Like a Boss - Annabelle Costa Page 0,53

own shirt and Luke grins. “You’re so beautiful, Ellie,” he says. “What the hell do you see in me?”

“You’re rich,” I say and he laughs.

I force him to lie still and I kiss his neck, shoulders, earlobes, and face… all his most sensitive areas. I can taste his skin getting sweaty and from the way his breathing changes, I can tell he’s enjoying what I’m doing for him. He’s pressing his palms into the small of my back, drawing me closer to him. His breathing gets faster and faster until he throws back his head and moans loudly. I suspect this is the closest he can come to an orgasm.

Luke lies there for a minute, still breathing hard. He blinks and rubs his face. “That was fantastic,” he says.

At this point, most men would roll over and say goodnight, but instead, he starts kissing me again. Presumably, this means it’s my turn. No matter how tired he is or how late it is, he always considers my pleasure. I don’t know how I got so lucky.

Chapter 21

From an interview with Lucas Thayer in Business Weekly:

“Mr. Thayer, what do you think the number one key to success in business is?”

“I live by the 80/20 rule.”

“What’s that?”

“That’s the rule stating 80% of results come from 20% of efforts. So essentially, 80% of what you do is wasted. The key is finding that 20% and cutting out the other 80%. That’s how you make a profit in business.”

I’m not thrilled when Luke invites me to go out with him and a couple of his “prep school buddies.” I immediately imagine the three of them wearing matching blazers and preppy haircuts. This does not excite me.

“Are you seriously still friends with people you went to high school with?” I ask him. We’re lying in bed together, naked and sweaty from the previous activities of the evening.

“No,” Luke says. “Actually, I hate these guys.”

“Even better,” I say. “Do you hate every single one of your friends?”

“Possibly.” He shrugs. “I knew a lot of assholes in prep school and college. And lately, I’ve been too busy working to make new friends. So I’m stuck with the assholes.”

“Lovely.”

“Anyway, they’re good business contacts,” he says. “Carter is next in line for his family’s business and they’re almost as big as ours.”

“Carter? That’s his first name?”

“Look, are you coming or not?”

“I don’t know.” I make a face. “How much do you want me to come?”

Luke props himself up on his elbow and looks me in the eyes. “A lot.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” he says and grins sheepishly. “I get together once or twice a year with these guys and every time they show up with some gorgeous girl and I’m usually… well, I’m either alone or with some girl I don’t give a shit about who’s only dating me for my money. This year, I want you with me.”

It’s hard to say no to that.

We go out to dinner with Carter and Peter on Saturday night. I can tell Luke is nervous about it by how long he spends trying to figure out what to wear. He holds up like three ties and asks me which one is best, but how the hell should I know? I tell him they all look very expensive, which is the truth.

He tries to persuade me to let him buy me a dress for tonight, but I refuse. I already feel weird about the five-thousand-dollar dress, which is still hanging in my closet—I can’t imagine ever wearing it again. I do end up buying a new dress, but I get it at the mall. The mall has plenty of nice stuff.

We meet Carter and Peter at Legal Seafood. We arrive first to hold our table and Luke is shifting in his chair even more than he usually does. “You okay?” I ask him.

“I guess,” he mumbles.

“What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know,” he sighs. “It’s just that ever since high school, everything was always a competition with these guys. And ever since I got paralyzed, it’s always been a given I can’t win. Which, you know, I don’t care, fuck it. But it’s not the most fun way to spend the evening.”

“Luke…” My heart goes out to him. I lean forward and kiss him on the lips, feeling him pull me closer. I don’t think either of us wants to be here right now. I’m just about to suggest we blow off his friends when I hear snickering above us.

“Thayer, you old dog!” I look up and see a