by Sandi Lynn
“What about the summers?” he asked.
“Sometimes Franco and I stayed in Connecticut or I went home with him. Then we graduated and went off to Harvard. I was an independent woman who was planning for her future and I made a plan. I got back in the good graces of my father, proved that I was good enough to run his company, and after I graduated, I moved back to California, where my father made me the COO of Young Vine Enterprises. But I never underestimated him again, and I was always one step ahead.”
“When was the last time you spoke to your mother?”
“I haven’t spoken to her in years. She would try to call or come visit, but as far as I was concerned, she lost that right. Want to hear something funny? She’s remarried with two children. They’re the perfect happy family.”
“Anna, I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be, Wes. They made me who I am today, and believe it or not, I’m grateful for that. I’m a hard-working independent woman who doesn’t need anybody.”
“Everybody needs someone,” he spoke as he kissed the top of my head.
“Maybe some do, but I don’t.”
“I’m sorry for making assumptions,” he said. “I should know better.”
“You should.” I lifted my head and gave him a smile. “But you have trust issues and rightfully so.”
“Still, I never should have said what I did. I’m truly sorry.” He placed his finger under my chin. “I hope you can forgive me.”
“I think I can.”
“I admire you, Anna Young. I admire your strength and everything you’ve endured. I can’t even imagine growing up like that.”
“Thank you, Wes. I have a question for you.”
“What is it?”
“Are you going to kiss me? Because I really feel the need to have your lips on mine.” I grinned.
“I’m definitely going to kiss you.” He leaned down and brought his mouth to mine. “And if you don’t mind, I’m going to do more than that to you.”
“I don’t mind at all.”
Chapter 20
Wes
I carried her up the stairs and to my bedroom, where I made love to her multiple times during the night. After everything she told me, I now understood why she did the things she did. She was so strong yet broken inside. Things in my mind became much clearer now that I knew more about her. She wasn’t after me for my money. She had her own. She liked me for who I was as a person and not just the material things I could offer her.
She lay her head on my chest as she soundly slept and I softly stroked her hair. Was this the girl I’d been waiting for my whole life? I asked that same question that night in Paris because I felt something I’d never felt before when I was with her. But I’d never see her again, and yet, she was here, in my bed in New York City.
“It’s time to get up,” I quietly spoke as I pressed my lips against her shoulder.
She rolled over and greeted me with a warm morning smile.
“Do we have to go to work today?”
“Yes, and don’t forget your friend is coming in.”
“Oh shit!” She quickly sat up. “I did forget. I have to get home and change clothes.”
“Relax.” I grabbed her hand as she tried to bound out of bed. “We have plenty of time. Let’s take a quick shower and then we’ll head to your place on the way to the office.”
“We’ll be late and if we walk in together, people will talk.”
“Then let them talk. I don’t care.”
We took a shower that lasted longer than I anticipated, but it was well worth it. After we got dressed, we headed back to Anna’s place.
“Well, well. Good morning, Sunshines.” Franco grinned as we walked through the door.
“No time to chat, Franco. I have to hurry and change,” Anna spoke.
“Coffee?” Franco asked me.
“Sure. Do you have to-go cups?”
“I do.” He slyly smiled. “Everything good between you two?”
“Yeah. Everything is good.” I smiled. “She told me about her childhood last night.”
“Pretty brutal, right?”
“I can’t even imagine,” I said. “What her parents put her through was awful.”
“I’m ready,” Anna spoke as she flew down the stairs.
“Your coffee, Madame.” Franco smiled as he handed her the to-go cup.
“Thanks. You’re a lifesaver.” She kissed his cheek. “Don’t forget about Becca.”
“I haven’t forgotten about her. I’m actually heading to the airport soon.”
We were an hour late to the office, and when we walked in, all eyes turned to us.
“Good morning, Mr. Carter,” Tori said.
“Good morning, Tori. Aren’t you going to say good morning to Anna?”
She cleared her throat.
“Good morning, Anna.”
“It’s more than a good morning, Tori. It’s a fabulous morning.” She grinned.
Anna took her seat behind her desk and I walked into my office. As soon as I got settled, Christopher walked in.
“I saw you and Anna walking in together. An hour late, may I add.” He smirked.
“We had a good talk last night. I told her about Alexa, and she told me about her childhood.”
“That’s good. So now what?”
“I guess we’re going to see where things go.”
“Alright. I’m happy to hear that. These contracts need your signature. As soon as you sign them, the Bradford property will belong to Carter Capital.”
“Thanks, Christopher.”
I had just gotten off the phone on a conference call when Anna walked into my office.
“Here are your messages,” she said as she handed them to me.
“Come here.” I smiled as I held out my arms.
She walked over and took a seat on my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck.
“You are the sexiest personal assistant I’ve ever had.” I kissed the tip of her nose.
“And you are the sexiest boss I’ve ever had.”
“Is Becca here yet?” I asked.
“She’s on her way. To be honest, Wes, I’m a little nervous to hear what she has to tell me.”
“No matter what it is, you can deal with it. I would be more than happy to sit in with you.”
“I’d like that if you have time.”
“Even if I didn’t, I’d make the time for you.” I placed my forehead against hers.
“Excuse me, Mr.—Oh my god. I’m sorry,” Tori spoke as she closed the door in embarrassment.
“Busted.” Anna smiled.
“Who cares. I know you’ll set her straight.” I kissed her soft lips.
Chapter 21
Anna
I walked out of Wes’ office and glanced over at Tori’s desk, where she was giving me the evil eye. I rolled my eyes and sat down at my desk. A few moments later, I saw Becca walking down the hall.
“Becca!”
“Anna. It’s so good to see you again.”
We gave each other a hug.
“It’s good to see you too.”
Becca looked at my desk and then at me.
“So what’s your position here?”
“Don’t laugh. I’m the CEO’s personal assistant.”
She laughed anyway and placed her hand on my arm.
“Stop it, Anna. You are not.”
“Actually, I am. It’s just a temporary thing.”
“Hello,” Wes said as he walked out of his office and extended his hand to Becca. “You must be Becca. I’m Wes Carter, Anna’s boss.”
She placed her hand in his and looked him over from head to toe.
“Well, hello, Mr. Carter. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” She grinned.
“I think the two of you will be more comfortable in the conference room. Follow me.”
“Oh my god,” she mouthed as she gripped my arm. “Tell me you’ve slept with him?”
A smile crossed my lips as I nodded
my head. We entered the conference room and the three of us took a seat.
“I told Wes he could join us. He knows about Matthew and my father.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“So what’s going on?” I asked.
“Do you remember signing off on some invoices from MJB Supplies?”
“Yeah. They’re a new vendor that Matthew found about a year ago. I signed the first few and then he asked if I could just give him the authority to sign off on them because I was so busy doing other things. Why?”
“He’s been signing off on other invoices lately. New vendors, distributors, and a PR Firm.”
“Did you or Frank confront him?”
“I did, and he told me that the company is changing with the times and upping it’s strategy. He said he and your father had a meeting about it and your father was on board. He also said that he and your father talked about reorganizing the company and certain positions would be cut out. And if I were to question his authority again, he would make sure my position was eliminated.”
“Did you tell my father that he pretty much threatened you?”
“No. You of all people know how much that asshole means to your father. Frank and I wanted to come to you first, especially since we overheard that he wanted to buy back your shares and give them to Matthew. Anna, something shady is going on.”
“It sounds to me like Matthew might be embezzling money from the company,” Wes said.
“That’s what I was thinking too.” I glanced over at Wes. “But it’s really not my problem, Becca. My father fired me.”
“I know, and trust me, everyone is highly upset over that. But you still are a part of that company, and if anyone can do something, it’s you. You know we can’t go to your father with this. Not without proof. We’ll all lose our jobs.”
“Okay. I’ll need to see the invoices that he’s signing off on.”
“Frank said you’d want them.”
She reached into her bag, pulled out a file folder, and slid it to me.
“Thank you for meeting with me, Anna. I need to head back to the airport. I have a flight I have to catch to Maine.”
“I’ll have my driver drive you,” Wes spoke.
“Why thank you, Mr. Carter. Oh, Anna, by the way, have you seen YouTube?”
“No. Why?” I narrowed my eye.
“I’ll send you the link.” She gave me a hug.
After walking her down the hallway and saying goodbye, Wes and I stepped into his office.
“I think you’re going to need someone’s help with those invoices,” Wes spoke.
“I know just the person who can help me.” I smiled.
“Who?”
“Criminal Lars.”
“The one who made your phony resume?”
“Yep.”
I pulled out my phone and sent Franco a text message.
“Can you please send me Lars’ phone number? I need his help.”
“Of course? What’s going on?”
“I’ll explain later.”
Just as I was sending Lars a text message, an email came through from Becca. When I opened it, I placed my hand on my forehead.
“What’s wrong?” Wes asked.
I handed him my phone and watched the reaction on his face as he watched the video of my wedding and me running up the aisle with a wide grin across my face.
“Look at that.” He chuckled. “This video got over two million views. You’re a YouTube sensation.”
“Shut up!” I grabbed the phone from his hand, and he let out another chuckle.
“If it makes you feel better, you looked beautiful.” He smiled.
Later that evening, Wes and I went to my apartment and waited for Lars while I explained to Franco what Becca had told me.
“I knew that guy was a snake,” Franco spoke.
There was a knock at the door, and when I opened it, Lars gave me a tight hug.
“Hello, baby doll. Somehow, I knew you’d be needing me again.” He grinned.
“Lars, this is Wes Carter. Wes, this is Lars.”
“Nice to meet you, Lars,” Wes spoke as he extended his hand.
“Trust me. The pleasure is all mine, Wes.” He winked before placing his hand in his.
“He’s my boss. You know, the one for whom you made me the fake resume?”
“Oh shit. She is wonderful, though, right?” He grinned.
“She certainly is,” Wes replied.
“So what do we got?”
“I need you to check out these invoices, find out if these companies are real or shell companies, and then trace these account numbers.”
“Is someone being bad and fraud-ing a company?”
“We suspect my ex-fiancé is,” I replied.
“Oh. The one you left at the altar? By the way, what a beautiful escape. I saw the video. You should be so proud.” He grinned from ear to ear as he placed his hand on my arm.
“How long is this going to take?” I asked with irritation.
“Perfection takes time, darling,” he spoke as he set up his high-tech laptop on the table.
“I thought quick was your specialty?”
“It is, and if you were to give this to anyone else, you’d wait hours, maybe even days. I’ll need about an hour. So go about your business and let me do my work.”
“You don’t by any chance have any cheesecake left, do you?” Wes asked with a smile.
“I do. Would you like a piece?”
“I would love a piece.”
I went into the kitchen and took the cheesecake from the refrigerator. After cutting a slice, I brought it over to the couch where Wes was sitting.
“Thank you.” He kissed my lips.
“Hey, Anna, it looks like your ex is a thief.”
“You found something?” I asked as I got up from the couch and walked over to where Lars sat.
“All these invoices are fake, and these businesses are all set up as shell companies. Basically, they don’t exist, and if they don’t exist, they can’t provide services. Now I’ve traced the account numbers to offshore accounts in the Cayman Islands all registered to Matthew James Bondi. Oh look, MJB Supplies. Coincidence? I don’t think so.” His brow arched.
“How much does he have in the accounts?” I asked.
“Well, darling, that’s going to take a little bit of time for me to hack into them.”
“Then get hacking!”
About thirty minutes later, Lars called me over. Wes and I got up from the couch and walked over to the table.
“Can I just say that I’m so happy you ditched that little thief,” Lars said. “Between the four accounts, he’s stolen over a million dollars of your daddy’s money. Look, all of the money transfers came from Young Vine Enterprises.”
“Damn him. Is there a way to transfer all that money out of his accounts and back into the company?”
“Darling, if I did that, then he’ll know we hacked into his account, which is illegal.”
Chapter 22
Anna
I packed an overnight bag and Wes and I headed back to his penthouse for the night.
“I really don’t want to deal with all this,” I spoke as my head rested on his chest. “To be honest, it’s not my problem.”
“He didn’t just steal from your father, he stole from you too. You’re still a part of that company until you sign papers that say otherwise. Don’t forget that. Do you really want to let him get away with what he’s done? I know you’re thinking right now that your dad deserves it for trusting him so much, but this affects you. You need to fight for what’s yours. Look at me, Anna.”
I lifted my head from his chest and stared into his eyes as he ran his finger across my cheek.
“Wouldn’t it give you great pleasure and closure to let your father know that the man he invested time in and chose over his own daughter screwed him over?”
“It would.” I smiled.
“Then that’s why you need to go back to Californi
a and tell him.”
“I suppose you’re right.”
“Good, we’ll fly out tomorrow.”
“We?” I asked.
“You really don’t think I’d let you go alone, do you? I’ll admit, I’m anxious to meet the man who hurt the woman I—” He paused.
“You what?” I asked.
“I think I’m falling in love with.”
The corners of my mouth curved upwards as I reached up and softly brushed my lips against his.
“I think I’m falling in love with you too.”
“Really?” He smiled.
“Yeah. Really.”
His grip on me tightened as our lips locked in a passionate kiss.
The next afternoon, Wes rented a private jet that flew us to California. I sat in the seat by the window and stared out as the plane sifted through the clouds.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Not really. I don’t want to see my father or Matthew.”
“I know you don’t, but don’t forget, they made you who you are today. A strong, independent woman. I’ll be right there with you. If anything happens, I have your back.” He brought my hand up to his lips.
“Thank you.” I glanced at him with a small smile upon my lips.
We landed in L.A. and climbed into the car I had waiting to take us to the Four Seasons Hotel.
“It’s nice to see you again, Miss Young,” Xavier spoke.
“Thank you, Xavier.” I smiled.
“Here is your room key to the Presidential Suite. I will have your bags brought up. As always, it’s a pleasure having you stay with us.” He nodded.
“How often did you stay here?” Wes asked with an arch in his brow.
“Enough.” I grinned. “I actually lived here for a while after I graduated college. There was no way I was moving back in with my dad and step-monster.”
We entered the Presidential Suite and Wes was kind enough to tip the bellhop who brought up our bags.