AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yeah, I get it. You shouldn’t work there then.” He says, like it’s the easiest conclusion in the world.
"Ha.” I laugh lightly as I turn my face to look at him, “Didn’t you just hear me. There aren’t many jobs in journalism that are looking to hire fresh out of school journalists. I have bills and loans to pay back. Quitting the tribune isn’t something that I can do.”
“You can.” He shrugs and looks down slightly as if he’s embarrassed. “You can come work with me.”
I stop in my tracks. Percy has to stop himself since we are still attached at the hand. “Percy, I thought we had this conversation at the house. You can’t buy me. You don’t have to.”
“I’m not trying to buy you Ella. I’m just saying I have probably the most successful news media publication company on this coast at least, you can work at Snow Chronicle with me. I’m sure I know someone who can get you in.” He smirks at me like this is a good idea.
I scoff and pull my hand away from his. He doesn’t get it. Why would he? Percy has never had to work for anything. It was all just handed to him.
“I can’t believe you’d even say something like that.” I turn to walk away from him and he grabs my arms to stop me.
“Hey, wait a minute. What did I do? I thought you’d like the idea of working with me.” His eyebrows furrow in.
“Of course, I’ve had dreams of working at Snow Chronicle.” I take a breath and try to relax myself, “but on my own merit. I want to be working there, because I’m a damn good journalist, not because I’m fucking the boss. That’s not how I want to make my way up. This goes back to me being kept Percy. I need you to understand that I’m my own person and need to make my own way. Just because you’ve already reached your pot of gold at the end of the rainbow doesn’t mean I don’t want to find mine.” I wrap my arms around his neck and step closer to him.
“You are my pot of gold.” He whispers against my lips. “Nothing will ever mean more to me than you.” He swipes his lips against mine slightly and my knees almost give out at the contact. He pulls away and we start walking again. “Ella, I’m not trying to take away your choices, but it kills me to know that I’m in a position to give you what you want and you’re more concerned about what others will think. I want you to have everything you want not because I want to hold it over your head, but because I … I care for you.” He says, even though it sounded like he wanted to say something else.
“I know you do. I care for you too. Let me be the one to ask you for help then? How’s that sound? Let me try to beat this world on my own feet before I reach for you to carry me.”
He looks over to me and gives me a short nod.
I inhale deeply and the scent of savory Italian food smacks into me. God, I’m so hungry I could eat a rhinoceros right now. “That smells so good.” I lick my lips to keep the drool from slipping out of my mouth.
“Let’s get inside.” Percy tugs my hand and we walk into a small restaurant teeming with people. There are a few couples in the small sitting area, I assume waiting to be seated. I don’t know if I can wait very long to be seated. It feels like I haven’t eaten in days. I guess I can blame that on all the physical activity that Percy has been making me do. I clench my thighs as a memory of him making me come on his face flashes in my mind.
I look up at him through my eyelashes to see him looking down at me, a cocky smirk on his mouth. He knows. I don’t know how, but it's like our bodies are connected. I run a hand up his midsection over his button down shirt and let my nails scrape a little harder than necessary. He grabs hold of my hand and presses it to his chest. I can feel a deep rumble inside.
He leans down and kisses me beside my ear before his gritty voice pushes me right back into the land of lust, “How is it that I can’t get enough of you?”
“Home.” I look up at him, I need him again. I don’t know when this need for him will stop, but I hope it never does. He grips my hand and just as we are about to turn around and walk out the hostess calls out to him.
“Mr. Snow, your table is ready.”
I startle at the sound. When did he even give her his name? Does he come here often? Questions start firing off in my mind as Percy follows behind the hostess who is taking us to our table. We pass by the main sitting area and walk into a long hallway.
“Where are we going? I thought we were going to eat?” I ask, confused as to why we weren’t seated at one of the tables.
“We are.” Percy replies just as the hostess, pushes open a door and shows us to a small private dining area with only one table inside. “I thought it best if we weren’t disturbed.” He says as he walks me over to the table and pulls out my chair so I can take a seat.
I laugh silently, oh how nice it must be to get whatever you want with the snap of your fingers. “I guess you come here often?”
He pulls his chair up to the table before he opens his menu and starts to look it over. “I own this place.”
My eyes pop open and I stare at him waiting for him to give me more information, of course he doesn’t. “Uh, hello? Earth to the billionaire. What do you mean you own it?”
He puts the menu down and looks at me like he doesn’t understand my surprise. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, owning a restaurant isn’t the most surprising thing in the world.
“I own this place and a few other restaurants around town.” He puts the menu back on the table.
“Any other places?” I ask, the reporter coming out to play even though we’d promised that none of this would be on the record.
“Yes, I own the chain of Pure Strength gyms, I also fund and staff a tutoring program here in the city that mostly focuses on literacy.”
My mouth drops open in surprise. Not sure why. All of this sounds exactly like the man I’ve come to know over the past few days. He’s amazing. And unbelievable.
“Why do you do these things? You don’t need to further your fortune. As it stands right now, even your children’s children will never want for anything.”
