Page 76 of Greed

Declan: Not a chance in hell. Tell me where and when I can see you.

I send the message, not giving a shit if I seem desperate. I am desperate, and that’s not stemming just from the need to touch her. I want to stare at her. I’m craving the sound of her voice and her laughter.

Her response is almost instantaneous.

Abby: Dinner at my place at 8?

An uncontrollable smile settles on my lips. I catch my brother looking in my direction. I toss him a wave while I tap the icon on my phone’s screen to initiate a call.

She answers quickly. “Declan?”

“Abigail.” Although I’m tempted to walk out of the bookstore in search of a spot on the sidewalk that will offer more privacy than I have here, I stay put.

Sean senses that I’m falling for this woman, so why try and cover that up?

“So, you’ll come for dinner?” she asks hopefully. “You’re sure you’re not busy?”

“Give me your address,” I spit the words out quickly. “I’ll be there right at eight.”

She tells me the address of a building not far from where I am.

Sean and I ventured into Brooklyn today to scope out a vacant storefront for an upcoming location for a brick-and-mortar store for Wells. This bookstore is a pit stop on our way back to Manhattan.

“Should I text it to you so you don’t forget?” She laughs lightly.

I repeat it back to her, right down to the apartment number.

“Wow,” she whispers. “You’ve got it.”

“Should I bring anything?” I ask while tossing my brother a smile.

“Just you,” she says. “Wear something casual. The food won’t be fancy.”

I want to tell her I don’t care what she plans on serving. I’m grateful I’ll have her in my arms seven hours from now.

“I’ll see you tonight.” She sighs. “I’m heading into a meeting. You know how my boss is. No rest for the weary lawyers in the firm.”

“Give me the word, and I’ll tell him to go to hell,” I joke.

A light laugh escapes her. “I’ll see you tonight.”

“You can bet your life on it.”

I end the call to find my brother steps away from me. He tugs me into an unexpected embrace with his hand patting my back. “You’re so damn happy, Decky. Stay that way, okay? It does my heart good.”

I return the embrace with a pat on the back of his head. “That’s the plan, Saint. That’s the plan.”

CHAPTERFORTY

Abby

“Why would you do this, Abs?”Carrie’s gaze drops to the item in her hand before it hones in on my face again. “This is so extravagant.”

I can’t help but smile. “It’s not. It’s something you deserve. When’s the last time that you truly pampered yourself?”

She shakes her head. “Maybe never?”

She’s right about that. Carrie is so devoted to her career that she sometimes goes months without a hair trim. Manicures don’t fit into her schedule, and an entire day at the spa has never been a reality in her world.

---