Boston Read Online Free PDF Page A

it!”
    “You know, I may not have a fancy college degree from Harvard like you, but I can get stuff done when I put my mind to it.” He pushes his rolling chair back and crosses his arms over his chest.
    “No!” I protest, my eyebrows zinging up into my brow line, feeling a sick guilt in my stomach. Could he read my mind? “Boston, I just—we didn’t talk details yet, you know? Last night you were—I mean, you were flirty, which is fun, but. This is my life, my job, my salary. It’s important to me. I wasn’t sure yet if you were willing to put serious effort into this. You weren’t exactly professional.”
    His scowl darkens. “Abby, you came to the club where I dance. Sexy. For drunk women who grind up on me and put money in my G-string. A little flirtation is pretty much par for the course there, okay? And as I recall, you flirted right back with me and asked me if I can, and I quote, bring it . I’m sorry if I came off a little too blue-collar for you. I’ll try to be more professional from now on. Classier.”
    I bite my lip. I feel a little panicked, not sure how to get things back on even ground, and try to make my voice easy. “Boston. I’m sorry. I love your photography, and you have the perfect look for my book. I’m glad we’re working together. That you want to do this. Okay?”
    His face softens. “This is a big deal to me, Abby. I think our partnership is going to be a big deal for both of us. I do take this seriously. I didn’t read your books; I’m not a big fiction reader. But I researched you online and saw what a big seller you are in the romance book world. And I know nobody has done this kind of thing before.”
    His eyes are bright and earnest. I feel a mix of embarrassment and desire, and the feelings confuse me. I nod, then duck my head, my voice contrite. “So, um, will you show me what you have so far?”
    For the rest of the morning we work through his list, item by item, changing some details, adding new posing ideas. I don’t ask to change much, though. It’s like he read my mind and put together the perfect list of ideas based on my rough emails. It’s amazing. Still, I pull up my book on my laptop and scroll through, making sure that there are enough shots outlined for each chapter.
    He’s intense and focused, and I like seeing his powerful hands typing on his laptop keyboard. His fingers are long and tapered at the ends, with short blunt nails. His hands looks strong, sensual. As he enters some lighting reminders for himself, I daydream about how those fingers would feel on my skin. His hand was warm last night when he took mine, his grip firm. He’s so confident in his skin; I imagine that he’d be pure pleasure in the bedroom, full of even better moves than those he showed on stage. But he’s not being so flirty anymore, and I feel disappointed, even though I’m ecstatic that he’s actually into this project and smarter than I expected.
    When we finally finish, he stands up and stretches, then crosses his arms over his chest. “So, Abby, you want to make it official? We’ll get a contract written up?”
    I nod. “Let’s do it. I have a, um, friend who’s a lawyer. Would you be okay if I have him draft it? I’ll cover the cost. Well, actually, I’m pretty sure he’ll do it for free if I ask nicely.” I smile and swing one foot, thinking of Erik. I can still sweet-talk him into anything.
    Boston frowns. “Abby, one thing I’ve learned as a businessman trying to make my way in the industry is that favors and work don’t mix. If your friend’s good, I trust your judgement, but I don’t want it for free. I’ll split the cost with you.”
    I stand up, knocking the chair a bit, and grab at it. “Erik would never cause any issues. He’s a cool guy. I make decent—I can cover it, but he’s, really, he’ll do it for me for no charge.”
    He stands his ground. “I pay my way, Abby. We’re partners now, so you do, too.”
    “I don’t get why it’s