“Oh?” I muse, taking a sexy-strutted step toward him and his almost naked body. “What’s that?”
He grins that boyish grin that doesn’t prove he’s seduced, but rather excited.
“First, tell me how the bidding war went.”
Tilting my head, I ask, “How’d you know—”
“You’ve already got a deal, Tria. That means they were thoroughly impressed with you. Enough that they couldn’t risk someone else offering you a spot before you left. Considering the rejections you’ve received, they all most likely worried you’d take the first offer without holding out for a better one. Now, how many were in the bidding war, and how sweet was your deal?”
Grinning like an idiot, I shrug, trying my best not to squeal and jump around like I want to. Unfortunately, I end up squealing and launching myself into his arms, jumping up and wrapping my legs around his waist while I giggle hysterically from the excitement.
He laughs while holding me to him, and I rain kisses all over his face in a sloppy, jerky manner that has him laughing harder.
“Three out of five,” I say, though the words are said through my heavy breaths and giggling, so I know they’re hard to understand. “And I’ll show you the details of the awesome deal I got. Thank you for sending your lawyer there to help me, by the way. You’re so unbelievably amazing.”
He smiles against my lips while trying to kiss me, and I grip him tighter between my legs. We’re both smiling too big to really kiss.
“I like seeing you this happy,” he says, drawing his face back just enough to find my eyes.
“Well, you’re the one who made me this happy. They wouldn’t have ever met with me if it wasn’t for you.”
He runs his nose along my jaw, and I lightly kiss his cheek, trying to get my breath back. But now the adrenaline has resurfaced, and I feel like I could dance in the streets without any shame.
“What did you think was on my mind?” I muse, enjoying how he holds me with effortless ease, but then his bruises cross my mind, and I try to wiggle free. I feel like shit for forgetting them.
He doesn’t let me go right away, and I seriously become curious about his pain tolerance, because he seemed to really be hurting yesterday, but he acts unaffected today.
“Ah,” he says, still grinning as he walks over to the table and slowly puts me on my feet. He reaches down for his briefcase, and he pulls out several thick folders packed full of pages. “These are résumés.”
I’m confused, my mind still hazy as I try to stay upright and not pass out from the excitement that is bubbling through me without mercy.
“We’re staying in because you’ll have a ton of questions, and I’m the best person to answer them. We’ll start with assembling your team so that you aren’t overwhelmed with things to do. Everyone in these stacks is ready to start work right now; they’ve passed my screening process—which is very hard to do; and they have negotiable rates that will go with the budget you discussed with me. We’ll sort these out and find the perfect fit for you.”
Ah, hell.
Tears water up in my eyes, and he looks down at me with bemusement riddling his expression.
“What’d I do wrong?”
I grin and laugh while the tears slip out. I’m not crying sad tears, but he doesn’t understand that. I really don’t think I’ve ever cried happy tears before.
“Nothing.” My voice is shaky, and I sniffle while he wipes a tear away from my face.
“You want to start on this or do some celebrating first? This is your night.”
I grab his neck to jerk him down, and the kiss I give him is searing. He grips me to him tightly when he feels my desperation to kiss him as hard as I can.
“Take me to bed first. Before I say something stupid,” I murmur against his lips.
***
TRIA
Well, after trying to destroy the hotel room like horny teenagers or wild rockstars all night, we manage to get everything sorted out, and I have my first, second, and third picks lined up for every position.
Kode is sleeping peacefully after being thoroughly rewarded for all of his hard work. It’s almost noon, but he deserves the rest. Especially since I’ll be keeping him up tonight again.
I grin when I see his arm reaching out, searching for me even as he sleeps. My chest swells with emotion when he mutters my name and hugs a pillow to him, substituting it for me.