Million Dollar Devil (Million Dollar #1)(33)

Maria: Anytime. And no. You don’t!

I toss my phone aside as Charlie buzzes around me like a little bee.

“Hell, what’d she give you? A bucket of sugar?” I ask.

“No. Pizza. Want to play Call of Duty?”

I slump down on the couch and automatically grab a remote, exhaling as I resist the urge to rub my chest and get rid of this odd pressure I felt during dinner with Lizzy.

Lizzy.

I saw her working today. I was impressed, to say the least. She rolls her sleeves up and gets right down to it. Smart, organized, with a touch of sweet that makes me want to take a bite out of her.

Within seconds she’d taken control of the situation with getting me dressed. Measuring me head to toe. Trying out slacks. Shirts. Jackets. Tuxes. Showing me how and when to put them on and wear them. I was floored by how good I looked, and even more floored that I didn’t hate it half as much as I thought I would.

And what the hell was it with me telling her about my family? I never talk about that. Never.

And there I was spilling the beans with Elizabeth.

Who would have thought an uppity socialite from Midtown like her would get me?

Except she’s not uppity. Hell, I saw her today. I admire any woman who can work. But it’s more than her work ethic. Somehow, not sure if it’s as clear to others as it’s clear to me . . . but I see her vulnerable side. I saw it clear as day when her father was mentioned earlier.

Yeah. Her old man doesn’t have the reputation of a softy.

I can’t imagine what being the only daughter of Harold Banks is like.

But judging by what she said, it’s not damn easy.

She wants to impress her dad.

And I want to help her. I want to shed this rough exterior and be the person she thinks I can be. And maybe even impress her a little in the process.

“I just shot you in the face!” Charlie whoops.

“I wasn’t concentrated. Click restart. I’m going to getcha.” I rumple his hair, and he groans.

“Fine. I’ll get you,” he mumbles, restarting the whole thing.

On first instance, back in Tim’s Bar, I was blown away by how fucking stunning Elizabeth is in person. I’d heard of her. Seen her in the society pages. In person . . . all that beauty is fucking exponentiated to the tenth power. Gorgeous, shoulder-length dark hair. Wide green eyes.

More than ever tonight, my hands itched with the need to touch her. My tongue feels restless in my goddamn mouth with the need to lick her.

Not just because I know we’d be damn good together, if I can just be the person she wants me to be.

Because I see beyond those gorgeous dark locks and green eyes. I see something in her. Just like she saw something in me.

I LIKE what I see.

And I want it. Bad.

“I got you again!”

Giving up, I groan and toss the controller aside. “Yeah, I love you, too, brother.”

“Why are you dressed all fancy?”

“Work.”

“Work is here.” He reaches out and taps my phone.

“I told you. I got a new gig. A good one. I’m not going to ruin it.”

Charlie’s busy unlocking my phone.

“How many times have I told you that’s private?”

Like any good little brother . . . Charlie ignores me. “Your subscriber list is up. When are we doing another video? Everyone’s asking.”

“When I’m done with this gig.” I shrug then, adding, “Maybe.”





YOUTUBE

Elizabeth

I have to send LB pics and a bio of our new model. He’s asked me for it three times, each time with increasing urgency. That’s what I opened my computer to do.

Instead, all I’ve been doing is sitting on the couch in my apartment, watching James’s videos obsessively on YouTube, when he arrives the next morning at nine a.m.

I swing the door open, and the sight of him slams into me.

“Hey,” I blurt out.

James Rowan is freshly showered. Hands in his jeans pockets. Looking as big or even bigger than before.

And for some reason, my heart gives an odd little skip of joy at the sight of him.

Trying to recover, I quickly step back to let him in.

“Hey, the suits haven’t arrived—”

There’s a deep, familiarly rumbly voice behind me, and he lifts his head to look past my shoulders.

At my laptop.

My open laptop.

My jaw drops when I realize I forgot to close the video.

“Oh.” Damn it, Elizabeth!

Aware of James’s sparkling blue gaze on my profile, I rush over to shut the laptop. “I was just . . . you know.” I shrug.

He’s slowly approaching.

“You haven’t cashed the check yet,” I say, trying to distract him.

“I’ll get to it when I get to it, which will be soon. Don’t worry. I’m still getting money from my YouTube views for what I need. In the meantime . . . thought we’d get started.”

“Of course.” I rummage through my desk. “I have my list. While we wait for the suits to get here, we’ll start checking off a few things—”

“First things first.”

He grabs my face and lifts it up at an angle so that our eyes connect.

He leans down and suddenly teases my lips apart with his own.