July (Calendar Girl #7)(31)
He yawned. “Yeah, yeah. Okay, just a sec.”
“It’s Ms. Milan.” I rolled my eyes. Aunt Millie.
I grabbed the phone and held my hand over the speaker, muffling any sound. “She’s actually my Aunt Millie. As in, her name is Millie, not Milan.”
“Really?”
“Thought I told you that.”
“Pretty sure I’d remember that,” he leaned up and kissed the top of my shoulder. “I’ll go make us some coffee before you hit the studio today.”
I squeezed his bicep, caught him behind the head and kissed him sweetly. He grinned and pulled back.
I put the phone to my ear. “Aunt Millie. What on Earth would make you call so early? I mean, it has to be ridiculously early for you.”
I heard her fingers tapping in the background. “Yeah, yeah, haven’t gone to bed yet. You’ve ignored my calls all week, and I needed to give you the details on your next client since I’m heading out on vacation tomorrow. Want to make sure it’s booked in advance. This one is…I don’t know. Something’s off about it.” Aunt Millie had never sounded anything other than one hundred percent self-assured.
“What do you mean? Why is it off? The guy a creep?”
She sighed. “No, no, it’s actually that he’s too clean on paper. He’s been insistent that he reserve you as soon as you’re available. Checks in every couple weeks to see if you’ve had a cancellation. Which you haven’t, of course.”
“Okay, so he really wants me. Did he say why?”
“Apparently, he needs you to be his long lost sister. Something about a business landing in the wrong hands if he doesn’t produce his sibling for the investors, blah, blah. Her name popped up in some random agreement regarding the business, but he never knew her. They couldn’t really discern the scribbled name. It could be Mia Saunders or Mia Sanders, or Sonders with an “O” but you share the individual’s birthdate exactly and your name is Mia Saunders. Hence, why he had to have you.”
I plucked at my lips. “This is weird. Did you check him out?”
Millie gave an overwrought sigh that seemed to strangle my heart in the process. “Do you think I’d ever risk your safety?”
Laughter sat at the tip of my tongue, especially after the Aaron debacle, but she didn’t know much about that. Basically nothing. I’d hidden that whopper well. “I know you have my best interests in mind, Auntie. Sorry.”
She tsked and all was well again. Pushover. “He’s been thoroughly vetted. Young. Only thirty and he’s been at the helm of one of the top oil businesses headquartered in Texas.”
“Wow. Oil’s big money, right?”
Aunt Millie hummed. “Yesiree. I don’t know all the details aside from him being very anxious to meet you. And you’ll love this, too. He’s not an old. stodgy gentleman caller. He’s a hot cowboy, lives on a ranch and everything!” She paused. “Haven’t seen the extra twenty-five grand come through for our Latin-Lovah. Guessing you haven’t been having as much fun as I’d thought you would.”
“Millie, that’s none of your business, but no, I’m not. And I’m not going to.”
“You might change your mind when I send you a picture of this cowboy. I was never into cowboys myself, but something about him is familiar, speaks to me in a way I haven’t felt in a long time. Perhaps that’s why I’m feeling off because the young man gives me a déjà vu vibe. Hmm, no matter. You’re plane from Miami to Dallas will be booked tomorrow. Do you want to stay a few days in Miami, Dallas, or go home before you head to Texas?”
Home.
That thought made me smile huge. So huge that, when Wes walked into the room with a cup of coffee, he stopped in his tracks, tilted his head and an eyebrow rose in a silent question. “What?” he mouthed, but I shook my head grinning like a loon.
“Millie, I’d like to stay in Malibu for the few days before I have to meet my next client in Dallas. I’ll fly out of LAX.”
Wes did a little hip sway and ab curl move that made me want to remove his boxer briefs and suck on his cock. Straight up.
“Okay doll-face, I’ll set up the arrangements. It’s good you’re coming home for a bit. Let’s do lunch.”
“Sounds good. Love you.”
“Yes dear. And I you.”
Millie hung up, and I clicked off the cell and turned to my guy. “After this week, I’ll be in Malibu for six days. Wonder if there’s a place I could stay.”
With an absolutely blank face, Wes responded, “You have an apartment.”
I cringed. My apartment. I needed to just empty that place and put my stuff in storage. As a matter of fact, maybe I should add that on my list of things to do while I was in LA. No reason to pay rent for a place I hadn’t stepped foot in for the last seven months.
“Baby, I thought—” I was cut off by Wes slamming me into the bed.
“Gotcha!” He kissed me full, deep, and so completely I forgot I was supposed to be getting up to prep for rehearsal. “I so had you.” He nuzzled my nose with his and laid a series of sloppy, wet kisses on my neck. “Of course I want you with me. My parents have been bugging the crap out of me to get you back.”
“Get me back? You never had me in the first place.”