More Than a Billionaire (20 page)

“I thought you handled projects in Europe mostly. Didn’t you take over Trent’s position?” Sara asked.

“Normally, but since I already know Nadia, this project got passed to me.”

“Familiarity does make working together easier sometimes. In can also complicate situations,” Sara said.

“How long are you staying in California?” Christopher asked.

“Not long.”

“If you have time, stop up and see us. Sara, let’s go get those drinks.”

“I need one, too. I’ll join you.” Gray moved from behind the table. “Can I get you one, Nadia?”

Nadia picked up her cocktail glass and finished the blue liquid inside. “Sure. Surprise me.”

“Be right back.”

Gray walked alongside his cousin and waited until they placed their orders at the bar to speak.

“Out with it, Sara. I know what you’re thinking, but this is really only business.”

Sara leaned an elbow on the bar. “Gray, why do you care what I’m thinking? I’m not your mother or your girlfriend. You can sleep with whoever you want.” The bartender handed Sara her drink. “Kiera might care, though. She strikes me as the type who would. Maybe you should stop seeing her
before
you sleep with Nadia.”

“Nadia and I are not sleeping together.”

“Sure, you’re not. Like I said Gray, it’s not my problem.”

Gray glanced at Christopher, hoping for some help, but Christopher gave him a you’re-on-your-own look and took a sip of his drink.

“We’re here to discuss business, Sara. I plan to leave alone.”

“Business at a party like this? Wearing a dress like that? I don’t think so.” Sara sipped her drink. “Don’t worry, cuz. I’ll keep your secret, but consider ending things with Kiera. She’s not like the women you normally date. She’s more like me. She won’t be willing to share you with the Nadias or Nikki Reeses of the world.”

Gray didn’t argue. He could stand there all day and tell Sara he wasn’t messing around with Nadia and she’d not accept it. At least she’d promised not to say anything to Kiera. She would keep her word.

Now, if he could conclude this business meeting, he’d be on his way back to his hotel room alone. Gray picked up the two drinks he’d ordered and carried them back to the table and Nadia.

“What took you so long? I was getting ready to come look for you.”

That was the last thing he needed. “The bar was busy.” He tried to keep space between them when he sat, but Nadia slid closer.

“So your signal said there were new developments?”

Nadia sipped her drink. “I guess we should get business out of the way. Then we can handle other matters.”

Christ
. He needed to get out of this business.

***

Kiera got home from work around midnight. Tired, she took a shower and slipped into her favorite extra-long t-shirt. The moment her head hit the pillow, rather than fall asleep, though, she stared wide-eyed at the ceiling. Her bed felt too big and empty. Sleeping with Gray for three nights had spoiled her. She’d gotten used to waking up and finding his arm around her.

She moved onto her side and hugged a pillow. Did he find falling asleep as difficult tonight? California was three hours behind them. She doubted he’d gone to bed yet.

Kiera picked up her phone. His number rang several times, and she was expecting to get his voicemail, but Gray picked up.

“Hi, love.”

“Gray, I didn’t wake you did I?”

“No. Did you just get home?”

She heard music in the background. “I’ve been home for over an hour. I couldn’t sleep. Are you out?”

“Needed dinner and didn’t feel like room service.”

That explained the loud music. “I’ll let you eat then. I love you.”

“I love you too, Kiera. I’ll call you tomorrow afternoon before you go into work.”

His words sent a tingle down her spine.

After she hung up, Kiera closed her eyes. Tomorrow the firing squad, also known as her two closest friends, was coming by. She’d answered their messages on break this evening with some quick answers, but those would only last until tomorrow. They would require full, long, drawn-out answers that were going to require a lot of energy and some patience.

For a good solid hour, she tossed and turned. She tried sleeping on the other side of the bed. She pulled on more blankets, then kicked them off. Nothing helped. As a last resort, she pulled out her e-reader and tried reading the same novel she’d been trying to read for the last six months. So far, she’d only made it to chapter seven. In her opinion, it was the most boring book she’d ever encountered. Joanna kept reassuring her it got better. That she just had to get past the beginning. Every time she tried, she either fell asleep or simply gave up. This morning she hoped for the first.

Kiera finished half of chapter seven but was still wide-awake. Giving up, she kicked off the tangled mess of blankets, and went downstairs. If she couldn’t sleep, she’d experiment for a while in the kitchen. That would kill some time and produce something tasty for lunch. Kiera switched on her favorite jazz playlist and then searched the refrigerator for ingredients.

Gray dropped his phone into his pocket. “I’ll have another scotch and an Appletini, please.”

He shouldn’t have answered the phone. If it had gone to voicemail, Kiera would have assumed he was asleep. Like an idiot, though, he’d answered the phone.

When he left Boston, he’d told Kiera he had business out here, which was one hundred percent true. She’d expect him to conduct all his business in an office. If he explained he met a business associate at a party, she’d have a reaction similar to his cousin, especially if she learned who the business associate was. Once before, she’d asked him about Nadia and their relationship.

Once everything settled down, he’d tell Randall to find someone else to work with Nadia if and when the need arose. Already, he pictured Randall giving him hell about his decision, but he didn’t care. He couldn’t work with Nadia and keep up the ruse that there was something between them. He’d endured it a few hours so far and already the guilt ate at him.

“Your cousin stopped by to say goodnight,” Nadia said when he returned.

It was early to leave a party, but Sara had always preferred more subdued events.

“What did you get me this time?” Nadia took a sip. “What is it? I like it.”

“An Appletini. My sister loves them.”

Nadia took another sip. “I guess we should get back to business.”

“That
is
why we are here.”

Nadia sighed and started talking again.

An hour later, Gray walked Nadia to her limo while managing to elude her groping hands. She tried convincing him to take her back to his hotel room, insisting that no one would ever know. He reminded her again why they couldn’t get involved for real, although he doubted she’d remember in the morning. She’d been more than a little tipsy when he helped her into her limo.

Once he saw her safely on her way, he had his own car brought around and left. Later, he’d give Randall a call and set up a meet to pass along the intel. He considered calling him now and waking the guy up. How many times over the past few months had he interrupted Gray at the worst possible times? More than he could count. But he decided against it. He was both tired and in a foul mood, not a good combination when talking to his boss. Waiting until he got a few hours sleep and a decent breakfast was a better plan. After that, he’d fly back home and stop in the office for a few days.

Thankfully, his current position required a fair amount of travel, but little office time. He could do his work from just about anywhere. Nothing said he had to stay in New York City. True, he had an office at the headquarters for Sherbrooke Enterprises, but he only stopped in a few times a month. He could just as easily get an office in Trent’s office building. And it wasn’t like he had a real apartment in the city. For the past several years, he’d leased a place at The Embassy Suites. He’d picked it because it was convenient and allowed him to maintain a carefree lifestyle. If he moved back to Rhode Island and set up an office there, he would be closer to Kiera when he wasn’t traveling.

Moving back to Rhode Island needed more consideration. But, damn, if it didn’t sound like an excellent idea.

Gray drove his rental car toward his hotel. Before he reached the highway, he changed his mind and headed toward the airport instead. He didn’t want to spend any more time than he had to in California.

***

Kiera expected her friends at twelve-thirty. They arrived at quarter past.

“What smells so good?” Stephanie walked into the apartment.

“Who cares? I want details.
All
the details.” Joanna closed the door.

“I was trying to be polite. You should try it sometime.”

“Oh, please. You want to know everything just as much as I do. It was all you talked about the whole way here.”

Kiera could only shake her head. Her two friends fought like an old married couple sometimes.

Stephanie hung her jacket on the back of chair. “It smells great in here.”

“Don’t tell Chef Andrien because I’d never hear the end of it, but I was working on a new Bolognese sauce recipe this morning. I thought we’d have it for lunch.”

Stephanie walked to the stove and lifted the lid of the pot. “I love when you experiment.”

“Okay, now sit and let’s get down to business.” Joanna pulled out a chair and pointed to it. “To start, tell us the
how
and
when
. We’ll proceed from there.”

Kiera sat. “We had lunch after Trent’s wedding, and few days later, he showed up here.”

“You were seeing him the day we went to the movies and you didn’t tell us?” Stephanie looked about to cry as she joined them at the table.

“No. That day he actually canceled plans with me. Honestly, I didn’t expect to see him again after that.”

“This is getting good. You know what we need? Wine.”

“Joanna, it’s not even one o’clock yet,” Stephanie said.

“So what? If it makes more sense, we can eat lunch, and drink the wine while we enjoy all the details.”

“Check the wine rack. I’ll boil some pasta.”

“And please continue your story,” Stephanie said.

Kiera walked to the counter. “Later that week, out of the blue, Gray showed up at Mon Soleil.” She filled a large pot with water.

“He just showed up? He didn’t call or anything?” Stephanie asked.

“Kiera when did you start buying such expensive wine?” Joanna held up one of the bottles Gray had bought.

Kiera grabbed three wine glasses from the cupboard. “I didn’t; Gray did. I cooked my dad dinner for his birthday and Gray took care of the wine.”

“Dinner with your parents already? This
is
serious. John didn’t have dinner with my parents until Thanksgiving, and we’d started seeing each other last April.” Joanna went in search of a bottle opener.

“If you don’t stop interrupting me, I’ll never finish telling you everything.”

“We won’t say another word. Promise. Right, Joanna?” Stephanie asked.

Kiera would believe that when it happened.

She went back to describing all the events leading up to the pictures that showed up online. She left out a few more personal details, like the showers they’d taken together, but otherwise, she told them everything.

“Okay, I’ve got to ask.”

When Stephanie started a sentence that way, Kiera knew she didn’t want to hear the rest.

“Is he as good a kisser as he’s rumored to be?”

“Where and when did you read that?” Kiera asked.

Stephanie shrugged. “I don’t remember, but I do remember that Gray and Trent were ranked as excellent kissers. Anderson Brady and Mark Walden were ranked as average, while Cooper Perry and Eddie Ferguson were ranked the worst.”

“Who else made the list?” Joanna asked, her attention off of Kiera for the moment.

“A lot of people. There was something like twenty-five men and twenty-five women in each category.”

It came as no surprise that Stephanie only remembered the ones she drooled over in magazines.

“So is he?” Stephanie asked.

Kiera nodded. “Most definitely.” If magazines talked about his kissing ability, she could answer her friend’s simple question.

“How good is he in other ways?” Joanna asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

“Ready for dessert?” That was a question Kiera wouldn’t answer.

“We all know you’ve slept with him. We just want to know how he compares. We don’t need any specifics, right, Steph?”

Stephanie rolled her eyes. “Leave her alone. We both know Kiera doesn’t talk about her sex life like you do.”

The sound of the door being unlocked saved her from answering any more questions. Both her friends turned as the door swung open.

Gray walked in. “Should I come back later?”

“No of course not. You look exhausted, sit down before you fall over and have some dessert.”

“Talk about perfect timing.” He walked around the table and kissed her.

Kiera thought she heard Stephanie sigh. “I’m glad you’re back. I missed you last night.”

“I missed you too.” He kissed her again before he sat down.

“Gray, this is Joanna and Stephanie. We were roommates in college.” Before today, he’d never met any of her friends. Come to think of it, she hadn’t met any of his yet, either.

“We haven’t seen each other since January, so we thought we’d catch up over lunch.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” Gray smiled. “I’m sorry I crashed your get together.”

“We need to go soon anyway. I’m working tonight,” Joanna was the assistant manager at a downtown hotel and didn’t have a regular nine-to-five job.

Joanna and Stephanie stuck around long enough to finish dessert and then left. Once the door closed behind her friends, Gray wasted no time. He pulled her close before she could sit back down. Then he kissed her, demonstrating once more just why he’d been ranked high on the best-kisser list. Before she realized it, she pulled his shirt from the waistband of his pants and slipped her hands underneath.

When she needed air, she pulled her mouth away. “What are you doing here? I thought you had business in California.”