Page 77 of Her Billionaire Boss
He nodded, eyebrows raising.“Yes.In a way that totally surprised me.Now, it was somewhat delayed by my grief over Emma and the troubles after, but now I believe I can say that I’m at peace with what happened to me.”
“Nothing anywhere near that serious happened to me.”I felt like a dick for saying it, but it was true.“But I do want to do that hospital thing.My injuries were serious, and I had major complications, but it still wasn’t as expensive as anything other people go through.”
“Then that’s where to start,” Neil agreed.“You and I, we’re never going to run out of money.We couldn’t if we tried.An important thing I learned from Sophie is that performing charity, showing up to dinners and writing million dollar checks simply isn’t effective enough.This is something that touches you.Why not pursue it with the same zeal with which you built Ascend Red?”
“I think that was a bit different.I built that because I wanted to make people’s fantasies come true.”It had been a totally selfish desire, aimed at making me feel like some kind of miracle worker.
“Sophie would tell you that paying off medical bills is a fantasy for most working-class people,” Neil said grimly.“We paid for her sister’s kidney transplant, and it astonished me how much everything cost.Truly, a fantastic amount of money to people who have very little.”
I nodded slowly.Some kind of foundation that could pay for medical bills and treatment, then.Something that was important to me.
That sparked an idea.
“They’re incredible, aren’t they?”Neil mused.
I didn’t follow.
“Sophie and Charlotte,” he clarified.
“Absolutely.”And not in terms of sex.They were both fascinating women on their own.
“Having Sophie’s perspective on things like this has changed me for the better.I’m sure it’s the same with you and Charlotte.”
“She’s changed everything about me.”In ways I could never have anticipated.“For example, I never thought I would get jealous sharing a partner before.And yet, today…”
He smiled a slow half-smile.“Oh, got under your skin, did I?”
I laughed.“A little.I assume that was on purpose?”
“Entirely.I love being jealous, and I love making other men jealous.”He sighed in contentment.“I hope I didn’t take it too far?”
I shook my head.“No.It was hot.”
“We’ll have to do it again sometime.”
I narrowed my eyes.“Are you switching from Black Orchid to Ascend Manhattan, then?”
“It may be the only time I ever switch,” he quipped.
A sudden yawn assailed me; I hid it behind my hand and forced it into silence.“I think I’ll try sleeping again.This… really put me at ease.”
“Glad to be of help.”He stayed where he was.The stuff keeping him awake wasn’t anything anyone could help him with, I imagined.“You know, you can call on me any time.After this, I assume I can be so bold as to consider you a friend?I have come inside your girlfriend, after all.”
I barked a shocked laugh.“Dick.”
Upstairs, I slipped into bed beside Charlotte.I breathed in the scent of her hair, curved myself around her small, soft body.But it wasn’t her physical presence that comforted me to sleep.It was the purity and peace of her heart, which couldn’t be disturbed even by the godawful racket of her snoring.
* * * *
The next day, I tried to call my sister.The fact that she didn’t answer didn’t alarm me.Our relationship wasn’t exactly warm and fuzzy.
But the day after that, when she hadn’t even sent a terse text message back, I started to wonder what I did wrong.I’d have to check in with mother later and hear all about it.
I was in my office, spending work hours on extracurricular research about various charities and seeking out the numbers of hospital billing departments, when there was a knock on my door.
“Yes?”I called.
Charlotte burst in and hurried over to my desk in a weird, creepy walk on the balls of her feet.Her tongue was poised on her upper lip, and she wiggled her hands in front of her.“Guess what I have!”
