Page 103 of Say You Remember Me
“It has a certain appeal, I suppose.” My cheeks warmed.
His smile deepened. “Good. Because if I was going to pick up a romance novel right now, I’d want one about a cute single mom moving to a new city and getting into a fake relationship with her boss.”
I gasped. “So youhaveheard of book tropes.”
“Maybe I did a little research in college.” He shrugged, a playful glint in his eyes. “Wanted to know what women are looking for in an ideal man.”
“Of course you would!” I laughed.
“Hey,” he said, his grin widening. “It’s like a cheat sheet on how to get the girl to fall in love with you.”
“Which you’ve clearly been a master student of,” I teased. “Considering how many girls have fallen for you.”
He shrugged, his gaze softening. “Now I just need it to work on the right girl.”
His words, paired with the way he looked at me through the screen, sent goosebumps racing over my skin.
And oh, how much I wanted that girl to be me. The realization was so sharp, so visceral, it left me breathless. I wanted it so much it physically ached.
Ian cleared his throat and his expression shifted to something almost hesitant, as if he was choosing his next words carefully. “So, uh…I’ve been curious about your plans for lodging in Eden Falls.”
“Lodging?” I asked, his sudden change in topic catching me off guard.
He winced slightly, as if he knew how awkward that sounded. “I mean…are you still looking for a place there?”
“Yeah.” I nodded, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. “That is, as long as I still have a job to go back to, then yeah, I think Eden Falls is where I want to stay. The twenty-minute commute to work isn’t bad, and Grant seems to really like it there. It’s just about finding the right kind of place.”
“What are you looking for, exactly?” Ian tilted his head, his brows pulling together slightly.
“Two bedrooms would be nice.” I shrugged, leaning back in my chair. “Since sharing a bed with an eight-year-old who has wrestling matches in his sleep isn’t exactly restful.”
“Yeah, I get that.” He chuckled, the warm sound making my stomach flutter.
“And I guess I’ve been hoping for a place with a yard,” I continued. “We probably won’t be able to get any pets like Grant wants until I buy a place, but…having some space for him to run around in would be nice.”
Ian’s expression brightened slightly. “Cool. If you’d like, I can talk to my parents. They own a few properties in town and might know of something coming up.”
“Oh, no,” I said quickly, shaking my head. “You don’t need to ask them to help me. I mean…they probably don’t exactly like me right now, considering I’m involved in all this drama with you.”
“Dramabecauseof me,” Ian corrected, his voice firm but kind. “And they’re not as scary as they seem, I promise.”
I gave him a skeptical look. “Yeah…you billionaires aren’t intimidating at all.”
His chuckle was low and genuine, and despite myself, I couldn’t help but smile.
He glanced at his watch, his expression softening with regret. “Ah, my two-thirty appointment starts soon. I better let you go. But I’ll make sure to call as soon as I hear anything from HR or the board.”
“Okay,” I said, nodding. A swell of nerves tightened in my chest, but his steady gaze made it a little easier to breathe. “I’ll talk to you later.”
37
IAN
I glancedup from my desk on Wednesday afternoon to see my mom stepping inside. She wore a sleek, structured black dress with a gold zipper running down the back, her usual composed elegance radiating even in the middle of the workweek.
“Well?” I asked, my voice tighter than I’d meant for it to be.
“Your father and I just finished our meeting with Marsha and the board,” she said, crossing the room and taking the chair across from me. “And aside from Mr. Mendez making a comment about how the youth of today are so willy-nilly with engagements these days—” A small smile lifted her lips. “—they don’t see any reason to suspend anyone or reconfigure positions.”
