Russell came back into the room before Brianna could answer. “Did you order?”
Brianna pulled her phone out of her pocket. “Not yet. Ashiya and I were just talking about what to order.”
After a few minutes of discussion, they decided to order burgers and fries from a nearby diner that used a food delivery service. They went over the members of the board and the last few board meeting minutes while they waited.
Brianna’s cell phone rang after the food arrived and they were unpacking things in the kitchen. She frowned down at her phone screen. “It’s Levi’s grandmother.” She pressed the button and put the phone to her ear. “Hello Ms. Galliard.” She paused and listened. “I’m helping Ashiya right now. No, we’re wrapping up.” There were a few seconds of silence when a small smile lifted the corners of Brianna’s mouth. “Of course. I’ll come that way now. No problem. Bye.”
Ashiya raised a brow. She’d asked Brianna to disappear when the food came, but she hadn’t expected her to go so far as to use Levi’s grandmother as her excuse. “What did she want?”
Brianna slid her phone into the pocket of her slacks. “She wants my input on the surprise party she’s throwing for Levi’s birthday next Saturday. She says no one knows him as well as I do.” The pleasure in Brianna’s voice was surprising.
“You’re really going to help?” Ashiya didn’t think this was preplanned. Brianna seemed genuinely surprised and delighted by the invitation.
“I am,” Brianna put the takeout container with her burger in a bag and lifted it from the counter. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
With that, she rushed out of the kitchen as if there was a fire beneath her feet. Ashiya and Russell watched the direction she went for a few seconds.
“Does she...” Russell’s voice sounded questioning.
“Like Levi?” Ashiya finished. “I think so. Though I don’t know why or what she sees in him.”
Notwithstanding the way Brianna defended Levi, there was the way her eyes softened when she talked about him, and the pride in her voice when she told Ashiya about the good things he’d done for the Legacy Group.
Russell turned back to her. “Are you sure she didn’t know about the funds and is protecting him?”
Ashiya opened her mouth to deny, then snapped it closed. She pursed her lips and considered. “I mean, I don’t get the I’m-going-to-stab-you-in-the-back vibe from her. She seems to want me to succeed because that’s what my grandmother wanted.”
“That doesn’t mean you should trust her right off the bat. She could be a puppet of Levi’s.”
Ashiya took a deep breath. “I really don’t think so, but...” She glanced at the door again.
“But what?”
“I am a member of the Robidoux family, and I know that what’s on the surface can hide a lot underneath.” Her instincts told her she could trust Brianna, but she couldn’t rely on instincts alone.
He grunted. “You would know that.”
Ashiya’s back stiffened. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing. Just exactly what you said. What’s on the surface can hide a lot.” Bitterness entered his voice.
“Yeah, but you’re saying the words as if you’ve got something else you want to say.”
He stared at her for several tense seconds. “There’s nothing else to say.” He looked away and picked up his takeout tray. “Since Brianna’s gone, I’ll eat this in my room and respond to my emails for Robidoux Holdings.”
Ashiya rushed over and placed a hand on his arm when he moved to turn away. No way was he going to toss those words out and then disappear on her again. “There’s a lot to say.”
He shook his arm until her hand fell away, then faced her. “No there isn’t, Ashiya. The only thing we need to talk about is your inheritance and finding out where the money went.”
He shifted to go around her. She reached out and grabbed his arm tighter. “Yes, there is a lot to say. Say it. I can handle it. I know you’re mad and hurt, and—”
He jerked away and glared. “When was the last time you talked to Stephen?” His voice was flat, accusatory, and frustration blazed in his eyes.
Ashiya lifted her chin. “It’s been over a year.”
His lips twisted in a skeptical smirk. “I don’t believe that.”
He tried to walk away, and Ashiya hurriedly stood before him and blocked his way. “Six months after you and I broke up, he asked me to marry him. The same day, another woman showed up to say she was pregnant with his kid. They got married last year. He called me to invite me to the wedding.”
At first, she couldn’t believe Stephen had the audacity to call and invite her to his wedding. Then she reminded herself that was just what his ego would want. Stephen would love nothing more than to have Ashiya at his wedding. He’d probably imagine her teary-eyed and jealous as he married someone after years of “not being ready” with her. She’d wished him well and hung up the phone.
A line formed between Russell’s brows. “Were you disappointed? When you found out she was pregnant?”
Ashiya crossed her arms over her chest. “I was relieved.”
“Relieved?”
“Yes. The day you walked away, I knew I’d made a mistake. I tried to tell you, but you wouldn’t even talk to me. So, I did what I always did and decided to give Stephen another chance. Finding out he’d gotten someone pregnant was the wakeup call I needed. I made a huge mistake staying with him for as long as I did. I never should have walked away from you. Finding out the person I hurt you for was not worth it was what I deserved.”
His hard expression didn’t soften. The only reaction was the flaring of his nose with his deep breaths. This was the confession and truth she’d wanted to tell him for so long, but he never gave her the chance. Every time she’d imagined telling him, she’d hoped he’d do something other than stare at her as if she were some specimen under a microscope.
She took a step toward him. “Russell, I—”
“I’ve got work to do.” He turned away and walked out of the kitchen without a backwards glance.
* * *
RUSSELL FLIPPED ONTO his back in the king-sized bed, kicked off the covers, and stared at the ceiling. His pajama pants twisted around his legs, a fine sheen of sweat covered his chest, and he couldn’t find a comfortable spot anywhere in the damn bed. With a frustrated sigh, he jumped up and flipped the wall switch to turn on the ceiling fan.
He lay back on the bed and watched the fan blades spin. As the circulating air chilled the sweat on his body, his mind whirled. What possessed him to ask her about Stephen in the first place? If he was really over Ashiya—the way he should be—then he shouldn’t care about when she last spoke with her ex. He shouldn’t feel even a grain of happiness knowing she wasn’t with him anymore, or that the guy had turned out to be just as much of an asshole as he’d expected him to be. That all the I-told-you-so thoughts and feelings he’d had about Ashiya’s decision to go back to that guy had turned out to be true.
The petty side of him was happy. Not happy about Ashiya being hurt—no one deserved to be lied to—but happy he’d been right. He’d known he was the better choice for her, and Stephen wouldn’t make her happy. Once he put the pettiness aside, he was left with something else. Something he didn’t want to acknowledge, even though ignoring the feeling was next to impossible.
Expectation.
What did all of this mean? Did it have to mean anything? Why was he even questioning the meaning behind anything she’d said?
He turned to his side and closed his eyes. The questions didn’t stop. He flipped to his other side. A vision of Ashiya in the kitchen when she’d told the story filled his mind. The look of honesty in her eyes. The regret mixed with vulnerability as she admitted to being played by the person she’d thought had loved her.
“Fuck!” he groaned and sat up.
He wasn’t going to sleep like this. He was hot and thirsty. He’d get a glass of water, grab one of the files on the company out of the office, and come back to bed. He might as well do something productive to get his mind off of Ashiya. Maybe an hour or two of reviewing the company reports would cure his insomnia, too.
He stood and walked out of the bedroom. The lights were on in the kitchen. Russell blinked against the sudden brightness from the dim hall into the lit kitchen. He glanced around, but no one was there. Ashiya must have left the light on. He headed for the fridge. The pantry door was open, and he pushed it closed and automatically turned the lock.
He opened the fridge and reached for a bottle of water. The sound of a shriek made him freeze. Frowning, he turned around and scanned the kitchen. The scream came again followed by banging on the pantry door.
Russell’s pulse skyrocketed. He ran from the fridge to the pantry, unlocked the door, and jerked it open. Ashiya rushed forward, slamming into his chest. She shrieked and punched him in the chest.
“Ow!” Russell slid back and rubbed the spot she hit.
“Why would you lock me in there?” she yelled. Her eyes were wide and frantic. Terror made her voice shake.
Russell held his hands in front of him in a “chill” motion. “I didn’t know you were in there. I just closed the door.”
“I know you hate me, but that wasn’t necessary.” She brought a hand to her forehead. Her fingers trembled. Her whole body trembled.
His initial shock faded, and worry rushed in. He slid closer to her. “Ashiya, I’m sorry.”
She hit his chest again. “Don’t do that.”
He grabbed her wrist to stop her from hitting him. “Ashiya, it’s okay.” She froze and glared at him. Her trembling didn’t stop. Her pulse raced erratically beneath his fingertips. “I didn’t know you were in there. Seriously. I’m sorry.”
She took several shallow breaths. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. “I don’t like being locked away.”
Her words struck him as odd. Why would she be locked away? He would never lock her away.
“I wouldn’t do that to you. I saw the open door and closed it on my way to the fridge.”
She nodded stiffly. Her eyes stayed closed as she worked to control her breathing. A tear slipped from one eye. “I’m sorry—”
He pulled her against his chest and wrapped an arm around her. “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t know. It’s okay. You’re out.”
She stiffened in his embrace. Something that had never happened before. She’d always melted into his embrace. Looked up at him with those beautiful eyes and smiled her radiant smile. He’d never seen her afraid, and he didn’t like it. Nor did he ever want to be a source of fear for her.
She pushed back. Russell loosened his grip but didn’t let her go. He dreamed of having her back in his arms so much despite knowing he couldn’t ever let that happen again. Now that she was there, he wasn’t ready to release her. Slowly, she raised her chin.
Time stopped the second her eyes met his. Russell forgot about all the reasons he shouldn’t want her in his arms. Forgot all the times he reminded himself that she was bad news. Forget the pain he’d felt when she’d left him and only remembered the way her lips felt against his.
Her body softened. Her fingers spread against his chest. Could she feel the pounding of his heart? The sweet scent of her filled his senses. She always reminded him of cinnamon and honey. Like the most decadent of desserts. The softness of her body in his arms infected his brain.
His head lowered. She lifted onto her toes. Anticipation tightened his muscles with each second they drew closer. Her sweet lips brushed against his. Desire roared through his bloodstream like lava.
“I knew you were going to hook up with her again.” Isaac’s taunting voice screamed in his mind.
Russell jerked back. Ashiya’s eyes popped open. What the fuck! Just that quick and he was ready to kiss her. Nah, it would have been more than that. He wouldn’t have stopped with a kiss.
He dropped his arms and shuffled back. Ashiya wavered, then regained her balance. Her lips were parted and taunted him to pull her back and finish the kiss. Her breasts rose and fell with her deep breaths. They drew his eye and made his hands clench with the need to cup them, run his finger over the hard nipples visible through her thin T-shirt. His already swelling dick thickened even more.
He had to leave. If he didn’t walk away right now, he’d pull her into his arms and not consider all the reasons making love to her right now was a bad decision until the harsh light of morning woke him.
He ran a hand over the back of his head. “Yeah, so...see you in the morning.” He turned and hurried out of the kitchen as if the devil himself was on his heels.
CHAPTER TEN
ASHIYA DECIDED SHE wouldn’t bring up the almost-kiss from the night before with Russell. As much as she loved seeing desire burn in Russell’s eyes, and had tossed and turned when she’d gone back to her room until the sleeping pill she’d taken finally kicked in, she also knew bringing up the kiss would make Russell run faster than a gazelle being chased by a lion.
Knowing he wanted her was enough for now. If they continued to work together, she’d have more chances to get closer to him. If she didn’t push, maybe he’d accept his feelings and even be okay with giving them a second chance.
So, when he hesitantly entered the office the next day, she didn’t smile at him like she wanted to. She continued to review the board meeting minutes in her hand and casually asked, “Can you review the subcontract agreement my grandmother approved six months ago for Hanover Company to make the new line of shampoo? I marked up some items I had questions on, and I’d like to get your opinion.”
Russell cautiously entered the room like a gazelle waiting for the lioness to pounce. Ashiya didn’t look up even though she felt his gaze on her. After a few tense seconds, he cleared his throat.
“Uh, yeah, sure. Where is it?”
Ashiya picked up a folder with the contract and held it up, again without looking his way. Russell took the contract and sat in a chair opposite her. Ashiya glanced over at him and suppressed a smile.
“Thank you,” she said.
His eyes lifted to hers. “Sure.”
She broke eye contact first and went back to reviewing the minutes. It took everything in her not to keep stealing glances at him. Not to focus on the glint of the gold chain revealed in the opening of his butter-yellow polo shirt, how tempting his thighs were in his blue slacks, or the grace of his long fingers as they slid across the papers, and imagine them doing the same over her skin.
Several minutes later, once she’d read and re-read the minutes twice more to give Russell time to realize she wasn’t going to bring up the kiss and to control her reaction to him just sitting and breathing, she put down her paper.
Russell looked up from the contract. “Are you ready to go over your questions?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
For the next few minutes, Russell answered her questions about the contract and gave her insight on how the subcontractual agreement not only helped the Legacy Group meet the demand for a new product line but also kept an underperforming factory afloat.
Ashiya leaned an elbow on the arm of her chair. “I guess Grandma had a soft spot.”
“Why do you say that?” Russell sat back in his chair. He’d relaxed during their work discussion. The wariness in his eyes faded, and interest replaced it.
“Well, it would have made sense to lay off the workers and automate the manufacturing of the shampoo. Instead, she not only agreed to letting them manufacture the new shampoo, but also gave them the go-ahead to make a generic version of another soap. This saved jobs and gave the facility an extra cushion in case the new shampoo doesn’t pan out. I don’t think she wanted to let them go.”
Russell glanced ove
r the agreement, then nodded. “I think you’re right. The agreement is profitable, but profits would have been higher laying off the workforce and automating production.” He met her eyes. “She obviously put people ahead of profits.”
“That makes me feel better. That’s the type of leader I want to be. I’d like to make decisions that benefit our workers and the bottom line. I wouldn’t want to only be focused on how to cut corners and make more money. Since my grandmother already laid that foundation, then it should be easier for me to keep it going.”
The more she learned about the Legacy Group, the more she realized her grandmother was a smart businesswoman who cared. Many of her decisions took profit into account, but also the well-being of the people who worked for the company. From the person working in the facilities up to those working in the executive suite, no employee was taken for granted. Even more surprising, her cousin Levi either suggested or oversaw many of the improvements in the years he’d taken over at the company. That didn’t fit her idea of a person willing to embezzle funds from the company.
“Your grandmother obviously didn’t want to put profits over people, but remember the meeting minutes. There were board members who were against the agreement. Your cousin Levi typically voted with your grandmother, and his vote was often the swing. If he disagrees with you in the future, there’s no guarantee he’ll give you the same loyalty he gave your grandmother.”
She let out a heavy breath. “True. I just hope he wouldn’t vote against me to the detriment of the company. Being mad at me shouldn’t be a reason for him to not continue to make the Legacy Group successful.”
“Jealousy and greed can turn any person. I still think you should fire him.”
Ashiya shook her head. “Not yet. If he turns out to be stubborn, and stupid, then I’ll let him go. For now, I’d like to focus on getting him on my side. My grandmother obviously trusted him. He has to have some kind of redeeming quality.”
“Don’t get your hopes up on that.”
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