Page 142 of The Business of Love Box Set 1: Books 1 - 4

KATIE

T he end of my pen tapped an incessant off-beat rhythm on the conference table as I went over the upcoming month’s honeymoon couples in my agenda book.

I’d tuned out the rest of the room. In other words, I’d managed to ignore Roman and Ginny, who sat at the opposite end of the long conference table talking in hushed tones about something that I couldn’t afford to let distract me.

Spending a lot of time with Peter had made a dent in my productivity at work.

I didn’t blame him. Not at all. In fact, I was thankful for it. The past few years at the El Cartana had been everything I wanted and needed, but now that there was something on the outside of the property that I wanted just as much as I wanted career success?

Well, it was confusing to say the least.

My focus hadn’t been great these past few days. My mind constantly wandered back to that moment in the swimming hole with Peter’s hands all over me, his lips on mine, his cock—

“Are you paying any attention to us, Katie?”

I looked up. Roman and Ginny were staring expectantly at me.

I cleared my throat and sat up a little straighter. “Sorry, I was reviewing the list of guests we have arriving next month. It’s going to be a busy one. Lots of A-list guests with special requests. We might have to see if we can get an extra pair of hands on deck to help us out.”

“Whatever you think,” Ginny said. “So long as you stop tapping your pen on the table. You’re driving us nuts.”

I looked down at my pen and froze. The tapping stopped, and I offered them an apologetic smile. “Sorry.”

Roman rose gracefully to his feet and began walking around the conference table the way a lion circled its prey. “You’ve been very distracted this week, Katie. Your head is in the clouds. Is there something you want to tell us?”

“No,” I said hurriedly.

Ginny and Roman exchanged a conspiratorial look, and Ginny got to her feet. “You answered a little too quickly there, boss.”

“Much too quickly,” Roman agreed.

I rolled my eyes and looked down at my agenda, hopeful they’d drop the subject. “I’m too busy to indulge this, you guys. Go back to work.”

Roman braced himself on the back of a chair two down from me. “I’m not going to be able to concentrate when I know you’re harboring a secret.”

“I don’t have any secrets.”

Ginny ran a finger along the table as she moved down its opposite side from Roman. “Might this spaced-out version of our always very focused Katie have something to do with Romeo?”

I stared blankly at her.

Ginny huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m talking about Peter obviously.”

“Obviously,” I muttered and flipped to the next page of my agenda. It was full of handwritten notes, sticky tabs with reminders, little arrows from schedules being shifted around, and multiple colored pens to keep track of all my commitments.

Everything in pink was related to Peter.

You’re losing it, I thought, trying to hide my own smile.

Roman sank down into the chair beside me and closed my agenda.

“Hey,” I said defensively. “I’m working on that.”

“I don’t care,” he said simply. “It’s time for you to tell us what’s going on with Peter. Something happened, didn’t it? Something that has you all caught up and head over heels for a boy. And the Katie we know would never let a boy distract her from her work. Isn’t that so, Gin?”

Ginny nodded.

I sighed and slumped back in my chair. “Okay. Fine. What do you want me to tell you? That things are going well? That we’ve had some really nice dates? That I want to keep seeing him?”

Roman leaned forward and invaded my personal space. “Did you sleep with him?”

“Uh…”

He pointed an accusing finger at me as a victorious smile stretched his cheeks. “You did, didn’t you? Oh, fucking finally ! I don’t know how you waited so long.”

“True that,” Ginny said. “If I was dating a hunk like Peter, I’d have jumped his bones ages ago.”

“He’s only been on the island for a few weeks,” I said.

“That’s a whole lot longer than I’d have waited,” Ginny said.

I laughed. “Oh my God, you guys. Unlike you, I like to take my time, okay? I like to make sure the fit is right.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Roman said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “You need the stars to align and there to be a full moon and you have to be wearing your best panties and not be bloated. Whatever. The point is you’re evading the question.”

“Am I?” I asked innocently.

Ginny let out a frustrated growl. “Yes, you are.”

I shrugged and tried to open my agenda book once more, but Roman slapped it closed and pulled it away. “I’m holding this hostage until you come clean with us.”

“Well played,” Ginny said.

I reached for my agenda, but Roman hopped to his feet and scurried down the length of the table like a squirrel with a prize acorn.

“You know what you have to do if you want this back,” Roman taunted. “Tell us the truth. Did you and Peter finally do the dirty?”

I arched an eyebrow. “Do the dirty?”

Roman nodded earnestly. “Yeah, you know, the deed? Did you hide the snake in the bush? Take him to pound town? Let him lay the pipe?”

“Did you let him park his car in your garage?” Ginny piled on the bandwagon.

“There’s something wrong with both of you,” I said.

They weren’t fazed by my obvious lack of enthusiasm for this game of “how many ways can you say did the nasty ” and they continued listing off terrible examples until I threw my arms in the air and cried, “Fine! You win! I fucked Peter. Are you happy?”

Roman clasped his hands together and his eyes widened with delight. “Yes, very .” He scrambled back down the length of the table to claim the seat beside me once more. He crossed his legs, rested his elbow on the table, and placed his chin in his palm. “Tell us everything.”

“Spare no details,” Ginny said.

Roman shot her a condescending look across the table. “Does ‘tell us everything’ not imply the same thing? You had to pile on with your unnecessary commentary?”

“Don’t be a bitch, Roman,” Ginny said. “I was just saying.”

They bickered until I slapped a hand down on the table. “Okay, if the pair of you want to hear anything about my time with Peter, I suggest you both stop talking.”

My friends closed their mouths and gave me all of their attention.

I let out a tired sigh. I hadn’t really wanted to divulge all the details of my time with Peter, and I would certainly keep some things to myself, but I could give them the bare bones of how it all went down.

“I took him to the swimming hole the other afternoon so we could have some time to ourselves. I packed a picnic and brought some beer and we went swimming.”

Ginny made air quotes with her fingers and snickered. “Yeah, swimming.”

I shot her a dark look. “This is listening time, remember? Otherwise, you can sit in the corner.”

“Sorry,” she mumbled.

Roman nudged my shin with the toe of his shiny white shoe. “Keep going. We’re listening.”

I waited a minute, just to be sure that they weren’t going to start talking over me and arguing again like a couple of schoolgirls, before I continued. “Well, after we ate and talked for a little bit, we went out into the water. And, well, one thing sort of led to another.”

“Woman, I swear to God. If that’s what you consider details , I’m going to—”

“Calm down, Roman,” Ginny interrupted. “She’s a private person. Unlike you, she doesn’t feel it’s necessary to parade her personal escapades around in everyone’s faces.”

Roman laughed. “Oh please. You love hearing about my escapades. Katie, you need to give me a little more than that. Was he good? Did he know what he was doing? Did he use his hands or was he straight to the treasure trove?”

“Did you just call her vagina a treasure trove?” Ginny asked.

I massaged my temples. “Why do I tell you guys anything?”

Roman flashed a devilish smile. “He spoiled you, didn’t he? Peter has that vibe. He’s a giver, not a taker. I could practically smell it on him.”

I blushed. “You’re not wrong.”

“I knew it!” Roman cried victoriously. “So there is more to share. I want to know everything.”

“Well, tough,” I said. “I’m not going to give you any more than that. It was glorious and that’s all you need to know.”

“Do you want to do it again?” Ginny asked.

“Yes,” I said honestly. “And I’ve also been thinking about asking him to be my date to Vanessa and Rhys’s wedding coming up. I’m just a little concerned that it might be too soon for Peter and me to be using plus-one’s on each other, you know?”

“Go for it,” Ginny said. “Peter is a gentleman. He’d be a great addition to have at the wedding. And he’d be able to meet your friends.”

“And you’d both have a free one-night stay at a luxury hotel,” Roman said. “Think of all the things you could do to each other in the bath and the pool and the shower and the—”

“Bed,” Ginny finished dryly.

I chuckled. “I just don’t want to spook him.”

“Don’t be silly,” Roman said with a shake of his head. “You’re overthinking this one, babe. Just go with the flow. Extend the invitation. I don’t think you’ll regret it. And just think, you could even join the mile-high club on the way there and start the trip off right.”

Ginny pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. “You’re such a hoe, Roman.”

Roman leaned back in his chair and dragged his fingers through his bleached hair. “I know, baby. I know.”

The three of us giggled and I tried not to blush at the idea of sneaking Peter into one of those tiny airplane bathrooms for some in-flight entertainment. I wasn’t brave enough for such things, but it was a fun little fantasy.

I would save the hands-on activities for the hotel room.

Or the pool, like Roman said.

When did you get so naughty? I wondered as my friends teased each other across the conference table about past lovers and the best—or worst—places to have sex.