Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 68743 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 229(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68743 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 229(@300wpm)
“Nicolette, ready to go?” Asher snapped at her, annoyed he was finding anything about her appealing.
She stiffened at his tone. “Call me Nikki, and yes, I’m ready.”
Asher turned to his friend. “Don’t worry about anything on our end. She’ll be fine.”
“Just concentrate on figuring out who did this to me,” she said to Derek, her tone wounded and sad.
Asher swallowed hard. “Come on.” He settled his hand on her lower back, trying and failing to ignore the heat coming from her body as he led her to the stairs.
They entered the jet designed by his cousin, Lucy Dare, who worked at the well-known firm of Mann & Mann in Manhattan. Though Lucy had an ingrained fear of flying in small planes, she’d jumped at the chance to put her artistic stamp on the interior of his jet. He’d agreed, as long as she stuck to neutral colors. His Gulfstream could carry up to eighteen people, and considering how large Asher’s family was, the size had been an important consideration.
“Take a seat,” he said.
Nikki unknowingly walked to Asher’s favorite chair and sat down, revealing even more thigh that had him drooling. She buckled herself in and met his gaze, obviously waiting for him to do the same.
He situated himself across from her, snapped on his seat belt, and picked up the bag Matt had already stored on board for him. If he had to go to the island, he’d use the flying time to get work done.
The plane doors closed and Nikki jerked at the sound. Obviously, she was nervous. About what part of this situation, Asher wasn’t sure. All he knew was they were now alone, headed to his ocean paradise.
* * *
The jet took off and Nikki looked out the window, watching as the plane soared into the clouds, headed for an estate on an island with the quiet man sitting across from her, reading something on his tablet.
The interior was gorgeous, with plush leather seats in a deep cognac, with textured black accents on the headrest. The carpeting was equally luxurious. Each chair had a soft cashmere blanket folded and waiting for the passenger. After she’d finished admiring her surroundings, she looked in her bag for her phone, thinking she’d listen to music, but realized her messages and notifications would only upset her.
She tapped her feet on the floor and stared out the window. The longer she sat in silence while Asher studied whatever he was looking at on the screen, the more uncomfortable she became. Although he’d been a gentleman leading her onto the plane, he’d been snippy as well, and he’d cemented her gut feeling that he didn’t want to be the one escorting her to his second home.
With him distracted, she studied him. She’d expected him to be in a suit and tie, the epitome of the uptight businessman, and she wasn’t all wrong. He wasn’t wearing a jacket, but he was in dress slacks and a white button-down shirt, sleeves rolled up, revealing tanned, muscular forearms. If he’d been wearing a tie earlier, he’d removed it and undone enough buttons to show his chest was also tan, with a sprinkling of hair showing through.
Nikki was used to guys with boyish appearances. Ones who had the toned, slim look the modeling agencies preferred, hair slicked back and overly styled. Asher Dare, with his closely trimmed beard and dark hair she was dying to run her fingers through, was all man.
She couldn’t take the silence and cleared her throat. Since they were going to spend time together, she wanted to get to know him better.
He looked up from the screen, brows raised in curiosity, those intense, indigo eyes meeting hers, giving her a chance to see he had dark lashes most women would kill for.
She swallowed hard. “I wanted to say thank you for dropping everything to help me. I appreciate it.”
“Your brother is a good friend. He asked and of course I said yes.” His gaze shifted back down to his screen.
She continued to tap her toes on the floor, nervous energy flooding her. “What are you reading?”
He looked up again. “Competitive market research. I’m considering expanding, and I’m interested in the local brands sold, price parity, and whether we’d be welcomed since we’re not a hometown brand.” He stared at her for a beat, waiting for a reply.
She nodded. “That’s… um… interesting.”
“No, it’s not.” That got her the first lift of his lips in something that resembled a smile. A smile that changed the brooding hot male into a man with a sexy bad-boy smirk.
“Wouldn’t you rather be reading the newest fashion magazine?” he asked.
She searched his expression and voice for snark at her profession and found none. “No. I need to stay off anything that might lead me to social media.” She twisted her fingers in her lap as her cheeks no doubt flamed in embarrassment.