“Only a couple of times.”
“We planned on ordering a cheese platter,” Skye said.
I vehemently shook my head. “No, that’s for celebrating. Let’s not spoil that by turning it into comfort food.”
Needless to say, we hadn’t opened the champagne.
To my astonishment, Liam emailed before we left the apartment.
Liam: I can see you and Skye tomorrow at eight and discuss your worries.
“Perfect,” Skye said when I read her the content. “Works for me.”
I emailed him back right away.
Tess: We’ll be there.
I tucked the phone in my bag, determined not to be swayed tomorrow by those baby-blue eyes or his sexy-as-hell ass. I planned to keep it all business.
“Okay, it’s all set. We’re meeting him tomorrow.”
“Let’s take our dear brother up on his offer, then,” Skye said.
“Yes. Hey, here’s a thought. Why don’t we go to the same place Heather took Avery? Think they’re still there?”
“For sure,” Ryker replied.
“Perfect. That way I get to see Avery too and give her the gift myself. I need extra cuddles tonight.”
Chapter Eight
Liam
The first thing I did upon arriving at my office the next morning was download the document Tess had sent me on my computer. I’d only read her email last evening, asking for a face-to-face meeting. I stared at the PDF, scrolling to the end of it. Sixty-five comments. They were roasting our ass worse than anyone we’d done business with.
I tapped my fingers over my desk. I had a bad feeling about this. Mentees who wanted to negotiate every line of the contract were a time-suck. But I wasn’t prepared to let go of Tess without a fight.
“Not of Tess, of Soho Lingerie,” I corrected myself. This was about bringing in another solid company for our portfolio.
There was no time to go through all the comments, but I started reading them anyway. At five to eight, Dexter poked his head inside the office. I hadn’t even heard him come in. The brownstone had been empty when I arrived at seven.
“Liam, Tess is here.”
“Just Tess?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, show her in. Thanks.”
I stood up, pacing around my desk.
When Tess stepped into my office, I couldn’t help drinking her in. Her body was just perfection. She was wearing a black skirt and white shirt that were snug around her generous curves. Is she wearing one of their sexy-as-hell designs? I couldn’t ignore the way her curves looked in her pencil skirt or how damn attracted I was to her.
This was one of the reasons why I kept my personal life separate from business. Yes, personal chemistry was necessary for a good business relationship. But when I said chemistry, I meant being on the same page, not wanting to kiss her until she moaned every time I saw her.
But I wasn’t going to fight my attraction to her any longer. I already knew I wanted her. “Good morning, Tess. Is Skye joining us too?”
“No. She was supposed to, but her son wasn’t feeling well this morning, so she went to the doctor with him.”