Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 89666 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 448(@200wpm)___ 359(@250wpm)___ 299(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89666 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 448(@200wpm)___ 359(@250wpm)___ 299(@300wpm)
No! Work thoughts!
“This needs to be negotiable. Emergency and lunch.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to think of any loopholes that he might try to create. “Lunch included, but just if it’s the two of us.”
Sebastian’s grin returned in a flash. “Does this mean you’re saying yes?”
Did it?
When I’d fallen asleep last night, I’d been leaning that way but wobbled over to saying no while in my morning shower.
It all returned to what he’d asked me in my apartment—what if he wasn’t my boss and he’d hit on me in that bookstore? I knew my answer would be yes. Even without knowing he was stupidly rich. The man was handsome, fun, and too sweet. Dating someone like him was a dream for anyone. Was I really too scared to take a chance?
I dragged in a deep breath, all the muscles in my body tensing. “Yes. Yes, I agree to the bargain that you laid out.” Sebastian made a fist and appeared as though he were going to punch the air, but I stopped it with a word. “However!”
“Crap,” he muttered and dropped his hand to his lap.
“We need to set up some ground rules.”
“Have dinner with me tonight. We can discuss them over dinner. I know the perfect restaurant.”
My lips twisted to stop my smile. “Would you like me to book it for you, sir?”
Sebastian snorted and reached out, hooking his index finger through my left pinky as my hand hung limp at my side. “Enough of your sass. You’ve never booked dates for me in the past, and you’re not about to start now.”
I knew I should pull my hand free, but his warm touch was sending tingles up my arm. It was so tempting to just open my hand and thread the rest of our fingers together.
A knock on Sebastian’s door had me jerking my hand free of his. I stiffened and jumped a step away from him before I even looked up to find the CFO standing in the doorway.
“Sorry. I know I’m early, but it’s going to take longer than the thirty minutes we’ve allotted for this meeting,” Declan said as he walked in.
“Yeah, yeah. Come on in.” Sebastian waved him in as he sat up in his chair properly.
“Good morning, Mr. Foster. Can I get you some coffee or hot tea?” I inquired, slipping easily into my role as Sebastian’s assistant.
“No, thank you. Are you feeling better today?” Declan asked.
I stared at him for a moment, confused as to why he would ask that. Had Sebastian told him I’d left early on Friday because of illness? I was about to assume it was that, but I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Sebastian was making faces at him and motioning for him to be quiet.
It hit me like a truck.
Sebastian had said he’d returned to the office for some paperwork and had found me on Friday. But that wasn’t the case. Declan had found me when he’d dropped those financial numbers off on his desk. The CFO had found me passed out drunk in the CEO’s office.
Holy. Fuck.
“Mr. Foster,” I choked, my voice trembling as the horror of my reality sank in. “I am so sorry that you found me like that. It was completely inexcusable. I-I-I—”
Sebastian grabbed my ice-cold fingers and squeezed them tight enough to hurt, trying to capture my attention, but I couldn’t look away from Declan. “Byron, don’t. You don’t owe him an apology.”
“He’s correct. You don’t need to apologize. Sebastian explained you were dealing with a family issue and that you had his permission to work in his office after hours. Like Sebastian, I just want to be sure that you don’t hurt yourself. You’re very valuable to Courtland Enterprises.”
“Thank you, Mr. Foster. I don’t feel worthy of your kind words, but they are appreciated. I promise it will never happen again.”
Sebastian squeezed my hand, and I finally glanced at him. He was smiling, but there was worry still filling his honey-brown eyes. “After my meeting with Declan, I’ll come find you so we can finish the rundown of the day.”
“Yes, sir.” Sebastian’s calm words about work put me on even footing and allowed me to escape with no further embarrassment.
But I still didn’t know if Friday’s debacle was going to prove to be a disaster for my career or a stepping-stone to the best decision of my life. Thankfully, I had a very busy day of work ahead of me.
8
SEBASTIAN COURTLAND
Opal’s, across the Ohio River in Northern Kentucky, was one of my favorite restaurants to hit when I was leaving the office. I’d secured a reservation—without Byron’s help—for a table on their patio, which provided an excellent view of downtown Cincinnati as the sun was setting. The food was also superb, and the vibe was classy but relaxed.