Series: Fever Falls Series by Riley Hart
Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 96922 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96922 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
“What are you all smiles about over there?” Carter asked from the chair on the opposite side of my desk.
When I looked up, he was keying away into his iPhone as though he was so busy, he shouldn’t have been able to notice me making a dumb face over Jace’s message. Although, I figured I was just that obvious.
“Did you get a message from Hottie Firefighter?” he pressed.
“Maybe I got a text from someone else.”
His gaze shifted to me, one brow rising slightly higher than the other as he offered a suspicious glare. “Sure, Jan.”
“Okay, it was him.”
“Of course it was. How much have you guys been texting since London?”
Too much. Jace and I had been exchanging messages almost daily for the past three weeks. Nothing major, just checking in with each other.
“I don’t know,” I lied.
He rolled his eyes. “I can’t tell who you’re lying to more: me or yourself.”
“How am I lying to myself?”
“You gonna keep pretending you don’t have a little bit of a thing for Hottie Firefighter?”
“Can we not call him that? His name is Jace.” Although, maybe because I recognized how much more he was than that stupid nickname, I was fine with using it when I was talking to Jace.
“Okay, what would you like me to call your boyfriend?”
“God, you know that’s not an option.”
“There it is.”
“What?”
“You said ‘that’s not an option.’ You didn’t make it sound outside the realm of possibility. This guy’s got you crushing a bit. Come on, tell Dr. Carter.”
“You’re not a goddamn doctor, and I’m not crushing. We had fun, and I wouldn’t mind having fun again. That’s the extent of it.”
He hummed “Here Comes the Bride.”
“You are just begging for a severance package, aren’t you?”
“Oh, please. Who else is going to sneak down to the concierge to grab you a card when you’re standing outside your hotel room in just a towel?”
I hadn’t realized what a dumbass move it was to let the door slam shut behind me when Jace and I had been having our little goodbye make-out session.
“No shame in being attracted to Mr. Overnight Sensation. Last I checked, his Instagram video announcing the deal with Hacksmore had fifty million views.”
“Fifty-seven, last I checked.”
“Stalk much?”
“Clearly, this part’s in the job description.”
While I worked different media outlets to get press for the Kruse/Hacksmore deal, at Elliott’s and my encouragement, Jace created an Instagram page we could link sources to and a video discussing the upcoming deal. Elliott hadn’t been sure how effective it would be as a marketing tool, but I knew once people became aware of the personality that went along with the image they’d become so captivated by, they’d find themselves as enamored by Jace Kruse as I found myself becoming.
A crush, no. I was too practical for that.
We both had jobs to do, and especially with deals signed, we needed to prioritize our work above everything else. I didn’t tend to get involved with clients, but in Jace’s case, I doubted my ability to keep my hands off him, though I didn’t figure it would become a big issue. He seemed fairly chill about the whole thing.
However, the gun had been fired and the race was on to get Jace to the top of every headline to generate publicity for the campaign that was officially underway—something that was helped by a leak inside the Fever Fight campus, revealing his plans to donate money toward a new and improved rec center as well as plenty more toward their library. I wouldn’t have disclosed those facts, as I knew how personal it was for Jace, but it easily generated even more hype for the up-and-coming celeb. Timing was everything in my business. We needed to strike while the iron was hot—and Jace Kruse was so very hot in every possible way. And seemed to only be getting hotter by the minute.
I finally chased Carter out of my office with some calls he needed to make before our trip back to Fever Falls. But secretly, I wanted a chance to respond to Jace’s message in private, without having to worry about Carter’s prying eyes. Not that he would see what I was texting, but clearly, I was struggling to maintain my typical cool expression.
Missing me already? ;) I messaged.
JACE: Eh, you’re alright. That dick, tho…
I laughed out loud, like a fucking idiot, which reminded me why it had been a good idea to get rid of Carter before replying.
ME: LMAO. Well, he misses you too.
JACE: Careful with compliments. You know how those give me a big head. And I’m trying to be innocent at my family barbecue.
ME: Are you seriously at a barbecue?
JACE: Of course! Mom loves a good old-fashioned barbecue.
Sometimes Jace and his family were too goddamn perfect.
ME: How’s the fam?
JACE: Keeg is trying to play fetch with Mac, which just looks like Keeg throwing a ball and then walking Mac to it. Wish you were here.