NICE GIRL TO LOVE (THE COMPLETE THREE-BOOK COLLECTION)(35)

$7.3 billion. That was the unexpectedly sudden, final closing agreement for the complex multi-corporation dual merger and acquisition case he’d devoted the last five months of his life to. Seven-point-three billion dollars.

Taking a deep breath, he stared out the window at the picturesque view that his equity partnership had bought him in the firm, even though he was way too keyed up and pumped full of adrenaline to see anything really.

Seven-point-three.

Billion.

Absently, he reached over and flicked the little stress reducing toy Abby had given him last week—a colorful little monster with wobbly arms, crazy troll hair, and a suction base that kept it secured to his desk for even the strongest stress-flicks to its googly-eyed head. Talk about sticking out like a sore thumb. It didn’t go at all with his office décor and yet he found himself keeping it front and center next to his phone on his executive mahogany desk.

Because it was weird and funny in the cutest possible way, just like Abby.

And that’s why he loved it.

No woman he’d dated in the past would’ve gotten him anything like it. Nor would any of ‘em have gone to the trouble of looking up the 1971 Charger to learn all there was to know about the car’s history. But Abby had. In fact, she now knew more about his car’s engine stats than he did, something she’d excitedly displayed all throughout breakfast this morning.

It’d been adorable.

Then she’d gone and done the exact opposite of adorable by slipping him the tongue in what was supposed to be an innocent goodbye kiss. And he’d experienced an actual leave of his senses. He’d been ready to throw her up against the nearest table, floor, or wall and have all kinds of circus sex with her. It was a near thing, too. If the appointment alarm on her phone hadn’t sounded, there was a good chance he’d still be there right now going for round two…or twenty.

He flicked the stress monster again.

Before he fully realized he was doing it, his fingers were reaching for his phone and dialing her number.

“Hello?”

“Hey.” Okay, now what? Another flick. “So…we closed the deal for $7.3 billion today.”

The sound of books falling on the other end of the phone line had him sitting up taller. And grinning. She’d dropped her books for him.

“Oh my gosh, congratulations! Was it the carve-outs you renegotiated that sold them? I bet it was. Oh, but what about all those re-management concerns you had for the merger side? Did the spin-off push anything back at all? I know you were worried about the intellectual property on the acquisition end.” Somehow, all of that came out as one long sentence. But she wasn’t done yet. “$7.3 billion?! Holy crap, Connor! Were all the parties happy with the new deal? What am I saying? Of course they were. How are you not completely freaking out right now?!”

Connor laughed silently when Abby finally dragged in a gasping breath. Christ, she was priceless. “When I get home, I’ll be sure to give you the short version of everything that happened, sweetheart.”

“Screw the short version, I want to hear it all. It’s a good thing I made—”

Silence.

“Abby? Hello?”

“Sorry, yes, I’m still here.”

He frowned. “Are you okay? You got cut off there for a bit.”

“I dropped my phone.”

That sounded like a lie. “Okay…well, what were you saying? You mentioned making something.”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I can save it for another night. I’m sure you have some big celebration planned with all your colleagues. So of course the short version, definitely. Even if I’m sleeping, come wake me up okay? I’m dying to know the details.”

For crying out loud, he wanted to wrap her up in his arms and kiss her senseless. She actually thought he was going to celebrate without her tonight. “Abby, I’ve seen way more than enough of my colleagues for the past five months. I want to spend my night with you, share everything that happened today with you. If you don’t want to cook whatever you had planned, we can go out. Anywhere you want.”

“Anywhere I want?” Her voice still had that heart-tugging hesitancy. “We should go where ever you want to go.”

That was a first. To his knowledge, the standard reply to that offer was usually the most expensive restaurant and/or the most exclusive club. At least in his experience with women.

He embraced the novelty. “Well, if you’re going to let me choose, I’d kind of like to stay in.”

“Really?” He could almost see her skeptical frown through the phone.

“Yes. But again, if you don’t want to cook, I will. Or we can do take-out.”

“You’re being ridiculous. Of course I’ll cook. This is your big night. But are you sure you don’t want to—”

“I’m coming home for dinner, Abby. Period. I’ll be there at eight.” Damn, that sounded light years away. Maybe he could cancel his next few meetings…

“If you’re absolutely—”

“Abby.” She was so freakin’ precious.

“Okay, okay. Yes, eight o’clock. But, if you make it nine, you can probably get in some celebratory drinks with your friends and that’ll give me extra time to make something way more elaborate and—”