Page 24 of Can't Get Enough

“I’m okay.” It’s a struggle to keep the irritation out of my voice. I know he’s concerned, but he really doesn’t need to be. I’ve had weeks to get used to the breakup with Zere. The rest of the world is still catching up. “Gotta go. Love you.”

“Love you, too, and… well, I guess you can keep me in the loop on the Vipers thing.”

A triumphant grin takes over my face. “I’ll do that. Bye, Pop.”

I’ve arrived in the kitchen by the time we disconnect. Laurenz, my chef, has left my morning smoothie on the pristine expanse of marble countertop.

“Need this,” I groan, grabbing the frosted glass and sitting on a stool at the counter.

“Gulp,” Bolt orders, frowning. “You have a Zoom in thirty minutes and still need to shower and change, I presume.”

“What’s wrong with what I got on?” I ask, gesturing to the wetsuit peeled down around my waist to reveal my arms and torso still slightly damp from the ocean.

“I think the board will expect less…” He runs assessing eyes up and down my frame. “Less chest and more clothes.”

“They want my money, not the other way around,” I say, unable to suppress my cynicism. “I’m sure they’d make allowances.”

“You’re probably right.”

His lips twitch, reminding me that I hired him not only for his brilliant mind, but for the fact that he, despite first impressions, knows how to laugh. He knows when to work and when to ease up and make sure I blow off steam. He’s my assistant, but he’s probably the most essential person on my team. I stole him from a company I was considering buying. I didn’t buy the company, but I did hire Roy Sires. Bolt to his friends, so named because he’s such a fast runner. That speed earned him a track scholarship to Harvard and could’ve taken him to the Olympics had it not been for a torn ACL.

I gulp the smoothie obediently, rinse the glass, and place it in thedishwasher. My housekeeper doesn’t expect me to clean up after myself, but my mama did, and it’s a hard habit to break.

“Lemme make myself respectable,” I say, exiting the kitchen. “I’ll meet you in the office in fifteen minutes.”

“The Realtor called,” Bolt says, standing in the living room, eyes glued to his iPad. “We already have a bite on the Miami property.”

That stops me at the foot of the stairs. Selling the house Zere loved so much, even more than today’s announcement, feels like the final call on our relationship.

“Did you hear me?” Bolt glances up. He’s not a tall man, standing at around five foot seven, but he is powerfully built, and his body always gives him away. Jaw clenched when he’s annoyed. Shoulders tensing when he’s angry. Brows knitted when he’s concerned, as they are now. “Are you having second thoughts?”

“About selling the house?” I ask, one foot poised on the bottom step.

“I guess about…” He gestures vaguely with the iPad. “About everything. About the breakup?”

“No,” I answer without hesitation. “Zee and I don’t belong together. I’m wondering if I should offer her the house instead of selling it.”

“Sir, that’s millions of dollars. Maybe a bracelet or a bag or… something that isn’t eight figures would be a better parting gift.”

I laugh outright at his incredulous expression. “Cheaper for sure. Just hold off till I have the chance to discuss it with Zere.”

His lips purse in exasperation, but he lets it go. “Will do. And Ralph called this morning. Said you told him to reach out after the party.”

I start up the stairs and roll my eyes. “He was all up in my grill Saturday night. No rush to get back to him. Always somebody trying to get in my pockets.”

He was the exact opposite of Hendrix, who seemed almost reluctant to pursue the idea of me investing in her venture capital fund. A smile quirks my lips at the memory of her leading the electric slide, head thrown back, laughter floating over the crowd. A stark contrastto how upset she was not even an hour later after the call with her mother.

This isn’t the first time I’ve thought of her since the party. She’s vibrant and smart and bold and… soft. There’s a softness to her that’s easy to overlook because of all that strength. I can’t get that bright smile and smooth brown skin out of my mind. Keep hearing her voice singing that hymn as she tried to soothe her mom.

It’s much too soon to consider asking her out. That’s ridiculous. I’m just ending a long-term relationship. And she’s Zere’s production partner. I’m not ready for another relationship right now, much less one that would be that complicated and wrong on so many levels.

Still I don’t stop myself from uttering the next words as I climb the stairs toward my bedroom.

“Hey, Bolt, find out all you can about the Aspire Fund out of Atlanta.”

CHAPTER 8

HENDRIX

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