Maddox laughed. “Fuck them, right?”
I shrugged. “Not interested. Unless the price is deeply discounted. Then I might take it off their hands.”
Maddox chuckled, but Aiden looked concerned. “Let’s not invite trouble.”
“What can they do? They can’t stop me from building, and they can’t touch the land.”
“They can touch you.”
I shook my head. “No. It’s over, Aiden. They pissed me off, caused some chaos, and they bought the land, but we came back stronger. We won.”
I stood and stretched. “I think you guys need to go start your weekend.”
Maddox chuckled and grabbed Aiden’s arm. “We’ve been told.”
Aiden frowned. “Emmy promised brunch Sunday.”
I waved him off. “Fine. But I want you gone until then.”
He made a kissy face, and I flipped him the bird. I walked them to the door, shutting it firmly behind them. I took the stairs two at a time.
I needed to go find the girl responsible for the idea and thank her. I knew exactly where to find her.
She was in her favorite spot. Sunlight was streaming in the windows, making the room warm. Still she had her shawl wrapped around her shoulders. Her head rested on the arm of the chair, a book open and resting on her lap, and her full lips were pursed as she slumbered peacefully.
Bending low, I brushed a kiss to her tempting mouth, grinning as she pouted and stretched, then curled back up like a contented kitten in the sun. She opened one eye, peering at me.
“I was asleep.”
I ran a hand over her curls. “I know. You looked adorable and I had to kiss you.”
She sat up, yawning and lifting her arms over her head. Her shirt lifted, exposing a sliver of stomach, the skin soft and inviting. I wanted to kiss it, as well.
“Finished reconquering the world?”
“Thanks to your brilliant idea, I think we’ve regrouped.”
She shook her head. “It was only a thought. You three jumped on it and created the whole concept.”
“It was more than a thought. You amazed me. You amazed all of us.”
She lowered her eyes, shyly.
“Hey.”
She met my gaze.
“Your idea was fresh, innovative, and helped us find a new path. I’ll be forever grateful. I was too pissed to look at it objectively. We all were.”
“So, you’re not selling?”
“Nope. Next week I’ll put my team on it, and when I meet with Greg, tell him to reject the offer.”
“Will he be pissed?”
I laughed. “No. He gets paid no matter what I do. He has no vested interest in the land either way, so he won’t care. He’ll send me a sizable bill for his time, and we’ll move onto the next project.”
Her fingers smoothed over the edge of the cushion. “Why isn’t he a part of your crowd?”
“My crowd?”
“Your business. You have Aiden and Maddox. I’m surprised he isn’t part of the company. You must need a lot of legal advice.”
“We have a legal consultant in the company. Greg had always been a lone wolf—never wanted to be a partner in any company, even right out of school. He went at it alone, and earned his reputation. He has never expressed any desire to be anything other than what he is, and the one time I made him an offer, he turned me down, and I’ve never asked him again. His company is his life. He’s put it above everything else—including his failed marriages and countless relationships.”
“Would you consider him a friend?”
I thought before I responded. “I think so. Not like Aiden and Maddox, but more a business friend. We have the occasional drink, sit together if we’re at the same function, but we don’t spend time together as personal friends.”
She nodded and hummed.
I crouched in front of her chair. “Now, do you want to keep talking about my lawyer, or can we move on to something else?”
Her eyes glittered in the sunlight. “Such as, Rigid?”
Pulling her knees apart, I slid between them, yanking her body close. “About your reward for being so fucking brilliant. And sexy.”
“Oh, a double reward?”
“I promise double.” I slipped my hand under her shirt, touching the skin that had tempted me earlier. “Since I owe you for breakfast too, if you play your cards right, I think you should get triple the reward.”
“Oh,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around my neck, her breath hot on my skin. “I fold.”
I had her out of her clothes fast, and mine disappeared thanks to her nimble fingers. I made sure to drape her shawl around her shoulders. It always shocked me how she reacted to temperature. She felt the cold so easily, so the shawl kept her back warm while my mouth and hands warmed the rest of her. Her nipples perked under my tongue, her head falling back as she moaned my name. I explored her curves, tracing them with my knuckles, making her squirm in my arms, her heat pressing on my cock trapped between us. I teased her clit, stroking and circling it, then slid two fingers inside, hitting that spot that drove her crazy with lust. She cried out, her muscles fluttering and tightening around my fingers as I wrung out her pleasure.
“That’s one, baby.”
She leaned forward, fusing our mouths together, her tongue sliding sensuously along mine. She lifted her hips, and guided me to her, then slowly sank down, inch by inch until our bodies were flush, the tightness and heat of her enveloping me. I grunted my approval into her mouth as she began to move. She used the arms of the chair as leverage, making her movements fluid. Dropping her face to my neck, she began to nibble at my skin, small bites that she eased with a touch of her tongue, driving me insane with need.
Need for her.
I gripped her hips, pulling her down harder as I rose to meet her, our skin slapping against each other, the sound of our joining filling the room, and raging in my head. She arched back, and I bent to worship her full breasts. Her fingers slid into my hair and yanked on the strands as she whimpered and shuddered.
“Coming!” She gasped. “Oh, God . . . Bentley. . .”
She cried out, stilling as I kept working her. As my orgasm hit me, my balls tightening, the pleasure surged through my body as I emptied deep inside her. With a low groan, I yanked her to my chest, both of us shaking, quiet, and sated.
“Two,” I murmured.
“Not sure I can handle three.”
“Maybe a dip in the warm pool will change your mind.”
She snuggled closer, her head tucked under my chin. “Or maybe we can stay here like this for a while. I like being in your arms.”
Her words bled into my chest.
“You’re far too easy to make happy.”
“You make me happy—that’s all I need.”
Tenderness only she could make me feel, filled my heart, causing it to beat faster. I tightened my arms, making sure her shawl was in place.
“Whatever you want, Freddy. Today, tomorrow, the rest of the weekend. Ask me and it’s yours.”
“Hmmm.”
“Did you want to go away? Get out of the city?”
“No, I just want the time with you. Us, alone all weekend.”
“Then that’s what you get.”
“At least until Sunday.”
I chuckled. “At least until then.”
**
I glanced through the papers Greg handed me, noting only two things, the numbered company and the offer. Surprisingly, it was near market value, but considering how long I had held onto it, and my new plans, I wasn’t interested.
I shook my head. “No.”
“You want to counter?”
“No, I’ve decided not to sell, no matter the offer.”
He paused, tapping pen on the desk, his words measured. “To this company or in general?”
“It’s not for sale to anyone.”
Greg stared at me, the office filled with stony silence. “What are you playing at, Bentley?” he finally asked.<
br />
“Playing at? Nothing. I’ve decided not to sell the land. I’m going to develop it with a new plan in mind.”
“And what plan is that?” He threw his pen on top of the papers.
“A new concept.”
His fingers drummed on the desk. “That’s not what you said when you left here last week. You were done with this project. You were damned vocal about it. I could hear you cursing in the elevator.”
I shrugged. “Things changed. I calmed down. We regrouped, and we’ve decided to keep the land, and we’re going to build on it ourselves. I already have my team working on it.”
“Why?”
I leaned forward. “I don’t know who these people are, but I am not bowing down to them. They fucked with the wrong guy. They’ve been scooping every deal I have tried to make the past while somehow and I am done with it. They could offer me double what the land is worth and I wouldn’t sell it to them, even if my life depended on it. They can develop, sell, or do whatever the hell they want to the rest of the property around it, but I’m keeping it.”
He stared at me pointedly. “Are you certain this is what you want?”
I lost my temper. “Stop questioning what I want. It’s my fucking business. I pay you to handle the legal aspects, not for your opinion on what I should or should not develop.”
He held up his hands. “I’m simply asking. You haven’t shared your plans, so I have no idea what you’re thinking.”
I pushed the folder toward him. “Once it’s finalized, I’ll tell you. Until then, tell them no deal. Ever.”
He slid the folder closer to him, running his finger along the seam. “You know two pieces of the land are still zoned for industrial. I know you planned to have them rezoned, but what if they don’t? What if they build industrial sites there? Will that impact your plans?”
I stood. “If that is the game they decide to play, I will fight it. I’m not going to be blackmailed into changing my mind. The zoned areas are small, and with everything I have going for me, I guarantee you, I will win that battle. They can fucking bring it on.” I studied him. “Whose side are you on, Greg?”
“You’re my client,” he replied promptly. “It’s my job to point these things out.” He leaned forward, his eyes narrowed. “This is what you pay me for, Bentley. My expert advice. My advice that has gotten your company out of a bind a time or two, I would like to remind you.”
I wasn’t in the mood for his lectures.
“Yes, you did your job,” I snapped. “And got paid—well paid, in case you forgot that fact.”
We glared at each other, then he shrugged. “This entire project has been tempestuous at best. I thought you’d be glad to see it done, cut your losses, and move on. But it’s your choice.”
“Yes. It is. It’s my company. They’ll be no losses once I’m done, trust me. Reject the offer and tell them to move on—whoever the fuck they are. The land isn’t for sale.”
“I’ll do that.”
I picked up my coat. “Good. Let’s go, Aiden.”
Aiden said something to Greg, then met me at the elevator.
“That was quite the show,” he stated as the doors shut. “I’ve never heard you snap at him like that before now.”
I rubbed my face roughly. “He annoyed me. I hate being questioned when I make a decision.”
“That was obvious.” He sighed heavily. “He is right though, Bent. They could try to throw up some roadblocks and delay what we want to do, just to be assholes. The delays and problems could cost us a lot, especially if you’re doing this on principle or for revenge. We could walk away and cut our losses now.”
We walked outside into the dreary day. I slipped on my coat, my mind wandering to Emmy. I hoped she was warm enough today—the past couple days had been cooler and the nights downright cold. The jacket I saw her wear this morning didn’t look thick enough for her, given the level of warmth she always needed. Maybe I should take her shopping for a new one, or surprise her with a gift. Maybe another visit to Cami was in order. She could help me pick out something suitable.
I brought my mind back to the problem at hand. “Maybe at first it was the principle or revenge, but Aiden, the more I think about this project, the more excited I am. I haven’t felt this way about a new development in a long time.”
He flashed me a grin. “I was hoping you’d say that. Maddox and I feel the same. It’s gonna be cool, I think. Worth the risk.”
I laughed and clapped him on the back. “At this point, there isn’t any risk. So, it’s full steam ahead.”
Frank pulled up, and we climbed in to the car. Aiden stared out the window.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m still concerned.”
“About?”
“I think we still need to be vigilant with security. Until we make sure they’ve faded into the background.”
“Emmy was hoping it would be done. She hates it.”
“She said as much to Simon this morning. She was surprised to still see him when she got to school.” He paused, thinking. “It’s a precaution I feel strongly about. Something in my gut is telling me to keep things as they are. I know she hates it, and you want to make her happy, but it’s only for a while longer.”
Aiden was often right with his gut instincts. If he felt that way, I needed to trust him.
“If that’s what you think. Just pull back as much as you can. I’ll talk to Emmy.”
He nodded, staring out the window. “I’ll think it over. I don’t want someone to approach and bother her.”
“Nor do I.”
“It’s easier when she’s at your place. I know she’s safe in the house.”
“Trust me; I’m trying to make it full-time. She’s—”
“Independent? Stubborn?” He finished for me.
“Both,” I agreed. “She needs to understand I don’t want to change her. I don’t want to take her independence away. She has to figure out that part.”
“Cami mentioned a couple things about her upbringing. I get that.”
I arched my eyebrow. “Oh, did she? When did that happen?”
His gaze went back to the passing scenery. I was surprised to see the flush of color around his neck. “We were, ah, just talking.”
I laughed as Frank pulled up to the office.
“Talking. Right.”
He brushed past me, shaking his head. “Leave it alone.”
In the elevator, I met his vulnerable eyes. “It’s fruitless to resist, Aiden. Those girls are headstrong. She’s been interested since the day in the boutique. Before even.”
“I’m not in the market for what she is looking for.”
“You mean a relationship?”
“Yes.”
“Neither was I. Emmy proved me wrong.” I stopped him before he exited the elevator, my voice low and serious. “She’s a great girl. You like her; she likes you. I think she’d be good for you. Don’t cut yourself off again. What do you have to lose?”
“You know the answer to that.”
“Give it a chance. You deserve to be happy.”
“No, I don’t deserve anything of the sort.” With those words, he hurried past me.
I watched his retreating figure with sadness. He did deserve it. I wasn’t sure how I could make him see it, yet I knew I had to try.
**
I arrived home late, and Andrew met me at the elevator.
“Sir.”
“Andrew—how was your day?”
“Excellent. Miss Harris is upstairs.”
“Buried in her books, I imagine?”
“Since she arrived home. She refused dinner, but I have made a tray of sandwiches, and there is a thermos of coffee on the counter.”
“You are amazing.”
He tilted his head in acknowledgment of my words. “Have a good evening, sir.”
“You, as well.”
I hurried upstairs, changed, then jogged to the kitchen and grabbed the sandwiches, coffee, and I e
ven remembered a mug.
I paused at the entrance of the sunroom. Emmy sat quietly, a pile of books scattered around her. She was concentrating so hard, she didn’t even hear me approach.
“Can you take a break?”
Startled, she glanced up from her notes, her eyes bleary with fatigue. “Hey.”
“Hey, yourself.”
“My test is tomorrow.”
I held up the plate I was carrying. “Just something to eat, Freddy. I made the sandwiches myself. Twenty minutes and you’ll feel better.”
With a sigh, she stood, and I took her hand, tugging her to the sofa.
“You’ve been working too hard.”
She lifted one shoulder, dismissing my concern. She took one of the sandwiches from the plate, studying it. I chuckled at her skeptical expression. “Okay, Andrew made them. I took the plastic wrap off, though.”
“They looked far too delicious to be yours.”
I kicked up my feet on the coffee table and smirked. She was right.
“As for working too hard, you’re one to talk, Rigid. You’ve hardly been home.”
I held back my grin hearing her refer to the house as “home.” I hadn’t had to convince her to stay for another few days, since a hole in the roof caused some flooding in her apartment, and Al was slow to get it fixed. The rain had stopped, and I knew she’d probably leave after the weekend, but I enjoyed having her home. It had been something she couldn’t accuse me of orchestrating since even she admitted my control didn’t reach “that far.”
“How are the plans coming?” She looked at me over her sandwich.
I poured some coffee into the mug and handed it to her. “Great. Everyone’s on board and the architect has already impressed me. Maddox had met him a few months ago and liked his work. His ideas are almost as brilliant as yours.”
“Right,” she scoffed. “Brilliant.”
“It’s your idea. In fact, Maddox and Aiden want to make you part of the planning team—like an intern. Keep you in the loop. What do you think?”
“What would it entail? I’m so busy at school.”
“Not much—especially right now. A few meetings. A couple dinners. It’ll be a while until it’s all completed. I’d like you there with us when it opens with us.” I hesitated. “It’s a paid position.”
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