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Carlton nods.
“Yeah, but that’s often how work is. Many of my presentations are also prepared by subordinates. I just deliver them.”
I flush.
“I know,” I mutter looking down. “But you think she would do more than just read over the final project, right? But she didn’t. Literally, me and the intern did everything.”
The handsome man nods. “No, I get it,” he begins slowly. “How about this?” he continues. “I won’t say anything about the project, but knowing that you put all of that impressive work together… how about I make sure that you get some substantive responsibilities from here on out? And you’ll work under me, and not Miss Prince.”
I stare at Carlton, unsure what to make of this kind gesture and feeling immediately grateful for his support.
You’re not supposed to fall for him, I remind myself sharply. He’s basically your boss now! But my heart jumps, and to my chagrin, tears come to my eyes because I’m so happy.
“Yes, that would be wonderful. Thank you,” I murmur.
“You’re welcome, sweetheart. Just do good work,” Carlton says easily, taking my hand in his, “and we’ll make a good team.”
I smile again as I take a sip of my wine, blinking hard and feeling conflicted once more. After all, our time together is becoming more and more complicated, and now that he’s my knight in shining armor, I’m even less sure how I’m supposed to keep myself from falling in love with Carlton James.
10
Ramona
For the rest of our evening together on the yacht, I focus on learning about Carlton instead of trying to dissect my emotions. After all, it just seems like a waste to get lost in my head on this stupid revenge scheme. Hell, looking at the handsome man sitting across from me, I find myself again wondering how someone so powerful and attractive and smart could be the same boy I used to play freeze tag with.
I shake my head at the childhood memory.
“What’s so funny?” Carlton rubs his big hand along my arm. I shiver at the sensation, loving how his palm feels against my bare skin.
“I was thinking about how when we were kids, I’d get into so much trouble,” I confess.
“Yes, because you always found a way to get caught,” Carlton corrects me with a hearty chuckle. I make a face.
“Ugh, it’s true. To this day, I still don’t know how my mom always knew when I messed up.” I lean a little closer to the gorgeous billionaire, resting my head on his shoulder. “How come you never got caught?” I ask him accusingly.
Carlton laughs, his body shaking with the movement. “It was my killer good looks. Plus, I somehow managed to sweet talk my way out of pretty much every situation.”
“Teach me your ways!” I tease him, enjoying reminiscing about the past together. He chuckles and squeezes my hand tighter.
“You know, one time the guys and I got caught drinking cheap beer behind the school bleachers. My dad found us, and I thought I was toast. But it turns out that horrible hangovers were punishment enough, and I haven’t touched that stuff since. After that, it was only the expensive stuff for me, instead of the tall boys from the gas station fridge.” Carlton smiles at the memory, shaking his head over the youthful indiscretion.
“Wow, you are lucky,” I say with my own giggle. “What about your parents? Did you guys stay in Portnoy after we moved?”
Carlton nods. “We did. And my mom and dad are still living in the same house to this day. I keep trying to convince them to let me buy them a place in the city, but they always insist that they’re happy in the burbs.”
“That’s nice that you would want them closer,” I offer, letting my fingers trace Carlton’s arm. “I miss my parents because they’re so far sometimes.”
Carlton looks thoughtful, as if debating whether to share something with me. I don’t push him, but continue to enjoy our time together, loving how my heart skips ever so slightly whenever I touch him.
Finally, he speaks.
“It wasn’t exactly easy with my parents for a while to be honest,” he states. “I decided that I wasn’t going to go to college, and that threw them for a loop.”
I look at Carlton, processing this detail with a mix of surprise and admiration. “I didn’t know that. That wasn’t in your bio.”
He chuckles, obviously at ease with the facts. “Yeah, and it’s easy to overlook because my bio’s pretty short, but actually it’s because my education stopped after high school. College just wasn’t in the works for me. Instead, I started investing in real estate. I had a knack for it, and eventually, my parents realized that, too.”
I gesture around the boat dramatically. “Yeah, I’d hope they realized it by now!” I tease him.
Carlton laughs deeply, the sound echoing across the water. “It took them a while to accept my path, but everything fell in place eventually. Dissidence grew exponentially after its first year, and so here we are.” His blue eyes gleam at me over the rim of his wine glass, and I blush profusely at the intensity of his gaze. “By the way, I’m excited to work with your firm,” he adds.
