by Erika Wilde
A few days after the fairy-tale ball, Michael had provided him with her basic personal information, including the fact that she was co-owner of Darian Commercial Realty with her stepmother. Hunter had been sitting on the email that included her business address, the company’s website, and office phone number—all details about her that were public knowledge—mostly because his family situation with Theodore Cole had imploded spectacularly days after the fairy-tale ball and had forced Hunter’s attention elsewhere.
Hunter was still trying to comprehend the events that had unfolded after Maddux’s decision to take Arabella Cole as a pawn to destroy her father, and how much their lives had changed in such a short span of time. Initially, Hunter had been pissed about the exchange and hadn’t hesitated to make his resentment toward Arabella known. Without question, he’d initially been an ass to her, but what he hadn’t expected was for her to be completely unaware of her father’s crimes and innocent of any wrongdoings. He also hadn’t expected her to be kind, sweet, and compassionate . . . and the one woman to thaw the ice around his brother’s heart.
A lot of shit had gone down with Theodore and his lackey, Gavin, including kidnapping Arabella and holding her hostage in exchange for Maddux’s life—and Maddux getting shot trying to protect Arabella in the process. It had been a fucked-up situation all the way around, but suffice it to say that both men were now behind bars on a list of legitimate criminal charges that would put them in prison for the rest of their lives.
As for Maddux and Arabella, despite the circumstances of how they’d met, the two of them were now inseparable. Without a doubt, Hunter had initially been shocked as hell at the realization that his brother—who’d never let any emotions or women distract him during the fourteen years he’d spent plotting revenge against Theodore—had fallen hard and fast for their enemy’s daughter. Yet he and Tempest had never seen Maddux happier than he was with Arabella. Smiling. Laughing. Looking at her as though she meant everything to him.
There was no denying that their brother was finally at peace with the past that had haunted him for so long, and seeing how much Arabella cared for Maddux was enough for Hunter to trust that her intentions toward his brother were pure. Hell, Maddux had already moved her into his penthouse and was well on his way to being domesticated.
The beauty had tamed the beast, Hunter mused with a wry shake of his head. The whole situation was un-fucking-believable—like a page right out of a modern-day fairy tale.
Now that everything with Theodore was resolved and life had calmed considerably, Hunter was ready to pursue Elle, and not just as a woman he wanted to fuck again. In the time that they’d been apart, he’d learned two crucial things about himself. One, his fascination and desire for her hadn’t diminished but instead had become an essential need he couldn’t ignore. And two, learning that Maddux had been shot protecting the woman he loved had jarred something loose around Hunter’s hardened heart and made him realize that life was way too fucking short to not embrace the things he wanted. The things that mattered. Like a sweet, kind, and sensual woman like Elle.
The one thing he knew for certain was that the future didn’t come with any guarantees and never would. He’d lost his parents tragically, followed by Natalie right after they’d gotten engaged . . . and while both of those losses had devastated him, he couldn’t help but feel that it was time he let go of the bitterness tainting his heart and embrace the feelings Elle had unearthed inside of him in one short night . . . not run from them and what could potentially be something special.
Hunter exhaled a deep breath as he stared at the picture of her posted on her real estate website. He wanted this woman in his life. It was just a matter of convincing her to give him a chance when she’d made it clear he was a one-night deal. She’d made no attempt to reach out to him about her shoe when she knew who he was and where he lived, so it was up to him to make the next move. Now that the chaos that had rained down on the Wilder siblings the past few weeks had subsided, it was time to contact her, and the perfect opportunity had just presented itself.
As he absently scrolled through the brand-new listings that had appeared that afternoon on the Darian Commercial Realty website, one structure in particular immediately grabbed his attention. Not for himself . . . but for Tempest, who’d been looking for a particular type of building in Brooklyn to purchase for her next venture. This one was located in a gentrified area of Williamsburg, and the specifications were pretty damn close to what she’d been searching for.
Hunter wasn’t a believer in fate, not after watching Natalie take her last breath in his arms, but if he did believe in that crap, he’d say that the universe had just given him a legitimate reason to contact Elle, on behalf of Tempest’s interest in the building.
The contacting agent was listed as Penelope Keys, along with her cell phone number, which meant that Hunter was going to have to see what he could do about sweet-talking the woman into convincing Elle to show him the property that evening, or at least accompany her.
Feeling more optimistic than he had since the morning she’d bolted on him, he picked up his cell phone and texted his sister.
I might have located a building for you and Wilder Things, he typed out, then grinned to himself and randomly added, And I also found my Cinderella. Are you interested in seeing both this evening?
He sent the message. Finding a building was a top priority for his sister right now, and he was pretty sure that the fact that Tempest had been teasing him about finding his “Cinderella” would undoubtedly pique her interest.
Not surprisingly, her response was a quick and enthusiastic Yes!
Elle pressed a hand to her upset stomach as she stirred half a spoonful of sugar into the wild blueberry hot tea she’d just made for herself, hoping the warm drink would settle her queasy belly. Everyone else at the office drank copious amounts of coffee, but Elle’s one small indulgence was her favorite brand of loose-leaf tea. It was a little more work having to use a tea strainer, but the infusion of flavor was worth it.
It was almost the end of the business day . . . for most people, anyway, who worked a normal nine-to-five shift, but she still had what felt like an endless pile of paperwork to get through in her office. For years, she’d worked out in the field as a real estate agent, which she’d loved, but six months ago, she’d made the difficult financial decision to let her office manager go, which meant Elle had to pick up the slack when it came to all the administrative crap, clerical work, payroll, and the day-to-day operations to make sure the company stayed afloat.
At one time, Darian Commercial Realty had been a multimillion-dollar business with over a dozen real estate agents working at the company. Over the past year, they’d lost seven of those brokers because a few commissions had been paid late and they clearly saw the writing on the wall, and Elle couldn’t even blame them for being proactive about their careers. Because expenses were close to exceeding income, Elle was seriously considering refinancing the house she’d lived in most of her life and now co-owned with Helena, thanks again to the terms in her father’s will. The couple hundred thousand of equity would give the business a much-needed infusion of cash and help get the company back to where it had once been.
Unfortunately, any kind of mortgage would take her stepmother’s signature on the loan, and for some reason, Helena was strongly dismissing the idea, even though it was their best option right now. It was another heated dispute between them, but it was getting to the point that Elle was going to need to do something on a financial level or the company would be looking at bankruptcy in the near future.
Elle’s stomach stirred uneasily as she braced her hip against the counter and took a sip of her tea. She honestly wasn’t sure if her abdominal issue was because of something bad she ate for lunch, which had been a grilled chicken salad, though that was unlikely because she’d been feeling off since this morning. Then there was the frustrating argument she’d had with her stepmother that afternoon over Helena randomly tra
ding in her two-year-old Mercedes for a brand-new one and sticking the company with the lease payments—more debt on top of the debt they already owed. Or it could be something as simple as stress, because she was just plain exhausted from burning the candle at both ends. Her days were spent at the office, and her nights were spent tossing and turning in bed, trying to figure out a way to save the company her father had built . . . then had foolishly given half of it to Helena in his will.
Her stepmother was an equal partner, and while she had no qualms spending money like it was made of water, she maybe showed up once or twice a week at the office to sign documents that required her signature. Today had been one of those days, and Elle’s confrontation with Helena over her extraneous expenses had been a doozy, which had somehow led to another heated argument with her stepmother suggesting, again, to sell the business. Elle refused to go that route. Letting someone else take over the company that belonged to her family would strip Elle of everything that meant anything to her, and she swore it would be her last resort, which had pissed off Helena even more, and she’d left the office in a furious huff.
Was it no wonder Elle had a nagging headache, too?
Penelope walked into the small break room, wearing a tailored suit that looked very businesslike and sophisticated, yet the peek of her silk and lace camisole beneath the jacket was sexy and feminine. In comparison, Elle felt frumpy in her basic black pencil skirt and inexpensive polyester blouse. Silk, lace, or anything even remotely soft or sensual hadn’t touched her body since the night of the fairy-tale ball. This was her real life, and those luxuries weren’t in the daily, weekly, or even monthly budget for her and wouldn’t be for a long while.
On the other hand, Penelope did phenomenally well as a broker, to the point that Elle couldn’t understand why someone of her caliber was still sticking around and hadn’t moved on to a more prominent and stable real estate firm. A few months back, Elle had made a semi-joking comment to Penelope that she ought to jump ship along with all those other agents who’d left the company for more secure employment before things got really bad. And her awesome, loyal friend had given Elle a fierce look and informed her that there was no way in fucking hell that she was going to leave the company or Elle until she was forced to.
Penelope flashed Elle a very Cheshire cat smile. “So, I just got a very interesting phone call about that six-million-dollar building in Williamsburg we listed today, and you were the main topic of conversation.”
“I’m not sure I know what you mean.” Elle frowned in confusion, though she perked up at the thought of the company making such a substantial sale. “You’re listed as the selling agent, not me.”
“Yes, and the client is interested in seeing the building this evening but also made a specific request that you come along to the showing.”
Elle rubbed at her aching temple. “I don’t work out in the field anymore. You know that. And stop being so vague, because you’re making my head hurt worse than it already does. Who is this client that he’d specifically ask for me?”
“Hunter Wilder.”
Elle sucked in a shocked breath. Her heart raced, and she nearly spilled her tea over the rim of her cup. With an unsteady hand, she set the unfinished drink on the counter while she tried to process that startling bit of information, especially since she hadn’t given Hunter anything more than her first name, and an abbreviated version at that. Then again, the company he owned with his brother, MadX-Tech, was one of the leading security firms in the city and most likely had all kinds of ways of unearthing data on a person. But why was he interested in seeing her again now?
It had been weeks since the fairy-tale ball, and even though Elle had been insanely busy, in what little downtime she did have, her mind usually drifted toward thoughts of Hunter, her unforgettable and erotic night with him, the rare and special connection they’d shared, and the regret she felt over sneaking out the following morning, even though she knew it had been for the best. They’d both agreed that their evening together would be a one-time thing, but those hours with him were engraved in her memory and had been one of the most amazing nights of her entire life.
“Wow,” Elle murmured, at a loss for words.
Penelope laughed lightly and flipped her dark hair over her shoulder. “Yeah, wow. I thought that would get your attention.”
It most definitely had. She was still reeling. “I don’t understand why Hunter wants me to come to the showing with you. Did you explain that you’re the listing agent and I don’t need to be there?”
“I tried . . . but he was adamant, and let me tell you, I have to admit that deep, assertive voice of his made me a little hot and bothered and completely compelled me to agree to anything he asked for,” she said, fanning herself with her hand in an exaggerated gesture. “He said he had something he’d like to return to you personally. He didn’t say what, exactly, but I’m guessing it’s the shoe you left behind.”
Elle groaned, still unable to believe she’d abandoned the one heel in her haste to leave. She’d told Penelope all about her night with Hunter and how she’d bolted the next morning before she could find her other shoe. Not her finest moment, for sure, and she’d honestly thought she’d never see the footwear again.
Penelope crossed her arms over her chest, her expression more serious now. “Look, from the sound of things, the guy just wants to see you. He took the time to find you, so at least give him the opportunity to give you back the shoe. And if things progress from there, a repeat of that night might not be a bad thing.”
Elle bit her bottom lip uncertainly, because as much as she’d love that, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to keep her emotions out of the equation. She wasn’t the type of girl who slept with a guy repeatedly without some kind of emotional connection, which she already felt toward Hunter. She wasn’t at a point in her life that she could afford to let a romance distract her from trying to save the company.
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” she said with a shake of her head.
“I’ll be there as a buffer, so you won’t be alone with him,” Penelope said persuasively, though there was a sly glint in her eyes that made Elle suspect her friend was trying to play matchmaker. “He’s bringing his sister, Tempest, who is actually the one interested in buying the building, and while I’m discussing specs with her, you can have a chat with Hunter and get your shoe back.”
A small smile touched Elle’s lips. “I’ll probably never have a reason to wear those shoes again, but I really do want it back.” And after she’d been cooped up in the office for the past eight hours, it would be nice to get out, and hopefully breathing in some fresh air would help with her nagging headache and the weird feeling in her stomach.
As for coming face-to-face with Hunter again . . . she’d never anticipated that happening, and it was hard to ignore the glimmer of excitement lifting her mood and dissipating that dark cloud that had been hanging over Elle since her unpleasant argument with Helena a few hours ago. She told herself that this was about getting her shoe back and nothing more . . . never mind that she was suddenly feeling like a schoolgirl about to meet up with her hot guy crush.
“When do we need to leave?” she asked.
Penelope glanced at the time on her phone. “In about an hour. They’ll be at the property at six but I’d like to get there a bit earlier to open the building and put some of the lights on so it doesn’t look so gloomy inside when they arrive.”
That time frame at least gave Elle a bit of time to take a few ibuprofen to ward off her headache and to freshen her makeup so she didn’t look as stressed and exhausted as she felt inside. Concealer, blush, and lip gloss went a long way in camouflaging those outward flaws, and she was woman enough to want to look her best—or in her case, as good as she could—when she saw Hunter again.
Chapter 9
At a quarter till six, Penelope turned her car into the small parking lot located in front of the four-story building in Williamsburg, which faced the Ea
st River and overlooked the skyscrapers of Midtown Manhattan. It was a prime piece of real estate in a newly hip and modernized neighborhood of Brooklyn. The area surrounding the structure leaned toward trendy and chic, with stylish boutiques, popular cafes, and unique specialty restaurants.
Considering the desirable and growing location, Elle knew the property wouldn’t stay on the market for long. She also wasn’t surprised that someone had contacted Penelope mere hours after the listing had gone live. She was just still a little taken aback that Hunter Wilder and his sister were the parties expressing interest in the building.
Elle followed Penelope into the structure and waited while she flipped a master switch that lit up the entire first floor. The inside had been recently renovated and looked as though it had been used for office space, but the building had so much potential in terms of what a buyer could do with the four different levels. Admittedly, Elle was curious what Hunter’s sister wanted to do with so much square footage.
“I’ll be right back,” Penelope said, heading toward the elevator. “I’m going to turn on the lights on the other floors.”
While her friend was gone, Elle checked her phone to see if she had any important emails or messages and was grateful to see that it was a nice, quiet Friday evening. She strolled around the first level, willing herself to relax, which was a rare thing in her frazzled life these days. At least her headache had ebbed, and her stomach wasn’t trying to rebel on her. It honestly felt good to get out and do something different from her mundane office routine.
Elle heard the sound of the door opening that she and Penelope had entered through a short while before, then footsteps echoing on the floor. Unsure when Penelope would return, she headed in that direction to greet her clients . . . and the man who knew every square inch of her body. A liquid warmth cascaded through her veins at that random but accurate thought, as Hunter and a stunningly beautiful woman who had similar traits came into view.