Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 106150 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 531(@200wpm)___ 425(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106150 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 531(@200wpm)___ 425(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
“What?” I demanded, affronted. “I would never want repayment—” I caught myself and sighed. “Which is your point,” I grumbled.
“Yup. Rowe, I told you—there’s nothing I like better than seeing you smile, whether we’re watching polo, or sitting on the couch, or eating overpriced paninis. Being with you isn’t something I could possibly put a value on. You use your talents to help people all the time, and you give that gift freely. Money happens to be one of the things I have to give, and choosing to share it doesn’t have to create entitlement or negative feelings. You were the person who helped me realize that. So, I don’t want to dismiss your feelings about this, but I’d really like you to try to understand mine. Okay?”
What the hell was I supposed to say to something that heartfelt except… “I’ll try.” And then, because I didn’t know how long this moment of bravery and maturity would last, I found myself blurting out the hard questions. “Then what? What happens after Monday, after the board meeting where you confront Austin with the evidence of his fraud? What happens to… to me? What happens to Project Daisy Chain?”
Bash leaned closer and cupped the side of my face. His touch was so affectionate and gentle I closed my eyes to savor it. “Anything you want.”
We were interrupted by the server delivering our drinks. I hid my goofy adoration for Bash behind the Mason jar of sweet punch topped by a stack of fresh fruit and a floppy flower of some kind.
“Motherfucker,” I groaned after taking the first sip. “I would sell that antique throw blanket for another one of these if I had to.”
“But you don’t have to. Because you know that I’ll buy you as many as you want, just for the pleasure of watching you enjoy them.” Bash leaned in to kiss the sweetness from my lips. I tasted the lime and vodka on his and thought for a split second that I’d never been in a more perfect moment than this.
And then it got even better.
Bash said, “Of course, Sterling Chase would be honored to continue bringing your concept to market, if you’d trust us to. I would make sure you got the best possible terms.”
I gaped at him, unable to say a word.
“Before you tell me to fuck off,” Bash said quickly, “hear me out—”
What? “Why would I tell you to fuck off?”
“Because Sterling Chase was the company that defrauded—”
I clamped a hand over his mouth. “We’ve already established that wasn’t on you or the rest of the board. As long as anyone involved in the fraud isn’t part of the project moving forward—”
“Fuck no,” he muttered against my palm before pulling my hand away. “I will get to the bottom of this and root out everyone who was involved. I promise.”
I took a deep breath and felt the stress of all the years of pursuing my dream begin to chip off of my shoulders and fall away. “And you wouldn’t be doing it because you felt like you had to?”
Bash set down both of our drinks and took my hands in his. “Austin brought the idea to Sterling Chase because it’s a winner, Rowe. I knew it the first moment I heard about it. This idea is going to save lives and help optimize emergency services. You know that’s a mission near and dear to my heart. I’d be thrilled to be a part of bringing it to fruition.”
His words felt like an oath, like a promise. There wasn’t a part of me that didn’t trust him to keep it.
And if getting Project Daisy Chain made—the one and only goal I’d focused on for years—no longer felt like quite the happily ever after I’d dreamed of, well, that was my own stupid fault. Cinderella only got one wish.
“Thank you, Bash,” I whispered. “Truly.”
Bash leaned over to kiss my cheek. “You thrill me,” he said softly before nuzzling the side of my face and brushing his lips under my ear. “Landry was right. I’ve been looking for excitement in all the wrong places. You inspire me to remember who I am and who I want to be.”
As always, proximity to Bash made my mouth start running independently of my brain. “I’m actually pretty boring when you get to know me.”
Way to sell it, Prince.
Bash pulled back and met my eyes. His shone with life and happiness. “A quirky billionaire like yourself, Sterling Chase? Never in a million years.”
We talked through turkey paninis and dessert cocktails. We talked until the sun dropped low in the sky.
We talked until even the tap water was at risk of running out.
And then we went back to the house and let our bodies do the rest of the talking for us.
NINETEEN
BASH
I was falling in love with Rowe Prince. I knew it, Kenji knew it, and all of my friends knew it, too.