Penthouse Perfect: BBW Erotic Romance Read Online Free PDF Page B

been too much. She was going back to bed – to hide, to think, to nurse her hurt feelings.
    That’s all it is, you know – hurt feelings.
    He checked up on me. He didn’t just…trust me.
    He’s a powerful man, and powerful men have to be careful. You’re being stupid.
    I know, but it still sucks.
    The sexiest man on earth is interested. In you. Think about that.
    She wanted to, she really did. But Ian Orson’s face kept surfacing instead, offering her money. She knew that Joel was just doing what he needed to do in order to protect himself. She understood completely. It still hurt.
    She stomped her foot on the carpeted floor of the elevator. “Hurry up,” she grumbled.
    When she finally got to her floor, the doors slid silently open.
    Joel was standing there.
    Her mouth dropped open. “How did you-. What? You can fly, too?”
    He shrugged. “Express elevator. For deliveries. I need to talk to you.”
    “No. Wait - you even get a better elevator that everyone else?”
    He sighed and placed both hands on her shoulders. “Everyone uses it. The main elevator sucks. Calm down, please, Lia? Will you let me in, so that we can talk?”
    He looked so sincere and sorrowful that she felt all of the angry energy leave her body. Slumping, she gave up. “Sure.”
    Relieved, he gave her shoulders a final squeeze and let go so that she could unlock her door.
    ***
    It had never occurred to Joel that she would be angry, and he still wasn’t sure he understood this reaction, but she seemed to be a bit calmer as she let him into her apartment.
    The place was tidy and elegant, but darker than his own without the vast wall of windows to light it. Still, it was definitely her – the prints on the wall were bright and colorful, as were the furnishings. That aroma of peaches filled the space.
    She turned on him just inside the door and crossed her arms, then tilted her chin up to look at him. He watched her hair slip over one shoulder. “What do you want?” she asked.
    You.
    Shut up, dude.
    He gave her a hopeful smile. She didn’t seem quite as angry, at least. “I want you.”
    She blinked, and the fear in her eyes pulled at him.
    “To work for you?”
    “Yes, that. Also, I want to get to know you. I feel…something.”
    “Something?” She shook her head. “I don’t understand.”
    “Something…good.” He didn’t know how to express this attraction to her. Hell, he couldn’t even explain it to himself. “I like you, Lia. A lot.”
    His hands itched to touch her skin, be closer to her. He stepped forward and put his fingertips on her crossed arms.
    She jumped at the electricity between them, just as she had in the elevator this morning. He smiled at the way her beautiful blue eyes widened. “Will you go out with me?”
    The parade of emotions that crossed her face was fascinating to watch. First surprise, then fear, which melted into suspicion, uncertainty, and then hope – he could read her mind, just by watching her expression. He relaxed a little when her lips curved into a small smile.
    She took a deep breath. “I like you too, Joel. A lot.”
    “Good – I was hoping you’d say that.”
    Her eyes flicked up to meet his. “But should we mix business with pleasure? Isn’t that a no-no?”
    “Oh. Maybe. I just happen to know that you’ll be needing a job soon. I’m jst trying to help us both, as far as that’s concerned.”
    “How do you know that? I didn’t even decide to ask for a raise until this morning – how could you possibly know?” She peered at him now as if he was some sort of magician.
    “What? Oh, no – I didn’t know that.”
    She relaxed a little.
    “I just happen to know that Bailey & Blake are being investigated by a few regulations agencies. They’ll be shut down soon, because of their lousy business practices.”
    “Wow. Really? I hate to say it, but I’m glad. They are terrible men.”
    He felt the air between them diffuse a little, and felt better, more like they were