“It’ll make the payment each month and deduct it from your credit card or bank, so you never have to worry about posting a payment.”
“Hm.” She opened the bills, set each piece of paper down, and smoothed it out. “This is what I owe?”
“Yes.”
“Okay.” She read the directions and chewed on her very full bottom lip. It wasn’t sexy and shouldn’t have had me thinking about how full they were, but they looked soft as hell. Her tongue darted out and wet one before she went to the website and frowned. “It won’t let me pay it.”
“You have to create an account. Do you want my advice or want me to make sure you don’t sell your soul online? I can do both.”
She smiled, just a bit, and the worry lines around her eyes disappearing before she pulled on her earlobe. “You must think I’m ridiculous.”
“Yes, I do, but there are many reasons. Why do you say that this time?” I teased, shocking myself. My phone burned a hole in my pocket knowing she’d sent me that email, yet I was here, with her, almost flirting.Get a goddamn grip.
“That I don’t know how to pay bills.” She squeezed her eyes shut. “This is so hard, and Ihatethat my parents are making me do this. How does this prove anything?”
“No offense, Atwood, but if you’re wanting a large sum of money to start a business, and you don’t even know how to pay bills…not really a vote of confidence. I’d be hesitant too.”
Hurt flashed in her eyes for a beat before she pursed her lips and studied me for a beat. “Fine. I see your point, their point, about this. But I canhiresomeone to take care of all that. My parents’ foundation has a finance manager, and he handles everything.”
“Sure, I get that,” I said, fighting the urge to roll my eyes. Money didn’t solve everything. “But you need to understand how money is distributed, what it’s spent on. What if you hired someone who stole from you? What if they mishandled money? How could you ensure all your funds are going to the right place? You can’t fix all your problems by paying someone.”
“Like how going out and cleaning the lake is better than donating money online?”
“Yeah, a bit like that.”
We shared a small smile, and she pushed her shoulders back and jutted her chin toward the laptop. “Guess I’ll create an account then.”
“Accounts.” I picked up the stack of envelopes and tapped them onto the table top. “Once you get done with setting them up, I can show you how to organize everything on a spreadsheet.”
She scrunched her face. “Sounds horrible.”
“Oh, it is. But there’s a sense of pride in how I organize my finances, so I’m going to go on about them and you’re going to take it. If I had to hear about ladybugs and plant hair and enemies, you’re listening to me.”
She bit back a smile and let out a tiny giggle. “Okay then.”
Her laugh made me smile. I pointed at her. “Quit avoiding. You got me over here from my lazy Sunday afternoon. Get to work.”
“You’re awful bossy for a chauffeur.” She eyed me before focusing on the laptop. She frowned, stared up at me for a beat, and then tilted her head. “Hey, you’re not…you don’t have to help me, right? You’re choosing to be here?”
What an odd question. “Yes. I’m choosing to be in your plant-infested apartment where I get to talk about spreadsheets. Why would you ask that?”
“No reason.” She grinned as a blush crept up her neck and face. The pink made her skin glow, and I sat there, transfixed.
She ran her tongue over her bottom lip and wet it, the movement captivating me in a way I wasn’t prepared for. Her mouth looked soft, delicate, and her lips reminded me of a classic Hollywood starlet.
She ran a finger over her neck, scratching just below her ear, and I tracked the movement. My entire body tightened with need. I wanted to taste her, to kiss her mouth, see if she kissed like she did everything else—with gusto.
She leaned closer to me, her floral scent tickling my nose and making me all the more aware of how close she was. Her face was inches from mine. “Okay, is this a good start?” Her minty breath hit my face, and I fought every urge I had tonotlower my mouth to hers.
She chewed on the side of her lip and stared up at me with so much trust, I wanted to fall into her. Lose myself in her. Set her on the table and rip off her too-large pink shirt.
“Fritz?” she said, her voice small. Her gaze moved from my eyes to my mouth, and she sucked in a breath. The air stilled between us as she leaned just an inch toward me, her nostrils flaring.
Her computerdingedthree chimes, signaling an auto-update, but the sound brought me back to present. To normal. To the place where I shouldn’t be thinking about kissing Nora Atwood.
“Let’s take a look,” I croaked out, my throat way too dry and my voice a little shaky.
I could be attracted to her—that was fine. But acting on my lust? That was so far off my game plan. She wanted to use me, and I was done letting that happen.
