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Faith’s face softened. “That sounds perfect. Let me put the plates in the sink.”
I waved her off. “I’ll get it later.”
“It’s really no problem,” she started to insist before getting a good look at my face and stopping in her tracks. “Are you going to get all growly on me?”
“What do you think?”
She sank her top teeth into her bottom lip, drawing my attention. They were still the perfect shade of plum they’d been when I picked her up this morning. A shade that had me imagining all sorts of inappropriate things she could do with that mouth of hers.
“Grab your glass.”
“I’ll take that as a yes,” she said on a laugh. “Come on, Willow. Ladies first.”
My dog wagged her tail enthusiastically, trotting right next to Faith as she made her way out of the kitchen.
When we arrived in the library, Faith made herself comfortable on one of the leather sofas and Willow joined her. I set down my glass and the wine bottle and got to work starting the fire.
“It’s not a push to start?” she teased.
I lifted a few pieces of wood I had stacked nearby. “Those are fine, but they lack the scent and the warmth of a log-burning fire.”
“Push to start fireplaces do provide ambiance though. And they look pretty.”
“I’d rather something be useful than pretty.”
She hummed.
I tossed a starter log on top of the pile and got out the lighter, coaxing the fire to life.
Faith sighed, and the sound sent a thrill of excitement right to my cock. “So tell me more about this business deal you need help with.”
I sat down on the leather armchair across from Faith. “I don’t need help with the deal.”
She rolled her eyes at me. “Semantics. You need help with the schmoozing; I’m great at schmoozing. That’s the whole reason I agreed to even come out here. You help me, I help you. You just have to let me help you.”
And therein lay the problem because I did need her for this. She’d be perfect. Harrison Barnes lived for human interaction. Required it before doing any deals. At this point in my career, most of my clients were personally referred to me. They gave me a rundown of their needs, signed a contract, and I got to work. Efficient. Just the way I wanted it to be. You don’t go into computer engineering and cyber security because you like talking to people.
On rare occasions, I had to put in more effort to clinch a client. Harrison fell into that category.
I drank deeply from my glass. “This is completely confidential,” I told her. Usually I’d have someone sign an NDA before sharing this level of information, but I trusted Faith. She’d grown up among the wealthy and elite. She knew all about discretion.
Faith tucked her legs to the side. “I know how it works.”
I nodded. “I believe I told you my potential client is named Harrison Barnes?”
Her face lit up in recognition. “Yes, of course, I remember. I’ve met him once or twice too. I really like him, and he didn't hit on me, which is a plus.”
Yes, because if he hit on you, there'd be hell to pay. The idea of any man, especially an older man, wielding his wealth to hit on younger, vulnerable people made me absolutely irate.
“You know how he’s the biggest owner of casinos in Europe? He’s looking to expand his empire and wants to overhaul his security. Apparently, there have been some attempts at hacking his system and he’s exploring his options. He also wants in on the latest surveillance app that I'm demoing.”
“I'm confused. You’re the best. What’s there to discuss?”
My chest practically puffed with pride. I wasn’t sure how much Dominic had told his sister about my company, but she’d been around enough to pick up things here and there.
“Apparently he’s an eclectic guy. Likes to make deals with people who have good energy.” I shook my head. “No, that’s not the word his assistant used. What was it?” I racked my brain trying to remember.
“Aura?” Faith guessed.
