Page 33 of Heist

Two hours later, Patrick stepped out of Austin’s shower and dried off with one of her fluffy yellow towels. It turned out she couldn’t get into the detention center to see her client until closer to ten, so she was just now getting ready to leave.

When he stepped out of the bathroom, she was buttoning a blazer that hugged her form. Her slacks and high heels made her legs look a mile long, and she had pulled her hair back in a tight ponytail. She looked ready to take on the world. Patrick just wanted to take her to bed.

“You’re giving me a fantasy I’ve never had before, Austin.”

She turned and grinned at him. “And what would that be?”

“I’m suddenly imagining fucking my attorney in the prison visitor’s center.”

Her mouth dropped open and she shook her head. “That is seriously fucked up. Though if I didn’t know how gross visitor’s centers could be, I might say it’s kinda hot.” She picked up a sleek leather briefcase and crossed to her bedroom doorway. “I gotta run or I’ll be late. I left a key for you on the kitchen counter. The doorman has your name so he shouldn’t give you any grief if he sees you coming and going. I’ll text you when I’m done.”

When she was gone, he eyed her bed and thought about climbing in for a nap. He was sleep deprived, but he had some work to catch up on.

He called a car to take him to the building that housed the New York branch of Eastman Enterprises. Patrick and David didn’t stop in here often, but a surprise visit was in order.

He called Lydia, his assistant, as he rode through the streets of New York.

“Good morning, Mr. Sutton. You should know you’re making my life very difficult with your little impromptu vacation. You’ve been gone since Wednesday and the press still won’t leave us alone.”

Patrick laughed. “Good morning to you too, Lydia. I’m sure you’ll get your payback when I return home. Hopefully my trip to New York will help with the media. I’m doing an appearance at the unveiling of my father’s diamond collection. Might even drum up some investment in the labs so we can pump out more man-made diamonds.”

“Very good, Mr. Sutton. Was there something I could help you with this morning?”

“Yes, I’m making a surprise visit to the New York office while I’m here. After I get there, will you send me everything you need me to sign? I’m sure you have a stack a mile high.”

“Maybe just half a mile,” she teased.

“I’ll be there most of the day, so I am at your disposal.”

To the outsider, people would think Lydia was rude and disrespectful but she David’s assistant before Patrick took over and he had been told her job was to remain intact so Patrick put up with it and had even grown to like the older woman’s mama bear demeanor. She ran a tight ship and kept the office operating smoothly, which allowed him to keep his fingers in multiple other pies.

He ended the call and dialed Grant Sterling next.

“Patrick, thanks for calling. When do you arrive in New York?”

“I’m here now, actually. Had some business to take care of, so I’ve turned it into a work trip. I was calling to get a contact for the museum. I want to touch base on the details.”

“I’ll text you the info. Any luck getting your sister to join us?”

Shit, in the rush to leave Colorado and get Austin home, he’d forgotten to ask her.

“Not yet. I’ll make that call next.”

“I hope she’s able to join us. I’ll be in town late tonight.”

“Fine. We can get together for drinks tomorrow evening if you’d like. I’ll let you know what Holly says.”

When Patrick ended the call, they were almost to the Eastman Enterprises offices. It wasn’t like the building in California where David owned the entire thing. Here, they just rented a few floors from a skyscraper office complex.

As he rode to the fourteenth floor, he knew the office was already abuzz with news of his arrival thanks to Lydia. While it gave him a little thrill to wield that kind of power, he tried not to abuse it. That didn’t stop him from a smirk as the elevator came to a stop.

Sure enough, the vice president of the New York office, Angela Canmore, was waiting for him when the doors slid open.

“Mr. Sutton, what a lovely surprise,” the woman said, shaking his hand.

Patrick gave her a broad smile and looked around. “I apologize for the unannounced visit, but I found myself in town for a few days and wondered if an office could be set up for me to work out of.”

“Of course, Mr. Eastman’s office is available for your use. He made that clear when you took over.”

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