Page 498 of Manhattan Bossholes

“Holy shit, now I’m really nervous. I thought the celebrities were bad enough.”

“I’d never put you in a position where you’ll be uncomfortable. Don’t you trust me?”

I shook my head vigorously, hiding my smile.

He huffed out a laugh. “Looks like I have some work to do, then. We’ll be on our own on Sunday morning, since most people will wake up with hangovers,” he continued. “Then there’s a quick lunch, and we’re on our way.” He squeezed my hand. “Trust me, we’re going to have a good time.”

“It’s Thursday night. When will I have a chance to shop? Maybe Steph has some stuff I can wear? And if we’re driving to the Hamptons on a Friday afternoon… Oh my God, we’ll be sitting in traffic for hours! I’m definitely bringing my Kindle to pass the time.”

“Ah yes, your porn collection.”

I reached out to smack him, but he ducked away.

“First of all, we’re taking tomorrow off to pick up some clothing for you.” I started to protest but he put his finger to my lips. “Boss’s order. And second, you don’t have to worry about the traffic.”

I frowned at him. “Are we leaving at noon to beat the rush?”

James shook his head. “That won’t give us enough time to get our shopping done. No, we’ll head out at four-ish.”

“That’s still rush hour,” I protested. “I’ve never been there but even I know how bad it gets.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll look down at the congestion and laugh,” he said, grabbing my arm and pulling me on top of him.

“Look down?”

He gave me a sexy smile. “Yes, down. From my helicopter.”

James kissed me to silence the questions I was about to ask, and little by little, with each kiss and caress, I forgot about them, until the only thing I could think about was the way he made my body feel.

16

JAMES

“Love that dress,” I said as Natalie turned back and forth in front of the three-way mirror, checking out the simple black crepe dress from every angle. “It’s perfect for the cocktail party tonight.”

She turned to me, her expression dubious. “You think so? It’s not too short?” She tugged at the hem, which hit her mid-thigh. “I mean, I love it, but I don’t want to be inappropriate.”

“You can’t go wrong with Gucci,” I answered.

“You didn’t answer my question. This is a big deal, James. Is it too short or not? I don’t want to give Bernie another heart attack. Or your mom! I’m totally fine with short skirts, but this is different. This is family.”

I sighed. “With legs like yours, there’s no such thing as too short. We still need to pick up some heels to go with it.”

Natalie turned to look at herself in the mirror, tipping her head to the side. She ran her fingers down the beaded placket. “What about the sparkles? Are they too much?”

“You’re overthinking. You look stunning and you know it. All they do is reflect a little light, they’re very subtle. And wait till you see what Bernie turns up in. I’m guessing a glittery caftan with marabou trim on the sleeves.”

Natalie spun around. “She’s wearing something from our archives? That sounds like a piece from the 1970s Freedom collection.”

“Wow, you and Christopher really went deep, huh? Yes, Bernie loves showcasing archival pieces. Her private collection is museum-worthy. She has a climate-controlled room for all of them.”

Natalie’s mouth dropped open. “I would pay to see it.”

“Well, if Bernie deems you worthy, you’re in.” I grinned at her since we both already knew that my grandmother adored her. That much had been clear at Christopher’s apartment. I’d never gotten so many “this girl is a keeper” looks in my life. “Get changed, we’re on a schedule here. We still need some casual outfits.”

She started fighting with the zipper at the back of her neck, contorting herself. “Listen, I do not need $300 Gucci T-shirts. A couple of fancy party dresses, sure, I get going top of the line for that. But you don’t need to spend that much on everyday clothing. Can’t I just pick stuff out at Madewell or J. Crew?”

I walked over to her and slid the zipper down, planting a kiss between her shoulder blades. “You may.”