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Nadia sipped her drink. “I guess we should get business out of the way. Then we can handle other matters.”
Christ. He needed to get out of this business.
***
Kiera got home from work around midnight. Tired, she took a shower and slipped into her favorite extra-long t-shirt. The moment her head hit the pillow, rather than fall asleep, though, she stared wide-eyed at the ceiling. Her bed felt too big and empty. Sleeping with Gray for three nights had spoiled her. She’d gotten used to waking up and finding his arm around her.
She moved onto her side and hugged a pillow. Did he find falling asleep as difficult tonight? California was three hours behind them. She doubted he’d gone to bed yet.
Kiera picked up her phone. His number rang several times, and she was expecting to get his voicemail, but Gray picked up.
“Hi, love.”
“Gray, I didn’t wake you did I?”
“No. Did you just get home?”
She heard music in the background. “I’ve been home for over an hour. I couldn’t sleep. Are you out?”
“Needed dinner and didn’t feel like room service.”
That explained the loud music. “I’ll let you eat then. I love you.”
“I love you too, Kiera. I’ll call you tomorrow afternoon before you go into work.”
His words sent a tingle down her spine.
After she hung up, Kiera closed her eyes. Tomorrow the firing squad, also known as her two closest friends, was coming by. She’d answered their messages on break this evening with some quick answers, but those would only last until tomorrow. They would require full, long, drawn-out answers that were going to require a lot of energy and some patience.
For a good solid hour, she tossed and turned. She tried sleeping on the other side of the bed. She pulled on more blankets, then kicked them off. Nothing helped. As a last resort, she pulled out her e-reader and tried reading the same novel she’d been trying to read for the last six months. So far, she’d only made it to chapter seven. In her opinion, it was the most boring book she’d ever encountered. Joanna kept reassuring her it got better. That she just had to get past the beginning. Every time she tried, she either fell asleep or simply gave up. This morning she hoped for the first.
Kiera finished half of chapter seven but was still wide-awake. Giving up, she kicked off the tangled mess of blankets, and went downstairs. If she couldn’t sleep, she’d experiment for a while in the kitchen. That would kill some time and produce something tasty for lunch. Kiera switched on her favorite jazz playlist and then searched the refrigerator for ingredients.
Gray dropped his phone into his pocket. “I’ll have another scotch and an Appletini, please.”
He shouldn’t have answered the phone. If it had gone to voicemail, Kiera would have assumed he was asleep. Like an idiot, though, he’d answered the phone.
When he left Boston, he’d told Kiera he had business out here, which was one hundred percent true. She’d expect him to conduct all his business in an office. If he explained he met a business associate at a party, she’d have a reaction similar to his cousin, especially if she learned who the business associate was. Once before, she’d asked him about Nadia and their relationship.
Once everything settled down, he’d tell Randall to find someone else to work with Nadia if and when the need arose. Already, he pictured Randall giving him hell about his decision, but he didn’t care. He couldn’t work with Nadia and keep up the ruse that there was something between them. He’d endured it a few hours so far and already the guilt ate at him.
“Your cousin stopped by to say goodnight,” Nadia said when he returned.
It was early to leave a party, but Sara had always preferred more subdued events.
“What did you get me this time?” Nadia took a sip. “What is it? I like it.”
“An Appletini. My sister loves them.”
Nadia took another sip. “I guess we should get back to business.”
“That is why we are here.”
Nadia sighed and started talking again.
An hour later, Gray walked Nadia to her limo while managing to elude her groping hands. She tried convincing him to take her back to his hotel room, insisting that no one would ever know. He reminded her again why they couldn’t get involved for real, although he doubted she’d remember in the morning. She’d been more than a little tipsy when he helped her into her limo.
Once he saw her safely on her way, he had his own car brought around and left. Later, he’d give Randall a call and set up a meet to pass along the intel. He considered calling him now and waking the guy up. How many times over the past few months had he interrupted Gray at the worst possible times? More than he could count. But he decided against it. He was both tired and in a foul mood, not a good combination when talking to his boss. Waiting until he got a few hours sleep and a decent breakfast was a better plan. After that, he’d fly back home and stop in the office for a few days.
