Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 87068 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 435(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87068 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 435(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
The soup is creamy, lemon and dill and something savory underneath. She sips slowly, spoon working in steady circles, like she’s not really hungry. I let her have a minute, then say, “How was your day?”
Kayleigh smiles sunnily.
“It was okay. Nothing to report, really. You spoil me because I don’t even work at the plant store anymore. I’m basically your kept woman, puttering about the penthouse and doing things like going to Pilates and organizing my TBR list.”
I lean forward.
“Do you want to do more? I’m happy to help you find a job, if you want.”
Kayleigh thinks for a moment, biting her lip. “I’m not sure about the job thing. Keeping you happy is a job in and of itself, big guy.”
I lean forward to seize her lips again, reveling in their softness.
“And that’s the way I like it,” I growl. “I like coming home to find a beautiful woman at the stove, whipping up a hot meal for us. Then, I like enjoying said meal with the beautiful woman before taking her upstairs and savoring her curves in bed. It genuinely helps relieve the stress of the day, but I know it sounds insanely patriarchal to state that. But it’s the truth. It’s just what I like.”
Kayleigh nods, biting her lip.
“And I guess that’s one of the things that I’ve come to realize too. I like playing that role in your life, even though it doesn’t require a degree. I like being dependent on you, Trevor. I like feeling taken care of, and knowing that I’m safe, here with you.”
Possession sweeps through my chest as I lean forward to kiss her again.
“You’re always safe with me, sweetheart. I swear it.”
For a moment, we look into each other’s eyes, and time stands still between us. It shimmers and sparkles, and I have half a mind to skip the rest of the meal and carry her off to bed stat. But then the moment passes, and I squeeze her hand. There will be plenty of time for that later.
“So how was the broker today? Sorry it was so last minute. I completely forgot.”
Kayleigh swallows, then shrugs slightly. “Fine. He was only here for like twenty minutes. Walked around, took notes, asked about the appliances. I tried to stay out of the way.”
I nod, but keep my eyes on her. “And it was Gerald, right?”
She blinks, caught. “The broker?”
“Yeah.”
She stirs her spoon, then says, “No, his name wasn’t Gerald. It was Evan. Evan Fine.”
The name is nothing to me for a beat. Then I remember: the bachelor auction. The real estate guy, blonde, way too pretty. He’d sold for a pathetic sum but still acted like he’d won the lottery.
I frown. “I thought Gerald Stillwell was handling this. I hired Stillwell Realtors.”
Kayleigh’s hand pauses over the bowl, then continues stirring, the clink of ceramic suddenly loud. “I think Evan is with Stillwell Realtors, and just works for your friend Gerald. Or maybe he’s the advance team? I don’t know, but it was definitely Evan who came, not someone named Gerald.”
I set my spoon down, fingers flat against the marble. “Gerald said he’d be here personally. That was the deal. I don’t want some half ass associate broker poking around my place.”
She shrugs, but her eyes drop to the bowl. “Evan wasn’t bad. He knew all the stuff, the square footage, the way the lighting works. He said it’d sell fast.”
I study her face. She’s hiding something, and the way her hand shakes when she brings the glass to her lips is all the evidence I need.
A shiver goes down my back. What the fuck? Still, I’m new to this romance shit, so I decide to let it go, for now.
“Next time, you call me if there’s a change. I want to know who’s coming and when.”
She nods, but doesn’t answer. “I didn’t know who to expect, to be honest. I was hauling myself out of the bathtub trying to get ready in time.”
I nod, but my stomach churns. What the fuck? I’m a CEO and a billionaire so why the fuck would Gerald send one of his lackeys to assess my place? This place will go for twenty mill, minimum, so I’d think Gerald would want to handle it himself.
We eat in silence for a minute. The soup is cooling, the city outside running on inertia. I stew some more, my fingers tight on my spoon when suddenly, Kayleigh’s phone lights up, buzzing once, a white flash that makes both of us flinch.
She glances at it, reads the text, then at me, then flips the phone over.
“Who is it?” I ask.
She hesitates, then says, “Just Evan Fine again. He’s got a preliminary valuation and a suggested list price. Wants to know if you have time to talk tomorrow.”
My jaw goes tight. “We’re not selling through him. I’ll call Gerald in the morning and make sure he knows I want him handling this transaction, and not a peon.”