Chapter 23
23
KYLIE
“ H ow was practice last night?” I ask Ben as we sit at the table and eat our breakfast.
“It was good,” he says in a hoarse voice with tired eyes.
I realize he didn’t stutter or slow his words down, but I know I’m not supposed to make a big deal about it since it will only draw more attention to it. Still, the therapy is really working. Even if it was a short statement.
“How is school going?” I ask, feeling guilty that we haven’t had more time to talk about him being at a new school for a couple of weeks now.
“It’s good.” He looks up at me and smiles. “Some of the guys on the basketball team invited me to hang out this weekend.”
“Really?” I try not to sound so surprised. “That’s so awesome. I can’t wait to come to your first game. Did you get your schedule yet?”
He nods his head and points at the fridge. “I … hung … it up … on the fridge.”
“I’ll take a look. I promise I’ll make it to as many games as I possibly can. Even if my boss fires me,” I say with a wink.
“Don’t … do that,” he says in a panic. “Then we’d … have … to-to move.”
I realize just how much he loves this new life I’m starting to be able to provide for him. He’s thriving at therapy and clearly liking his new school. He’s making friends for the first time and smiling more often.
“Okay. I’ll make it to as many games as possible as long as my boss allows it. Is that better?”
That seems to satisfy him enough to move on from this conversation, but it leaves me with this sinking feeling that I’m being stupid with this major opportunity in my life. I need to talk to Lincoln about it today. I can’t let what happened between us get in the way of me keeping my job.
But after last night, I don’t know how I can possibly walk away from him. It was the most magical experience of my life. Not only did it feel amazing, but Lincoln was so perfect throughout all of it. It was a side of him—to be so intimate and gentle—that I hadn’t thought existed inside of him.
There’s no denying that my heart is now involved. It weighs heavily on my mind on my way to work and while I make Lincoln his coffee. I don’t even realize that I’m in another world when I walk into his office and place his coffee on his desk.
“Thank you,” he replies, shaking me from my thoughts.
His eyes hold mine with a softness that hasn’t been there before.
“You’re welcome.” I smile slowly, remembering what we did last night.
“How are you doing this morning?” He takes a sip of his coffee.
I look down at him, feeling disoriented from his question.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
I shake my head. “Sorry. I just don’t think you’ve ever asked me how I was doing before.”
He considers my words. “Noted. I’m a self-involved dick, and I need to work on my manners.”
I look at him with amusement. “I never said that.”
He winks at me. “I can read between the lines. But seriously, how are you doing?”
“I’m good.” I smile shyly as I realize what he’s referring to. “Maybe a little sore, but good. I did promise Ben this morning that I’ll be home for dinner the rest of the week. So, I won’t really be able to do anything after work.”
“Oh,” he says with a twinge of disappointment. “Of course. I’m sorry I’ve monopolized so much of your time lately.”
“No. It’s okay. I just feel guilty and want to make sure he’s not feeling neglected.”
He studies me, making me shift uncomfortably on my feet. “You put a lot of pressure on yourself. When do you ever take a break and do something for yourself?”
I tuck my hair behind my ear. “I’d say, last night, I did something for myself.”
Satisfaction shines in his eyes. Before he can respond, his phone rings and interrupts the moment. I give him privacy and walk to my desk to get to work.
Not long after, Lincoln strolls out of his office with a mischievous look on his face. His hands are in the pockets of his dark gray suit, which fits his muscular body perfectly. His beauty makes my heart race. He comes over to my desk and leans his arms on the top.
“Do you have plans for lunch?” he asks lightly.
“No. I was just going to grab a sandwich at the café downstairs.”
The corners of his lips rise slightly. “Good. I’ll come get you around noon.”
He taps the desk with his hand and walks away before I have a chance to ask him what he is talking about. I hesitate, torn between conflicting emotions. My conversation I had with Ben this morning, promising him not to mess up this job, rings in my ears. I should be thinking about my job and not the way Lincoln’s lips felt against my neck last night when he came inside of me.
I should march into his office and tell him whatever he has planned, it’s not a good idea. But here I am, powerless to stop myself from my curiosity of what he has in store.
Lincoln walks out of his office at exactly noon, like he promised. “You ready?” He takes a look at his watch. “We should be all set.”
I go to grab my sweater, but he stops to tell me I don’t need it. I put it back down slowly, now suspicious as to what we are doing. I follow him to the elevator, keeping a safe distance behind him so nobody suspects anything. Once we are on the elevator, he presses the button for the top floor. I’ve never been on it before. I just assumed it was an office for another company.
The doors open, and we walk out into a concrete and steel hallway. His bearing is stiff and proud while my spirit is in total chaos. I have a million questions for him. None of this makes any sense. It’s starting to cross over the line into creepy.
“Um, what are we doing up here?” I ask as he leads me down the hallway.
He grabs my hand and takes a turn down a corridor. “We’re having lunch together this afternoon. Since you’re going to be busy at night this week.”
That really doesn’t explain why we are up here. I know there’s no restaurant. We come to the end of the hallway, and there’s a steel door in front of us. The sign on it reads CAUTION: ROOFTOP . Before I can protest, he pushes the door open. I’m hit with the slight chill with the September winds.
Instead of focusing on the cold, I take in the scenery in front of me. There’s a dome bubble tent sitting on top of the rooftop with lights inside of it strung along the top. Inside of the tent is a circular table with two seats placed over a rug. Off to the side of the table is a bar cart with drinks, and it looks like there’s food on the hot plate.
I’m too stunned for words. The warmth of his hand tugs me forward to the opening of the dome, where George is standing.
“Thanks for getting this together on such short notice,” Lincoln says as he shakes George’s hand.
“My pleasure, Mr. Monroe. Miss Ricci.” He nods his head at me. “Please enjoy.”
My body swirls with a mix of emotions as we walk in, and Lincoln zips up the opening to keep the colder air out. There’s a heater in the corner, which keeps the entire thing nice and warm. He pulls a seat out and motions for me to sit.
“What is all of this?” I whisper as I watch him shed his suit jacket and take a seat across from me.
He unbuttons his shirt cuffs and rolls up his sleeves, then rests his elbows on the table. It’s amazing how quickly he can go from buttoned-up CEO to easygoing and relaxed these days.
“Well, since you’re going to be busy the rest of the evenings this week, I decided I would like to spend lunch with you.”
“But I just told you about my evenings this morning.”
He smiles. “Yes, you did.”
“There’s no way you were able to get this done in the last couple of hours.”
He chuckles as if what I said was funny. “Not to be too arrogant, but I’m a man with a lot of money and connections. You’d be surprised what I could do on short notice.”
I lean forward, goosebumps tickling my skin. There’s something about this man’s confidence that is so sexy but in an annoying way. I wonder if the books I read have planted ideas in my head that this is actually an attractive quality.
“Mr. Monroe, that is indeed very arrogant.”
He shrugs lightly. “I’m not afraid to admit that. It’s hard to get to the top and not have it go to your head.”
“Well, I would be happy to bring you back down a peg or two. Just say the word.”
His face turns serious. “That’s something I love about you. You don’t treat me like a billionaire.”
“How do billionaires get treated?” I ask curiously.
He sighs like the question is too much for him to bear. “You know, how about we get our food and drinks out first before we dive into such depressing topics?”
He stands up and walks over to the cart. He pulls open the lids of the large silver platters on the hot plates. I’m shocked by the sheer amount of food I see in front of me.
“Lincoln, that’s enough food for a dozen people.”
“I’m ashamed to admit I don’t quite know your food preferences yet.”
He hands me a plate to fill up myself, completely unaware of my reaction to his admission. There’s one word in there that is making my blood pressure spike— yet . Does that mean he is planning on learning about my food preferences? It’s bizarre to witness this powerful man serving me and telling me he’s going to learn the little nuanced details that make me , me.
We both fill up our plates, and then he pours us some sparkling water.
“This is really sweet. Thank you for doing it. The food looks amazing. Where is it from?”
“It’s Olio E Più,” he says as he spins his pasta around his fork.
“Hmm,” I say as I mirror his movements, scooping up my own bite. “I’ve never heard of it.”
He looks up at me, slightly stunned. “Seriously? You’ve never had this before?”
“I think you often forget about the fact that I was making eighteen dollars an hour before I worked for you.”
The pasta is incredible. I instantly get lost in the amazing tastes of the food. Lincoln studies me as I moan over my food—from the pasta to the chicken on my plate. I would be self-conscious if I cared enough to let anything distract me from the flavors in my mouth.
“I don’t even understand how it’s possible to survive living in the city with that little amount of money,” he says as he continues to analyze me with his eyes.
“We were barely surviving. No medical insurance. Clothes that were worn down and bought secondhand. Ramen noodles for dinner to make it to my next paycheck.”
He leans back in his chair and takes a sip of his water. “I’m going to discuss a potential program with Scarlett.”
“What kind of program?”
“Something that will give people with their GED a chance to get their foot in the door. You are better than any assistant I’ve ever had. Not only did you not flirt mercilessly with me, but you catch on quick and work hard.”
“You don’t think I ever intended on this happening between us, do you?” I ask, suddenly mortified that he might think that low of me.
He chuckles. “Of course not. You don’t get to the top like me unless you have an excellent read on someone’s character. I can tell I pissed you off first before I ever turned you on. Though don’t think I don’t find the irony in me sleeping with the first assistant who didn’t want me that way.”
I drop my fork and let my head fall into my hands. “This looks so awful. If Scarlett ever found out—oh my gosh, I would look so bad.”
“No worse than me, doing the stereotypical thing and sleeping with my much younger assistant.”
“Huh. I guess I never really thought about our age difference. It never felt like such a big gap to me. I guess it is twelve years.”
“Yeah, it must be because you’re so mature for your age.”
I smile at him. “And you’re so immature for your age. That basically makes it feel like there’s no age gap at all.”
We both laugh in unison, though there’s this awkward awareness in the air. How did we let it get this far without considering our differences? He is much older than me. How would it look for him to be dating his much younger assistant? No better than it looks for me to be dating my much older billionaire boss.
His arm reaches across the table, and he places his hand down on top of mine. The warmth of it gives me instant comfort with the added spark that ignites in my body the moment our skin touches.
“Don’t overthink it. We don’t even know what this is. We’re just getting to know each other right now,” he says.
I nod my head, trying to act as certain as he is. “Okay. Just getting to know each other.”
We spend the rest of the lunch talking about lighter subjects. I find out he likes to play basketball, is a huge sports fan, and absolutely despises asparagus. I tell him that I like to watch football but am not much of a basketball or baseball fan, that I’m obsessed with board games, and that I happen to like asparagus. We agreed to disagree on the last one.
After we’re done, we head back into the building. When we get to the elevator, he hits the button, then turns toward me and takes me by surprise by pulling me in for a kiss. Not just any kiss. A kiss that steals my breath and makes my body want to slump into a puddle. His lips are hard and searching, and his strong hands are on my cheeks, cupping my jaw.
He pulls away and kisses my nose gently. “I haven’t been able to get last night out of my head.” He breathes heavily against my mouth.
“Me too,” I say on a shaky breath.
“I don’t understand what you’re doing to me, Kylie. Just know that I’ve never done this before with anyone. I don’t date.”
“Me too,” I repeat myself as my brain still struggles to come back from our kiss.
He smiles. “I guess that makes this a first for both of us.”
The doors to the elevator open, and he buttons his jacket and pulls on the ends. I can tell he just slipped back into CEO boss mode. I follow him onto the elevator, and we ride it in silence down the ten floors.
Maybe we can do this. We can separate work from our personal lives while we keep it casual and get to know one another. Although, if he keeps doing things like telling me he’s going to start a program to help people like me, I may be in danger of falling hopelessly in love with him.
That is, if I’m not already there and just in some serious denial.