A Forbidden Love (Eligible Billionaires Book 9) by Maggie Marr Page A

lip.
    “Mexican.”
    “Oooo, love it!” She extracted the other bags from his grip and toted them to the kitchen table.
    Devon slid his arm around Ilana’s waist and steered her into Amelia’s wake. “I’m also here to help,” he said. “Sorry I couldn’t get here sooner. Teleconference, meeting, and now I’m here.”
    Ilana smiled, thankful that he was here now. “I’m worried we won’t be ready.”
    Devon paused and looked around the room. “Oh, you’ll be ready. You may not sleep much, but you’ll be ready.”
    Her phone dinged with a text alert, and she pulled it from her pocket. A message about a delivery? “Amelia,” Ilana called, “did you schedule a paper delivery?”
    Amelia ducked back out from the kitchen. “Oh right, forgot to tell you, The Legend Gallery is donating loose art paper and sketchbooks. Probably that.”
    “Okay.” Ilana creased her brow. “Well, the driver just texted to say he’s out back right now.”
    “Let’s get it before we eat. Won’t take long, right? Besides, we’ve got a man to help us too. How much paper can it possibly be?”
     
    *
     
    “Oh my God.” Ilana covered her cheeks with her hands. “How much paper is this?” A huge truck half full of paper products was parked in back of the building. “Is this all for us?” Ilana looked at the driver.
    He shrugged. “It’s the only address I got, lady.”
    “Where are we going to put all this?”
    “Amanda just texted me back.” Amelia stared at her phone screen, dazed. “She said they bought what they thought would be six months’ worth.”
    “Six months’ worth? For what—three thousand kids? Just…wow.” Ilana was beyond grateful for Amanda’s generosity, but where would they put all this paper? “We’ve filled up the upstairs storage with supplies already. Where are we going to put it all?”
    “There’s one open spot,” Amelia said, grimacing. “Well, not really open , but maybe with some floor space that can be spared. Combined with the room left in that back cupboard in the kitchen…”
    Ilana sighed. “Fine.”
    “What’s the spot?” Devon asked, hopping up into the back of the truck with the driver.
    “Second floor, across from the library,” Ilana said.
    Devon frowned. “Isn’t that your apartment?”
    “It’s the only place with any room. I don’t have much furniture, anyway. It’s not huge, but there’s room to store some paper.”
    “Hmm.” Devon grabbed a dolly and started loading boxes. “Okay, if you say so.”
    Ilana nodded, even though she didn’t love the idea either. Really, what else were they going to do?
    Forty-five minutes later, Ilana couldn’t see her bed over the boxes stacked from floor to ceiling in her studio apartment. “Um, can we make a pathway?” she squeaked.
    “Maybe in a week?” Amelia said. “We’ll go through the paper fast, I’m sure. Especially the first week. Everyone gets their own sketchbook, and we’ll have these boxes gone super-fast. Come stay with me ’til then. And look, you can still get to your dresser.”
    Not exactly the solution Ilana had hoped for. She sighed. Living above the Enrichment Center was supposed to save money and make life easier. She could roll out of bed in the morning, put on clothes, and be at work two seconds later. Now, her apartment had been turned into a storage closet and she was homeless.
    “Thanks,” Ilana said. “I’ll think about it.” Dinner, although cold, still waited for them downstairs. “Be down in a minute.” She walked to her dresser and turned toward the windows. Nope. Couldn’t see the view, at least not really. It had been replaced with a vista of Strathmore boxes piled floor to ceiling instead.
    “I know where you should stay.” Lost in her gloomy contemplation of the wall of paper, Ilana hadn’t heard Devon come back up the stairs. He slipped his arms around her waist from behind, his breath tickling her ear. A tingle threaded through her blood. She pressed back