When she put it like that, it did seem stupid to do anything but just appreciate that the man in my bed was generous, funny, completely rock-solid ripped, and was determined to see me.
“Attention. Orgasms. Champagne.” I fingered the entry James had written in. Fly to Miami for the weekend with James. “You’re one hundred percent right, Chrissy.”
Cinderella got to go to a ball. Why couldn’t I go to Miami?
* * *
JJ
* * *
When is your break?
At ten.
Okay.
Why?
No reason.
No reason other than that I was in the casino waiting to spend Mia’s break with her. She’d told me she only got fifteen minutes, but I would take whatever the hell I could get. Dating Mia required some serious organization and planning. Her free time was non-existent, so I had to take advantage of every opportunity to spend a few minutes with her.
Why was that?
Just because I had one hundred percent fallen in love with her.
I wasn’t sure exactly when it had happened, but it was somewhere between that first night and her bursting into tears and throwing herself onto my chest. I suspected it had actually occurred in December, right around the time I had bent down and kissed her for the first time, which was why I’d been so angry and unable to move past her perceived betrayal.
None of which mattered anymore, because I had admitted my feelings to myself, if not to her, and I was going all in. Mia was mine.
I glanced at my watch to check the time. Nine fifty-three.
The watch reminded me I needed to call Ji-Ho. I pulled out my phone. I had resisted the idea of hiring an assistant in the past, because as Mia had pointed out, I’m something of a control freak. I liked to arrange my own travel and make reservations, and handle my schedule of appointments. But when I had interviewed him, Ji-Ho had seemed to understand and respect that about me. He ran everything past me yet didn’t need micromanaging, which was a serious skill. He was also just as much of a clean freak as me, and I knew that if he sent my clothes out to be dry-cleaned, they would arrive the way I liked them.
“Did you get the insurance on my watch?” I asked when he answered. I hadn’t seen any paperwork.
“I sent you the documents to sign this morning. Check your email.”
“Thanks. I also need you to go to Oak Harbor assisted-living facility and pay the final bill for a woman named Margaret Abernathy.”
“Sure. How much is the bill?”
“It’s like fifteen grand. It’s for my girlfriend’s mother.” I got a cheap thrill out of using the term girlfriend. It had been years since I’d had an actual girlfriend.
I wasn’t sure Mia would agree with the label, but she would soon enough.
“What if the balance is higher than that?”
“I authorize you to pay up to thirty grand. Higher than that, give me a call.” I would still pay it, but we would need an itemized bill to go through. I didn’t want Mia getting ripped off.
Or me.
Ironic.
“Are you at a casino?” he asked. “I hear the slots.”
“I’m headed to a coffee shop in the casino. I’m not gambling.” I started walking in that direction. “And I need two tickets to see Katy Perry, three weeks out.”
That was met with dead silence.
“Shut up,” I said.
“I didn’t say anything,” he protested.
“It’s for Mia. She told me she loves Katy Perry.”
“Of course.”
“I’m being fucking romantic,” I told him.
“Of course.”
“Get great seats.”
“Of course.”
“Stop saying that, you’re making me uncomfortable.” I paused a few feet from the Starbucks. Mia was sitting down on a bench by an elevator, scrolling through her phone. I hung back, wanting to just observe her. She was so beautiful and strong and determined.
Oh, yeah. I was fucking done. So in love with her.
“Of course. I mean, right. Got it.”
“I need you to do something else,” I said to my assistant. “I’ll text you the details in a minute. Gotta go.”
I ended the call and headed over to Mia. “Hi.” I sat down beside her.
Mia didn’t look at all surprised. “Hi. I was expecting you.”
“You were?” She was clearly catching on to me.
She nodded, her lips pressed tightly together, as if she were trying to hide a smile. “Coffee date with James was magically in my planner for today.”
That made me grin. “So far I’m three for three. You’ve gone to dinner with me, a movie, and now coffee. I’m a little surprised you’re letting me get away with this.”
“I’m surprised I am too,” she said. “But you’re almost as cute as Amelia. I can’t resist you.”
“Cute?” I growled. “Efficient and now cute. I’ve got work to do.” I slipped my hand behind her head and kissed her. Not a polite, public kiss. But a real, possessive, commanding kiss that showed her I meant business.
She moaned softly and pulled away. Her cheeks were flushed. “Point taken.”
“Damn right.” I ran my thumb over her bottom lip.
“You’re missing the part where I said it’s hard to resist you.” She leaned closer to me, her hand on my thigh. “I need to check my planner. I believe I have an appointment to spend the night at your apartment here soon.”
I was counting down the days. Four was way too long, but short of kidnapping her, I didn’t have much choice but to be patient. Not my strongest virtue, but I was getting a crash course in it. I put my hand over hers and laced our fingers together. Yep. I was holding her hand. It felt natural and pretty fucking awesome. “You definitely do have an appointment in my bed. Wednesday. It was the only night that would work with your schedule.”
“Good to know.” Mia gave me a look that would have made me think she would have leaned down and drawn my cock into her mouth if we weren’t right outside of the coffee shop.
She definitely looked naughty and I swore. “Fuck, Mia. Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I was eyeing a bikini online for our trip to Miami. It’s very, very tiny.”
My mind went blank and my mouth went dry. “Are you serious? We can go to Miami? For how long?” Writing that down had been a Hail Mary throw in the fourth quarter. The odds were stacked way against me. But now I’d just caught the ball with one hand in the endzone.
“Forty-eight hours. That’s all I can manage. But you’re a cool guy who likes to make things happen. I’m sure you can arrange it.”
Who was this woman? I was torn between suspicion and wanting to fist-pump like an idiot. “Is this some kind of trick?”
She wrinkled her nose. “What? No! That’s just insulting. I’m trying to be flirty and sexy with you and you clearly don’t buy it.”
That made me laugh. Flirting wasn’t really her natural state. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. You are definitely sexy. It’s just that you called me a cool guy. And I’m assuming that means you are taking time off of work. Nothing about that sounded like you.”