Chapter 4
Four
Nash
I wrap my arm around her waist, pulling her against my chest, and look down into her green-gray eyes and the soft freckles on her nose before I bend my head. I want to kiss her plump lips, but I know if I do that, she might kick me in the balls. Instead, I bend and kiss her cheek, smelling the hint of her perfume. “Welcome to LA, Zoey.” I let her go even though my hands itch to pull her back to me.
“Thank you,” she says. “Glad to be here.” She tilts her head to the side. “I think.”
I put my head back and laugh before some guy wheels over her pink luggage. She goes to grab it but I beat her to it, her hand landing on top of mine. “I’ve got it.”
“Oh, okay.” She quickly yanks her hand back from mine. I can already see she is trying to move away from me, but I don’t let her. I put my hand on her lower back, ushering her to my car.
“How are you feeling from the flight?” I keep the conversation very neutral, knowing there will be time to talk about work stuff later.
“A little tired but I’m okay,” she admits.
“Are you hungry?” I ask as I stop by the passenger side door. “We can get a late lunch/early dinner and discuss a couple of things.”
I can see the wheels spinning in her head. “That sounds great.” She shocks me. I was betting on her saying she would get room service. Score one for me, I guess.
“Great,” I say, stepping forward and opening her door for her.
She mumbles, “Thank you,” right before I shut the door on her and before she can tell me she’s changed her mind. I store her luggage in the trunk before getting in the car.
“What do you feel like eating?” I ask, starting the car and turning the AC on.
“Surprise me.” She smiles, and I just smirk, raising my eyebrows, knowing full well she isn’t going to want me to surprise her with what I want to eat. Because what I actually want to eat is her. “You seem to know what I like since all my favorite food was on the plane.”
“Ahh,” I say, putting my glasses over my eyes so she can’t see me gawk at her. “Just wanted you to be comfortable.”
“Should we discuss how you knew?” She turns in her seat to look at me.
“It’s not a state secret, Zoey.” I pull out of the parking lot and into traffic.
“It’s not, but you got me my favorite bagel. How did you know?”
I think about lying to her and saying it was a good guess, but she might find out the truth, and then it’ll make me look like a creepy stalker, so I tell her, “You post about that sandwich every Saturday on your Instagram. You always get it after Pilates.” I don’t have to look at her to see her mouth is hanging open. “I figured it would be a nice treat.”
“That was,” she confirms, turning back in her seat to look in front of her. “That was very thoughtful.”
“My pleasure.” I zigzag through the traffic, heading toward my favorite sushi restaurant, knowing she loves sushi also. She looks out the window as we make our way there, making me more nervous than I have ever been. I’ve done million-dollar deals without breaking a sweat, but being with Zoey in my car, my hands are all clammy, and my mouth is dry.
I pull into the parking lot and turn off the car. She opens her backpack on the floor between her feet and grabs a black purse. “Is it okay to leave this in the car, or should I take it inside?”
“We are going to sit right there.” I point at the window of the small little sushi place. “The car will be in full view at all times.”
“So if someone comes around and smashes your window, you’ll throw your body at them to protect my laptop?”
I stare at her, trying not to burst out laughing. “Most definitely,” I assure her, turning my head to the side and secretly laughing while I reach for the door handle and open the door. I’m rounding the car when she gets out of her side. I take her in again, just like I did when she was walking down the plane's steps. Her pink pants are loose fitting and have elastic at the ankle, so they look comfortable and classy, with a tight white shirt that shows off her perfect fucking tits. Tits that if you didn’t know, you would think were fake, but I’ve memorized them since the first time I saw her in a bikini. It’s also because I’ve seen her in said bikini that I know that what is under her clothes is one million times better than her with clothes on. The jacket hides all the goodness that is under it.
We walk side by side toward the door, and I pull it open for her before she walks in and stands in the small entrance. This place has five tables, which are always taken at lunch and dinnertime. Since it’s almost dinner, only two tables are open.
“Take a seat.” A woman sticks her head out from the back between the bead curtain.
I wait for Zoey to walk toward the table in the middle of the window looking outside. She sits in one chair, and I sit in the chair facing her instead of beside her. She puts her purse on the chair there. The woman from the back comes out with a pitcher of water in one hand and two menus in the other. “Have you been here before?”
“It’s my go-to,” I tell her. “Usually, I pick it up and take it home or to the office. I don’t think I’ve ever actually eaten here.”
Zoey looks up at the woman with a smile when she puts the menus on the table between us as she fills two glasses of water before asking, “Sake?”
“Sure,” I say.
At the same time, Zoey says, “No.”
“No or yes?” The woman who couldn’t care less about our argument looks back and forth between us, and I’m sure she’s counting to ten before she gives up and walks away.
I look over at Zoey, who just stares at me. “Sure, one.” She holds her finger up, her nails square and perfectly manicured to a soft pink. The woman walks away from us, stopping at another table before I hear the sound of the beads as she steps into the back.
“What do you recommend?” she asks, looking down at the menu.
“I usually go with the chef’s creation,” I say, “the Dragon Komodo and the Moonlight.”
Her eyes roam the menu. “I’ll have the same, then.”
I don’t have a chance to say anything because the lady comes back with a little white-and-blue bottle with matching little glasses. She pours half in each glass before she grabs her pad. “What can I get you?” We order the same thing, and the woman nods before turning and walking to the back.
“So tell me about your company,” Zoey says, and I shake my head.
“Nope, we will get into all that tomorrow at the office.” I grab my glass of sake, holding it up. “For right now, I’ll toast to you coming to LA to meet with me.”
“Um.” She grabs her glass of sake and holds it up. “To coming to meet with you, and you eerily stalking my Instagram.”
I laugh, clinking my glass to hers before she takes a sip of the sake, and I follow suit. “I don’t eerily stalk your Instagram.” I put down my glass while she takes another sip and then licks her lips. I want to change seats and sit next to her, so I can pull her seat closer to mine and lean over and see if her lips taste like sake or heaven. Either way, I would win. “I was just observant.”
“I think that’s what stalkers usually say.” She shakes her head as she laughs. “It was a very nice thing for you to do.”
“It was my absolute pleasure.” I take a sip of water. “I’m not going to lie. I thought you would say no.”
She puts her hands on the table in front of her, folding them and almost leaning on the table. “Since we are being honest”—she sort of smiles—“I was going to say no, but?—”
“I don’t care.” I hold up my hand. “Whatever the but was, I don’t care. The only thing that matters is you are here, and we’ll be working together.”
“Maybe.” She points at me. “I said I would check it out.”
“And I’m going to persuade you to take the job, and if that doesn’t work—” I start to say when I see the server coming out from the back. I stare right into her eyes. “I’m not afraid to get on my knees and beg.” I wink at her as I see her cheeks get a bit pink.
The server puts down the plates in front of us. “This looks amazing,” she says, picking up her chopsticks. “Which one should I try first?”
“Either one is good.” I grab my chopsticks, pick up a piece, and put it in my mouth.
I am mid-chew when she moans, and I just glare at her. “This”—she puts her hand in front of her mouth—“is amazing.”
My cock—no, my whole body—suddenly wakes up with that moan. “You’re welcome.” I wink at her. “But if you really want to thank me…”
“This next part is going to be fun.” She points her chopstick at me. “Well, fun for me to say, not fun for you to hear,” she gloats. “If and I said if I decide to work for you, there are stipulations.”
“Oh? I like this already.” I put my chopsticks down and clap my hands.
“One, no flirting.”
“Okay, well, a rebuttal is coming in.” I pick up my chopsticks and point them at her before grabbing another piece of sushi. “I don’t flirt. It’s just my charm.”
“You want to know the funny thing?” She picks up another piece of sushi. “I think you believe that.” I shrug. “Let me ask you this. If someone else was on your list and you wanted to hire them, would you fly her here in a private plane and pick her up?”
I avoid looking at her because there is no way in fuck I would do any of that. I would hand it off to my assistant, and she would do it all. I would not go out of my way to order her favorite fucking bagel. I would definitely not go and pick her up myself. “Don’t compare yourself to anyone else, Zoey. You’re in a category of your own.”
“See.” She picks up another piece of sushi, avoiding looking at me. “You can’t say stuff like that.”
“So you want me to lie to you?” I ask, and she gasps.
“No, of course not.”
“Okay, since we know I’m not doing number one, at least not on purpose.” I give her a sly smile. “I’m assuming you won’t want to stay at my house while you’re here.” Her eyes widen. “I’m kidding.” I bite my lip as she stares at me. “Unless you really want to stay at my place.”
She shakes her head and laughs as she picks up another piece of sushi. “I will not be staying at your place. My cousin Gabriella has a place near here. I think I can stay with her.”
I grab my own piece of sushi. “I got you a condo not too far from where I live. That way I can give you a ride to and from the office.”
“There is no need to pick me up. I can make my way there,” she pushes back. “I just need to know what time you’re in the office.”
“I usually get in around six thirty, sometimes six… depending.” Shock is all over her face. “Most of my clients are on the East Coast, so I try to be available for them.”
“That makes sense.” She chews. “Are you done at three, then?”
“Usually around three. Sometimes I stay until five.” I shrug. “It all depends on what I have going on in the day really.”
“Those are long days,” she says softly.
“Long days for sure.” I pick up my sake glass. “But I’m very thorough when I put my mind to something.” I wink at her.
She puts down her chopsticks in front of her, placing her elbows on the top of the table and folding her hands. Her eyes light up even more and her lips almost form a smile, but then as she blinks her eyes, a shield goes up. This Zoey is all business, and if I have to say, she might be even sexier than the friendly Zoey. “Just so we’re clear, I don’t get involved with the people I work for or with. We will be nothing else except co-workers. I work for you and with you. Period. There is no gray area. It’s black and white in my books.”
I put down my chopsticks and lean forward just a bit. “But I’m irresistible.”
She shakes her head, looking down, and when she looks up there is a twinkle in her eye that wasn’t there before. “You might just very well be, but you are also very, very off-limits.” She picks up her glass of sake and does exactly what I did to her by winking at me. “And so am I.”