Page 16 of A Billionaire Abroad

She laughed out loud. “You Irish aren’t fans of the a.m., are you?”

He shook his head. “Don’t believe in it.”

“I’ll text you tomorrow and tell you all about it— sometime after noon.”

“That’d be appreciated.”

The walk back to the Marker felt shorter than she knew it was. She enjoyed being with Conall, and he seemed to enjoy her company as well.

He rode with her up the elevator. He even slipped his arm around her and tucked her in close. She could grow used to that.

At the door to her room, he leaned against the wall beside the doorframe. “Don’t let Sterling talk down to you tomorrow.You’re planning a great event for him; he shouldn’t get to make you feel otherwise.”

She looked up at him. “You’re right. I’ve wanted him to approve of me so badly that I basically let him decide if I deserved to be approved of.”

“You do, though. Every person I introduced you to tonight liked you straight off. The more I know you, the more I like you. If Sterling Westcott can’t see that, he’s not worth your worry.”

She set her hand on his arm. “Thank you.” Keighley stretched up enough to press a quick, light kiss to his lips before stepping back again.

She could tell she was blushing a little, but he grinned, clearly not offended.

“Sleep well, Keighley. Fight the good fight in the morning and tell me how it goes. But do wait until a less miserable hour.”

“I will.” She stood in the doorway and watched as he walked back down the hall, his hands stuffed in his pockets, whistling one of the tunes the band had played that night.

Keighley couldn’t remember the last time someone had made her heart flip around like it was doing now. He was wonderful. She had spent so many weeks wondering what it would take to catch Sterling’s eye and what it would be like to have him fall for her and. . .

And maybe she was the “idjet.”

Chapter Six

Keighley headed to the lobby early enough to settle in and relax before there was any chance Sterling would be there. She brought a list with her so he wouldn’t catch her off guard if he asked again what she’d been spending her time on. Impressing him on a personal level didn’t really matter so much anymore; she simply wasn’t going to let his doubts become her doubts like she had the morning before.

She set her list on the side table, on top of the receipts for all the things she’d purchased and arranged. She’d stood in front of her mirror that morning and practiced answering the questions she anticipated him asking. This meeting would go better than the last one.

Sleep had been elusive the night before. Nervousness about the next morning. Thoughts of Conall. Shock that she’d kissed him. She’d texted her best friend, which had ended up in hours of back-and-forth.

Keighley pulled out her phone. Another text had come while she was asleep. She’d read it at least a dozen times already, but she did again.

You better hide Conall in your suitcase and bring him back with you.

If only. Sterling was the one who would be going back to New York. It was amazing how disappointing that had become in only a few days.

He arrived just as she was finishing her tea. His demeanor was a lot more at ease than the day before. “Good morning,” he said.

“Good morning.”

He sat in his usual spot but didn’t immediately launch into questions. “I was frustrated yesterday, and I’m sorry about that.”

She hadn’t expected to hear an apology first thing. “I noticed. But I got a lot done yesterday, so there’s less for you to be worried about now.” Keighley reached for her papers, but he spoke again before she could begin rattling off her list.

“I knew you would, and I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”

Wow. He was being more gracious than she would have guessed. “We finished almost all of the arrangements yesterday. I’m picking out some flowers and other decorative elements today, but otherwise, it’ll just be keeping tabs on everything and checking in with anyone we don’t get an RSVP from.”

“We?” he asked.

“Conall and I,” she said.