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So that’s what I want to celebrate on his birthday—the faether
“I can’t pull it off without your help,” I tell Rachel
“I’m not sure you can pull it off with my help,” she counters “His birthday is next Friday In case you hadn’t noticed, it’s Thursday That gives us just a little over a week to plan That’s hardly any time at all”
“No, this is good Less ti”
“I guess”
“It’ll work,” I say firmly, as much to convince her as myself “But I need you to keep his calendar clear and help istics”
She scrunches up her nose “I’ll do whatever you need, but honestly, Nikki, coe to pull it off”
“Pull what off?” The surprising sound of Dae as I etic eyes before I quickly turn around to face my husband
He’s just a few feet away, his overnight bag slung over his shoulder He’s dressed in jeans and a short-sleeved linen button down It’s a si I want to reach out and touch hi et lost with him—and I can’t help but wonder if there will ever be a tier have such a deep, sensual, visceral reaction to nothing ht of him
Mentally, I shake myself, then hurry tow
ard hiht you were still in the apartment” I slide my arms around his waist “Is your car here already?”
“It is,” he says, nodding at Rachel “Tell Edward I’ll be right down”
“Of course, Mr Stark”
“I just want to hear what o” The corner of his mouth twitches as he speaks, and I narrow ht I’d distracted him And, of course, he hadn’t been distracted at all
“I was trying to convince Rachel to secretly reschedule your cocktails with Noah tomorrow for next week so that I could show up at the airport in your li of dinner and debauchery” I lift a shoulder and give him a seductive smile “But there’s no point now that you know about it”
“And I told her she’d never pull it off anyway,” Rachel adds “Because first of all, if I rescheduled Noah, you ht fireyou takes aright there, then looks at me “I rest my case”
I sigh heavily “Well, it was a worth a shot” I point a finger at Da drinks with Noah what you could have been doing instead” I pressand hard and so deep, I feel it all the way down to my toes
When I pull away, I’ professional in front of Rachel, I see the banked heat in his eyes and the restraint in his body He’s like a spring—and right now he’s held together by a single tight wire Let it go, though, and he’ll have ainst a wall and naked before I even have time to take a breath
The thought makes me shiver—and makes me anticipate his return home all the more
“Until tohts
“I’ll be waiting,” I say, then watch as Rachel hands him an itinerary He tucks it his briefcase, kisses me once more, then heads toward his private elevator