Liv blinked awake, the level of the light in the room unfamiliar and her ringing cell phone unwelcome. It took her a second to remember where she was. Not her bedroom with the blackout shades back in Austin, but in Finn’s pool house. She squinted, letting her eyes adjust to the morning sunshine streaming through the windows, and flipped over in search of her phone. Her body protested the movement, sore in places she hadn’t been sore in a long time.
“Shut up, shut up, shut up,” she groaned, slapping her hand around the nightstand for the phone.
The ringing thankfully stopped and she sighed, pressing her face into the pillow. But before she could consider going back to sleep, the phone started up again.
“Oh, son of a bitch.” She pushed herself up and leaned over the side of the bed. Her phone was on the floor, halfway under the nightstand, her work number staring back at her on the screen. She sighed and grabbed for it.
“Hello.” She fell back onto the bed. “I’m on vacation.”
“Unapproved vacation,” Preston said into her ear.
“Huh?” she said, still groggy. “No. You weren’t in. I gave my request to Greg. He said you’d let me know if it wasn’t okay.”
“I’m letting you know,” Preston said. “It’s not okay. I need you in today. We just got a big job from Butter and Brittle, a new chain of candy shops opening across the state. They’re willing to throw big money at it, so I promised to put my best designer on it and to personally oversee it. They want multiple concepts and a preliminary design to look at by next Wednesday, so we’re going to have to crash the schedule to get it done by then. Next ten days, you’re mine. Nail it, and there will be a nice bonus involved.”
She closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose. A nice bonus would be…nice, but she’d taken today off for a reason. “I’ll get right on it when I get in tomorrow. I’m in Wilder for…a family thing.”
“Did someone die?”
“No.”
“Then you need to come back.” The sound of a clicking keyboard filled the line. “If you leave now, you can be here before lunch. I can brief you on the phone once you’re in your car. Their ideas are a little scattered, so we need to narrow the focus.”
Liv sighed and scooted up the pillows, the warmth of the bed calling for her to snuggle back under the quilt. She should be able to snuggle back under. Today was supposed to be a vacation day. Plus, she had pictures to take for Kincaid later and a hot FBI agent to keep her company this morning. “Pres—”
A sharp knock sounded on her door, followed by a booming voice. “Open up. I come bearing breakfast and sexual favors.”
“Who was that?” Preston said into her ear.
Shit. She pressed her hand over the mouthpiece and called, “One sec!” Then into the phone: “No one.”
She and Preston had had a casual thing once upon a time before he was the boss, but she knew that wasn’t jealousy in his voice. Preston only had one love—the business.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Preston said. “I’m telling you I desperately need you in the office, and you’re with some guy?”
Liv gritted her teeth and flung the quilt off so she could climb out of bed. All she’d thrown on after Finn had left were a T-shirt and underwear, but he’d seen her in much less so she didn’t bother finding something else to put on. “I have a right to a personal life.”
“Not during work time.”
“Hold on.” She stalked across the living room and opened the door.
Finn grinned, a takeout bag and coffee in his hand. “Oh, pants optional. I’m fully on board with this plan.”
She pointed at her phone.
He winced and mouthed, “Sorry.”
Preston sniffed in her ear, his opinion clear. “I need you in the office now. I didn’t approve this vacation day. Tell your personal life to keep his pants on. He doesn’t pay your bills. Your job does.”
Liv’s fist clenched at the threat, but she swallowed what she really wanted to say. Preston was being a dick, but he was also stating the truth. He was her boss. And this was her job. What else was she supposed to do? Get fired? “Fine, I’ll be there by eleven.”
“Thank you.” Preston ended the call without another word.
She tossed her phone onto the kitchen counter and cursed. Colorfully.
Finn’s brows lifted. “Everything okay?”
“It’s fine.”