Friday passes without a single Nick sighting. He's locked in his office, all by himself.
I leave a few minutes after five. A familiar voice greats me in the lobby. It starts as a girlish shriek.
"Your dress is so pretty!" Kat throws her arms around me. "I can't believe how grown up you look. I'm going to cry."
"You'll embarrass me."
"Someone has to do it." She pulls her cell phone from her pocket and snaps a picture. "You want coffee? You look tired."
"How rude are you?" I take in all the slight changes in her appearance. "You're super tan."
She shrugs, her sun-lightened hair falling off her shoulders. I get a warm gooey feeling in my chest. My sister is so much happier than she was last year.
I squeeze her again for good measure. "As long as it's on me."
"Are you really getting a two thousand dollar a month per diem?"
"And an apartment."
"What?" She hugs her purse. "The company is providing an apartment? But don't you want to stay with me and Blake?"
"You really want me around every night when it's time to ride your fiancé?"
"You're depraved."
"Thanks." I take Kat's hand and lead us to the street. "He drop you off on his way into the office?"
"He was really good about avoiding work all vacation." Her gaze shifts to the sky. "I know you don't like him—"
"It's not exactly that I don't like him."
"Whatever it is, I love him, and I trust him with everything. If you have any qualms about that, let's deal with them now. The wedding is barely three months away."
We cross the street. The local coffee shop glows like a beacon of energy.
I wait until we're inside the blissfully warm shop to turn to Kat. "Are you happy?"
She beams, her eyes all goo-goo, ga-ga in love. She nods.
"Then I am happy." I whisper in her ear. "But if he does anything to hurt you, I will throw him off that gorgeous balcony."
"How are you going to overpower Blake?"
"First, I'll drug him—"
"Where do you come up with this?"
"Law and Order." After the accident, we watched a lot of reruns. Law and Order was one of our favorites.
She tilts her head like she's weighing my idea as a potential procedural plot. "What's the snappy one liner when Briscoe investigates the scene?"
I do my best Jerry Orbach/Lenny Briscoe imitation. "Talk about a fall from grace."
Kat cracks up. She buckles, one hand going to her mouth, the other to her stomach. "Oh my God. That's perfect. I'm so glad you're back in New York."
"Me too."
We order our drinks and wait at the counter. She leans against it, dreamily staring out the window in one of her I'm looking at the world with my magical artist powers moments.
"Drawing a comic in your head?" I ask.
"Sorta."
Which means she's actually thinking about Blake. Her right index finger goes to her engagement ring. Yep. Definitely thinking about Blake.
Honeymoon period, love is sweet, etc., etc., etc. It's all a little much for me.
Our drinks—two vanilla lattes—arrive at the bar. I fasten the lids and hand Kat hers.
"When are you moving into the apartment?" She sips her drink. "Holy shit, Lizzy. You're moving into your own apartment. You're so grown up."
"I went to college last year."
"But it's your apartment."
"No. It's Odyssey Industry's apartment."
"When did you get so cynical?"
"This day four years ago. You might remember it. Early fall, leaves were changing, weather was cold. You were at a cross country meet."
"Glibness is cowardice."
"Did you read that off a poster?"
"No." She frowns. "I still get upset when I think about that day. Sometimes I panic to the point where I can't even breathe. How can you pretend like it didn't destroy you?"
"You're the one asking why I'm cynical."
"I don't want to have this argument again." She takes a long sip. "Where's the apartment."
"A few blocks away."
Kat sets her drink on the counter to clap her hands together. "Let's see."
In theory, there's nothing stopping us. The paperwork is done. Nick, or his moving company, has the key. It's only a matter of asking to use it.
"Okay." I take a long sip of my sweet, creamy beverage. "But I think Nick, I mean Mr. Marlowe, has the key."
"Nick?"
"He's not into formality." Such an obvious lie. She'll know I'm full of shit the second she meets him. "He's super—you'll like him."
"He sounds great. Super, actually." She grabs my hand and leads me back to the Odyssey building.
She spends the elevator ride giving me a maternal once over. I shrug like I have no idea what she's suggesting.
The office is mostly empty. I lead Kat down the hallway to Nick's office. I knock once. "It's Lizzy. I have a question for you."
"Come in."
I push the door open and step inside before Kat. Not the best manners, but I don't want to terrify Nick with the sudden appearance of an outsider.
"My sister, Kat—" I hold out my hand like I'm presenting a queen at her coronation.
Kat steps inside. She goes up to Nick, who is standing behind his now at standing level desk, and shakes his hand. "I've heard great things about you."
Nick looks at me as if to say really? I mouth no.
I clear my throat. "Do you have the key to my new apartment? Kat wants to see it while she's all the way downtown."
She nudges me in that maternal don't be so rude kind of way.
"What? You live on the Upper East Side and go to Columbia. You're very old money."
"I'm sorry my sister is such a brat." Kat shakes her head. "I'm sure she meant to say that she's excited to live on her own for the first time, and that she wants to share her happiness with the people who love her."
"I have a younger brother." He looks at Kat with understanding. "They only get more petulant as they get older."
"I'm right here." I dig my heel into the ground, but there's this lightness in my chest. Nick is making a joke about me. He's teasing me.
I study his expression. His eyes are wide, bright. He's having fun. At my expense, but still...
He likes me.
Not that it matters. I can't do anything about it.
He opens one of his desk drawers, pulls out the key, and offers it to me. "I'll have the doorman let the moving company in."
Kat's jaw drops. "You already have a moving company lined up?"
"We'll discuss it later." I take the key, my gaze fixing on Nick. "Thank you. I'll see you Monday. Have a nice weekend." Think about how much you like me. Regret the way you wrote me off.
His arm tenses. "Good night."
I pull Kat out of the room as quickly as possible. As sweet and polite as always, she says nothing until we're alone in the elevator.
"What was that?" she asks.
"What was what?"
"You're too smart to play dumb."
The elevator opens up to the lobby. I step onto the tile floor. "Mr. Marlowe doesn't trust Blake."
"Why not?"
"I don't think he trusts anyone." I swallow the last sip of my drink and toss it in the trash. "Bigger company, already shows interest in AI. Blake could crush Nick if he wanted to."
"You called him Nick again."
"Did I?"
"Want to tell me what else is going on?"
"It's silly, right? Obviously Blake is too busy fucking you to care about crushing some guy's company. It would be one thing if you dumped him. Then he'd probably crush companies just to kill time."
"He would." She looks me over in that maternal way. "So there's no reason why you were eye-fucking him?"
"I was not eye-fucking him. Since when do you say 'eye-fucking?'"
"Since now."
I lead her to the apartment building. It's about ten blocks away.<
br />
Kat is just as in awe as I was. Living with a billionaire hasn't spoiled her. She looks around the room, practically pressing her nose against the glass.
"The light here is amazing." She goes to the kitchen and examines all its fixtures. "But it's so small. Where am I supposed to sleep when I visit you?"
"You mean if you can't bear to take Blake's limo back to the Upper East Side?"
"I'm aware that he's rich. You don't have to remind me every time you talk about him."
"Sorry." My gaze goes to the balcony, my body hot and cold all at once. I need to get Nick out of my head. Even if he deserves to suffer with the kind of desire that is killing me. I turn to Kat. "Meeting loverboy for dinner?"
"Not till 8:30. Want to come? There's a great Thai place across the street from his office. I'm not sure if you realized it, but Blake is rich, so he'll probably buy your green curry."
"Blake is rich? I had no idea. I thought he was squatting in the ten million dollar apartment."
"It's a shock. Do you need time to absorb it?"
I shake my head. "We've got an hour and a half. Come shopping with me. I already wore the only two work appropriate outfits I own."
"You know I'll only slow you down."
"Yeah, but for some reason I like your company."
***
We go to Century 21, a massive department store with terrible atmosphere and great discounts. Kat approves my outfits with a bemused smile. For an artist, she knows absolutely nothing about clothes.
My first three dresses are completely work appropriate. The fourth is a clingy wrap. All I have to do is pull the bow undone and the dress slides open.
Kat raises her eyebrows. Her voice shifts to maternal mode. "You are not going to work dressed like that. Unless you work on a porn set and you're playing the secretary who wants to seduce her boss."
I laugh like I find her idea absurd. "I'd never try to seduce someone like Nick."
"No? He's tall, dark, handsome, receptive to your eye-fucking."
"He's an asshole." I swallow hard. "You think he was receptive?"
"Why do you care?"
"I don't."
"He's rich. He's smart. And he's a programmer too."
"That combination is toxic. Rich, smart, male programmers think they're God's gift to the world."
"You just described my fiancé."
I clear my throat. "Well, he's... not as bad as he seemed at first."
"Is that your idea of a compliment?"
My next outfit is clearly over the appropriate for work line. It's a sheer cream blouse and a tight black pencil skit. On its own, the skirt is only pushing it. But with the blouse, it's dripping sex appeal.
There's no reason to buy this. Not unless I'm going to march into Nick's office and demand he pay attention to me as more than an intern.
"You wouldn't sleep with him?" she asks.
"You want to talk about my sex life?"
She lets out a heavy breath. "I thought about it, and you were right. I had this idea in my head of you as my innocent little sister. But you're nineteen and you're a woman, and that comes with certain desires—"
God, Kat is the only person in the world who can make sex sound so After School Special.
"What kinds of desires?" I change into my next outfit. This one is too racy for work, but it's perfect for dancing. It's a low cut black dress with a shiny zipper running from the chest to the waist. It teases “undo me.”
"Oh please, we both know you're a pervert. And it's fine if you don't want to talk about that with me. But if you do want to talk about it, I won't freak out. Even if it's to tell me that you're having casual sex every night. As long as you're being safe. If you're not being safe, then I'm going to freak out."
I unlock the dressing room door and step into the main room. The sweet expression falls off Kat's face. She looks me up and down.
"Now I know you're up to something." She shakes her head.
"It's for clubbing."
"What is the point of the zipper? So strangers can grope you more easily?"
"And if you wore it for Blake?"
Her cheeks turn bright red. "I'm going to use the bathroom. I'll meet you at the entrance."
"Sure thing."
I change and make my way to the register.
This job is too important to risk with sex. But there's no reason why I can't tease Nick. There's no reason why I can't change into this slinky black dress on my way out the door. No reason why I can't make sure he wants me as much as I want him.
***
I spend the weekend trying not to get in Kat and Blake's way. On Monday, in my new, extremely appropriate dress, I pretend like Nick doesn't exist.
The company is small. There are only two senior programmers besides Nick—painfully shy David and incredibly apathetic Gabriel. I'm teamed with the latter. He's good with his code, but he lacks interest in mentoring me.
I try to keep myself busy, but I run out of stuff to do after an hour.
If Gabriel doesn't warm up, I'll I have to ask Nick to reassign me.
He's the best programmer, the most knowledgeable about AI...
But I can't pretend like he doesn't exist if I'm working under him. All I'll think about is working under him.
I give Gabriel a few days to get used to working with an intern.
He doesn't.
CHAPTER SIX
The interoffice IM program flashes.
Phoenix Marlowe: Please see me in my office as soon as possible.
Look at Nick, all business again. I adjust my blazer. Smooth my dress. Might as well kill two birds with one stone and ask him to mentor me.
I march to his office and knock on the door.
"Come in," he answers.
The room is awash in soft white light. Nick is standing behind his desk, all tall and statuesque. His expression is so stern. He really could be made out of stone.
"Yes, Mr. Marlowe?" I bite my tongue. I worked retail for almost three years. I know how to play nice with people who frustrate me.
"Your apartment is ready. Fully furnished. Your belongings won't be in until the end of next week, so I had my assistant pick up a few necessities. Call if you need anything else."
"Thank you."
He steps out from behind his desk, so he's about five feet away. "Would you like a drink?" He nods to the mini-fridge.
"Alcoholic?"
"Caffeinated."
"Whatever you're having."
He kneels to open the fridge. Somehow, he looks badass and in control on one knee. Nick pulls two cans of black iced coffee from the fridge and hands one to me.
I nod a thank you and pop it open. Not Diet Coke, but not bad.
He rises to his feet and takes one step closer. "You've been at Odyssey for a week. How do you feel?"
I take a long sip. Here goes nothing. I try to copy his confident posture, but my back isn't having it. "Gabriel has no interest in training. I don't blame him, but I do expect to work with someone who is willing to teach."
"Do you have a suggestion?"
I dig my fingers into the frigid aluminum. "There are only three senior programmers at Odyssey. Somehow, I doubt that David will be any more interested in training."
Nick nods. "You'd like to work under me?"
Fuck yes. I press the can to my neck to counteract the heat spreading across my chest. "You're the most qualified person. I'll learn the most under you."
His eyes bore into me like he's examining my intentions. "I can spare two hours a day. You'll have to get to the office by 8AM and you'll have to stay until I'm finished, so I can check your code."
I nod. "Of course."
"You'll have some twelve hour days. Fourteen, even."
"As long as I have an hour or two for exercises. My back—"
"I remember."
"I thought that night never happened."
He frowns. "Is it going to be a problem for you, working so close to me?"
Of course.
"If it was going to be a problem, I wouldn't ask. I want to learn everything I can from you."
"About AI?"
"What else would I mean?"
He stares back at me like he doesn't buy it. "You're not good at playing coy." He finishes his can of coffee in one swig and sets it in a recycling bin. "Lizzy—"
"Nick."
"This is purely professional."
"Of course."
"Be here at 8AM tomorrow. We'll work in my office, alone, until ten."
"Sure."
"If there is a problem—"
"There won't be. Thank you for the opportunity."
I hold his gaze for a moment. There's something in his eyes, something more than professionalism, but I can't place it.
***
My nerves are shot. I give up on coding around four and kill time playing Free Cell. When the office clears, I leave.
I go straight to my new apartment building.
The elevator is slow. I slide my key into the lock and pull the door open. It's past sunset. Warm blue light streams in through the windows, the dark sky mixed with the yellow fluorescent lights of nearby office buildings.
I flick on the light and step into the main room. It's a small space, but it's perfect. There's a full bed against the wall. It's covered with a royal purple comforter and a lilac blanket. Paper string lights line the wall—white flowers with a pale yellow glow. The whole room is shades of cream and purple. Just like the hotel lounge where we met.
It can't be a coincidence. Nick isn't a coincidence kind of guy.
The decorations are beautiful. Feminine, soft, understated. Like that lounge. Like his idea of a women's bedroom. I turn the main light off to see the string lights in all their glory, but something else catches my attention—
The view is even better in the dark. I soak it in for a moment, then I attempt to decide between my many dinner options. I settle on a premade package of pasta from the fully stocked fridge and plant in front of the best thing in the room—the widescreen TV.
My plans for the night are set.
I have my own apartment. Even if Nick decorated it. Even if Nick arranged it. Even if Nick is practically in my fucking bed.
It's still mine.
***
The floor is dead at 8AM. The only sounds come from the end of the hall. I slide my coat off my shoulders as I make my way to Nick's office.
He's standing at his computer, his attention on the screen. There are two takeout coffee cups on his desk.
The Billionaire's Need: An Alpha Billionaire Romance (The Billionaire's Deal Series Book 3) Page 4
