The Broken One (Corisi Billionaires, #1)(49)

Erica went off for the next few minutes without taking a breath—if I wanted to have romance in my life I needed to embrace it when it appeared. She went on to assure me this was an incredibly sexy move on his part.

Still holding the phone to my ear, I said, “I guess I’m going with you, Rob.”

“Before you do, though, make damn sure you take a photo of him and send it to me.” I took out my cell phone and did just that.

Erica cooed. “Oh, he’s so cute and looks so scared. He’s not a killer.”

“I’m going to text Sebastian.”

“No, you’re not,” Erica said firmly. “Don’t suck the fun out of this for you or for him. For once, don’t plan—just go.”

“Just go,” I repeated, then told Erica I’d see her either at dinner or soon after. “I think.”

She assured me Ava would be fine and said she couldn’t wait to hear about my date.

After ending the call, I grabbed my purse out of the drawer. One handle got stuck. I pulled harder. It came flying out, and the box I’d stuffed inside it flew up in slow motion before coming to a tumbling stop on the floor before Teri and Rob.

I scrambled to get it but couldn’t think of a single way to explain it.

To Rob, Teri said, “Do you see why I can’t lose this job? It gives me so many great stories to share with my friends.”

I shot her a glare, but she was laughing, and I couldn’t keep a straight face while holding a box of a hundred condoms. “Erica gave them to me, and Ava found them. I couldn’t leave them at my house.” I groaned. “I should leave them here. I can’t take them with me.”

“Unless you say they’re a gift,” Teri said, laughing so hard she had to wipe tears from her eyes.

“I wish every woman I knew brought me some.” Rob’s shoulders shook with laughter he was holding back, and he looked away.

“You’re both jerks,” I said with no bite. I stuffed the box of condoms back in my purse and walked toward the door of my office. The prepper in me wouldn’t let me go to Sebastian unprepared. Teri returned to her desk.

Rob hovered behind me.

“Jerks,” I said again.

They both burst out laughing.

A few minutes later I was in the back seat of a Bentley as we pulled out into traffic. “Hey, Rob?”

“Yes?”

“Do you know what type of bouquet it was?”

“Something lavender, I think.”

I smiled and settled back into my seat. Lavender was my favorite color.

With a start I remembered something and texted Teri: Clear my afternoon.

Teri sent me back a string of emojis, which I interpreted as “Okay.”





CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE



* * *



HEATHER

About twenty minutes later Rob pulled up to a large gate between two stone pillars. The gate opened, and I tried to not look as nervous as I felt. I didn’t do much breathing as we made our way up a long, tree-lined driveway.

The trees fell away to reveal a towering three-story mansion with two massive chimneys and enough ivy climbing the stone facade that I felt transported back in time. Scenes from historical movies where a woman was brought to meet the wealthy hero she would fall for flashed through my mind. Had Elizabeth felt this way when she’d first arrived at Mr. Darcy’s manor? I had assumed that Sebastian had money, but my house could have fit into this one about six times—more if the footage of the three-car garage was included.

No leagues, my ass.

Rob parked and rushed around to open my door, offering me a hand, with a much more professional air than I’d seen from him so far. I glanced up at the door of the mansion and saw why—Sebastian was coming down the front steps.

I started to move away from the car but stopped when Rob called my name. “Your purse,” he said, handing it to me with a straight face but a twinkle in his eyes.

“Thanks,” I said with a slight smile. When I turned back toward the house, Sebastian filled my vision . . . all six feet something of broad shoulders, expensive suit, glorious black hair that shone in the sunlight, and a look in his eyes that made my thighs quiver in anticipation.

Oh yes.

He looked me over as if he were as hungry to be alone with me as I was to be with him. Unlike me, though, he didn’t appear anxious about it.

Me. Sebastian. And a hundred condoms.

I didn’t know whether to turn and run home or race him to the nearest bed.

Okay, no way in hell was I going home.

“You can go, Rick,” Sebastian said in a curt tone.

Rob didn’t correct him. “Should I come back in an hour?”

When Sebastian’s expression darkened, Rob quickly added, “I’ll stay in the area, ready for your text.”

Sebastian nodded once, then turned his attention back to me. “How did you like the flowers?”

I hated to lie, but I felt real sympathy for Rob. No wonder he was afraid he was about to be fired. Sebastian looked completely annoyed with him. “They were lovely,” I said with enthusiasm. “A beautiful touch that convinced me to come.”

Rob let out an audible sigh of relief.

Sebastian’s eyes narrowed. “And my note? Did you like it?”