Billionaire's Bribe(7)

Greyson, being the boss, had no such restrictions—he went out and returned with takeout Chinese. The aroma had nearly driven her mad with hunger. By the time six-o’clock rolled around, she was absolutely ravenous. She packed up hastily and was making a beeline for the elevator when Greyson stepped out.

“Eva.” Pausing, she bit back a curse and then turned to face him. One of his hands was tucked casually into his pocket as he smiled. “I was wondering if you would like to join me for dinner?”

Her jaw dropped. “You’re inviting me out to eat?”

One of his shoulders shrugged. “It is partially my fault you missed lunch, and I feel guilty for not bringing you anything back. It’s the least I could do.”

She looked at him dubiously. “What do you propose? Perhaps a quick lunch at a diner or café?”

He gave her a lopsided grin. “I had something a little classier in mind.”

Of course he did. A man like him might go to Panda Express once in a while, but he’d never take a woman to a fast food joint—especially not one he intended to sleep with.

“I suppose I wouldn’t mind letting you buy me dinner.”

“Good.” He crossed the distance and took her arm. “Let’s go, then.”

The place she was whisked off to was far from a McDonald’s. It was an exclusive restaurant owned by a famous French chef, and boasted a wide variety of culinary delights. The waiter brought them a vintage red, and they sat out on the terrace sipping their wine and gazing out over Central Park. She could see Central Park lake sparkling and reflecting the vibrant colors of the setting sun, while people—so tiny and insignificant from up here—walked, ran or biked along the paths.

“This is beautiful.” She had a view of Central Park from her own apartment, but it was nothing like this.

“I’m glad you like it.” He reached across the table and twined his fingers with hers. She shivered as the pad of his thumb lightly stroked the webbing between her thumb and forefinger—a sensitive spot, and from the gleam in his eye, he knew it. “This is one of my favorite places to come to eat out.”

It also cost a fortune, if the menu prices were to be believed. She would have winced if it weren’t for the fact that he was not only paying, but he could well afford the expense. Recklessly, she ordered the most expensive dish on the menu, and proudly told the waiter her choice. Greyson only smiled, as though she were a child who, in a fit of pique attempting to get back at her parent, had instead done something terribly amusing. Shame filled her. Of course he wouldn’t care either way. She was just making herself look foolish.

Rather than make a fuss, she allowed him to draw her into conversation over the meal. She found out he’d grown up in Boston, and at one point had considered going to MIT for their Engineering program. Instead, shortly after getting out high school, he had landed a position as an assistant manager for a locally owned store, and found that he liked the business side of things. He had instead graduated from Boston College with an MBA and had gone on to New York after running a variety of successful business ventures for others to start on his own.

Eva offered sparse details about her own life, not necessarily because she wanted to hide anything, but because compared to his accomplishments she felt as though her life was a failure. Because she’d gotten a job straight out of high school, and a rather cushiony one at that, she felt as though it wasn’t necessary for her to go to college, that she would be perfectly content with where she was at. She had no concept of job security, of the state of the economy, of anything outside her little sphere. And so when the company had folded, she was left out in the cold.

Despite this, he seemed perfectly content with the anecdotes she did tell him—of life with her family in Oyster Bay, of different trips she’d taken and various exploits she’d had with her friends. A few times he’d even chuckled as she’d detailed some of the more mischievous doings she and her friends had gotten themselves into. Retelling them put a smile to her face as well—it had been a long time since she’d done anything so care free.

Once the meal was over, he took her for a walk down in the park. The sun was nearly gone by then, with only the gilt edges remaining as twilight reigned over the sky. Nowhere else in the city was it more obvious that spring had arrived—the profusion of greenery, the quiet chirping of birds settling down for the night, and the fragrance of a multitude of blossoms drifting over the wind were the season’s banner being flown high and proud.