Page 10 of His Curvy Temptation

I nod. I don’t want to tell her anything more, like the fact that healwaystipped Deepti for a massage, and generously so at that.

“Four o’clock,” Tricia says, nodding at the clock on the wall. “You better get going or you’ll be late.”

I exit the spa, my hands free of the burden of carrying the giant table this time. That’s at least one thing to be grateful for, I guess. But at the same time I can’t quell the nerves in my stomach as I make my way to Elijah’s office, wondering why the hell he requested me specifically.

Maybe he wants to tell you off to your face,I think.

But that’s crazy. Why would he waste his time like that? Or his money, for that matter!

When I get to the building, the familiar receptionist remembers me.

“All dry this time!” she says with a smile. “I’m sure you’re grateful for that.”

“I am,” I agree, walking to the elevator.

“Mr. Stone asked me to remind you,” she says behind me. “That he has a room in his office for his appointment. He’ll be waiting there. It’s the big door to the right of his desk.”

I smile grimly.

“I remember,” I say. “Thank you for the reminder.”

“No problem!”

She’s so damn cheerful, a contrast to my own stormy, nervous mood. I envy her and the fact that she gets to remain on the ground floor, alone, behind the safety of her desk. Meanwhile I ascend the tall building to floor seventeen, not sure of what I’ll find when I get to that little room with Elijah Stone.

4

Elijah

I’m waitingon the table, face down with my head in the hole, when I hear a knock at the door.

“Come in,” I say gruffly.

“Mr. Stone, it’s Andy. Are you ready?”

“Ready, I reply.

Damn. I haven’t even laid eyes on her and already I’m getting hard. It the sound of her soft voice really that powerful, that it can have this effect on me within seconds?

I spent last night and most of today distracted as hell, knowing that it was a matter of hours before I’d get to see Andy again.

In the time since our appointment last week I’ve gone back and forth. My firm boundary between business and personal eroded over time until, before I knew it, I was finding that I was convincing myself that this boundary doesn’t matter much, anyway.

I mean, who gives a shit if Nick has a problem with me having a relationship with one of his employees? Nick might be rich, but I’m wealthy. And unlike Nick, I have leverage. Power. I’m an investor in The Angel Spa, and it’s only with my financial backing that he’s currently planning to open up a second location in another part of town.

So what is Nick going to do? Tell me I can’t date Andy?

I’d like to see him fucking try.

“How’s the pressure?”

Her soft voice interrupts my mess of thoughts, taking my mind off my plans and bringing me back to the present.

“Fine,” I say.

“Are you sure?” she asks.

“Yep,” I grunt.

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