Page 9 of Texting the CEO's Obsession
She isn’t lying there. She has been a very busy little bunny. Something I enjoy watching on a daily basis.
Nick: Working on anything interesting?
Riley: Not really. The product launch went well, so I’ve been up to my nose in spreadsheets. Lots to analyze so I can get my boss accurate projections. How was your day?
Nick: My day is better now that I’m talking to you.
She doesn’t read that text immediately. I glance up just in time to see her sedan pull out of the garage.
“Such a good girl as always. She won’t even text and drive,” I hum under my breath before closing out the security feed.
It’ll take her twenty minutes or so to get home, maybe fifteen since it’s after six. Traffic should be light at this time of day, which leaves me to my own devices for a bit. It’s easy to let my eyes slip closed and fall into my own imagination.
She gave meplentyto imagine when she came up to drop those files off earlier.
Riley’s office attire is never anything short of professional—blouses that show little more than her collarbones and throat, pencil skirts that hug her curves without being obscene, and tiny heels that give her a bit of a boost but still leave her lookingup at me from behind those wire-rimmed glasses. It’s so hard to restrain myself when she walks into my office smelling like tangerines and looking socorruptible.
I want to pull apart her prim and proper exterior and expose every filthy fantasy she doesn’t even know she has.
As much as I’m enjoying the game of texting her, reeling her in slow and steady while she’s still unaware of who was behind the mask at that Halloween party and at the gala is taking it’s toll on me. I’m not a patient man. When I want something, Itakeit.
Easing her into things will be absolute torture, but it’s going to be worth it.
The ringing of my phone pulls me from my thoughts of Riley. Annoyance fills me as my mother’s name lights up across the screen. As much as I wish it had been Riley calling, it’s probably for the best. At least for now.
My voice might just give away who I am before the game really gets going.
Letting out a low groan, I put the phone on speaker so I’ll be able to see when Riley texts me back. “Ma, it’s getting late. Everything alright?”
“Am I not allowed to call my son unless something’s wrong?” she asks, sharp but teasing.
A heavy sigh escapes me as I run my fingers through my hair. “No, you can call anytime you want, Ma. You just usually don’t call this late in the evening. I thought something might be wrong.”
“Everything’s fine, Nicky. I just wanted to know if you’re coming for Sunday dinner.”
Dammit, I forgot it was Friday. I’ve been so wrapped up in work and thinking about Riley that I forgot to come up with a reasonable excuse.
“Your brothers would be glad to see you for once, you know,” she needles.
I resist the urge to remind her that my younger brother Marcus works for me and thereby sees me most days. And Bruno, the oldest of us, would certainly be happy to see me, but only so he can pester me all night about leaving Marcus to run the company so I can come back to focus on the…familybusiness again.
I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. “I’ll try to make it.”
We both know that means I won’t be there.
It isn’t that I don’t want to see her. I love my mother. I just don’t have time to get wrapped up in whatever family bullshit Bruno has on his plate. No matter how much he fucks up in life, Ma has a way of babying him. When did it become the middle child's responsibility to keep shit together?
My phone dings as my mother makes a disappointed little noise, but she doesn’t push.
Riley: Sorry, I was driving home. I’m glad I could make your day better, though. How was your day? Anything interesting happen?
I grin at her message, but part of me is jealous that she’s saying that to a man that isn’t me. Or well, technically it isn’tsupposedto be me.
“I read about that new investment app you launched last weekend. It looks like it’s doing well.”
Ma always knows when to push and when to steer the conversation elsewhere, which is one of the reasons I have such a massive soft spot for her. Even though she babies Bruno, both my brothers have always said that she favors me.
“Better than expected, actually,” I reply as I type out a response to Riley.
