AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Realizing that Samuel wasn’t going to discuss personal matters, Nash moved on to business. “I came to talk about the new bra collection. The independent survey that was sent out suggests that women find our bras uncomfortable.”
Samuel nodded. “It’s difficult to find beautiful fabrics that are comfortable and supportive. Which puts bra designers between a rock and a hard spot. Do we design comfortable, ugly bras or uncomfortable, beautiful ones? I think you can guess what most designers go with.”
“But if we want to make money, I don’t know that we have a choice. Comfort seems to be winning over fashion these days.”
Samuel cringed. “And don’t I know it. Have you seen the way young ladies dress? Sweats at the grocery store. Yoga tops and pants at restaurants. Even professional work spaces have been infiltrated with slobbery.” He shook his head. “When I first started working, there was no such thing as causal Fridays. Every day, you dressed professionally.” Nash tried not to look down at the jeans and Henley he’d tossed on that morning as Samuel continued. “And I, for one, refuse to feed into a culture where it’s okay to wear flip-flops to a night at the opera. And your uncle felt the same way. I believe our mission statement is ‘high-quality, cutting-edge lingerie for the discriminating, fashionable woman.’”
“Okay, I see where you’re coming from. And that philosophy might’ve worked twenty years ago when people weren’t so wrapped up in comfort, but I don’t think it’s going to work now, Samuel.”
“So you’re suggesting we throw out the entire collection and start over?”
Nash shook his head. “But I don’t see why we can’t sell both practical bras and fashionable ones.”
“There’s no guarantee that they will sell.”
“Unfortunately, in life, there are no guarantees,” he said. “Sometimes you just have to take a chance.”
The words he’d spoken to Samuel stayed with him for the rest of the day. They stayed with him during his lunch meeting with Grayson to discuss the models for the swimsuit catalog—Grayson still hadn’t found his perfect cover model—and his afternoon meeting with Deacon to discuss the results of the independent survey and his idea to sell comfortable, affordable bras. And the words were there at the edge of his mind when he stopped by Kelly’s desk before he left at the end of the day.
“Could you do me a favor, Kelly?” he said. “I need you to send out an invitation to the Lover’s Ball, and then I need you to call Deirdre Beaumont and tell her that I’d like the senorita costume after all.”
Since there were no guarantees in life, Nash might as well take a chance.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
You sold the apartment complex?” Eden glanced down at her cell phone that sat on her brand-new bathroom vanity. “But why?”
“Because I got an offer I couldn’t refuse.” Her landlord Mr. Pruitt’s voice came through the speaker. “And I was sick and tired of getting hassled by my tenants.”
Since Eden had called him daily with complaints, she knew what tenant he was talking about. “And not once did you return my messages. So I don’t think you were too hassled.” Eden released the hair from the curling iron poised over her head and sectioned off another strand.
“Like I said before, you need to take it up with your new landlord.”
His snotty tone had Eden bristling. “Well, a new landlord certainly explains why my apartment is finally fit to live in.” It was an understatement. Her apartment was more than fit to live in. Every day for the last week, the handymen had arrived to paint, put down new wood flooring, replace windows, and install a new shower/tub, toilet, and bathroom vanity.
“Yeah,” Mr. Pruitt said, “but did you think of what those improvements are going to cost you? Maybe I didn’t fix anything, but at least I kept your rent the same.”
Eden lowered her curling iron. She hadn’t thought of that. There was no way that she could pay a higher rent. She was eating through her savings as is. Her car had broken down and was in the shop for repairs, which meant she wouldn’t have a cent to spare until Stella hired her back. And Eden was starting to have her doubts that she could get the story finished in time. After a week of morning runs and evening chats at The Lemon Drop, she was no closer to finding that one piece of the puzzle that would complete the picture of Nash Beaumont. That one piece that would explain why he kept such a tight rein on his sexual desires. And Eden didn’t want to know as much as she needed to know. Nash hadn’t touched her again since the refrigerator sex. She would say that it had to do with the fact that they were no longer playing the roles of escort and client. But if that were true, then why did she occasionally catch a look in those violet eyes that said he wanted to rip off her clothes and take her hard and hot?
No, there was definitely another piece to the puzzle. And Eden wasn’t giving up until she found it.
“Well, thanks for nothing, Mr. Pruitt,” she said. “I can only hope that no one has to suffer through you as a landlord again.” She reached out and tapped the button to end the call, then went back to curling her hair. Since she didn’t want Stella to get too used to not seeing her in the office, she planned to do her research in the janitor’s closet today.
After finishing in the bathroom, Eden headed for the kitchen to make herself a power smoothie. She had finally gotten her stomach used to the green sludge, but she still needed to hold her nose while she drank it. She pulled open the refrigerator to get the ingredients and experienced the same hot flash she always experienced when she touched the appliance. The erotic memories left her flushed and wanting. Today was no different, and she had to stand in the cool air for a moment to get her thoughts back on track. Unfortunately, her new roommate derailed them.
“So has the panty billionaire given you another orgasm?”
The apple Eden had just grabbed slipped from her hand and rolled across the floor as she turned to Madison. She wore one of the sexy nighties Nash had sent Eden, her breasts popping out of the too-small bodice. She yawned widely and stretched her arms over her head before smiling. “Good morning. So I guess you didn’t stop by the bakery on your run.”
Eden picked the apple up from the floor and carried it to the sink with the veggies she’d pulled from the refrigerator. “Sorry, I didn’t think about it. But I’ll make you a smoothie. They’re really pretty good… once you get used to them.”
“No thanks. I have never associated green with breakfast.” Madison waited for Eden to finish making her smoothie in the blender before she picked up the conversation. “So he still hasn’t touched you?”
“No, and I don’t think he’s going to.” Eden pulled out a glass from the cupboard and poured the smoothie into it.
“I don’t get it,” Madison said. “I’ve met a lot of weirdos in my life, but this guy takes the cake. What kind of man keeps himself from having sex just to prove he has control?”
“Maybe that was just an excuse. Maybe he doesn’t find me sexually attractive. Maybe he doesn’t even like me.”
