Nicole's POV
The phone rings, sounding like a caffeinated woodpecker, jerking me out of my paperwork-induced haze. I glance at the blinged-out clock. Three in the afternoon. Only a select few would dare to disrupt my financial jousting at this sacred hour. The name on the screen dances before my eyes. Ara Golden. My face breaks into a grin.
"Hey, princess," I greet, twirling a diamond-encrusted pen with my fingers. "Calling to rescue me from my spreadsheet dungeon or are your two competing Alpha males setting things on fire again?"
Ara's laugh comes through, tinged with that smoky sass, accompanied by the subtle pitter-patter of paws and Ben's signature grumbles. “Nicole, zip it and listen. This is SOS level.”
I shoot upright, heart rate spiking. "What now? Did Benedict the fox get int
