Page 136 of In Love After Office Hours

Thirteen

PIPPI HAD A HARD TIMEsleeping and an even harder time getting rid of the giddy smile on her face. She turned to her side with care, not wanting to accidentally wake Vik, who was sleeping in the bunk below her.

Outside her window, a midnight sky of stars spread into the distance. Its beauty was beyond words, and it made foolish dreams easier to indulge in.

Before that fateful night of meeting him, Acheron Simonides had only been this vague figure of exacting authority to her. She had enough glimpses of his face on company newsletters to know what he looked like and grudgingly appreciate the sheer physical perfection of his features.

But that had been all.

He was a rich man, ergo someone she wasn't interested in.

Which was probably why, Pippi acknowledged to herself ruefully, seeing Acheron turn on the charm was as much a shock to her as it had been to her family.

Rich men were bastards. That had always been a given in the Jones' family. But somehow, Acheron had proved himself the exception, and he had been so genuinely nice that even hard-to-please Vik had been grudgingly bowled over. Within minutes, he had made everyone feel at ease, so much so they had forgotten to be self-conscious about entertaining a billionaire in their old, quaintly charming ramshackle of a house.

If Acheron had given her a house or a yacht, the pleasure of it wouldn't even been half of what Pippi had felt, seeing him help Rue with her homework and listen attentively to Aunt Agatha's concerns about her latest beau.

A low vibrating buzz from her iPhone made Pippi jerk in surprise, and she winced when below her she heard Vik mumble in protest.

"Sorry," she whispered even as she couldn't help reaching for her phone, hoping and dreading it turned out to be him.

And Lord save her, but it was.

Acheron:Are you still thinking of me?

Pippi:Probably as much as you're thinking of me.

Acheron:You're bad for my ego.

And you're bad for my heart,Pippi wanted to say but didn't quite dare to. Despite the intimacy they had shared, everything still felt new, and she knew it would take some time before she could fully let herself go around the billionaire.

Besides...

Pippi re-read Acheron's last message more carefully, knowing what the words spelled out in letters...and in something else.

Pippi:Are you okay?

Pippi:I don't think it's your style to send text messages to any girl.

Acheron:No. It's not.

And with that, Pippi thought,the ball was back on her court.

Pippi:It goes both ways, you know.

Pippi:I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong.

Pippi fell asleep waiting for Acheron to answer, and her dreams were those of the unspeakable and the forbidden. But just when it was getting to the hottest and wettest part, Pippi dreamt of hands grasping her shoulders to shake her back into reality.

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