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I wasn’t going to budge. “I admire your talent and I want to hire you.”
“I’m flattered but...I don’t know...what if you end up hating what I write?”
“Then I’ll fire you and hire someone else,” I said with a shrug.
She barked a laugh. “It’s that easy, huh? Just throwing money around?”
“Pretty much.”
Her gaze narrowed. “Let’s just say for a nanosecond that I was considering your offer...what would working for you entail and what would the compensation be?”
“I would offer a lump sum for your services.”
“And those services would be...”
“Ghostwriting my autobiography.”
“And that’s it?”
I gave her a stern look. “I would require your full attention. It would likely entail odd hours and numerous revisions. If I’m going to do this, I want it done a particular way.”
“And what is the point of this autobiography?” she asked, curious.
“So the world can know my journey.”
“Does the world care?”
I laughed in spite of the insult. “I’d like to think so, but either way, as long as you’re being paid, what does it matter?”
Lauren conceded my point, but she wasn’t exactly sold. God, I loved how smart she was. “I don’t know, Nico. I mean, I’m not entirely sure it’s a good idea if we work together.”
“Why not?”
A small nervous laugh escaped as she glanced at Grady’s door and said, “Well, because...you know...we kissed.”
“And?” I pretended ignorance. “I’ve kissed many people.”
Her laughter faded and she glared, lowering her voice. “Yes, I’m sure you have, which is precisely why I don’t want to join your roster.”
“I can separate business from pleasure.”
“You didn’t before.”
“That was your business, not mine,” I said quietly. “Now the shoe is on the other foot. I am hiring you for your brain, not your body.”
Her cheeks flared with heat, and she crossed her arms across her chest, lifting her chin to say, “Good, because I’m more than just a body. I do have a brain. And I like to use it.”
“That’s what I just said.”
She faltered in adorable silence. I enjoyed how I kept her out of balance. Lauren never knew what to think around me because I kept her guessing. Made the game so much more fun.
“You haven’t mentioned my flat fee,” Lauren said, ending the whispering and drawing the conversation back to finances. “I’d need to know if it’s going to be worth my time.”
I chuckled at the absurdity of her statement. “I think fifty thousand is a fair amount,” I said, taking immense joy in the way her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. I pretended to think she was offended. “Was that a lowball offer? I’m prepared to go to seventy-five, but that’s my ceiling.”
“Seventy-five thousand dollars? Are you insane?” She gasped, paling and sputtering. “Jesus, Nico. That’s ridiculous! I could never accept that kind of money for such a small project.”
“Ah, that’s where you’re wrong. It won’t be small. I want you fully compensated so I’ll feel justified in monopolizing your time. By the end of our agreement, you might feel seventy-five was a bargain.”
She swallowed, still reeling. “Are you sure? Still...seems exorbitant.”
I glanced around with open disdain. “If it means you could move out of this dump, it would be worth it,” I returned to Lauren. “Did the magazine pay so little that this was your only option?”
“New York is expensive,” Lauren said in her defense. “And I happen to like it here.”
“I hate it,” a little-boy voice floated from the recesses of the bedroom. Of course, the little imp had been listening. It’s what I would’ve done, too. Grady appeared, crossing his arms across his chest in an identical gesture of his mother’s, determined to be part of this negotiation. “One time I squished a bug when I got up to pee in the middle of the night. I’m scarred for life.”
“That was pretty gross,” Lauren admitted. “But struggle builds character.”
“I have enough character,” Grady retorted and I laughed. Grady brightened, saying, “Are you gonna be Mama’s new boss? Can we go back to your place for more sketti? Do you know how to make lasagna?”
A kid after my own heart. “Are you kidding? Lasagna is my specialty. I’m even better at lasagna than I am at spaghetti.”
Grady grinned, turning to Lauren with a plaintive expression. “Please say yes, Mama. I’m hungry.”
“It’s not fair to tag-team me,” she muttered, shooting me a murderous glance that I found sexy as hell. I was close to victory; I could nearly taste the triumph. To Grady she said, “Sweetheart, while Mr. Donato’s offer is certainly intriguing, I have to weigh the options.”
But Grady, bless his blunt heart, seemed confused. “You said we are broke. Nico is saying he’ll give you money to work for him. I don’t understand...seems an easy decision to me.”
“I agree, Grady.” I bent to agree with the boy. “But it’s ultimately up to your mom.”
“M-ommmmmm,” Grady whined, even stamping his foot a little. “You’re being obstenacious.”
“That’s not a word,” Lauren corrected him. “You’re trying to say either obstinate or ostentatious, neither of which apply. Sorry, future wordsmith. Better luck next time.”
“Actually I have to disagree with you,” I told Lauren. “I definitely feel you’re being obstinate. What good reason do you have to turn down my offer aside from your pride? Seems kinda immature when the stakes are so high.”
“I have to do what’s best for me and Grady,” Lauren started, but I wasn’t going to let her wiggle out of this one.
“And providing for yourself and your son seems a solid decision, while turning your nose up at a lucrative offer out of some misplaced pride is just shortsighted, wouldn’t you agree?”
She laughed. “I see what you’re doing. On the surface, you’re using logic to prove your point, but you and I both know that there’s more to your offer, and it’s an insult to pretend otherwise.”
The subtle twinkle in her eye gave her away; she was enjoying the game.
I smiled, slow and sure. “The ball is in your court. Do you want the job or not?”
A pregnant pause stretched between us as Lauren considered my offer. “Fine,” she finally said, but before I could crow, she tacked on, “but there’s going to be nothing but professional behavior between us, got it?”
“Of course,” I agreed with a solicitous nod that reeked of total bullshit and she knew it, but this was half the fun, this subtle undercurrent of tension that coursed between us. I couldn’t wait to put her in my bed. I rubbed my hands together, pleased with my victory and practically clicking my heels together. “Pack your bags. You and Grady are leaving this dump. Until we can find you more suitable housing, you and the boy can stay with me.”
“Yay!” Grady jumped up and down, shaking his little butt in a makeshift boogie with such spirit, his glasses nearly bounced from his nose.
“Whoa!” Lauren rushed to put the kibosh on Grady’s celebration. She looked to me as if I’d just suggested we go jump from an airplane without parachutes. “Are you insane? We can’t just move in with you.”
“Okay, I get it. It’s unorthodox but I’m about to drop a significant investment in your services. I don’t trust that this place is safe. If something happens to you, I’m out a lot of money. Think of it this way...I’m ensuring the job gets done.”
“Yeah, Mama, it’s just ecobomics,” Grady added helpfully, and I wanted to high-five him.
Lauren bit back a grin at her son’s attempt but said, “I don’t live in the ghetto, and you’re being a snob. This place is very cute, and I like it.”
/> I tried not to roll my eyes and instead turned to Grady. “How about lasagna tonight?” Grady nodded vigorously. “Then we better find a way to convince your mama to stop wasting time and get to packing.”
“I’m going with Nico!” Grady shouted, burning out of the living room to his bedroom to pack.
I smiled at Lauren. “I think working together is going to be loads of fun. Don’t you?”
“I think you might be the devil.” But her smile said the opposite.
“I might be,” I agreed, then gestured before checking my watch. “Go pack. The car will be here shortly, and if I’m going to start the pasta, I need to get going quickly.”
She shook her head, snickering. I could tell she thought I was biting off more than I could chew. Maybe I was—I’d never lived with a single mom and her kid, but I was eager to give it a shot. Seriously, I hadn’t looked forward to anything this much since...hell, I couldn’t even remember.
Lauren walked backward slowly, pinning me with her gaze, saying, “You’re going to regret this,” but I got the impression that was the part she was looking forward to, and that turned me on like you wouldn’t believe.
I fully planned to have Lauren eating out of my hand, sucking my cock and falling in love with me before she even realized how it’d happened.
