The Romance Challenge, Complete Series Box Set: BBW Hot Alpha Billionaire Romance by Arlanna Sterling Page A
Authors: Arlanna Sterling
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during our
tour and forgot to turn it back up. My heart thudding, I dug through my purse.
"Thank you Rose. I'll call her now. Nathan, I need to return this
call."
"Take whatever time you need."
"It should only take a few minutes. We
can get right back to work." Crap. I was so not used to traveling and had
been having such fun today, I nearly forgot my responsibilities at home. I
should have kept my phone on, at least set to vibrate. What could be going on
with Michelle?
Nathan shut his laptop. "I'm done here
anyway and need to take care of other matters." He stood and put his hand
on my shoulder.
Oh, crap again. That same tingle as when we'd
first shook hands.
"We'll be keeping odd hours,
including evenings and nights. You don't have to work every single minute of
the day. I need you rested and alert, and I realize you have a life back home
and responsibilities that don't stop because you're here."
He squeezed my shoulder, then removed his
hand. "Take your time, let me know if you need anything. I'll meet you at
the front desk at six o'clock. Take a break before. You'll spend two hours
there observing, so bring along whatever you'll need. After that, we'll go out
to dinner at this great place I found. I want you to get a feel for the other
businesses on the island."
Missing the warmth of his hand on my
shoulder as soon as he removed it, I waited until he walked out the door before
I called Vicky.
"So sorry to bother you. I hope I
didn't get you in trouble." Her voice sounded strained.
"That's okay Vicky, my fault for not
having my phone turned up. What's going on?"
"I got a letter from this insurance
company. You told me to look through Michelle's mail while you're gone. It says
they'll cancel her policy if you don't give them some information, and they
want it in two days."
Great. "Read me the letter."
Vicky did, and fortunately, it was nothing
complicated, only a clerical question. The insurance company claimed they'd
sent an initial request weeks ago, but I didn't remember seeing any such thing.
She gave me the phone number, I called and we had the problem resolved in ten
minutes.
Lesson learned; keep my phone on and
nearby. And maybe I should try again to get Vicky to text. She'd enjoy it, once
she got started, I knew.
I closed my laptop and stood, when the
last part of what Nathan said hit me. Dinner. He planned to take me to dinner
tonight. A business dinner, but still. A little ball of unease rolled around in
my stomach, like it did every time I had a date.
Not a date. A business dinner. Nathan said
that.
So why did my pulse speed up as I pictured
sitting in a restaurant with Nathan, both of us laughing, trading bites of
food?
Stop. We'd talk about Bay Paradise. No
food swapping.
I left the conference room and headed
back to my suite. It appeared I had time off. I could finish up my notes, or take
a break, as Nathan suggested. The adrenaline spike from Vicky's call now had my
nervous system dive-bombing, and a rest sounded good. I'd type my notes while
at the front desk. There would be some activity in the evening there,
but not a lot. The employees would act more naturally if it didn't appear I was
looking over their shoulder every minute.
Back in my room again, I set my phone alarm,
undressed, and laid on the bed with my laptop and a book. I'd check in with my
email back home, then read for an hour or so.
When my alarm blasted at five o'clock, I
woke with a start, my laptop underneath me and my book on the floor beside the
bed. I must have been more tired than I thought. After I got up, moved around,
drank a glass of water and shook the haze out of my brain, I called Michelle.
"Hey sis, how's things kickin'?"
"Kickin' good."
Our standard greeting, when she actually answered
the phone.
"I'm in Key Largo and boy is it beautiful.
I saw a sunset last night…"
"You told me."
Okay, someone was cranky.
"Today I went down by the water and
you would not believe all the stuff in there. Sea grass,
tour and forgot to turn it back up. My heart thudding, I dug through my purse.
"Thank you Rose. I'll call her now. Nathan, I need to return this
call."
"Take whatever time you need."
"It should only take a few minutes. We
can get right back to work." Crap. I was so not used to traveling and had
been having such fun today, I nearly forgot my responsibilities at home. I
should have kept my phone on, at least set to vibrate. What could be going on
with Michelle?
Nathan shut his laptop. "I'm done here
anyway and need to take care of other matters." He stood and put his hand
on my shoulder.
Oh, crap again. That same tingle as when we'd
first shook hands.
"We'll be keeping odd hours,
including evenings and nights. You don't have to work every single minute of
the day. I need you rested and alert, and I realize you have a life back home
and responsibilities that don't stop because you're here."
He squeezed my shoulder, then removed his
hand. "Take your time, let me know if you need anything. I'll meet you at
the front desk at six o'clock. Take a break before. You'll spend two hours
there observing, so bring along whatever you'll need. After that, we'll go out
to dinner at this great place I found. I want you to get a feel for the other
businesses on the island."
Missing the warmth of his hand on my
shoulder as soon as he removed it, I waited until he walked out the door before
I called Vicky.
"So sorry to bother you. I hope I
didn't get you in trouble." Her voice sounded strained.
"That's okay Vicky, my fault for not
having my phone turned up. What's going on?"
"I got a letter from this insurance
company. You told me to look through Michelle's mail while you're gone. It says
they'll cancel her policy if you don't give them some information, and they
want it in two days."
Great. "Read me the letter."
Vicky did, and fortunately, it was nothing
complicated, only a clerical question. The insurance company claimed they'd
sent an initial request weeks ago, but I didn't remember seeing any such thing.
She gave me the phone number, I called and we had the problem resolved in ten
minutes.
Lesson learned; keep my phone on and
nearby. And maybe I should try again to get Vicky to text. She'd enjoy it, once
she got started, I knew.
I closed my laptop and stood, when the
last part of what Nathan said hit me. Dinner. He planned to take me to dinner
tonight. A business dinner, but still. A little ball of unease rolled around in
my stomach, like it did every time I had a date.
Not a date. A business dinner. Nathan said
that.
So why did my pulse speed up as I pictured
sitting in a restaurant with Nathan, both of us laughing, trading bites of
food?
Stop. We'd talk about Bay Paradise. No
food swapping.
I left the conference room and headed
back to my suite. It appeared I had time off. I could finish up my notes, or take
a break, as Nathan suggested. The adrenaline spike from Vicky's call now had my
nervous system dive-bombing, and a rest sounded good. I'd type my notes while
at the front desk. There would be some activity in the evening there,
but not a lot. The employees would act more naturally if it didn't appear I was
looking over their shoulder every minute.
Back in my room again, I set my phone alarm,
undressed, and laid on the bed with my laptop and a book. I'd check in with my
email back home, then read for an hour or so.
When my alarm blasted at five o'clock, I
woke with a start, my laptop underneath me and my book on the floor beside the
bed. I must have been more tired than I thought. After I got up, moved around,
drank a glass of water and shook the haze out of my brain, I called Michelle.
"Hey sis, how's things kickin'?"
"Kickin' good."
Our standard greeting, when she actually answered
the phone.
"I'm in Key Largo and boy is it beautiful.
I saw a sunset last night…"
"You told me."
Okay, someone was cranky.
"Today I went down by the water and
you would not believe all the stuff in there. Sea grass,
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