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“Neither,” she said with a wink. “If you want free water, the restroom taps are your best bet.”
My jaw dropped, and Bash grinned. “She’s kidding. Still is fine. I’ll also take a limeade. Rowe, would you like wine or a cocktail?”
I glanced at the drinks menu and tried not to choke at the prices listed. “No, thank you.”
“He’ll try the rum punch,” Bash said, raising that devastating eyebrow and daring me to contradict him. “Thanks.”
Once she’d left, he met my eyes. “Lunch is on me. I should have said that before.”
I felt a hot flush of embarrassment and stared out the window at the shoppers strolling by. “I hope so,” I grumbled, “or else I’ll be washing dishes in the back room after this.”
He reached across the small table to grab my hand. “I’m sorry you feel uncomfortable. I should have thought about it before I suggested this place. I thought you’d like it.”
“I did. Ido. I like it so much, Bash, and I love that you picked it. I just…” I swallowed my pride and tried to set my nerves aside. “Last Monday night, I went on the website for the Malachite and nearly had a heart attack when I realized how much I have to pay you back for my half of the night we spent there. And the stuff for the house is one thing, since that’s yours, but this lunch… I don’t want you spending money on me, Bash.” I chanced a saucy grin. “Sterling Chase is a sure thing. You don’t need to wine and dine me. Okay?”
“But I like it,” he said slowly. “I like seeing you smile. Giving you new experiences. And there’s no way you’re paying me back for the hotel when that was my idea.”
“It’s easy to say that when you have money. Not being able to pay my way makes me feel…” Inadequate. Useless. Like a freeloader. “Like a turtle in the wrong shell. You live in a very different world than I do.”
Bash pulled my hand up to kiss my knuckles. “I like your shell. I want you to wear whatever shell you want and know that you are a one-of-a-kind turtle.”
While his words warmed me, I had to doubt them. “You’ve known me for a week. I don’t want you to look back and think I’m using you—” I broke off at his intense gaze.
“It’s been twelve days,” he corrected. “But you bring up a really good point. For twelve days, you’ve made me laugh more than anyone I’ve ever met, you’ve given me better advice than any corporate coach ever could, and you spent hours working to correct a problem thatmycompany—a company I’m on the board of directors of—caused when their employee attempted to defraud you of your life’s dream. We need to figure out how I’m going to repay you for all of that.”
“What?” I demanded, affronted. “I would never want repayment—” I caught myself and sighed. “Which is your point,” I grumbled.
“Yup. Rowe, I told you—there’s nothing I like better than seeing you smile, whether we’re watching polo, or sitting on the couch, or eating overpriced paninis. Being with you isn’t something I could possibly put a value on. You use your talents to help people all the time, and you give that gift freely. Money happens to be one of the things I have to give, and choosing to share it doesn’t have to create entitlement or negative feelings.Youwere the person who helped me realize that. So, I don’t want to dismiss your feelings about this, but I’d really like you to try to understand mine. Okay?”
What the hell was I supposed to say to something that heartfelt except… “I’ll try.” And then, because I didn’t know how long this moment of bravery and maturity would last, I found myself blurting out the hard questions. “Then what? What happens after Monday, after the board meeting where you confront Austin with the evidence of his fraud? What happens to… to me? What happens to Project Daisy Chain?”
Bash leaned closer and cupped the side of my face. His touch was so affectionate and gentle I closed my eyes to savor it. “Anything you want.”
We were interrupted by the server delivering our drinks. I hid my goofy adoration for Bash behind the Mason jar of sweet punch topped by a stack of fresh fruit and a floppy flower of some kind.
“Motherfucker,” I groaned after taking the first sip. “I would sell that antique throw blanket for another one of these if I had to.”
“But you don’t have to. Because you know that I’ll buy you as many as you want, just for the pleasure of watching you enjoy them.” Bash leaned in to kiss the sweetness from my lips. I tasted the lime and vodka on his and thought for a split second that I’d never been in a more perfect moment than this.
And then it got even better.
Bash said, “Of course, Sterling Chase would be honored to continue bringing your concept to market, if you’d trust us to. I would make sure you got the best possible terms.”
I gaped at him, unable to say a word.
“Before you tell me to fuck off,” Bash said quickly, “hear me out—”
What?“Why would I tell you to fuck off?”
“Because Sterling Chase was the company that defrauded—”
I clamped a hand over his mouth. “We’ve already established that wasn’t on you or the rest of the board. As long as anyone involved in the fraud isn’t part of the project moving forward—”
“Fuck no,” he muttered against my palm before pulling my hand away. “I will get to the bottom of this and root out everyone who was involved. I promise.”
I took a deep breath and felt the stress of all the years of pursuing my dream begin to chip off of my shoulders and fall away. “And you wouldn’t be doing it because you felt like you had to?”
Bash set down both of our drinks and took my hands in his. “Austin brought the idea to Sterling Chase because it’s a winner, Rowe. I knew it the first moment I heard about it. This idea is going to save lives and help optimize emergency services. You know that’s a mission near and dear to my heart. I’d be thrilled to be a part of bringing it to fruition.”
