“Fair enough.” Lukas nodded. “But how about after your meeting? What happens when it’s over?”
I thought about it. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach as I considered that I might actually have an investor by then. I might have my official budget for the store I’d been dreaming of opening for years. I shook my head. “I don’t know,” I said quietly. “I can’t even think about it yet. It makes me unbelievably nervous.”
Lukas smiled as he watched me chew on my lip. “Alright. Then here’s my pitch to you – I’ll leave you alone till you’re done with your meeting. I won’t knock on your door once. I won’t text or call. I won’t have a single guest over so you can have your guaranteed peace and quiet. But once the next four days are over, we renegotiate our contact agreement because I want to see you and I already know that feeling’s not going away anytime soon,” he said. When I refused to meet his eye, he tipped my chin up to face that sexy grin of his. “Deal?”
Damn it. Why was it so fucking impossible to resist him when he was already touching me?
“Fine,” I caved, breathing out in frustration at myself. “But if you break the deal and I screw this meeting up, Lukas, I’ll put you in the emergency room.”
“Shit. Is that right?”
“No. But in all likelihood, I will hate you,” I said, pushing past him to go into the living room. “I’ll probably nosedive into panic about my career and go another three years without sex. And this time, I’ll blame it on you.”
“Jesus Christ,” Lukas laughed. “No knocking then. Four days of quiet.”
“Starting now,” I added, gathering his clothes from the living room floor. Returning to the kitchen, I thrust the pile in his arms and pushed him swiftly toward the door. “That should be it. Now you gotta go.”
“You’re not going to let me get dressed first?” he grinned down at me.
“You can afford a three-second walk of shame.”
“Fine. But you don’t get to look at my ass on my way out.”
“Yeah, well I don’t want to,” I said, my laugh dangerously close to a giggle. Then before the bastard could charm me any further, I opened the door and pushed him right out.
12
LUKAS
There was a stupid grin on my face as I pushed through the revolving doors of Hoult Tower. I was an hour late for work but I wasn’t thinking about it. It was still a good morning – even despite the promise I’d just made to Lia.
Four days. No contact.
It sounded like hell already but the last thing I wanted was to be another asshole on that woman’s shit list. I wasn’t done with her yet. I’d gotten more than a good taste of her last night but I wanted more.
I wanted to touch and feel her again but I also just wanted to see her. I wanted to see her nail that meeting. It was partially self-serving since I knew I had no chance of taking her out again if she didn’t get the deal, but I also wanted to see the girl catch a break already. She was probably fucking adorable with a giant smile on her face and nothing to worry about. And as far as I could tell, she deserved it.
“Jesus. Someone got laid last night.”
I smirked before even turning to confirm Julian following me into the elevator. I watched as he hit ‘door close’ while making eye contact with some poor bastard running toward us to get in.
“See, these are the mornings that I hate working in your building. There’s nothing worse than starting your day with a smug billionaire.”
“I’m just noting the good mood you’re obviously in.”
“Right.”
“You look like you just got named prom queen.”
“Fuck off,” I laughed.
Julian faced forward with a grin. “Hey, doesn’t hurt to chip a little ice off your heart. Pretty soon you could be like Emmett – stupid and happy. Like a Golden Retriever.”
“Shoot me if I ever get as chipper as him.”
“You have my word,” Julian said, straightening the knot on his tie. “I take it you’re seeing her tonight?”
“Lia?”