I gasp a laugh, crumbling up a napkin to throw at him. “Jesus.”

“No. Aleck Fox. I’m arguably more handsome, I have more money, and less pressure to prove myself.”

I snort, rolling my eyes. But it was true, we did start each day together. Arguing the first morning, getting to know each other the second, and, well, you know what happened the two mornings after that. I don’t know what it means, or that it means anything. But it means something that he noticed.

Aleck’s phone vibrates against the marble counter of the kitchen island, breaking me out of my reverie. He presses the screen twice, then slides his phone across the counter.

“Good morning, Trent.”

“Hello, Mr. Fox,” Trent’s voice fills the room. “I hope the morning finds you well.”

“The morning is finding me just fine, Trent. Thank you.”

“Good morning, Trent,” I shout, making Aleck lift his attention to me with a smirk.

“Winter, is that you?” Trent asks, making Aleck’s smirk drop, and his eyes narrow on mine.

“Yeah, it’s me. Slam into any ladies coming around a corner lately?”

“Unfortunately, no.” A smile is clear in his tone. “Though I don’t believe it would be as lovely as the last time that happened to me. How is the room?”

“Spacious,” I say, then the sound of our laughter fills the space around Aleck’s ticking jaw.

“Yes, well, I didn’t realize you two were so well acquainted,” Aleck says.

“Jealous?” I mouth without making a sound.

Aleck cups his hand over the phone then whispers, “Kind of. Do you like to be spanked, Miss Sommers?”

I squeeze my thighs together, clenching my walls around nothing as the ache of what he’s said fills me. Before I can respond, he brings his attention back to his phone, then takes it off speakerphone, cutting my conversation with Trent short.

“I’m having trouble getting into my email, Trent. Send the Brodevich file to Hayden and have him sign off on it. And please, watch him like a baby with a knife in his hand. I don’t want him messing this up.” His scowl flattens, then his eyes soften on me. “I also need you to send three dozen pink roses to my hotel suite with a card that reads: Miss Sommers, thank you for the head in the head. Love—no, scratch that—best wishes, Aleck Fox.”

I nearly spit my orange juice in his casually amused face. My mouth drops open, and before I’m able to scrape it from the floor, I’m off my stool, heading toward Aleck.

“I cannot believe you just said that!” I grit, holding back a fit of laughter.

“That will be all, Trent. Thank you,” Aleck says hurriedly, then hangs up the phone and slides it across the kitchen island just in time to catch me when I jump on him.

“You are such an asshole!” I yell, laughing, trying to throw my arms around Aleck’s neck.

Aleck laughs so hardily, his pitch sounds like he’s using areas of his larynx he’s never used before.