Total pages in book: 166
Estimated words: 157273 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 786(@200wpm)___ 629(@250wpm)___ 524(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 157273 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 786(@200wpm)___ 629(@250wpm)___ 524(@300wpm)
“I have something to take care of first, but I will.” I nodded. “Do me a favor and let Hudson and Gavin hang with you for a minute?”
Hudson stiffened. “That was not the deal.”
“Relax,” Everett said. “Boyfriends don’t go to contract meetings. Let her handle business, and then you two can sneak off after we toast.” He lifted his eyebrows at me.
“We’ll toast as soon as I actually have an offer,” I promised.
“Of course you will.” Everett rolled his eyes. “And if it’s anything like mine, well, we’re sitting pretty. I think Jacob is in there right now, but I’m sure he’ll be out in a second. They’ve been locked away for a hot minute. You should head back.”
Perfect timing. I turned to Hudson.
“I don’t like this,” he grumbled as I straightened his tie.
“I think you look quite sexy in it.” I tugged on the fabric, and he leaned down, his face inches from mine. “If we’re not back in twenty, come looking.”
“You want me to wait twenty minutes?” His brows lowered, and he bracketed my waist with his hands as the boat began to move, pulling out of the slip. “Anything can happen in twenty minutes.”
“Count it out in five-minute intervals, if that helps.” I clutched the manila folder between us and pressed a quick kiss to his mouth. This wasn’t how I wanted to spend our last night together, but I was glad he was here with me. “I’ll be right back.”
He looked torn, and his hands flexed once before he let go and nodded, reaching into his pocket and retrieving his phone.
“Eva?” I looked over at my sister.
“Let’s go.” She put on a polished smile.
“Hey, Caroline,” Hudson answered. “We just got to the party.”
I gave Hudson another once-over just because he looked too damn good not to, then left him with Gavin and Everett. Company members waved to me as we moved through the cabin, but their hands faltered when they caught sight of Eva.
I looked through the windows that lined the cabin as the sun set and we headed out into open ocean. If this didn’t go well, the next few hours of this cruise were going to be horrifically awkward.
The anxiety I’d been fighting off all afternoon flared to life in the form of a stab of pain behind my sternum as we approached the door to the private cabin. “Tell me one thing,” I said to Eva as I spotted Maxim hovering near the door with a few members of the Company. Here went nothing. “How did you figure it out so quickly? You only saw her for a few minutes.”
“The dimple,” Eva answered, and my brows lifted in surprise. “What? I took biology. I understand enough about genetics to figure that one out. Plus, it made sense when I started lining up dates.”
“Now that, I get.” My heart fluttered at the speed of a hummingbird’s wings as we reached Maxim.
His smile didn’t reach his eyes, but it never quite did. “Well, if it isn’t the topic of the hottest conversations today.” His gaze jumped between Eva and me. “Didn’t expect to see you guys here together.”
“I’m heading in,” I informed him, reaching for the door handle.
“Best of luck.” He raised his glass in salute.
“I’ll let you know when it’s clear,” I whispered to Eva, then opened the door to the private room, and stepped inside.
“There she is!” Vasily smiled and clapped Isaac on the back from where they sat behind the long ebony table, six or seven manila envelopes stacked in front of them. The door on the starboard side was closed, but port was locked in the open position, letting in the ocean breeze from the deck that wrapped toward the bow.
Jacob closed his own folder and stood in front of that open door, then pushed his chair in and ran his fingers through his dark hair. “Alessandra. I was just leaving. Remarkable performance today.”
We hit a rather large wave, and I grabbed the chair in front of me to steady my balance.
Fucking boats.
“Thanks. It’s good to see you, Jacob,” I said.
He nodded, then slipped past me and out the door.
“Alessandra, you’re going to be so pleased with who we’re offering a contract to,” Vasily said with a grin. “He’s the best I’ve seen in years.” He leaned over and grabbed an envelope off the booth to the left. “And of course I had your new contract drawn up.”
My gaze darted to Isaac, and he inclined his head. “Darling.”
“Not your darling,” I reminded him.
“At present,” he acquiesced.
“Would you mind stepping outside? I have some family business to take care of.” My smile could have cut the table in half.
Vasily pushed my envelope across the table, then sat back in the booth. “Go ahead, Isaac. The terms of Alessandra’s contract are always private. A courtesy to her mother, of course.”