The Fine Print (Dreamland Billionaires #1)(67)

“So please tell me that Rowan’s looks aren’t just for show.”

“He’s more of an action kind of guy.” I grin to myself at the inside joke.

Claire cackles. “Great. I’m glad we now know he can use his tongue for good rather than evil. It’s a step in the right direction.”

I only laugh to myself.

“So you’re what? Fuck buddies?”

I wince at her choice of words.

“Okay. No.” She pauses. “How about friends with benefits?”

I shake my head. “We didn’t discuss labels.”

“Silly me. How could you with his dick lodged in your throat.”

My sponge splashes in the soapy water after I lose my grip. “Claire!”

She raises her hands. “What?! You walked into that one.”

“We didn’t define what we are because there is no us. At least not in that sense of the word. We’re just Zahra and Rowan. Two people having fun.”

Her brows pull together, and her face takes on a serious note I rarely see. “I don’t want you getting hurt. Casual relationships aren’t your thing.”

“Maybe that’s my problem. With Lance, we dove headfirst into a relationship. I’m looking to take things slow.”

“Well, hate to break it to you, but you drove past a red light at two hundred miles an hour.”

A laugh bubbles out of me. “It’s just sex.”

“Yeah, and he’s just the guy you’ve been texting every night before you go to bed.”

I sigh. “Is it wrong to go with the flow and not put us into a box so soon?”

She shakes her head. “Of course not. I only want you to be careful and I don’t want you to invest your heart in someone who doesn’t plan on reciprocating.”

“We’re going to keep it casual for now.”

The plan sounds solid and foolproof—the perfect way to protect my heart while having some fun.

Or so I hope.





32





Zahra





I walk into work Monday half expecting someone to call me out on having sex with Rowan. It’s laughable how I’m acting as if I have a yellow sticker on my forehead proclaiming I did the dirty deed with my boss. It wouldn’t even matter if they did know. Dreamland doesn’t even have a non-fraternization policy. Although it’s discouraged for individuals to work within the same workspace, it’s not prohibited.

Not to mention, Rowan would never let something like sleeping together get in the way of his decisions. And the idea of him showing me preferential treatment has me wanting to work harder to show him what I’m capable of. To show myself and others that it doesn’t matter who I am when my ideas speak for themselves. At least I hope so.

Yet, even after creating a game plan, Monday is a complete bomb due to my fraying nerves. Rowan hasn’t even graced the warehouse with his presence yet and I’m already falling apart. This morning, I broke our communal coffee pot after someone asked me how my weekend went. And then, when someone mentioned Rowan’s name in the bathroom, I ended up dropping my phone in the toilet.

That one isn’t exactly my fault. Two Alpha team members were talking about Rowan in a very inappropriate way while washing their hands. My phone slipped straight out of my grasp and met its watery grave.

It’s safe to say by the time Rowan strolls into my cubicle looking fresh as a daisy later this afternoon, I’m fried. Absolutely positively done with the day.

“You haven’t been answering my texts.”

“Hello to you too.” I look up from my computer screen.

“You haven’t responded to my messages.” His voice is extra edgy, and I’m tempted to dance around at the idea of him worrying over me not answering him.

“Did you miss me?” I bat my lashes.

“No.” He answers too fast.

I grin. “It’s okay to admit your feelings. I’ll wait.” I turn my chair and face him.

“Just like you made me wait all day for a confirmation?”

Huh? “A confirmation?”

“Yes. I’m taking you out tomorrow night for a date.”

I laugh under my breath. “Don’t you think you should ask me first?”

“I don’t ask questions I know the answers to.”

“We need to work on your manners. They’re severely lacking.”

He steps into my space and bends down to whisper in my ear. “You weren’t complaining about politeness the other night.”

“Of course not. Every woman wants a gentleman in the streets and a beast in the sheets,” I whisper low enough so my cubicle mates don’t hear me.

His eyes glint as he takes a little bow. “Pardon my mistake then. Will you do me the honor of gracing me with your presence tomorrow evening for dinner and cocktails?”

“Emphasis on the cock?” I raise a brow.

Rowan drops his head back and laughs until I join him. It warms me from my head to my toes to see his eyes light up and his lips remain permanently upturned.

Which makes my next comment that much harder.

“I can’t go out with you tomorrow. We’re having a late team meeting to discuss a few loose ends on previous proposals tomorrow.”