Page 44 of Boss of Her

“Until now.”

“Until now,” Jade echoed.

“Very good.” They stopped at the entrance to the restaurant. “Are you wearing the rest of the gift I gave you?”

“You mean…” Jade’s cheeks grew red. “Yes.”

“I expect to see it after dinner. Now, pay attention in there. I’ll be focused on working Ashton, so I need you as my second set of eyes and ears. Commit everything we speak about to memory. Make notes afterward if you need to.”

Jade nodded, her usual determined expression returning. A moment later, the maître d’ approached, greeting them by name before leading them through the restaurant to a small, private room at the back, where a table was set for three.

The maître d’ pulled out a chair for Jade, but hesitated before Simone, who pulled out her own chair and took a seat.

He gave them a polite nod. “I’ll let Ashton know you’ve arrived.”

Barely a minute passed before Ashton appeared, dressed in a dark pantsuit and heels. Simone rose to her feet, extending a hand to her. At a glance, the woman didn’t look any older than Simone, but her dark shoulder-length hair had a sprinkle of white, a striking contrast to her still youthful face.

Ashton clasped Simone’s hand, shaking it firmly. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Ms. Weiss.”

“Call me Simone,” she said. “And likewise.”

Ashton turned to Jade, looking her up and down. “And this lovely young woman must be your date.”

“My assistant,” Simone said. “Jade Fisher.”

“Oh?” Ashton shook Jade’s hand. “That’s right, you did tell me you were bringing your assistant. I’m so used to my dinner guests bringing dates along that I simply assumed. My mistake.”

That hardly seemed like a natural conclusion to come to. Simone preferred to keep her private life out of the public eye, so for Ashton to know that Simone was interested in women meant she’d done her research. Or perhaps she’d simply figured it out on her own. Given that Simone had her own suspicions about Ashton’s leanings, it wouldn’t be surprising. She and Jade would need to be more careful.

As they took their seats again, a waiter appeared, introducing himself and informing them that he would be taking care of them personally for the evening. Dinner that night was a seven-course affair, the dishes carefully curated by the chef and paired with matching wines. Ashton certainly knew how to take care of her guests.

Within minutes, a team of waiters arrived carrying the first course, bruschetta accompanied by an apéritif, a dry white wine. Simone sipped hers slowly, and Jade did the same, having been warned by Simone not to overindulge in the wine. This was a business meeting, after all. They needed to keep their heads clear throughout the entire dinner.

And for what was to come afterward.

Simone turned to Ashton. “I’d like to thank you for your hospitality tonight. For providing us the opportunity to experience The Ashton Star for ourselves. It’s an impressive hotel.”

“You’re quite welcome,” Ashton said. “But we can skip the pleasantries. It’s clear you’re a woman who likes to get straight to business.”

“I won’t deny that. We both know what we want. We know what we’re here for. So why waste time?” Simone set her glass down. “I want to buy your hotel. And you want to sell it to me.”

“Is that so?” Ashton took a sip of her wine. “I do want to sell my hotel. But why would I want to sell it toyou?”

“It’s simple. You’re going to sell me The Ashton Star because I’m going to restore it to its former glory. But you already know that.” Simone leaned back in her chair, folding her arms across her chest. “You’ve seen my proposal and the plans for the redesign. At least, your nephew and the rest of your team have. But I know you wouldn’t entertain a meeting like this without knowing exactly who and what you’re dealing with, down to the last detail.”

Even down to who the buyer likes in bed.Simone glanced at Jade, who sat silently taking small bites of her bruschetta, no doubt committing every word of the conversation to memory. In the dress Simone had gifted her, the sapphire and diamond necklace around her pale, bare neck, she was just as distracting as Simone had predicted. Already, she was fighting off thoughts of ripping that dress off her assistant’s body, and dinner had only just begun.

Perhaps having a little fun with her would make the time pass more quickly.

“You’re right,” Ashton said. “But I want to hear it from you. Tell me why I should sell my family’s hotel to you.”

“I’d ask the same question in your shoes,” Simone said. “So I’ll get straight to the point.”

Underneath the table, she slid her foot out until it touched Jade’s. Jade tensed, her eyes flicking toward Simone.

Slipping her foot out of her high heel, she drew it up the outside of Jade’s leg. “Sell me this hotel,” she said, “and I’ll restore it to what it used to be. A shining beacon in a city of dreams. A star brought down to earth.”

She outlined her vision for the hotel, her eyes never leaving Ashton’s. At the same time, she slipped her foot between Jade’s legs, pushing them apart. Slowly, sensually, she slid the side of her foot up the inside of Jade’s calf, all the way up to her knee.

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