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“Oh, God, Graham …” She sounds torn.
I feel hopeful. And decide to quit while I’m ahead.
“Let’s have this conversation face-to-face. We’re both tired. I’ll meet you later and we’ll have lunch. I don’t want to force you to do anything. I just hope that I can convince you to choose me. I want to get to know you again. And I want you to get to know me, too. Not the man you’ve been reading about online. But me.” My voice is gentle.
I can hear her brain working while I wait for her to respond.
“Okay. But let’s just hang out. No flirting. No touching. Let’s just talk,” she says in a warning tone.
“Well, God knows that’s your specialty. I have yet to meet a more talented talker.”
“I do not talk a lot,” she grumbles.
“Sunshine,” I call softly.
“Yeah?” she yawns.
“I’ve missed your voice,” I confess.
“Same goes.” She whispers those words right before she hangs up. But they resound in my head like the crack of the race keeper’s gun signaling that it’s time to start the race of my life.
Only in New York City would a museum’s entrance be a plain glass shop front window. On the outside, it’s indistinguishable from the thrift store next door. But when I step into The Sun and The Star, I chide myself for breaking one of my very own cardinal rules—never judge a book by its cover. I stepped in to a gleaming, Ivory marble tiled lobby and stare at the gigantic winding staircase made of chrome and glass. The steps were covered in a rainbow swirled carpet that made it look almost homey.
I was a little early and don’t see Apollo in the lobby, so I wander into the gift store and nose around. When I’d looked it up on my way here, I read that it’s focused on art from the Himalayan region and India. I’ve always wanted to travel there. I wonder if Apollo’s been. I wonder what I’ve missed while I was busy avoiding my life.
I’m toying with a black tea, when I feel a finger tap my shoulder.
I turn around and look down into Apollo’s lovely, smiling face.
“This is amazing,” I tell her.
“Thank you.” Her eyes make a proud sweep around the room.
She smiles and gives me an appraising look. “You don’t look half bad for someone who’s been awake since 3:30 this morning.”
“Oh, that’s because I went back to sleep. Don’t you know who I am? I don’t roll out of bed until noon.” I wink and pop the collar of my shirt.
She blushes and it’s fucking pretty.
“I’m sorry about that. God, that was so rude of me.” She presses a hand to her forehead in dismay. “It’s not an excuse, but I was tired and anxious. I mean, I didn’t expect you to get the text right away, but I know you don’t sleep until noon.” She looks up at me through her lashes and smiles hesitantly. “And I’m babbling.”
“I don’t mind. I’ve got all day,” I tell her.
“So do I, actually. I don’t have any more meetings and when I couldn’t go back to sleep, I went to the gallery and got most of my work done before the sun came up. So, I’m calling it quits for the day.”
“Are you saying you’ll spend the day with me?” I raise a teasing eyebrow and she grins.
“I’m saying, I can.” She sets her mouth in a stern frown. “If you can refrain from being your naturally nosy, annoying self during lunch, I’ll consider it.”
“Nosy and annoying? Me? Since when have you started projecting your faults onto other people?”
She jabs me in the ribs and says, “We haven’t even gotten to the restaurant and I’m already feeling like I’m going to suddenly realize I have an appointment right after lunch.”
“Oof,” I grab my chest and stumble. “You wound me. I’m going to be on best behavior. I prom—you’ll see,” I say with a wink.
“I’ll see,” she says imperiously and heads out of the store without another word. I stand and admire her back for a few minutes. That long ponytail swings like it can read my mind and is daring me to reach out and wrap it around my fist.
Her jacket falls as if it knows I’d need to be able to see her ass. It’s fucking amazing. Me and the guys call those kinds of asses onions. They make you cry just looking at ‘em. Her thighs and legs look incredible in her hip hugging black pencil skirt and black tights that have a sexy ass seam running up the back of her calves. And her black high heeled booties were made to dig into my ass while I’m fucking her.
