Page 63 of The Grumpy Billionaire
“And you,” he countered with a nod in my direction, “must not be as sour on love as you’ve claimed to be. I hope they get one hell of a ride for the price I paid.”
“I only did that because someone could have recognized me from the news,” I lied. “It wouldn’t represent the station very well for one of their reporters to cut the line for a gondola at Waterfire. They’d tweet about it and slam me on social media. Public Image 101. You should take notes here.”
“You’re right. What was I thinking?” Reid laughed and reached toward me, perhaps to take my hand.
I chose that moment to spin around and face him, walking backward just in front of him.
“You know what? I’m hungry,” I announced. “Didn’t you promise me some dinner?”
“I believe I did,” he said, and together we walked quickly past all the lovers enjoying the beautiful night and went upstairs to his condo.
TWENTY-ONE
Fires and Fortunes
Mara
His place was, of course, spectacular.
Wide open and sparely furnished, it still reeked of money, from the gleaming wood floors to the soapstone kitchen counters, to the luxurious white drapes framing floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over the city skyline.
“Can I take your jacket?”
Reid held out a hand as I peeled off the vintage leopard-print coat I loved and saved for cool-but-not-cold nights like this one.
I’d rescued it from going to the trash years ago when my grandmother, God rest her soul, had been cleaning out her closets.
Wearing it always made me feel very Audrey Hepburn city-chic. I could picture myself walking the streets of Manhattan in it someday when I eventually worked my way up to the network.
“Thank you.”
Now that we were away from the shield of the crowd, my nerves kicked into high gear. I handed Reid the coat and walked straight toward the window wall.
Mr. Mancini had a knack for choosing views. Either that or they just automatically came with money.
Beyond his deck, the city lights twinkled and made the colonial-era city look magical, a tasteful blend of historic and modern. The rivers far below were dotted with firelight.
Lights glowed on the deck as well. A line of candles flickered down the center of a long teak table.
Suddenly, the warmth of Reid’s body was close behind me, his hot breath tickling the back of my neck as he spoke.
“Dinner is served. Come right this way.”
He walked a few steps away to a glass door embedded in the giant window and pushed it open, holding it for me until I had crossed the threshold.
I looked back over my shoulder at him. “Maybe I should have kept my coat. I didn’t know we’d be eating outside.”
“Patience,” he advised.
He reached up and turned a knob on a tall metal cylinder near the table. It had an umbrella-like attachment at the top, the underside of which began to glow orange, sending toasty waves of heat down over my place at the table.
“Would you prefer ‘Summer day at New England beach’ or ‘July in Fresno?’” he asked.
“Oh, give me Central California. Fire it all the way up. As long as I’m being spoiled by a personal deck heater, I may as well get my money’s worth… or your money’s worth, I should say.”
He gave me a dazzling smile and joined me at the table. “You should be spoiled.”
“No, I shouldn’t. I’m not a high-maintenance girl.”
