Unbuttoning the CEO by Mia Sosa Read Free Book Online Page B

New York, Gracie had spent hours wandering the most famous museums in the world: the Guggenheim, the Museum of Modern Art, and of course, the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The District had its fair share of wonderful art museums, but New York museums held a special place in her heart.
    Given that she loved art, she could not miss the Kennedy Center’s production of The Dancer , a musical based on Edgar Degas’s famous painting Little Dancer Aged Fourteen . An LTN board member had offered her the tickets, and she’d snapped them up like a hungry crocodile. Karen, who loved the performing arts, would be the perfect “date” for the show.
    “Do we get to dress up?” Karen asked as they climbed into the taxi.
    “We do. First, I feed you. Then we shop.”
    Gracie gave the taxi driver her address, and Karen snuggled against her. “I’m so glad I’m here, Gracie. It’s going to be a wonderful evening.”
    *  *  *
    Gracie needed to use the restroom. As she’d anticipated, the performance captivated her senses—and undermined her ability to gauge when she’d sipped too much water. As soon as the intermission began, Gracie left her seat and sprinted out of the auditorium. Karen trailed behind her.
    “Enjoying the show?” Gracie asked Karen as they waited in line.
    “I am. It’s incredible. I had the urge to use the restroom a half hour ago, but I didn’t want to miss a second.”
    “I know what you mean,” Gracie said as she rushed into the stall.
    Minutes later, she and Karen met outside the restroom and debated whether to order wine. “I think I’ll pass,” Karen said.
    “I’m going to order a glass. Go ahead back to your seat. No need to wait for me.”
    Karen nodded and walked away.
    Gracie turned toward the bar, enjoying the slight twirl of the black jersey dress she’d worn for the occasion. Stepping around two middle-aged women in the middle of a warm hug, her eyes rounded when she saw a familiar figure.
    Nic—waiting at the bar. With a woman. A beautiful woman with a slim figure and a stylish, pixie haircut. And she was a very possessive woman, if the hand grasping at Nic’s waist was any indication.
    Gracie’s mouth dropped as she took him in. He’d replaced his signature outfit—a sweater and jeans—with a slate gray suit that hugged his broad shoulders and long legs. He’d combed his hair back, too, and the effect devastated her: Every feature on his face, from his pale green eyes to his bow-shaped lips, fought for her attention. She watched this stranger, noticing the details that had transformed him from a casually dressed computer consultant to the striking businessman before her. The starched white shirt. The red silk tie. The Italian leather shoes. To say that he cleaned up well would have been an understatement.
    At first, Nic’s face revealed nothing about his mood. But then he appeared inattentive and distracted, glancing between the watch at his wrist and the program in his hand. At one point, he gritted his teeth when the beauty next to him kissed his cheek.
    Gracie’s stomach twisted. Afraid she’d have to speak to Nic with that woman by his side, she dove behind the middle-aged women, one of whom wore an elaborate red hat that provided the camouflage Gracie needed.
    The woman with the red hat leaned toward Gracie. “What is it, sweetheart?” she asked in a low voice.
    “I don’t want someone to see me,” Gracie replied.
    The other woman’s eyes brightened with excitement. “Is it a man?”
    “Yes, yes, a man,” Gracie said. “A very handsome one. But he happens to be here with a date.”
    The woman straightened and searched the crowd, presumably for the handsome man in question. “Oh, the rat. We’ve got you covered.”
    And they did. Literally. The two women shifted to stand hip to hip as Gracie crouched behind them. “On three, we’ll step back and walk to the auditorium doors,” said Hat Lady. “One, two, three.”
    They shuffled backward and to the right