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I grinned at them as the door closed shut.
“Right back atcha!” I called.
JENNY
Greta and Florence looked outraged.“We’re going to get you thrown out of here, Cole Bryson! If it’s the last thing we do?—”
Luckily, the elevator doors closed, sparing us from the rest of the Windsor sisters’ tirade.
I turned to Cole. “I probably shouldn’t have said that.”
“Oh no. Youdefinitelyshould have said that. They deserve it—they’re notorious for complaining about everybody in the building.”
“What’s their problem?” I asked.
“They’re rich, bored, and think they’re better than everyone else.” He shrugged. “They’re pissed that I don’t invite them to my parties—I have professional athletes over all the time, including Chase Layne, the New England quarterback. The Windsorslovehim. So they’re mad I don’t include them in my reindeer games.”
“Your reindeer games?” I laughed.
“You know what I mean. They’re bitter. So they’re always trying to get me, and everybody else in the building who has a life, thrown out.” He shrugged again. “They’re probably interrogating poor Amari right now, asking questions about you.”
“Good thing we didn’t tell him the truth—because they’d be calling the cops on you again.” I fluffed my hair as the elevator silently ascended.
“Those sisters need to get a life.” Cole frowned. “They serve on every charitable board in the city, so you’d think they have a decent bone or two in their body. That’s not the case.”
“People don’t show the world their real face,” I said. “Look at the internet. You think any of those pictures are real? Nah. It’s all fake.”
He watched me carefully. “You’re not fake.”
“Yeah, but Iaman escort. So you might want to watch your back with those mean neighbor ladies.” I frowned. “If they find out about me, it could be a real problem.”
Cole shook his head. “We don’t need to worry about the Windsor sisters. They can’t find out about you. It’s our secret, remember?”
I nodded, then promptly forgot about the mean sisters, being an escort, how handsome Cole was, and everything else because the doors opened to the penthouse suite, and I was too stunned to think. The sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, glinting off Cole’s spectacular home. It looked like a movie set. The floors were rough-hewn wood; the couches were leather; the ceilings were vaulted, and a fire magically roared in the fireplace. Everywhere, framing the pristine space, was the glorious view of the Boston Harbor.
I took in a deep breath as if I could inhale the niceness of the place—as if it could cure me of poverty. The penthouse suite was likemagic. It was likemoney. If money had a human form, it would be Cole—tall, dark, and handsome. If money were a home, it would be his penthouse suite. The energy of wealth radiated throughout the space. If my plants moved in here, they would probably grow into a jungle or something.
“Holyshit!” I practically shrieked. “Are you kidding me? Youlivehere?”
“Holy shit, yes, I do.” Cole laughed. “Can I show you around?”
He held out his arm for me, and I took it. “You don’t have to ask me twice.”
The living room, which I’d been gaping at, was enormous. There were separate seating areas—I counted six couches before finally giving up. Who needed that many sofas? I glanced at Cole, who was explaining that he’d worked with the architect and interior designer to make the space comfortable. “You know,” he gestured around the enormous living room, “it just said ‘home’ to me.”
I laughed so hard I snorted. “It’d say ‘home’ to me, too! I’d move into your freaking pantry!”
Cole started laughing. “I guess I sound like a dick, huh?”
I shrugged. “Not really. It’s just crazy—who wouldn’t want to live here? It’s the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen!”
“Really?” Cole sounded touched. I heard a note of little boy pride creep into his voice.
“Really.Coley, are you kidding? You’re on top of the world!” I went and gaped out at the water. There were sailboats on the harbor, and a fishing boat with lobster traps stacked on it chugged by. “I could look at this view all day,” I mused.
“Itisnice, huh?” He came up and wrapped his arms around me from behind.
I leaned back against him. I could feel an erection stirring, and I was glad. I’d almost forgotten that Cole was a client, not a…friend.