“Tria, all you need is for someone to listen. You’ll get that tomorrow, and they won’t be able to say no.”
She looks up at me with eyes full of gratitude that say so much.
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re pretty damn incredible?” she asks, forcing my chest to tighten.
No. No they haven’t.
“Are you telling me I am?” I ask while grabbing her stuff that I packed in secrecy, and then I take a seat beside her on the floor.
She tugs me to her and kisses me hard, stealing my sanity for just a moment.
“Yes. I am.”
Caught off guard, I’m forced to clear my throat when she backs up, just to keep myself from saying something stupid or girl-like. Turning away, I start spreading out the stuff she needs for tomorrow, ready to rehearse with her as long as she needs to in order to feel confident.
“Kode?” she says, drawing my attention.
I move my eyes back to her, and the smile on her face has me convinced there’s nothing better in the world.
“Yeah?”
She stands and pulls her shirt over her head, biting her lip when it hits the floor.
“Maybe a little wild sex before preparation.”
My hands and feet are moving before my mind works, and I have her in my arms and kissing her savagely before I finally process what she said. It’s then I realize that I’m not just falling for her. Tria Noles fucking owns me.
Chapter 21
TRIA
Nervous? No. I’m not nervous. I’m a frigging train wreck.
I’ve changed clothes three times, and though I can’t explain how incredibly grateful I am for this opportunity, I also want to strangle him for not giving me a heads-up. I could have brought more options.
“Tria?” Kode asks in his deep, sleepy voice that I find too sexy as I curse the next dress.
“Sorry,” I mumble.
“Babe, it’s six in the morning. What the hell are you doing?”
I’ve been up since four. It’s impossible to sleep right now.
“I’m getting ready for this meeting.”
He laughs, that deep rumble in his chest doing wild things to my already weakened heart. He really needs to stop being so amazing before I go and tell the big jerk that I love him.
“The place is just a block from here. Come back to bed¸” he grumbles.
Of course he doesn’t understand how nervous I am. He has control and power no matter what room he’s in. I’m an absolute mess in front of a small department chain store manager. How in the hell can I handle talking to a room full of representatives for five of the largest cosmetic lines there are?
Kode sighs while getting out of bed, apparently noticing my inner meltdown, and he comes over to where I’m at. Naked. Does the man always have to look like a model?
“I’ll get on some clothes, and we’ll start working on your presentation again. Just pretend they’re me.”
It’s amazing at how much calmer I can get the second he speaks. With a mixture of fascination and awe, I watch him pull on a pair of track pants, bypassing underwear. That has my mind going in all the wrong directions.
“You don’t want me thinking they’re you,” I mumble, absently licking my lips.