Page 25 of The Billionaire Invitation

She would be seeing him again anyway, because she had more questions about the nonprofit. And if they were going to be seeing each other, they might as well see each and every inch of each other while enjoying life to the fullest.

It was the least she deserved after the hectic year she’d had. And as much of a gift as this was to her, she understood that this was a gift for him too.

The feeling being mutual made this arrangement easier to accept. They could indulge and then walk away.

No regrets.

No shame.

And definitely no falling in love.

CHAPTER TEN

The moment the bottom of Honesty’s purse touched the surface of her desk, Gabby appeared like a genie from a bottle.

“How did it go?” she asked, her eyes wide with excitement. “I’ve been dying to know. This was the longest luncheon of my life, and I wasn’t even there. I could have gone incognito. I could have sat adjacent to the table and sipped an iced tea. I would have been as quiet as a mouse.”

The enthusiasm would have been contagious if Honesty wasn’t so exhausted. She gave her friend a tired smile. “Are you capable of being that quiet?”

“I don’t think so.” Gabby grinned, owning it.

Not only had Honesty spent the majority of last night awake and sans clothing with Dante, but also, Beatrice Banks had pushed their appointment forward.

“Beatrice decided that 9:30 would work better, so I was awake earlier than I wanted to be.”

“Two hours early!” Gabby exclaimed.

“Yep.” Instead of sleeping in this morning—which Honesty had desperately needed—she’d forced herself out of bed and had practiced her pitch while applying her makeup. She’d barely made it to the restaurant on time. “I arrived at 9:31 and Beatrice was seated and waiting for me.”

“Eep!” Gabby angled for the coffee maker. “Let me make a fresh pot. You’re going to need it.”

By the time a hot cup of coffee was delivered to her desk, Honesty was sorting through her email.

“Why are there approximately two million emails in my inbox?” Her shoulders slumped even as she lifted the steaming mug to her lips. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I should have started with the coffee.”

“No, I appreciate your excitement.” Honesty squeezed her friend’s arm gently.

“So, the emails. You are the talk of the town, toots. It’s time to accept it. Those photos of you and Hottie Crane have drawn a lot of attention to our little company.”

Honesty groaned at the edge of her mug. Her company used to be little, and right about now she was nostalgic for those days. She loved that Gabby was so Three Musketeers about Honest Nutrition. It was nice to have an employee and a friend who cared as much as she did. “Please never leave me.”

“Oh, honey. I would never. This is exciting! You’re just over-stimulated at the moment.”

That was the truth. With her head full of nonprofit factoids, and a new physical relationship with an old boyfriend, Honesty was definitely over-stimulated. The idea for the nonprofit was a good one before she had realized exactly what went into it.

“Okay, let’s hear it.” Gabby lowered into a chair across from Honesty’s desk. “How badly did it go with Beatrice, and can we salvage it?”

Honesty fished an envelope out of her purse and handed it to Gabby.

Gabby’s mouth dropped open as she held the envelope. “Oh my God! She gave us money. She gave you money. This is the best news ever!”

“Open it.”

Gabby opened the envelope and extracted a folded sheet of paper. She read quietly, her lips moving while she did. “She didn’t give you money.”

“Not yet.”