Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 61591 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 308(@200wpm)___ 246(@250wpm)___ 205(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61591 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 308(@200wpm)___ 246(@250wpm)___ 205(@300wpm)
We both sat back, and he said, “Speaking of hiring people, that’s the other half of my news. I just got off the phone with Pete Howard. I offered him a job as my general manager, and he accepted.”
“Oh, wow! Does that mean he’s going to close his boxing gym?”
“No. We’re going to treat it like a sister company and run both at the same time. I’m going to buy some additional equipment for it, but we want it to retain its authentic character, so most of it will stay like it is. Pete’s great at managing employees and handling day-to-day operations, and he’s really excited about this opportunity. We’d talked about working together, but I didn’t know if I could afford a GM until I saw that the memberships had sold out.”
I studied him closely as I asked, “Are you really okay with letting someone else handle the day-to-day stuff?”
“It’ll definitely take some getting used to,” he admitted, “because I’m a bit of a control freak. But it’s a positive change in so many ways. If I’m not tied up with stuff like scheduling, ordering supplies, and so on, I can focus my time on our members. That’s the fun part of my job—talking to people, giving them advice, motivating them.”
Ever moved closer and took my hand as he continued, “But I’m even more excited because I’ll have a shot at a work week that’s closer to forty hours than eighty. It means more time for us, Tracy. You’re the most important person in the world to me, and I never want you to feel like you aren’t getting the time and attention you deserve.”
“I appreciate that so much. I’m also thrilled that some of the weight will be off your shoulders. I was worried about you wearing yourself out.”
He moved closer still and kissed me. When it started to heat up, I murmured, “Let’s see if I can help you relax a bit before the party.” Both of us were grinning as I slid between his legs and reached for his zipper.
About ninety minutes later, after a blow job, a shared shower, and some smoothies, I asked, “How do I look?”
I was dressed in a pink shirt and a deep burgundy suit that we’d had tailored to fit me perfectly. We’d both decided I needed to expand my wardrobe, and because he was inexplicably turned on by me wearing his clothes, we’d gone with resizing some of Ever’s suits, instead of buying new ones.
He ran his gaze from my freshly cut hair to my loafers and murmured, “You look so damn sexy. I want to tear that suit off and lick every inch of your body.”
I smiled at him as my phone beeped. “Hold that thought.” I glanced at the screen and said, “The photographer just arrived. We need to get downstairs.”
“Okay, but raincheck on ripping your clothes off. Do I look okay?”
Did he really have to ask? He was wearing a royal blue suit that fit him like a glove, along with a crisp white shirt that was open at the collar, and he was unbelievably sexy. “You’re perfect, Ever. My god. I’m stripping you naked as soon as we get back up here, but no one’s ripping these suits. They’re way too nice for that.”
He took my hand and pretended to be exasperated. “Fine. No ripping.”
On our way out, we both called goodbye to the cat, and I promised, “We’ll be home soon, Phil.”
As soon as we got downstairs, we were pulled in opposite directions. The caterers wanted me to sign off on the way they’d set up the drinks and the first round of finger foods, the photographer Ever had hired to document the event wanted guidance on what shots to take, and the DJ and event staff needed last-minute instructions.
Before I knew it, it was time to start the party. I opened the double doors at the front of the building, and the pair of ticket takers we’d hired took their positions. When I spotted Vee and the rest of the Pink Victorian crew out on the sidewalk, I signaled for them to bypass check-in and come inside. “Wow, this is so fancy,” Embry gushed, his blue eyes wide as he took it all in.
“And look at you, Mr. Sexy-pants,” Vee said, as he gave me a back-slapping hug. “This new, posh lifestyle suits you.”
“Damn,” Yolanda murmured. She and her wife were dressed to the nines in sparkly red dresses, and they both looked incredible. “How is this a gym? It feels like a high-end hotel.”
“It’s incredible,” JoJo agreed. “It’s a bummer though, because we went online to try to buy memberships, but it said they were sold out.”
“Vee was supposed to tell you not to spend your money,” I said. “All seven of you are family. That means you’re permanently on the VIP guest list and can work out here any time you want.”