Capsizing Her Billionaire Boss - Sarah Gay Page 0,22
his back against the counter with a grunt. “I hate Kai,” he said, then caught himself when she shot him a questioning look. “I hate that Kai’s not here with us.”
“Did someone say business lunch?” said Eli, walking into the kitchen from the hallway. “I’ll speak business if you’ll give me lunch.”
“Eli!” exclaimed Poppy. “You’ve been here this entire time?”
Eli looked from side to side like he’d missed something. “What entire time?”
She waved her hand in the air. “Nothing,” she said quickly. “Go on.”
He rubbed his palms together. “I know we were waiting until Monday to sit down officially, but I wanted to show you something I’ve been working on.” He set up his laptop on the counter and started typing.
“You read the proposal?” she asked, giving Damian the stink eye.
Eli slid his laptop across the counter to her. “Uh-huh, and I called Kai to make sure I grasped what he’s envisioning.”
Poppy rested her face in her hand. Her elbow pressed into the counter for support while she swiped at the screen for a good five minutes, her eyes zigzagging back and forth. Her expression wasn’t easy to read until she stood back up, beaming. “I didn’t expect this from you, Eli. I could kiss you,” she said, taking his face in her hands and jostling his head slightly.
Eli closed his eyes.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” said Damian, waving his hands like an aircraft marshaller directing airplanes on the runway.
Poppy rolled her eyes and laughed as she stepped to the stove. “I wasn’t going to kiss him. That’s just an expression.”
“I like that expression,” said Eli, giving Damian a she likes me lift of his chin.
Damian punched Eli in the shoulder. “No. She doesn’t.”
“She doesn’t what?” asked Poppy as she drained the potatoes in the sink. “I’m starving and doing all the work here. Weren’t you going to cook for me?”
Out of the corner of his eye, Damian noticed someone pacing back and forth on the sidewalk in front of the house. “Are you expecting someone, Eli?” he said, pointing outside.
Eli walked to the window. “I don’t mean to freak anyone out, but someone is standing on the sidewalk with a camera pointed at the house.”
Anger lit Damian’s chest. He bolted for the door.
“Is it a telephoto lens?” asked Poppy.
Eli threw up his hands. “I don’t know. Where’s Kara when we need her?”
“Damian, no!” Poppy screamed as Damian pulled open the front door.
He’d pummeled the paparazzi once; he’d do it again. Stepping out onto his porch, the sun blinded him momentarily. He raised his arm in front of his face to shield out the harsh light before continuing his rampage.
Poppy jumped in front of him. “Damian,” she said firmly. “This isn’t the way. You need to trust me.”
A deep guttural sound rose from his throat. “Come on,” he begged. “Just one hit. The guy’s asking for it.”
Her face went to steel. “I’m in charge now. Right? I can handle these people. I’ve done it before. We can use this publicity for our gain, but I need you to work with me. I need you to trust me.”
Damian exhaled, long and slow. “You did it,” he said with surprise, staring into her stunning green eyes.
“Did what?” she said, her expression softening.
He pondered how to explain the feeling of being undisturbed. “You tempered me. That’s a first.”
“Are you saying I calmed you?” She slowly lowered her eyes, then raised them, tempting him. “Looks like we’re becoming friends.”
“Can we just skip to the end,” he said, grabbing her by the waist.
Her breath staggered and her face lit with a kind of excitement that he’d never seen in a woman’s eyes before, but he liked it.
He took a chance, dropping his face and kissing her deep. Her fingers found the back of his neck, telling him she liked whatever it was he was doing. He didn’t have a clue how to kiss a woman he’d fallen for; instincts took over.
She pulled back, severing their connection. “Wait. What are we doing?” she asked in a breathy voice.
“Kissing. And I’d really like to keep kissing you. If that’s okay,” he said, reaching for her.
“Thank you!” yelled the paparazzi with a wave.
Damian pointed at the photographer. The guy jumped back into his car and sped away. “Why do those guys always wear black? What are they trying to blend in with?”
Poppy covered her face. “Oh, no. I don’t know how to spin this one.”
“It’s okay,” said Damian, rubbing her shaking arms. “We’ll figure it out.”
“This needs to stop,” she