Total pages in book: 51
Estimated words: 48412 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 242(@200wpm)___ 194(@250wpm)___ 161(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 48412 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 242(@200wpm)___ 194(@250wpm)___ 161(@300wpm)
Uh-huh. I had a feeling this was the reason for his sour expression.
“Somebody has to get up and make the world perfect for the billionaires,” I say primly. “It doesn’t happen through magic. It requires a lot of hard work from a lot of people.”
“One of them doesn’t need to be you.”
Last night was so incredible…and we love each other. The last thing I want is to leave for work while we’re fighting. I want to float on the euphoria of him all day long. Pouting, I saunter toward him, noting the way his features soften the closer I get.
“I just got used to how handsome you are, baby, now you throw glasses into the mix?”
He sets aside the computer and pulls me down sideways onto his lap, pressing his face to my temple with a disgruntled sound. “You think calling me baby is going to soften the blow of watching my angel leave before I can feed her breakfast?”
“I think it’ll help.”
His husky sigh is endearing. “It does. Say it again.”
“Baby.” I press a kiss to his stubbled cheek. “Baby.”
I squeal when he digs two fingers into my side, tickling me. “Don’t you dare make my dick hard and then leave.”
“I’m not trying to!”
“You don’t have to try,” he says, tucking a few strands of hair behind my ear, his expression worshipful. “How do you feel after last night?”
“Amazing. Happy. Changed,” I whisper, leaving a soft kiss on his mouth. “For the better.”
Relief dances across his features. “Sore?”
“A little. Mostly from your kung fu grip on my butt.”
He winces, planting a hand on the sore cheek in question and rubbing gently.
“Call in sick and I’ll massage away the sting. For as long as it takes. I’ll work on your ass all day, if necessary.”
“Nice try,” I giggle, swatting away his hand, and now he’s back to frowning at me, but he’s only succeeding in making himself look bed-mussed and sexy. “What are you working on so early in the morning?”
“That’s for me to know and you to find out.”
I’m already shaking my head. “I don’t like the sound of th—”
He cuts me off with a hard kiss, his knuckles stroking down the side of my face.
“Do you trust me, Vida?”
“Yes,” I whisper, giving him my honesty.
“Good.” He kisses me again, slower this time, his tongue exploring my mouth with a miserable groan. “Then go to work and let me figure out how to make the world better for you without pissing you off in the process.”
“That’s a tall order.”
“No shit.” His slow grin is outrageously hot. “But goddamn, are you worth it.”
“I love you.”
“I love you so fucking much,” he says back fervently, rolling our foreheads together. “I want constant texts coming in from you all day long, angel. All day. And your lunchbreak belongs to me. Is that clear?”
“You’ve got a date,” I sing, hopping off his lap.
Blowing his unhappy face a kiss, I sail out of the bedroom and walk the gleaming hallway to the deck, jogging off the boat and down the dock, toward the resort. I stop and look back once, finding Tripp on the upper deck, leaning on the metal railing and watching me leave. I have the most intense urge to run back to him and pledge to quit my job, but no. No, I can’t do that. I’m an honest-living kind of girl. Besides, this isn’t really my job to quit. It’s my aunt’s.
Speaking of my aunt, I really need to call her.
I didn’t tell her I would be spending the night out last night.
As soon as I get changed into my uniform, I’ll shoot her a text.
Tearing my eyes away from the sight of the broody, muscular outline of my boyfriend against the sunrise, I haul butt up the concrete stairway to the employee entrance. I expect to walk inside and find the locker room mostly empty, but I stop short when I walk into a beehive of activity. Lockers slam, voices speak in harried whispers. Everyone is rushing to get dressed.
“What’s going on?” I ask the closest member of staff. A maid, like me.
“Management called an emergency meeting. All staff must attend.”
“An emergency meeting?” I repeat, stunned. When has this ever happened? “Did management say what the meeting is about?”
She looks down, buttoning her vest. “Something about reestablishing protocol when it comes to fraternizing with guests…and establishing a new system to avoid inappropriate behavior.”
My scalp prickles with heat, a weight dropping low in my stomach.
Oh God.
Is the meeting about me?
The word fraternizing doesn’t even come close to what I’ve been doing with Tripp. I’ve been sneaking into his room. Dating him. And he’s the most famous guest at the resort.
Am I about to get fired? In front of everyone?
Are they going to make an example out of me?
My hands are shaking the entire time as I get dressed and hang my backpack in my locker. Just before I follow the sea of employees out of the room, my phone lights up in the front pocket, and I look down at the screen. It’s Tripp.