Page 104 of The Billionaires' Gamble
Making a snap decision, I swipe it, and the elevator stops at her floor.
“Change of plans?” Tadhg asks.
I shrug, trying to act cool, even though I’m out of sorts. Is this okay? We’re on rocky ground and there’s a lot that needs fixing.
“Thought I’d check on Katherine’s apartment.”
He gives a nod of understanding, and a silent conversation occurs between him and Isaac.
A wall of thick, musty air hits us when the doors open. Isaac clears his throat and takes the lead. There’s a low hum of noise, but the odor makes my eyes water.
We wade into the chaos. In between the living area and the kitchen, there’s a hole in the ceiling that looks like a gaping wound. Her area rug is green with what I’m guessing is the start of mold. There’s a fan working overtime, but it’s obviously not making much headway.
Stepping over the loose cord, I look around at the water damage and the wall of plants. To my untrained eye, several appear to be adoring the extra humidity. A handful of others droop down over the rim of their pot.
I move deeper into her space. She’s going to need total remediation if she decides to stay here. What shit timing. Honestly, if I hadn’t lived it, I’d think the last two and a half weeks were an elaborate prank. Or maybe the cosmos is playing tricks.
We’ll deal with the wild cacophony of dominoes later. First things first: save the living things.
Second: save anything else we can.
Opening the door to her terrace, I relish the breeze and fresh air. Over my shoulder, I ask, “What was the plant guy’s name?”
Tadhg checks his phone. “Simon.”
“Let’s get in touch with him. See if he can help out with,” I wave at the wall of vegetation, “this.”
He nods. “On it.”
I head to her closet to see if anything can be salvaged.
Everything in here is unscathed from the majority of the water. The flooring is warped, but the bed and furniture sit at least a few inches off the ground. Hopefully, any of the mildew smell can be washed out.
I text my assistant and ask him to head over. We’re going to need all the help we can get. Locating her luggage, I spread it across her bed and tell Tadhg we’re going to need another vehicle. Or two.
Stopping in her bathroom, I reach for her lotion bottle, flip the cap, and inhale. There it is. Katherine in a bottle. Sunshine and softness with a tiny hint of musk and floral. So complex… so… her.
I squeeze a little dollop into my palm and massage it into my skin. Cupping my hand over my nose, I breathe it in, eyes closing in relief. If I wasn’t already obsessed, I would be now that I no long have to smell the rank apartment.
Unfortunately, packing goes faster with both hands, and so I’m back at it, catching occasional whiffs. I squeeze in as manytoiletries as I can, then move on to her clothes. She has a whole drawer of leggings, and my cock remembers exactly how her ass looked in that red pair.
Wiping that mental picture from my brain, at least for now, I grab a stack and toss them in the nearest suitcase.
“Gabe?”
I’m not sure I’ve ever been so relieved to hear my assistant’s voice. “In here.”
Adrian Chen pokes his head into the bedroom, eyes widening at the array of suitcases on the bed.
“What’s going on here?” He waves a hand at the chaos.
I rub the back of my neck. “I don’t even know anymore.”
He steps deeper into the room, giving everything a critical once-over. Which is why I hired him. He’s a problem solver to his core, detail-oriented and keeps my work life running like an oil-slicked machine. With a purse of his lips, he pulls out his phone and starts typing.
“You’re lucky the guy downstairs likes Miss Montgomery. He was giving some other guy a hard time.”
I’m instantly on alert. “Other guy?”
