Page 289 of Tormented Billionaire Romance Series

“Yeah, she knows you’re here, and she’s not above walking in here, pulling up a chair and asking you if you know Benedict Cumberbatch while we’re having sex,” I tell him.

“I’ve met the guy, but I wouldn’t say I know him,” Zach answers. When I don’t laugh, though, he nods, saying, “All right. There’s plenty of time.”

We barely manage to cover up before I hear the sound of Naomi picking my lock.

CHAPTER6

REVERB

ZACH

“Mr. Scipio, you know we all trust your vision, but what are you doing?” Cal, the only member of the board not to have called to bitch at me before now, says. “We can set up an office anywhere, but the world is in New York. You’ve got to get back here.”

“Is anything going wrong, or are you just wetting yourself thinking it might?” I ask. I like to think of myself as a good man, but in the world where I live, kindness is almost always mistaken for weakness. Of course, in that world, most of the time kindnessisa weakness, so who knows?

Cal sighs. “Do you have an idea when you might be heading back?” he asks.

Across the presidential suite, Grace’s slipping out of her bathrobe and into her regular clothes. I probably should have offered to have them cleaned or have one of my many assistants run out and get her some new ones. We haven’t left the room in almost a week.

“To be honest with you, Cal, I think I might just stay here for the duration,” I answer.

“You can’t do this, Nikolai,” Cal says. “You’re risking the company on a pipe dr—”

I hang up the phone.

“Everything all right?” Grace asks as she slips back into the same dress she was wearing when we had to sneak out of her apartment a few nights ago to avoid Naomi.

Grace wasn’t kidding about her sister, either. The woman didn’t knock or even say anything before she picked the lock and showed herself into Grace’s room. Getting out of there wasn’t easy.

“Yeah,” I answer. “I’ve got to head down to the office for a little while, though. Apparently, people are starting to notice I haven’t been around that much the last few days.”

“Hey, don’t look at me,” she says. “I just suggested we get out of the apartment. You’re the one who said we should come here.”

I smile. “I think we’re both to blame,” he says. “Not that blame is the word I’d use here. Althoughyou’rethe one who wrote that sign and put it up on the door.”

“Sign?” she asks, looking around. “What sign?”

I groan. “The one that says, ‘Do not disturb or you’re fired’?” I ask.

She claps her hands together, laughing.

“Why do you get such a kick out of hearing me say that?” I ask.

She’s still tittering as she says, “I’m not sure, to tell you the truth. It’s probably something to do with you actually being able to threaten people with something like that and the fact that, in some small way, I managed to snag a bit of your power for my amusement.”

“The power not to be disturbed,” I say and snicker. “You know, I was going to make a joke there, but that’s a magnificent idea.”

“All right,” she sighs.

“We’re still on for dinner tonight, right?” I ask.

She’s eyeing me like she thinks it’s a trick question. Slowly, she says, “Yes.”

“Great,” I tell her as I’m getting my shoes on. “I can’t wait. If you need anything, you know where I am. If you get hungry, give a call down to room service and,” I say, finishing tying my shoes, “I’ll be back later.”

“Have a good day at work, dear,” she says. “I’ll stay here with the kids.”

I smile and shake my head, and I’m out the door.

---