"I'm just saying—"
"Both Jack and Noah have fair deals on the table," he informs me, then adds, "And their client lists are more impressive than Phil's. Don't listen to a word he says."
"Then why did you invite him here for another meeting?" I question.
Riggs's lips twitch. "Because he's Phil Millin."
My chest tightens. "And?"
"And he's in the top three. It's your decision who you go with, and you deserve full transparency."
"You could have just told me his deal wasn't up to par," I state.
Riggs chuckles.
"What's so funny?" I inquire.
"One day, when you realize what an ass he is, you'll always have the memory of telling him to shove his shitty deal up his ass," Riggs declares.
I furrow my brows, deciding Riggs is officially crazy. But also adorable when he's negotiating or telling important people off, sweet to care so much about this when he has a busy company to run and could be doing a million different things, and sexy as hell when he's sticking up for me. Still, I remind him, "You're the one who told him that."
He grins. "You did in your own way."
The bell rings, and my stomach knots again.
Riggs wiggles his eyebrows. "Next."
Even though the first meeting went badly, the next two are both great. Jack and Noah both offer fair deals, and Riggs even negotiates a few more things into the contracts. At the end of each meeting, Riggs informs them that I'll get back to them soon.
Noah leaves, and my head spins.
Riggs only seems energized by the negotiations.
"You love this stuff, don't you?" I ask.
A boyish look appears on his handsome face. He questions, "Is it that obvious?"
"You're good at it. My father got lucky when he met you," I point out.
Riggs's face darkens.
"Sorry. Did I say something wrong?" I fret.
He shakes his head and tugs me into him. "No. You've done everything right."
Surprised, I reply, "I have?"
He strokes my cheek. "Yeah, pet. You have."
"Just in these meetings, right?" I blurt out, then my face heats.
Why did I say that?
He freezes, then slowly shakes his head. "No."
"No?"
He steps closer. "You've done everything right. And I'm not easy. I know I'm not easy, but you still managed to pull it off."