Overnight Sensation(40)

“I’m a gentleman.”

I stop walking. “You are not a gentleman. Gentlemen don’t ogle.”

“Everybody ogles. I’m just honest enough not to be subtle about it.”

“Honesty, huh? That’s what you’re going with?”

He grins.

When I step into his personal space, that grin falls right off. “What else are you honest enough to admit?” I ask him. I’m wearing heels, which means we’re eye to eye. Okay—not quite. We’re eye to mouth. But it’s a nice mouth. “If I weren’t Tobias Pepper’s daughter, and if there were no stupid picture of us that everyone’s already forgotten, what would we be doing right now?”

“Nothing,” he says.

“You’re a liar.”

He tilts his head back and laughs. “Sometimes. Come on.” He hooks his arm in mine and steers me down the sidewalk again. “Look—you don’t want my grumpy ass.”

“You’re wrong.”

“In the first place, there aren’t any roundtrip tickets on the Castro train. No refills. No second helpings. No—”

“I get it! Jesus.” Our arms are still linked, and I wish the walk home were even longer. Arguing with Jason is more fun than it ought to be. “It’s awfully sexist of you to assume that I want to trap you into a relationship. Women are capable of wanting a hookup, too.”

“Sure they are,” he says. “But the women I hook up with aren’t spending the next night on my sofa bed. That is not enough of a post-bang distance. Even the most cynical girl would want another ride. It’s just the nature of the beast.”

“Oh my God!” My shout of laughter echoes against the empty sidewalk. “The ego on you! No wonder you need such a big apartment. Your head wouldn’t fit inside a smaller place.”

Jason just shrugs and gives me another maddening smile.

“You know, it could be a front,” I insist. “Maybe you won’t take me to bed because it would be a letdown.”

He snorts. “I see what you’re trying to do here. But it won’t work.”

“I understand that you have a reputation to uphold. You can’t have the intern walking around with the knowledge that you can’t really deliver the goods. You’d have to kill me to keep me silent. And where could you hide the body?”

“You are—” He unhooks his arm from mine, but then reaches around behind me and hugs me against his side as we walk. “—such a pain in the rear.”

“But I’m your pain in the rear,” I tease. “And I’m sending your nephew a birthday present. I don’t know what you’d even do without me.”

“Eat Doritos,” he grumbles. “And walk around in my underwear again.”

“Feel free to do that anyway.” I tuck my head under his chin and he sighs.

“You didn’t say what you’re doing for your birthday. Silas and I could take you out for dinner.”

“And then a threesome?” I ask just to rib him.

He snorts, and drops his arm. Hello friend-zone. I’m back! We’re walking side by side again, and the apartment building is in view.

“Actually, I have birthday dinner plans,” I admit. “A nice boy has offered to take me out after work.”

“A nice boy?” Jason asks.

“My ex-boyfriend, if you must know.”

“The one who’s terrible in bed?” he asks.

“No comment. But I’m never drinking tequila again.”

Jason snickers as we step onto the red carpet that covers the entryway on Water Street. The late-night doorman opens the door.

We head for the elevator together. He doesn’t have to hold me up, and I don’t say anything embarrassing this time.

Inside the apartment, it’s quiet and dark. I go right over to the sofa bed and begin the work of setting it up for the night.

“Need help?” Jason asks. He is a gentleman, damn it. But only when I don’t want him to be.

“No, sir,” I grumble.

“Happy birthday,” he whispers. “You deserve a great year. I meant everything I said tonight when I made that toast.”

“I know you did. That’s why you’re so irritating.”

He chuckles as he disappears into his room.





Saturday morning I turn in a written report to Rebecca, detailing my experiences on every job so far. The apartment is totally quiet, since Jason and Silas are at the practice facility watching tape.

My phone beeps with continuous birthday wishes from my friends and family. I’ll admit that it’s nice to be remembered on my birthday. Although my father’s message says, Happy birthday, baby girl! Baby girl, really? Your mother sent you a gift. Why don’t you swing by tomorrow and pick it up? I know you have a dinner date tonight.

How does he know that? Eric must have called the condo, thinking he’d find me there.

Note that my father’s message does not say: Swing by and sign off on your inheritance. Today is the day when I’m eligible for the big disbursement, if Daddy approves it. The money that Grandpa set aside for me is just going to sit there until my father decides I’m adult enough to handle it.

It’s not like I deserve that money. I didn’t earn it myself. But the fact that he’s keeping it out of my hands just for spite? Infuriating.