“Okay.”
“Okay?”
“I’ll have you send him an email extending my interest. If he’s interested, we’ll fly out there and we can discuss everything in greater detail.” Nathan told me, and before I could think about what I was doing, I threw myself into his arms and wrapped my arms around his neck.
“That’s amazing!” I squealed.
“If this is how you’re going to react every time we sign a new artist, I’ll fire my A&R team.” Nathan said and it was only then that I realized I was practically laying on top of my boss, with the hem of my dress hiked up to a near dangerous ass-showing level.
A wave of embarrassment washed over me, burning my cheeks as I pushed myself upright into a sitting position. “Sorry. That wasn’t very professional of me.”
“You don’t hear me complaining, do you?”
No. I don’t.
My face grew hotter, forcing me to look away. If I stared a second longer into those baby blue eyes, I was sure I would combust.
We’d gotten pretty comfortable during the last few hours. My heels came off and were discarded across the carpet, and Nathan pushed up the sleeves of his shirt past his elbow.
I felt oddly at ease with him in my home.
“We should celebrate.” I announced.
“Celebrate?”
“Yeah,” I stood up from the couch. “We just found your next superstar, not to mention I didn’t strangle you even though you disrupted my date.”
It looked like Nathan was fighting off a smile as he came to stand at the island in the kitchen. “I see. So is this a white wine or red wine kind of celebration?”
“Neither,” I grinned at the confused look on Nathan’s face. “Cookies N Cream.” I pulled out the tub of my favorite ice cream and dolled out two spoons, handing one of them to my still very confused boss. “I was saving this depending on how my date went, but this seems like a better reason. I’ll even let you have the first scoop.”
“I’m honored.” Nathan lifted the lid off and placed it on the counter before he dipped his spoon in the creamy vanilla goodness, scooping a generous amount, only for him to pause, staring at the ice cream as if it held the answers to Earth’s greatest mysteries.
Maybe he was worried about messing up his abs. Not that I’ve ever seen Nathan shirtless before, but I was sure the image was glorious.
Just when I think I made a mistake granting him the first scoop, Nathan placed the spoon in his mouth, licking the spoon clean before he pushed the tub to me, allowing me to have the next spoon.
“So, Bailey. How did that happen?” Nathan wondered.
“My friend,” I blushed. “She wants to help me get back into the dating pool after my last relationship.” It was the truth. I just wasn’t going to tell him that she was calling this plan of hers Project GEL (Get Elise Laid).
“I see. And are you ready for that?”
“I guess. I mean yes. I am.” A pause. “I miss coming home from work and cuddling with my person while telling them about my day, or that feeling you get when you see their name pop up on your phone.” My eyes widened when I realized I just said all that out loud. I wish I could blame my word vomit on being tipsy but nope. I’m one hundred percent sober.
Needing something to prevent me from saying something else embarrassing, I scooped a large amount of ice cream into my mouth.
Chocolate. Cream. Vanilla. Sugar.
The flavors were perfect, and before I could stop myself, a soft, involuntary moan escaped my lips.
I slowly opened my eyes, meeting Nathan’s sharp gaze. His expression was intense, his jaw tight, and there was a flicker of something dangerous and undeniably heated in his eyes.
My stomach dipped. “What?” I asked, my voice breathless.
He leaned closer, his hand resting casually on the counter, but the way his eyes stayed locked on mine made my pulse stutter. “That’s the most beautiful sound I’ve heard all day.”
The air between us thickened, every inch of my skin burning under the weight of his gaze. I swallowed hard, unsure if I wanted to run or lean into the growing tension, but before either of us could say another word, his phone buzzed on the counter. The sound broke the moment, but Nathan didn’t flinch. His gaze stayed locked on mine, unwavering, even as he reached for the phone.
