Page 43 of Not the Billionaire

“Well, we’ll have to do something about that, won’t we?” The right side of his mouth angled up in the cutest smile.

She liked flirtatious Kurtis. And darn right she wanted to do something about it. She wanted to know all there was to know about this man.

The elevator dinged, and the doors opened onto the roof of the building, which was a hidden oasis in the middle of the city. There was greenery and beautiful floral landscaping everywhere, a seating area to one side with long couches and chairs surrounding a low rectangular table, and in the center of the space was a gigantic white pergola wrapped in vines over a table and chairs.

He led her into the space. “It’s too beautiful out to work in a stuffy office. Am I right?”

Genevieve wasn’t sure she'd get any work done up here at all. She set her bag down and moved around the rooftop, admiring the flowers and the view of the city from above. “This is amazing.”

Kurtis moved to sit on the long sofa in the seating area, put his feet up on the table, and pulled out the list she’d given him. He looked over at her. “You can sit anywhere you want. The whole space is ours.”

She took in a deep, cleansing breath, enjoying being outside on a nice day. She picked up her bag and moved to the pergola table, opened her notepad, and started on the event budget.

Kurtis made call after call, chatting people up about the regatta, and secured several local companies as sponsors. Listening to him kept her from getting much done on the budget. He was clearly very good at his job, and probably did deserve the title of Employee of the Year, if there actually was one.

When the sun was high in the sky, Genevieve’s stomach began to growl. Before she even had a chance to mention it, the elevator opened and a man came across the roof pushing a cart. She looked over at Kurtis, who didn’t seem to notice, then back at the man, who came right to the table where she was sitting.

He lifted the lids from a few containers, revealing an assortment of meats and toppings and a variety of breads as well as gourmet cheeses.

“Can I make you anything, miss?” the man asked.

Kurtis joined her then and checked out the offerings. “I’ll have the usual.” He glanced over at her then. “Want a sandwich? My treat.”

She took a look. “Turkey on whole wheat with provolone, lettuce, and a little light mayonnaise.”

The man went about making their sandwiches as Kurtis took a seat next to her.

She moved her things aside and narrowed her eyes at him. “I didn’t know you were ordering us lunch. I would’ve helped pay.”

“Employee of the Year, remember?”

She laughed. “Oh, right. Employee perk.”

The man gave them their food along with bottles of San Pellegrino mineral water, and they enjoyed their meal in silence. Genevieve felt renewed to tackle more work after lunch. But just as she started to grab her papers again, a woman came from the elevator holding a cup in each hand.

As she neared the table, Genevieve’s mouth fell open a little. “This isn’t …” She looked into the cup the woman handed her then over at Kurtis. “Are you serious? Captain Sundae?”

He wore the biggest smile she’d ever seen. “Peanut Pirate.” He nodded toward her cup.

She started laughing as she watched him take a bite of his. “Tommy Turtle?”

He nodded. “You know it.”

“I can’t believe you had Captain Sundae delivered. How is that even possible?”

“They brought the ingredients and made it here.”

“Wouldn’t the ice cream melt on the way?”

“Confession … there’s a soft-serve ice cream machine in the executive dining room. But all the toppings are Captain Sundae, all the way.”

She felt spoiled by this man, and it was really nice. “How are you this sweet? I’ve never met a man who would do even half of this for a girl he just met.”

“Then you clearly haven’t met the right men.”

“Clearly,” she replied as she enjoyed a scoop of ice cream, chocolate syrup, and Spanish peanuts.

“Until now.” The way he said it, with that deep tenor to his voice, warmed her all over.

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