward the roof, watching the numbers on the little black screen above the door.

She looked…notbetter, but definitely more appropriate for where we were going. Still, I found myself missing the figure-hugging dresses that echoed a faint pinup style that I’d seen her in before. She didn’t look uncomfortable, but other than the red lipstick, the shoes, and the glossy black waves, she didn’t look like herself.

I turned away, gritting my teeth.

It was better that way. Better to be inconspicuous and blend in so we could get in and get this dinner over with.

As we reached the top floor, a staff member nodded and opened the door to the roof. Beyond it, helicopter blades sliced through the air in a steady staccato. I strode to the door and turned when Nikki didn’t immediately follow.

Her eyes were huge. “We’re taking a helicopter?”

“Why else would we go to the roof?”

“Right,” she said, then followed after me.

Waving to the pilot, we made our way into the bird and strapped ourselves in. I watched as Nikki frowned at the headset, flipping it in her hands before sliding it over her ears. She shot me a quick glance, then turned those wide brown eyes out the window.

The crew did their final checks, and then we took off. Nikki’s knuckles turned white as she gripped the edge of her seat, her face so close to the window that I expected her nose to leave a smudge on the glass when she finally tore herself away.

The helicopter turned at a sharp angle, and Nikki’s chest moved with a sharp inhalation.

A softness entered my chest at the sight of her like that, so enthralled by what we were doing. I found myself fascinated by watching her. Traveling to Long Island by helicopter had become a normal part of my routine. It was more convenient than taking a car.

But now, as I watched Nikki, I realized that the view from the helicopter was spectacular. The setting sun painted the sky in a wash of pastels at our backs. Spread below us, the city was alive with lights and motion. The East River, lit with the setting sun, cut a path of golden fire between the landmasses, quickly disappearing behind us.

Ahead, a few stars dotted the darkening sky. The moon hung low over the horizon, a pale crescent barely visible in the sky.

“Wow,” Nikki breathed, peering down as we passed over the lives of millions of people.

“Ever seen the view from up here?” I asked through the headset.

“No.” She turned to me, her lips spread in a broad smile. “It’s incredible.”

I nodded, following her gaze as she looked out the window once more. My eyes were drawn back to her, though. To the slope of her neck and the way her fingers relaxed their grip on the edge of her seat. How she shifted and stretched a leg out so I could catch a glimpse of her ankle. Her lips parted, eyes shining, and I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my chest.

Rubbing the spot to ease the ache, I pulled out my phone and flicked through the dozens of emails that had landed in my inbox since I’d last had a look. Nikki shifted when the helicopter slowed above the familiar sprawling grounds of an estate, her curious eyes roaming over the contours of the tree-lined drive and the stately stone home at the end of it.

The bird flew to the back of the house, and we alighted on the helipad set back from the main house. Grass flattened itself at our landing, ripples flowing through it and across the surface of the nearby pond. A duck made a hurried escape to a clump of rushes on the far side of the water.

I unclipped my seatbelt and removed my headset. Nikki did the same, then followed me out of the helicopter and onto the grounds of the lavish estate.

The house was just the same as it had always been: big, imposing, and cold.

The blades above us slowed as we made our way toward the house; the pilot would wait there for us to return.

Nikki’s heels clacked on the stone pathway beside me as she finger-combed her hair with hasty movements. “Hold up,” she said, then dug through her purse to pull out a tiny hairbrush that unfolded to full size. She ran it through her hair a few times then fluffed it, looking at me. “Better?”

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