Page 31 of The Situation
“Remember when we were on the plane and you asked me whose side I was on?” Kelly glances at me over her shoulder. “You or your boss’s?”
“Yeah.”
“I told you then I was neutral.” She winks. “But I’ve changed my mind. I’m on your boss’s side now.”
“Excuse me?” I chuckle, tossing the blueberry pie on the sofa. It hits the cushion with a thud. “That sounds like a challenge.”
She shrugs, peering across the darkened city. “This view is amazing—much better than my little window looking out on the rooftop of the building below.” She laughs softly. “If your company is ever hiring, remember me.”
I fight a smile. “I do have quite a bit of pull.” I step behind her, lowering my mouth to her ear again. “And I can beverypersuasive.”
Goose bumps spread across her skin like wildfire. She hitches a breath, her body leaning against mine as if on instinct. I press my erection into her so she can feel how hard I am already.
“I have a feeling that you don’t have to work too hard to get what you want from people,” she says, moving her ass slowly against me.
I suck in a breath through my teeth.
Her perfume scents the air, taunting me with its warmth and sweetness. It triggers a need to touch, to connect. Every cell in my body is drawn to her, and I fear I’ll be unable to satisfy this craving.
But I don’t want to give in … yet.
Delayed gratification makes things so much better.
“Would you like a drink?” I ask, turning toward the small kitchenette near the door—needing to put some distance between us.My cock hates me right now. I remove two champagne flutes from a small tray that Astrid arranged. “I have champagne, and it looks like a bottle of red wine.”
An amused grin slips across her lips. “Do you always have a convenient bottle of champagne in your work suites? And a bouquet of roses?” She glances at the buds exploding from the vase in front of her. “And candles?”
“I do when I ask for them.”
She nods slowly, and I can see the wheels turning in her head.
I’m sure she’s wondering how the pieces of this puzzle fit together because I’m supposed to be a regular, but extremely handsome, guy. But regular guys wouldn’t have the means to pull all this off. I can do it because of my bank account and Astrid. But I can’t tell Kelly that. Ican’tanswer the questions rolling around her brain because she’d learn my last name. She’d know I’m a Brewer. While I’m not embarrassed by that, many people associate it with our dad now—and we’re guilty by association. That’s one battle I don’t want to fight tonight.
“Let me get this straight,” she says, resting her hip against a chair. “You get to the hotel this afternoon, and find God knows how many roses. Then you order champagne before waiting outside of Ruma?”
“No.” I fill two flutes with champagne and then cross the room to her. “I also made reservations at Ruma, got in a quick workout, and worked a little.”
She takes a drink from me. “That’s a lot of work.”
“It’s already paid off.”
She lifts a brow, taking a sip.
“My objective was to see you again, Miss Kapowski. Anything beyond that is icing on the cake.”
“I’m not sure whether to be flattered or concerned.”
My lips twitch. “Be both. It’s healthy to keep a small amount of skepticism about things.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t call my level of skepticism small.”
“About me?”
She shrugs. “About you, yes. About men in general. Life. Everything, I suppose.”
“Want to tell me what that’s about?”
She pushes off the chair so she’s facing me squarely. “I came here for one reason, and that isn’t to discuss philosophical views on life.”
