The CEO Buys In
Page 81
He injected even more innuendo in his voice. “One thing that would make this night perfect would be to get home and find you in my bed. Naked.” The thought of his vast empty bed was depressing.
“By all means, send Kurt in the helicopter.”
He heard the dryness in her voice, but he couldn’t stop himself from showing his need. “What if I brought the Rolls and parked in front of your house?”
She laughed. She thought he was joking.
“If you agreed, I’d be there in thirty minutes,” he said.
“No, I have to work tomorrow.” But he’d heard the tiny pause while she’d seriously considered it. That would have to be enough.
CHAPTER 23
Chloe collated the various audit documents in a haze of fatigue. After Nathan’s call, she’d tossed and turned the rest of the night, regretting her decision to say no to his crazy late-night proposal. She had so little time left with him. She should have thrown caution, good sense, and discretion to the winds and agreed to his insane idea of meeting in the Rolls. Instead she’d given up the bliss of seeing him and had gotten no sleep anyway.
She’d sealed the fate of their relationship this morning by calling Judith and accepting the job with Trainor Electronics. Judith had told her she was doing the right thing, but it didn’t make Chloe feel less miserable. Especially since she would be starting there next week.
She sighed and rechecked the pile of documents before she shoved them into the jaws of the electric stapler. Her cell phone chimed with Grandmillie’s distinctive ringtone. Chloe nearly ripped the pocket of her skirt in her haste to get it out. “Is everything all right?”
“It’s fine.” Grandmillie sounded testy. “I just called to tell you Oskar left a mountain of boxes and shopping bags in our front hall. I figured you should know when you talk with your Nathan. You’re seeing him after work, aren’t you?”
“Oh,” Chloe said, slumping back into the chair in relief. “Yes, he’s picking me up in about twenty minutes. Is it really a mountain? I only wanted one dress and some accessories.”
“You’ve got dress bags, shoe boxes, and a whole variety of assorted other boxes and bags.”
“Oh, dear.” Chloe curled even farther down into the chair. “What do I do with it all?”
“You give it back.”
“I can try.” Chloe had a feeling Nathan wouldn’t accept the return of his purchases no matter which way their relationship went. “I have to wear one outfit to the wedding. If he doesn’t take the rest back, I’ll donate it to Goodwill.” Chloe was talking to herself rather than Grandmillie.
“Let’s not be hasty,” Grandmillie said.
That made Chloe laugh in a slightly broken way. “You’re a pip, Grandmillie. Remember I get the tax deduction for my donation.”
“Hadn’t thought of that.” Grandmillie harrumphed and hung up.
Chloe couldn’t help it. When she walked out the office doors and saw Nathan lounging against the Rolls, every cell in her body nearly exploded with joy. She could feel the stupidly happy smile spread across her face as he straightened and started toward her. When he swept her into his arms and dipped her low for a quick, dramatic kiss, she wanted to giggle like a teenager.
“That’s not exactly being discreet,” she said as he righted her.
He pulled her against his side and hustled her to the car. “I feel too good to worry about discretion.”
“So you truly fixed Prometheus?”
He helped her into the toasty interior and slid onto the seat beside her, pulling the door closed. “I’ve at least gotten it out of a dead end. We’ll see where the new road leads.”
But she could see the exhilaration in his eyes. He saw success at the end of the road. Taking her face in his hands, he brushed his lips against hers with a strangely soft and reverent touch. “Thank you, darling.”
Chloe’s breath caught at his last word. “I, um, you’re welcome.”
He started to deepen the kiss, but she took hold of his lapels and gave him a little shake. He lifted his head. “Is ‘darling’ unacceptable?”
“No, no, not that. I love the word darling.” Especially when it came from his lips. “I have to talk to you about all the stuff that got delivered to my house today. I only needed one outfit, but Grandmillie says it’s a small mountain.”
“We were in a hurry, remember? I told her I’d take everything.”
He tried to kiss the side of her neck, but she shook him again. “All the lingerie. Not all the dresses and shoes and bags.”
He shrugged. “She must have misunderstood.”
“No, you misunderstood. I don’t want to be showered with expensive gifts.”
“Really?” He sat back as a look of cynicism flitted across his face.
“You don’t have a high opinion of women, do you?”
He was silent for a long moment before he said, “You’re changing my mind.”
Guilt ripped at her chest. He probably wouldn’t feel that way in a few days when she chose the job over him. She needed to tell him the truth about her feelings for him now, before he wouldn’t believe her. “It’s you I want. Just Nathan. Not the CEO of Trainor Electronics. Not the billionaire who owns an apartment bigger than my block. All that only gets in the way.”
He scanned her face as she spoke. She tried to will the depth of her emotions into her eyes and her words. He brushed back a little piece of hair that had come loose from her bun. “Everything in me says to believe you,” he said.
“By all means, send Kurt in the helicopter.”
He heard the dryness in her voice, but he couldn’t stop himself from showing his need. “What if I brought the Rolls and parked in front of your house?”
She laughed. She thought he was joking.
“If you agreed, I’d be there in thirty minutes,” he said.
“No, I have to work tomorrow.” But he’d heard the tiny pause while she’d seriously considered it. That would have to be enough.
CHAPTER 23
Chloe collated the various audit documents in a haze of fatigue. After Nathan’s call, she’d tossed and turned the rest of the night, regretting her decision to say no to his crazy late-night proposal. She had so little time left with him. She should have thrown caution, good sense, and discretion to the winds and agreed to his insane idea of meeting in the Rolls. Instead she’d given up the bliss of seeing him and had gotten no sleep anyway.
She’d sealed the fate of their relationship this morning by calling Judith and accepting the job with Trainor Electronics. Judith had told her she was doing the right thing, but it didn’t make Chloe feel less miserable. Especially since she would be starting there next week.
She sighed and rechecked the pile of documents before she shoved them into the jaws of the electric stapler. Her cell phone chimed with Grandmillie’s distinctive ringtone. Chloe nearly ripped the pocket of her skirt in her haste to get it out. “Is everything all right?”
“It’s fine.” Grandmillie sounded testy. “I just called to tell you Oskar left a mountain of boxes and shopping bags in our front hall. I figured you should know when you talk with your Nathan. You’re seeing him after work, aren’t you?”
“Oh,” Chloe said, slumping back into the chair in relief. “Yes, he’s picking me up in about twenty minutes. Is it really a mountain? I only wanted one dress and some accessories.”
“You’ve got dress bags, shoe boxes, and a whole variety of assorted other boxes and bags.”
“Oh, dear.” Chloe curled even farther down into the chair. “What do I do with it all?”
“You give it back.”
“I can try.” Chloe had a feeling Nathan wouldn’t accept the return of his purchases no matter which way their relationship went. “I have to wear one outfit to the wedding. If he doesn’t take the rest back, I’ll donate it to Goodwill.” Chloe was talking to herself rather than Grandmillie.
“Let’s not be hasty,” Grandmillie said.
That made Chloe laugh in a slightly broken way. “You’re a pip, Grandmillie. Remember I get the tax deduction for my donation.”
“Hadn’t thought of that.” Grandmillie harrumphed and hung up.
Chloe couldn’t help it. When she walked out the office doors and saw Nathan lounging against the Rolls, every cell in her body nearly exploded with joy. She could feel the stupidly happy smile spread across her face as he straightened and started toward her. When he swept her into his arms and dipped her low for a quick, dramatic kiss, she wanted to giggle like a teenager.
“That’s not exactly being discreet,” she said as he righted her.
He pulled her against his side and hustled her to the car. “I feel too good to worry about discretion.”
“So you truly fixed Prometheus?”
He helped her into the toasty interior and slid onto the seat beside her, pulling the door closed. “I’ve at least gotten it out of a dead end. We’ll see where the new road leads.”
But she could see the exhilaration in his eyes. He saw success at the end of the road. Taking her face in his hands, he brushed his lips against hers with a strangely soft and reverent touch. “Thank you, darling.”
Chloe’s breath caught at his last word. “I, um, you’re welcome.”
He started to deepen the kiss, but she took hold of his lapels and gave him a little shake. He lifted his head. “Is ‘darling’ unacceptable?”
“No, no, not that. I love the word darling.” Especially when it came from his lips. “I have to talk to you about all the stuff that got delivered to my house today. I only needed one outfit, but Grandmillie says it’s a small mountain.”
“We were in a hurry, remember? I told her I’d take everything.”
He tried to kiss the side of her neck, but she shook him again. “All the lingerie. Not all the dresses and shoes and bags.”
He shrugged. “She must have misunderstood.”
“No, you misunderstood. I don’t want to be showered with expensive gifts.”
“Really?” He sat back as a look of cynicism flitted across his face.
“You don’t have a high opinion of women, do you?”
He was silent for a long moment before he said, “You’re changing my mind.”
Guilt ripped at her chest. He probably wouldn’t feel that way in a few days when she chose the job over him. She needed to tell him the truth about her feelings for him now, before he wouldn’t believe her. “It’s you I want. Just Nathan. Not the CEO of Trainor Electronics. Not the billionaire who owns an apartment bigger than my block. All that only gets in the way.”
He scanned her face as she spoke. She tried to will the depth of her emotions into her eyes and her words. He brushed back a little piece of hair that had come loose from her bun. “Everything in me says to believe you,” he said.
