Dangerously Big Read Online Free PDF Page B

solemn as they go over a few key problems to address tomorrow.
    We’ve each got a glass of red wine. I helped myself to a refill, but the others have barely touched theirs. I take another sip, letting the voluptuous flavors caress my tongue. I swallow and warmth passes through me.  
    Idly, I wonder what it would be like if this was my life, if the four of us lived together, worked together. It’s about as realistic as running away with Slade.
    After finishing my report, I flip through the only book on the coffee table, which is a compilation of ancient maps. Glossy photos eclipse the explanatory paragraphs, and I love all the drawings of dragons in the remote, uncharted seas. The world must have been a scary place for ancient man.
    Slade stands. “That’s good for now,” he says.
    I put the book down. “You can drop me off at home,” I say as I stand.
    “No,” Romeo says. “That man has your address and your keys.”
    “Not my apartment keys,” I insist. “I had them on separate rings.”
    “Why?” Slade asks.
    “Because I got an oil change last week and I didn’t combine them again. Key rings mess up my manicure.” I sigh. My bosses really don’t believe anything I say. “Even if he did have my keys, he wouldn’t be able to get into the building without the code.”  
    “You don’t have to stay with me,” Romeo says decisively. “Slade or Hawthorne will be happy to put you up, or we can check you into a hotel. But you’re not going home tonight.” When Romeo’s all serious like this, he’s scary.
    I sigh. “Ok. But I’ll need to go by my place in the morning. I doubt we wear the same dress size.” I sink back into the sofa.  
    One corner of Romeo’s mouth turns up. “Not a problem.”
    He accompanies Hawthorne and Slade to the door, and while he’s gone, I take a good look at my surroundings. It’s a nice place. Sturdy furniture. A strong masculine presence, but professionally decorated, I’m positive.  
    I get up and wander around, looking at the heavy pewter vases, the bronze horse sculptures. What’s lacking are personal photos. I’m curious about Romeo’s family.  
    At a window, I cup my fingers around my eyes and peer out. I can’t see much on the other side, just some kind of yard.  
    Romeo still isn’t back, and I need to find a bathroom. Because he didn’t tell me where they are, I figure I’ll just have to wander around until I come across one.
    The back of the first floor has a lot of rooms. The only one that looks like it gets any use is the office, which is lined with bookcases stuffed full. I pause in the doorway. It’s easy to imagine Romeo sitting in the enormous wooden chair.
    I spot a framed photo on the immense desk, and I’m debating slipping into the room for a quick look when I hear Romeo’s footsteps coming toward me. I start down the hall, spot a bathroom, and hurry into it.
    Afterward, I find Romeo at the table. He briefly glances up from his work as I enter, and it occurs to me that I’m alone in this mansion with him. The thought turns my panties wet. I really enjoy being shared by my bosses, but I can’t help but be curious about what it would be like to have them one on one.
    “I’ll show you to your room,” Romeo says as he rises to his feet. Even though he’s talking to me, he’s paying more attention to the mess of papers on the table.
    “You’re going to end up blind and with a hump,” I say. “Anyone ever tell you that you work too much?”
    He smiles. “No one would dare.”
    It makes me laugh. For some reason, I always imagined he was unaware of how scary he is. Of course he’s not clueless. He’s just too much of a gentleman to use his size as a weapon.  
    “This way,” he says.  
    I follow him up a wide staircase. At the top, he goes left and stops in front of the first door. He turns the handle, pushes it open. “You’ve got an en-suite bathroom and shower,” he says.
    I peer in respectfully from the outside. The