Page 73 of Greed

“Mine either.” He shrugs. “Milo wants me to give his new app a try.”

“That hookup app he’s developing?” I unscrew the lid from the bottle in my hand. “What’s the name of that again?”

“Nitespark.” He laughs. “I told him I’m not interested.”

“But you’re thinking about it?”

“I’ll sign up to check out how it works so I can give him feedback.” He glances down. “I’m not doing it to find a woman.”

“No judgment here, Rook.” I take a drink of the chilled water. “One day, I’ll tell you all about how I met the woman I’m...”

“Fucking,” he fills in the blank with the word he thinks fits.

I would have gone withfalling for, but I just smile.

“I look forward to hearing all about that.” He motions to the main living area. “I’ll turn on the ball game. You’ll stick around for a couple of hours, right?”

“Sure.” I loosen the knot on my tie. “As long as you keep the tap shoes as far away from your feet as possible.”

CHAPTERTHIRTY-EIGHT

Abby

“This may bethe best bread I’ve ever had.” I smile as I pick up what’s left of the last slice.

I pop it into my mouth with no regrets.

“It’s an old family recipe,” Mrs. Collymore says. “I spent an entire week with my great-grandmother when I was ten or eleven. She taught me to make bread and a few other things.”

I eye up the plate of brownies that are waiting to be devoured. “Did she teach you how to make those?”

She slides the plate toward me. “She didn’t. I came up with this recipe.”

Although I doubt my stomach has room for another bite of anything, I grab a brownie and dig in. It’s not only fudgy and chewy, but the small toffee bits add another layer of flavor. “This is delicious.”

She sighs. “I’m glad you like it. I’m so glad you’ve liked everything.”

How could I not?

She’s been feeding me since I arrived at her penthouse almost two hours ago. What I thought would be a quick work-related visit became a feast and a few lessons in caring for houseplants.

We dined on bruschetta before she served a large salad with garlic butter coated croutons and perfectly grilled chicken. Freshly baked bread was served on the side.

I feel like I’ve dined at one of Manhattan’s hidden gems, but all the delicious food came straight from Mrs. Collymore’s kitchen.

“I’ve been talking non-stop since you arrived.” She laughs. “I know Rook sent you here on business, so fill me in.”

I wipe my hands on the lace trimmed white napkin beside my plate before reaching for my bag. I plopped it on the chair next to me when I sat down for dinner. Tugging on the envelope my boss handed me as I left the office, I stop to take a breath.

“It’s another offer to buy the business, isn’t it?” She tilts her head, causing the red curls that frame her face to bounce off her cheeks. “Be honest, Abby. Is it worth my while to look at?”

When I first started coming to Mrs. Collymore’s home to deliver legal documents, my boss made it clear that I was not authorized to offer any advice, so I shrug. “I think you should take a look and decide for yourself.”

Studying my face, her green eyes narrow. “Rook told you not to give me your two cents, didn’t he?”

I nod silently.

“I’m asking for both of those cents.” She grins. “Off the record, of course. I won’t tell your big, bad boss that you overstepped. You have my word.”

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