Page 10 of Enticing My Off Limits Billionaire

An architect.

I pull my phone out and, for a second, I wonder if I'm making a bad decision. Gavin has no idea that I've been talking to his daughter—not that anything untoward is going on—and I'm not sure how he would react. But Madison needs work, and I need an architect, and it feels like fate is throwing us together.

So I dial her number.

"Hi!" she says, her voice bright despite being clearly surprised. "You're...calling."

"I'm calling," I chuckle. "Hope that's okay? I can let you go if you're busy."

"No, I'm not busy," she says. "Just catching the subway back to campus right now. What's up?"

"Well, the funniest thing happened this morning, and it felt like kismet," I tell her. "I may or may not have a job for you."

I can hear the shock in her voice—and more than that, the excitement—when she responds. "Tell me more."

"I have a client who's looking to buy theatre space for some experimental work," I tell her. "We'll need to find a spot and then renovate. It'll take some serious design savvy and a subtle touch with the client. Do you think you could do it?"

There's a pause on the other end of the line, and I can hear the train in the background. For a second, I'm worried she's going to say no—after all, this is a big project, and she's still a student—but then she speaks up.

"I can do it," she says confidently. "I mean, I don't have a ton of experience with theatre spaces, but I'm always up for a challenge. And let's be honest...I need the work and the line on my resumé."

"That's great news," I say, feeling my own excitement building. "Listen, can you meet me later today? We can go over the details and see if we're on the same page? I already tracked down a couple of listings, and I'm going to swing by today…"

There's another pause, and when she speaks again, her voice is hesitant. "I don't know...I've got a pretty packed schedule today. I've got class until three, and then I'm tutoring a freshman..."

"That's fine," I say. "It can wait until later this week…”

"But I could meet tonight."

Tonight.

I'm probably reading too much into it—I'm definitely reading too much into it—but there's something strangely enticing about the way she says it…like there's more under the surface. Like things can happen in the dark that would never see the light of day.

...and I'm a monster for thinking that about someone almost twenty years younger.

"Tonight works," I tell her, wondering if I'll regret my words later. "Time and place?"

"Josie's," she says. "It's a bookstore bar by NYU; I study there sometimes."

It's also a very popular date night spot, but I don't bother bringing that up. I'm sure it's innocent; Madison couldn't possibly be interested in me that way.

"Josie's," I confirm. "Got it."

"Eight o'clock?"

"A little late for a business meeting," I say

"Oh, is it too close to your bedtime?"

I snort, shaking my head. "Brutal, Sterling. No, it's not too close to my bedtime. I'll be there."

"Great," she laughs. "Okay. So...Josie's at eight. You bring the specs, I'll bring a notebook, we'll share a bottle of wine, and I'll even try to get you in bed by nine."

"Um..."

"Uh...to bed by nine," she says. "That sounded weird. Sorry."

"You're good," I tell her. "Eight o'clock it is. See you then."

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