My phone rings up at the counter, and it takes me so long to recognize the sound that the call almost goes to voicemail. I see Penny’s name on the screen and frantically swipe to answer.
“Elijah!”
A smile breaks across my face. “Penny? Is that you?”
“Yes! And I managed to talk Nick into lending us the space at Wrecked for a charity dinner for homeless vets. He told me I should coordinate with you to get the movers to rearrange things and bring in the tables and the dance floor.”
I look at my phone and realize that I’ve got to get a move on so I don’t lose my place in line. “Oh, wow! That’s kinda crazy.”
“I know! My venue fell through, and I had to get creative. So, are you up for it? It’s for a good cause.”
“Sure. I’m down.” We wish each other well and I hang up the phone. Honestly, it sounds like it’ll be a huge pain in the ass, but I definitely owe her. Also, I’d rather it be my pain in the ass than Nick’s, especially since he’d given me the job.And the promotion.
Speaking of the military-hot devil himself, Nick walks into the main workout space, finer than any man has the right to be. Considering that he’d just finished his weights with prosthetics class, the one that kicks everyone’s ass, his current level of attractive borders on the abusive. About a dozen people file into the main area, all looking like he’d sprayed them down with a hose. I let my eyes drift over his ridiculous body, and, damn, he’d barely even broken a sweat.
He saunters—legit saunters—over to me and lowers his lips to my ear. “You keep on looking at me like that and I might just consider it an invitation.” That crooked little hitch in his smile is far too sexy for public consumption.
“I’m not looking at you any kind of way, especially since you volun-told me for this charity dinner thing. How the hell are we going to make room for everybody?”
Nick lets out a frustrated breath and rolls his eyes. “Penny says she’s got people who will help her move everything against the wall, and that does leave a lot of space.”
“Do you think by ‘people’ she means us?”
“I’m absolutely certain that she counts us as people, yes,” he chuckles, raising his hand to touch my hair, then pulling back when he realizes we’re in a public place.
“All right, then I’ve got it squared. Don’t worry about it.”
“Duh, if you’re taking care of it, I know that I don’t have anything to worry about.” He bumps my shoulder when he says this, and it fills my chest with pride and more than a little anxiety. “The HVA is an important partner with us, and a lot of our charity dollars go their way. So, even though it’s a big pain in the ass, I’m glad we get to help out in this way.”
I nod absentmindedly as I check my phone. Dammit. There’s no way I can make it in tonight.Shit.
“Hey, what’s got your face all screwy?”
Errrr, I think quick and tell him something less grim. “I wanted to check out this new art installation, but I can already tell I’m too late to get over there now.”
“Well, shit. Didn’t mean to make you miss your art thing. What are you gonna do for dinner?”
I consider my options and shrug.
“I was going to put together a huge chef salad. Way too much for one person,” he says, his eyes sparkling. “Want some?”
He is most definitely not inviting me up for salad. I think about it and decide that is as good an option as any. “Let me finish up this paperwork and I’ll be right upstairs.”
“Hey, don’t worry about that. It’ll keep till morning. You look beat,” he says, digging in his jeans. “Here, take my keys. Make yourself at home. I just need to make sure that Roly has everything he needs, and I’ll be right up.”
I take the keys, grateful for the opportunity to sit down. Didn’t sleep well last night again, and it will be nice to rest before dinner.And whatever else we get up to.
I make my way to the back staircase and trudge up the wood and metal steps. Now that I’m not distracted by six foot and change of gorgeous man, I realize he’s done a good job of replacing everything that had been destroyed in his apartment, including more art on the wall than I would’ve guessed. He seems to be a fan of Impressionist art, and the bright, colorful pieces contrast nicely with his gorgeous, overstuffed leather couches. The huge rug in front of the couches pulls all of the colors together, and the effect is calming and beautiful.
I go to the (thankfully functioning) refrigerator and help myself to some water and a handful of grapes. I’m actually pretty hungry, but I didn’t have a lot of time to eat today. I wander over to the big comfortable couch and plop my ass down into the soft leather. Fuckingheaven. I let my hand drift down to the side and realize there’s a button there. I push it and the legs began to lift.
I put my glass of water on a coaster on the little side table and pop a few more grapes in my mouth. It’s a little chilly in the room, so I grab the blanket laid over the back of the couch and pull it down and around me, swaddling myself in Nick’s signature scent.
I haven’t been this comfortable in a while, especially since my living arrangements, as Morris noted, aren’t all that great. I certainly don’t have something this comfortable to sleep in at night. I snug in and let myself drift off.
Sometime later, I feel a familiar pressure against my lips and immediately recognize the smell of his cologne. My eyes flutter open, and Nick is there, bracing himself on the arm of the couch so that he can bend down to hover over me, and he’s smiling. God, that man has such a brilliant fucking smile.
I wipe a little bit of drool from the corner of my mouth and sit up a little straighter, noticing that it’s much darker outside. “Shit, sorry. Got comfortable for about thirty seconds and immediately passed out. Did I miss dinner?”
