24. Kent
Chapter Twenty-Four
KENT
It’s nearly supper time on Friday before the Christmas holiday. The building has cleared out. I look out over the twinkling lights of London’s skyline when there’s a knock at my door.
“I’m off, Mr. Bonnaire,” Poppy says, carrying her little purse on her arm.
“I told you, Poppy, call me Kent,” I say, and pick up an envelope from my desk.
“What’s it going to look like when you’re the president of Bonnaire Capital and I’m calling you Kent?”
“Hmm,” I say. A fair point. “Would you settle for Mr. Kent?”
She takes a moment to consider this. “I will.”
“Then it’s settled. I have your Christmas bonus.” I hand her the envelope that’s been sitting on my desk all afternoon.
“I already received my Christmas bonus in my check last week,” Poppy says, returning the envelope. But I don’t take it.
“Yes, but this is something extra. From me.”
She offers an appreciative smile. “You’re very generous, sir.”
“Well, you do a lot for me. Perhaps you can buy a few more romance novels.”
“No need. I get to be riveted by your love story in real life!”
I laugh. If she knew the truth of our arrangement, she’d really be riveted then. “Speaking of, I appreciate you helping out with Liz today.”
“Oh, the pleasure’s all mine. I’m quite looking forward to spending more time with the future Mrs. Bonnaire. You picked a good one, sir. She’s the right one for you,” Poppy says, though I’m not sure there is a right person for me.
“How do you know?” I ask.
“When you read as many romance books as I do, you know these things.” Poppy winks. “I’ll be going now. You ought to get home soon. You don’t want to keep your princess waiting.”
“Happy Christmas, Poppy.”
“Happy Christmas, Mr. Kent.”
I watch Poppy leave and heed her advice. Just as I’m about to turn off the lights and leave my office, another visitor comes to the door.
A very welcome visitor. One I’ve missed all day.
“Liz, what are you doing here?” My smile grows as my heart skips a beat.
“I just came from the branding meeting.” She walks into my office carrying her black leather briefcase.
“And?” My brow arches with curiosity.
She shakes her head and lets out a sigh. Uh-oh, is it bad news? I was certain she would love them. Then, she smiles and says, “They nailed it. It’s a done deal. I just signed off on it.”
“Fantastic! That’s great news!” I walk toward her and, without thinking, wrap her in my arms in a congratulatory hug.
“You were right. And I can’t believe I’m going to have an English-made logo representing my American-made brand.”
“See, I told you we make a good pair.” I gaze into her eyes and watch that sparkle of hers flicker.
“You mean our countries make a good pair.” She pulls away and takes a few steps back.
“Right.”
“Anyway, thank you. It was a great idea. I’m actually looking forward to the rebrand. It’s like you said, a fresh start.”
“You’re welcome.”
“And thank you for sending the fashion brigade to help me find a dress for the ballet.”
“Well, I couldn’t have my fiancée showing up in nothing.”
“You’d probably like that better, wouldn’t you?” So Liz’s saucy humor is resurfacing.
My mind begins to wander. That would certainly make the papers. “You said it, not me.”
“Speaking of things to wear, I brought you something.” Liz sets her briefcase down and pulls out a matte black shirt box.
“What’s this?” I ask as she hands it to me.
“It’s a shirt and tie from SOLIDS. I had my team send it when I found out we were working together. It should be the right fit.”
I’m accustomed to buying women gifts of all kinds, but it’s very rare for me to receive a gift from a woman.
I slowly lift off the top and push away the black tissue paper.
Inside sits a crisp, folded burgundy-colored button-down shirt and complementary charcoal gray necktie.
I run my fingertips along the soft fabric and inspect the stitching with a glance.
“So this is a SOLIDS shirt, huh? In the flesh.”
“What do you think?” Liz’s voice sounds a little shaky, and her cheeks have gone slightly pink.
I pull the shirt from the box and the fabric falls open. “Nice material. Great quality. Beautiful color.”
“It’s called Cabernet.” The moment she says the words, I think of the bottle we shared that first night.
“Is it really?”
She nods.
“Thank you. I love it,” I say. And I do. So much, I want to get into it right away. “Do you mind if I try it on now?” Her cheeks are fully flushed at the suggestion. “Don’t worry, I’m wearing an undershirt.”
She glances away. “Uh-huh, sounds like an excuse to undress in front of me.”
“Maybe but I promise to keep my pants on.”
“Well, in that case, go for it,” Liz says somewhat sarcastically, but I proceed anyway.
I yank off my tie and begin to unbutton my light blue shirt.
This would be so much better if it were her fingers loosening these buttons.
My body begins to warm and wake up as I undress.
So, to diffuse my inner excitement, I bring up business.
“So, I have another idea I want to talk about.”
“What’s that?” she asks, flicking a quick glance at me when I slide the shirt off my shoulders.
“What do you think about pop-up stores?”
“For SOLIDS?”
“Yeah. I think it would be a good way to relaunch the new branding because it’s not just a store, it’s an event. A great way to create buzz about your brand.” I slide into the wine-colored shirt. “We could do pop-ups in all the major cities—New York, L.A., Miami, Chicago.”
“London?” Liz asks, and it catches me by surprise.
“Now we’re talking.” I grin and tuck in the final button before putting on the tie. It’s not a color combo I would’ve picked out but it works nicely together. I examine the length of the sleeves and smooth out the tie. “So what do you think?”
Her pretty lips twist. “It’s a little short.”
“The pop-up idea?”
“No, your tie.” Liz walks over. “Here, let me try.” She pulls the tie loose.
Okay, now we’re really talking.
I stand tall, resting my hands on my hips as she pulls one end of the tie down.
I watch as her dainty hands loop the silk in a classic double Windsor.
My heart begins to race when her glossed lips part slightly, and I can feel her breath.
Even though we slept in the same bed last night, we weren’t this close.
“I like it,” Liz says.
“My tie?”
“Your idea.” She finishes the knot and pushes it up my neck, pinching it into a perfect V shape.
“There. That’s better.” Her hands slide up my collar, and a shiver runs up my spine as her fingers graze the edge of my neck.
She adjusts the fabric, and I watch her chest rise and fall so close to mine.
Our eyes meet and lock in place. I know she wants to keep her guard up, but she doesn’t know that my favorite thing to do with walls is tear them down. We have many, many good reasons to separate right now, but I can’t think of a single one.
I slip my hand around her waist and press my body against hers. This time, Liz doesn’t push me away.
Instead, she sinks into me, and her breath trembles out of her mouth. Her amber eyes sparkle with lustful yearning, and she bites her lower lip. Our noses tilt as we lean in. And in and in, until our lips are practically touching. Her breath tantalizes my skin, and my entire body is buzzing.
“We’re not supposed to be kissing,” she says.
“We’re not kissing.”
“We definitely shouldn’t kiss.” I feel her lips move with every syllable, making the anticipation that much sexier.
“Absolutely not,” I say, gazing deep into her eyes.
Our noses touch. “It’s a bad idea.”
“A very, very bad idea.”
“No kissing,” she says.
“No kissing.”