Page 16 of Brazen
The rest of her friends passed us, and she asked, “What’s going on, Charlie?”
At work today, she’d been on my mind, and I hadn’t asked her permission, but I needed to tell her what I’d done. I wanted her to be happy no matter what. I tensed. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, my friends aren’t the ones we need to worry about.” She smiled then asked, “Why?”
Her eyes were enchanting. Student loans and debts could wait. I would figure out a way to earn her kiss. I wanted more than just mind-blowing sex. “I just thought I should tell you I intend to kiss you again.”
“You promised!” Her face went white.
I refused to even blink. “I’ll keep my word. I’ll wait for you to kiss me, and you will.”
She took a deep breath. “I don’t understand.”
Now I needed to be fair. Her friends were staring at us from the doorway, so I said, “I just thought I should tell you I intend to get you to kiss me.”
She didn’t move as she curled her hands together. “Why?”
I stood near her, smelling her floral perfume. “Because you’re the most interesting woman I’ve ever met.”
Britney called out from the door, “Okay, lovebirds, get in here.”
We walked inside, and Hope took my arm. As we headed to the table, Britney said, “Now let’s find out if you’re good enough for our Hope and if you have any single rich trillionaire brothers or friends for the rest of us.”
I sat next to Hope. “Your friends are funny.”
She smiled at me and opened her menu. “I’m glad you think so. They are, in truth, all I have.”
I looked around. If winning Hope’s heart meant being on these women’s good sides, then I had my mission for the night.
Chapter Seven
Hope
* * *
Okay, I admit it. The bed in his penthouse was comfortable. I blinked at the clock on my bed. The blackout blinds truly worked, since I had no idea it was already ten o’clock.
Time to start the pretense. But I lay in bed, remembering having Charlie beside me in those hotel rooms. The pillows in his house lacked his smell that made me ache, but my body was fully aware he’d been here.
I stood, cleaned up, and decided to grab one of the outfits in the closet. He’d ordered me some, but when I opened the door, my heart thudded. Everything was designer. While I wasn’t as fashion forward as my friends, I went up on my tiptoes. It would be nice to wear clothes that made Isabel say, "Wow." I grabbed Valentino jeans and a frilly pink Valentino shirt that had ruffles from the collar to the bottom and all down the way down the sleeves.
As I finished dressing, I grabbed my phone from the charger and read my emails.
My eyes widened as I realized one of the places where I'd send my application wanted an interview. I closed my eyes, smiling. I wasn’t entirely blackballed. And if I got a job, I would have something to fall back.
I tugged on socks that wouldn’t be seen in shoes and headed out to the dining room. As I saw Charlie sitting at a table with a seat set for me, I blinked.
“Did your father already write out the letter of recommendation?”
He shrugged, and his face looked blank. “I told him what happened to you because of me, and he said he wanted to meet you. Why?”
Maybe he was why I needed to be grateful. Mr. Fuller came in with two carafes. He poured Charlie tea then let me choose. I pointed to the coffee, and he made me a cup. Charlie wasn’t blinking at having another guy around, so I said, “Because I have an interview in a few days. It’s marketing for a fashion magazine, which is slightly different than television advertising but totally doable.”
Fuller left, and Charlie placed his hand near mine on the table. “I’m happy for you.”
I took a deep breath then squeezed his hand briefly. Rehabilitating his image would help my own, and I would be a fool to walk away now. Besides, I liked keeping my word. “If I get it, I promise I’m going to keep my end of the deal.”
“Good.”
