It occurs to me I don’t have a life,” Chloe said as she unpacked a bottle of wine from a paper grocery bag onto Isa’s countertop. “You get to have sex with this completely glorious billionaire Marine, and I…” She lifted the bottle of cabernet. “Well, I have wine?”
“I appreciate that you have wine. It’s been a long day.” After working late, Isa invited Chloe up to her apartment for a drink. She needed a girlfriend and when she thought of who she had to talk to, the only friends who came to mind were work friends.
Plus, Isa liked Chloe. She trusted her, too.
Isa pulled open a cabinet and put the glasses on her breakfast bar.
Wordlessly, Chloe uncorked the bottle and poured two glasses. When Isa grabbed hers, her friend said, “Cheers to us getting laid.”
Isa lowered her glass away from her mouth. “Us?”
“I meant cheers to you because you’ve gotten laid, and cheers to me for getting laid in the future. I hope.” Chloe twisted a finger around one of her curls.
“It could happen.” Isa gave up and took a drink, letting the cabernet wash over her tongue in a fruity wave.
“Yeah, right. Do you think that hot blond from the Mexican restaurant swung in here and dropped off his number or something?”
“I do know him now. Sort of. I could introduce you.”
“Huh-uh, sister.” Chloe waggled a finger back and forth. “We’re not talking about that hunk of man.”
“His name’s Zach.” Isa batted her lashes.
“Elijah Crane.” Chloe pointed a finger. “Spill it.”
“All right, fine.” Isa pulled out a stool at the counter and sat.
Chloe clapped her hands together and eagerly followed suit.
“You can stop dancing like a loon now. Eli and I did the deed. A few times,” she added. Chloe had already busted her this afternoon and to be fair, Isa hadn’t bothered fixing what Eli called her “JBF” hair.
“JBF?” she’d asked, resting her chin on his bare chest as they lay in his bed.
“Just been fucked.”
She’d slapped his chest in reprimand, but it’d only earned her a dry, rough laugh that made her heart patter. She had such a thing for him.
“Please tell me some details—like what put that wistful twinkle in your eye. Let me live vicariously.” Chloe spread her fingers over her collarbone and did her best Scarlett O’Hara impression. “I’m but a poor assistant with no social life.”
“Hmm. This isn’t a ploy for a raise, is it?” Isa teased.
“Not…immediately.” Another grin from her friend.
“It happened on Monday—”
Chloe muzzled a sharp squeal with her hands covering her mouth. Then she reclaimed her composure and waved a “go on” motion.
“And Tuesday…” No interruption this time, so Isa told her more. “He’s…intense. There is a battle he’s fighting and I haven’t figured out who it’s with yet. His family? An ex who did a number on him?”
“His leg?” Chloe guessed, not totally wrong.
“Yes and no. Other than his hesitation over the stairs at the Vancouver, I’ve never seen him unsure. He walks, works out, drives…but when it came time for us to be intimate, he was uncomfortable.” She stabbed her lip with her teeth before she said too much. “I don’t want to share his secrets.”
“Oh, I know. I mean, I can imagine.”
But then she shared them anyway. “It’s like with me, he isn’t sure who to be. He’s trying to protect me from this physical side of him, the part that is different and doesn’t work the way it used to. But he’s opened up about his past and his injury. He’s a riddle.”
“How do you feel when he opens up to you?” Chloe asked.
“Special,” Isa answered frankly. “The first time we met I didn’t dream he was the kind of man to share any personal details. I knew we were compatible after that first kiss, but I had no idea it could be deeper than a physical connection.”
Which was exactly why she’d chickened out after the dinner at Benicia’s.
“And here I thought I only needed Eli to secure my reputation in this city,” Isa said with a small laugh. They’d moved so far past that point, it was hard to believe that’s where she’d started with him.
“You’ve built your own reputation, Isa.” Chloe shook her head as if it should be obvious. “You’re an easy person to talk to. That’s why clients love you. I receive a lot of calls from clients who only want to talk to you. You are Sable Concierge. Your empathy and honesty made this company what it is today.”
“Thank you,” Isa said, sincerely humbled.
“I believe in this company. I believe in you. No matter what happens with Eli Crane down the road, I have faith Sable Concierge will thrive because you’re the person running it.”
Isa’s heart swelled—with pride and gratitude. The kind of approval her hardworking associate had poetically delivered was what Isa had sought for years but had never received.
“To Sable Concierge.” Chloe raised her wineglass.
“Sable Concierge,” Isa agreed, clinking their glasses and taking a sip. She cocked her head to one side in thought.
“What?” Chloe asked with a wide-eyed blink.
“You know, with your kind of passion, you’d be a great partner.”
Chloe’s mouth dropped open and her cheeks went rosy. “Partner?”
“Have you ever considered going into management with Sable Concierge? Our expanding company is currently in need of an additional supervisor.”
“Are you interviewing me?” Chloe lifted her glass. “Over cabernet?”
“And chocolate.” Isa stood and went to the fridge. She unwrapped the foil on a 72 percent dark chocolate bar with almonds and sea salt.
“Now,” Isa said, handing a square to Chloe. “Tell me your number one strength.”
“Easy. Dedication.” Chloe ate the chocolate, then asked, “What about you?”
“Me? I’m doing the interviewing.”
“Humor me.”
“I’m incredibly stubborn. That’s my strength. Your turn. What’s your weakness?” Isa asked, taking a square for herself.
“This is a trick interview question.”
“It is not!” Isa bit into her chocolate, enjoying the perfect pairing with the fruity red wine.
“Prove it. You go first.” Chloe pushed an invisible pair of eyeglasses onto the bridge of her nose. “What’s your weakness, Isabella Sawyer?”
Isa placed the wineglass to her lips and smiled against the rim. She had an answer, but it seemed inappropriate to admit that her weakness lately was a tall, dark-haired, blue-eyed Marine with a husky laugh and a talented tongue.
“Why, I’m a perfectionist of course,” Isa said instead.
“Ha! And a phoned-in answer! Told you it was a trick.” Chloe broke off another piece of chocolate and Isa continued the interview, glad she had someone under her employ who was capable and smart and believed in Sable Concierge as much as she did.
No matter what happened with Eli or the Cranes, at least she had Chloe.
* * *
“You are kinkier than I imagined, Isabella Sawyer.”
Isa looked away from her laptop at Eli, his lazy smile and hooded eyes the signature of an insanely satisfied man. As well he should be after what they just did.
She’d admit, when she went back into the dining room to grab her laptop, she’d done so with an extra spring in her step.
“Working from bed and wearing nothing at all.” He stretched one tatted arm behind his head, showing off biceps and muscles leading to a chest that was downright drool-worthy.
“Don’t you find sex invigorating?” She tapped the keyboard of her laptop again. She’d also grabbed a sleeve of crackers and two cups of coffee on the trip for her laptop. Eli’s mug was steaming away on the nightstand. Hers was half gone, its handle in one hand while she typed with the other.
“Intense, yes. Amazing, absolutely. Invigorating, not quite. All I want to do is nap.” He reached over and cupped her thigh with one hand, his eyes sliding shut. She liked how comfortable this was. How their worlds had intersected, finding a happy medium they both could live with.
Who knew sex was such a great equalizer?
“You should.”
“Can’t,” he answered. “Shit to do.”
“I hear you. That’s why I gave my assistant a promotion.”
His eyes opened. “Oh yeah?”
“Oh, yeah. Chloe and I discussed a partnership, but we agreed her taking on the role of senior manager was a better fit. Now we have to hire a new assistant for the office.” She pursed her lips as she thought. “Maybe more than one. With two people running the office, there’s bound to be twice the workload.”
“Yeah.” Eli’s eyebrows dipped. “So…” His intake of breath stalled his words.
“So…,” she prompted.
“I was considering something similar with Refurbs. Hiring someone to run it.”
“But?” She could hear his doubt.
“But it’s not easy to give up control.”
“No, but it’s smart. A team can do tenfold what you can do alone. You know this.” She nudged him. “Crane Hotels couldn’t be what it is without thousands of staff members and a board of directors.”
He grunted. For whatever reason, none of the Cranes were fans of the board. Eli had told her that much, but hadn’t expounded.
“Without a staff, you’re weighed down by the little things. If you found someone, or a few someones, to run the charity—handle the e-mail, flyers, website, scheduling—then you could be free of the duties weighing you down.”
He watched her, not saying no, which was as good as a yes from him.
“I can make a few calls. I know a lot of very capable people. Then you could be involved but only do what you want to do.” She sipped her coffee. “That sounds like you, don’t you think?”
He rolled his eyes when she grinned in triumph.
“What would you do instead?” she asked, because she wondered if he was considering the Crane Hotels COO position. He really would be so great at it. Eli was sharp, swift, and didn’t take shit from anyone. His natural air of mystery and intrigue would go a long way for him. And his family would be thrilled.
“Hmm. What would I do instead of work?” He stroked his chin, pretending to consider. “Lie in bed and watch TV? Start a harem?”
“A harem!” she barked. He chuckled, obviously kidding, but when she pictured him with another woman in bed, her hackles shot straight up. She cleared her throat and went back to typing. “Not that it makes any difference to me.”
“Hey.” It was a gentle call for her attention. “Do you see any women hanging around waiting to join us?” He moved his palm from thigh to her ass and gave her a light squeeze.
“No,” she mumbled. But she wondered if there was ever a woman hanging around. If he’d been in love before. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask, but she swallowed the question. She wasn’t scared to ask. She was scared of his answer.
Isa didn’t know what they had, or what they would have, but she was fairly certain now was the wrong time to dig into his romantic past—if he had one. They hadn’t established any boundaries, but she was happy. Happy to work with him, happy he trusted her, and happy they shared the enjoyment of getting naked together.
Really happy about that.
Eli stretched out on his back, both hands behind his head. “It would be nice to let go of the particulars in Refurbs.”
She admired the way his long eyelashes shadowed his cheeks.
“But it’d have to be the perfect candidate. I can’t let this go to just anyone. It’s too important.”
“Believe me, I understand putting your passion to work.”
His eyes closed. “Maybe you could ask around for me.”
“No problem.” She leaned over him to set her coffee on the nightstand, opened her e-mail, and started drafting a request. Until they found an assistant, Chloe was pulling double duty.
“Not now.” He opened his eyes.
“Why not?”
“Because we have other things to do.”
“Like what?”
He answered by setting her laptop on the nightstand next to their coffee mugs. Then he pulled her down next to him and tucked her against his side.
“Like sleeping.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Or”—he stroked his fingers over her arm—“resting.”
“Resting?”
“You’ve heard of it, right?” he asked, his voice heavy with impending sleep. “It’s when you lie still and listen as your heart rate slows.”
Isa rested her head on Eli’s chest, taking a deep breath and listening as his heart rate did just that. And then she listened as his breathing shifted into a contented snore. He was three things she’d never imagined he’d be: warm, snuggly, and in this moment, all hers.
* * *
Eli woke from his nap refreshed, but alone.
Wearing nothing but a pair of boxers, he walked out of his bedroom to find Isa dressed, her hair tied into a ponytail at the back of her head. She glanced up, then took an even longer gander, her eyes wandering down his form as a cat-got-the-cream smile stole her mouth.
She made him feel capable. He liked that. It’d been a while since he’d felt like a hero, arguably wasn’t feeling quite that way now, but this was a step in the right direction.
“You’re terrible at resting.” He lowered his face to hers and she tipped her chin to place a kiss on his lips.
That move, he liked a hell of a lot.
The way her eyes fluttered closed, the way her hair swung behind her when she lifted her mouth to his. The way she was here, in his space. He didn’t think he liked anyone in his space, but like everything else he’d experienced with her, Isa was the exception.
“While you were sleeping, I found two candidates perfect for running Refurbs,” she said. “They have past charity experience and one of them is a personal friend of mine. I put together a sort of fact sheet on each of them.” She clicked a button and the printer purred to life in his office and started spitting sheets.
“You like lists,” he observed, his eyes wandering over her open planner and notebook filled with to-dos. Nearly every item had a line through it.
“I do. Nothing gets done unless I write it down first.”
“Have you always been like that?” He eased into the chair next to her, genuinely curious. About what she preferred, what she liked. What made her tick.
She watched him for a second before lifting her shoulder into a cute shrug. “I…yeah. I have. Organized. Neat. Ready to help.”
“But it didn’t sit well with your parents when you didn’t want to run their empire,” he said, grateful his parents hadn’t been that way. Reese was always the one. He knew it, Mom and Dad knew it, and Tag and Eli had aspirations separate from running a corporation.
“I wanted to pave my own way.” She dropped her chin on her fist. “What about you? What is it about Crane Hotels that makes you run and hide?”
“I’m not hiding.” He felt the jerk in his shoulders when he pulled them back, ready to argue. He’d do anything for his family…like stay out of the way when he couldn’t add value. “I’ve been busy.”
“Not anymore.” She pointed at her computer screen. “You can do Crane work once we have Refurbs handed off to a responsible manager. Then you can park in a big, plush office and get an assistant who answers your ringing phone.”
“I have an office.” He grabbed the back of Isa’s chair and yanked her closer. “I have an assistant.”
Another kiss left them both breathless.
“You smell good, Sable.”
“So do you.”
They shared a moment of silent appreciation, one that he ended with another kiss he couldn’t resist stealing.
“I don’t expect you to stay forever,” he told her, suspecting her mind went down that same path.
“No?”
“No. Stay until I wrap up Refurbs. Finish my unfinished business.” His thoughts jetted to Benji’s widow. Michelle was unfinished business, and until he’d checked her off his mental to-do list, he wasn’t willing to let Isa go. Her being here in any capacity gave him the strength and courage to do what needed to be done.
What an odd realization. But nonetheless true. Isa made him better in every way.
“Is that a demand?” Isa raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t hear a question mark at the end of that statement.”
He released her chair and sat back in his. “Not a demand.”
It wasn’t fair to keep her longer than she preferred. God knew he wasn’t one to sink his hooks into anyone. As a man who’d made most of his life about fighting for freedom, he would never restrict Isa from spreading her wings.
“A request,” he said.
“In that case, I’m glad to stay.” She fiddled with her ink pen and avoided his eyes. “And if you need me to help with your transition to COO, I’ll stay a little longer.”
“You’d do that?” He hadn’t meant to ask, but her offering to stay when he knew she had more to do than answer to his whims was humbling.
“Of course.” Whiskey-brown eyes hit his and held, as if there was no question she’d continue showing up simply because he wanted her to be here.
He liked how she was willing to stay. With him. To see things through. He wondered how long it would last as much as he wondered why he wanted it to so badly. He’d long lived a temporary lifestyle where relationships were concerned.
His ex had lived with him, but his commitment hadn’t extended further than companionship. With Isa, he felt the low hum of possibility in the center of his chest. That hum enthralled him.
And Eli Crane wasn’t easily enthralled.
“Whatever you think is best.” He stood up from the chair and kissed the top of her head and swaggered toward his bedroom—How about that? A swagger—to grab a shower and dress for dinner.
He paused in the hall and turned back to Isa, who was jotting something else into her open planner.
“Sable.”
She blinked up at him.
“Do you have plans for dinner?”