“Nope, still not buying it.”
“Yeah, babe. You are.” I cup her face softly and put my forehead to hers. “I need this.”
“Max, don’t play me. You know I’d do anything for you, but don’t ask me to do this. Please.”
“Think about it. Don’t say no yet. Give me time to convince you.” My lips touch hers lightly.
“No fair, Max, you’re asking me to do something I’m completely uncomfortable with.”
“Two days, give me your final answer in two days.”
She nods against me and sighs loudly.
“It’s none of my business, but Max is right, Stella. Erica doesn’t even compare when it comes to you,” Jake says.
“You’re right it’s none of your business,” I growl, turning to glare at him over my shoulder.
He grins at me and Stella giggles, squeezing my waist with her thighs. “Thank you, Jake.”
I start to say something else when my phone rings with Dana’s ringtone.
“Hello—”
“Max!” she cuts me off. “Edward dropped to the ground about ten minutes after you left. The paramedics took him to the hospital but it doesn’t look good. They think he had a massive heart attack. None of his vitals were responding.”
“Shit! Which hospital?”
“Emory Cardiac and Heart Center.”
“I’m on my way. I’ll call you when I know something.” I hang up and see Stella’s worried expression. “Edward’s had a heart attack. I need to go to the hospital.”
“I’ll go with you.” She pushes against me trying to get down.
“No, babe, I need you to stay here.”
“Don’t you want me with you?”
“Yes, but it’s not a good time. I had an argument with Rita tonight and things got heated. She’s not exactly my biggest fan right now.”
Understanding washes over her face. “It was about me wasn’t it?”
“You and me, babe. Us. But I don’t give a fuck about her opinion, she’s the least of my worries. I need you to do something for me.”
“Anything.”
“Call my mom, get her here or go to her. Do not let her near the hospital. No matter how hard she tries to convince you, don’t let her near there until I call you with an update.”
“Okay, honey, but why?”
“Because it’s the same place my dad died and I’m not sure she can handle it.”
I go through my checklist one last time making sure everything is packed. Our flight to South America is in less than two hours and from the amount of luggage in my room, you’d think we were traveling for six weeks, not six days. I tried to postpone the trip, but Max wouldn’t budge. He’s been working endlessly to ensure we could be gone for the week.
Edward’s condition hasn’t improved since he arrived at the hospital ten days ago. Doctors think he had a stroke along with the massive heart attack. Since he’s not strong enough for surgery, they’ve been keeping him sedated and comfortable. The few times they’ve tried to wake him up, he’s become agitated. Max has been in countless meetings with the board of directors and executive team. He keeps me updated on any news, but I’ve stayed away from the hospital and the Hurst & McCoy offices.
Max told me what Rita said to him on the phone as well as the constant comments she makes regarding our relationship. I personally think she should be more worried about her husband lying in a hospital bed, but apparently she wants to harp. Even with Max’s disdain toward Edward, he visits the hospital every few days out of respect. Unfortunately, also out of respect, Sara, Matt, and Mason have gone by as well.
The only good thing that came out of this situation is that Erica dropped out of the photo shoot and asked to do solo shots when they knew more about her dad. Even though she’s a shallow, spoiled bitch, she seems to really love her father. She’s at the hospital all day, every day. Max thinks she’s genuinely terrified of losing him. But with her out, it opened the door for Max to pressure me to do the damn photo shoot with him again. He was relentless, even when I threatened to cut off sex for a week. I finally agreed and the ban on sex lasted twelve hours.
The shower shuts off and Max comes out of the bathroom wrapped in only a towel. My eyes roam over his body, appreciating his physique. He catches me and drops the towel, exposing his erection.
“That’s not fair.” My pulse starts to races. “We have to leave in ten minutes.”
“Bella, I own the plane. We can be late.”
“Should have decided that before I told Laci to ride with us.”
“Come here.” He opens his arms and I practically jump into them. His skin is still warm from the shower and the smell of his body wash fills the air around us. “You feel so good.”
“You do too. Are you okay?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you want to talk about anything?”
“Not really, it is what it is.”
“Max, since Edward’s heart attack, you’ve been different. Quieter, distant, sidetracked. I’ve tried to give you space, but I’m at a loss here. What can I do?”
“Be you. Love me the way you do. Take care of me. You’ve made the last two weeks more bearable.”
“I haven’t really done anything. You won’t let me,” I say softly trying to hide the hurt in my voice.
“Kiss me.”
I lift on my toes and touch my lips to his. He grabs my ass and pulls me as close to him as possible. His tongue runs along the seam of my lips, teasing me until I whimper. He smiles against my mouth and then dives in hungrily. Our tongues thrash together, each one trying to dominate. He wins and I submit to his kiss, crawling up his body at the same time. His arms support my weight and I wrap my legs around him, rocking against his hard length.
“Stella,” he moans.
“Changed my mind, we can be late. I need you now.”
His eyes grow dark and he lowers me down. Once my feet hit the floor, he yanks my leggings down and twirls me around. “Hands on the wall. Don’t move them.” He pulls my hips towards him and slides in easily until he’s completely filling me. I push back into him, needing him to move, but he remains still.
“Be still, let me look at you. Fucking perfect. I love this view.” His hand snakes around and his thumb circles my already sensitive clit. A small cry comes out as I bite my lip. His mouth comes to my ear and he whispers. “I feel you clenching against my cock. Every muscle surrounds me, making me ache to pound into you until you scream my name. But instead, I’m going to go slow. Feeling, savoring, memorizing every stroke.”
My head falls forward as my core spasms. “Move, Max, don’t torment me.”
“Baby, I’ll never torment you.” The hand holding my hip snakes up my torso until it reaches the lace of my bra and he pinches one hardened nipple. “Your body is mine. I know how to control it. Feeling your heat, your need … I could make you come with one thrust. But I want more. I need to hear it Stella, tell me what I want to hear.” He thrusts gently and then slams into me until I cry out.
“I’m yours.”
“Bet your fucking ass you are,” he barks and starts moving faster.
I try to hold on but my body betrays me and I explode, moaning his name. He bites down on my shoulder and joins me. His grip on my breast is so hard, I know there’ll be a mark, but the only thing I can think of is his naked body against mine, holding me close. We stay connected, catching our breath until I hear the door open and Laci calls looking for me.
“Thank God that woman is always late,” Max breathes heavily.
“Can I take my arms down now?”
“Yeah, but only to wrap them around me. I’ll clean you up.”
I nod and pull away from him. When I turn, he picks me up and carries me to my bathroom counter. “Baby, I’m not distant. I’m fully here. When I crawl in bed with you at night, you consume my thoughts. Sorry if you felt differently.”
“Sweetie, that’s not what I meant. You have a lot going on. Talk to me if you need to.�
�
“I will.”
“Stella! Are y’all ready?” Laci pounds on my bedroom door.
“Promise me something. When we move next week, you’ll never give that woman a key.”
“I heard that!”
“I meant for you to!” Max yells back at her.
“Promise, now let’s get out of here.”
For the first time since Edward’s heart attack, I sit back and relax with a glass of scotch. Jake is bent over his laptop. Stella and Laci are huddled over client notes, bouncing strategy ideas for upcoming events. As much as I hate what happened to Stella, it benefited her in the end. Hell, I’ve even had business associates calling to see if I can get them a meeting with Sullivan PR. She doesn’t know it, but I’ve made arrangements to set her up a home office in one of the spare bedrooms. Dana’s putting the final touches on it while we’re gone.
The plane phone rings and I groan. Only certain people call and usually it’s only for urgent issues. I reach around to grab it and catch Stella’s apprehensive look. All eyes are glued to me.
“Hello.”
“We’ve got a situation. Something crazy happened this morning,” Dana says quickly.
“Not sure if you realize but a lot of crazy things have been happening.”
“Listen closely. I’m in my car outside the hospital. I stopped by this morning to drop off some gifts the employees left with me. Rita was sitting with Edward, talking to him softly. The look on her face was heartbreaking. She’d been crying and her usual impeccable appearance was gone. She was in sweats, Max, sweats!”
“Dana, I’ve been there, I’ve seen her. She’s worried and scared. Even when she’s made snide remarks about my personal life, they’ve had less venom. They’ve been married for almost forty years. Why is this crazy?”
“Well, I sat with her for a minute to try and console her. She got a phone call and asked me if I would sit with Edward while she talked to her sister, then left the room. As soon as the door closed, Edward looked at me. His eyes were clear and alert. He couldn’t really speak well but when I said your name, he confirmed by nodding.
“I told him you were out of town and he nodded again. Then he got agitated. He started rasping and the only thing I could understand was he needs to talk to you. I told him I would call you immediately. Relief washed over his face. Then I asked if he wanted me to get Rita or the doctors and the shook his head violently. A look of panic took over. So I took his hand and held it trying to calm him down.”
“What the hell?” Confusion clouds my head. What would he need me for?
“That’s not all. He squeezed my hand tightly and his eyes teared up. He tried to talk again but winced in pain. I offered to get some water and ice chips. Unfortunately, I wasn’t quick enough because when I got back Erica was there. But Edward wasn’t awake anymore. He was exactly the same as when I arrived and Rita was crying over him. I made an excuse to Erica about being thirsty but she didn’t even really look at me. She just rubbed his arm and talked quietly. Erica looked exhausted but she was sober and clean. Rita came back in and I made an excuse to leave. When I touched Edward’s hand, his fingers wrapped around mine. He wasn’t asleep!
“Max, something’s going on. His wife and daughter sit with him, begging him to wake up and talk to them but he never does. The moment they’re gone, he clings to me. He was coherent, I swear it. He wants you to know something.”
“This doesn’t make sense. I’ve been there for hours and he’s never tried to talk to me.”
“Yes, but have you been alone with him?”
“Not since they tried to wake him up.”
“I can’t tell you what happened before, but today he wanted you desperately.”
“I need you to do me a favor. Stay close to him. Let him know you can be trusted with anything. Remind him about your loyalty to Hurst & McCoy. I’ll work with the schedule down here and get back as soon as I can.”
“What do I do about Rita and Erica?”
“Get creative. Any resources you need, you have access. Maybe you can offer to fly Rita’s family in for support. Tell them you want to help in any way and insist they go home and get some rest as much as possible. Rita trusts you.”
“Okay, I’m going to the office to look into getting her family here. That’s a good angle.”
“Keep me updated. Stella or I will have a phone on at all times.”
“Okay.”
“And Dana, goes without saying. I appreciate you.”
“I know Max, and it’s my pleasure. That’s what family’s for.” She hangs up.
Stella comes directly to me and sits in my lap, wrapping her arms around me. I relay my conversation and Jake’s jaw visibly ticks.
“You need to get back immediately, Max,” Stella states.
“I agree, when we land, let’s go straight to the factory and re-arrange the itinerary this week. I think after the photo shoot on Monday, we can fly back. I’ll reschedule the party I planned for the first phase renovations.”
“I think you should keep the party. It is important for employee morale. Even though you won’t be there, maybe Laci, Jake, and I can stay and then come home afterwards.”
“Let’s see how things go with Dana. If she can break through, maybe there’s no need to rush back. This may be nothing, he could be delusional and never wake up again. Remember this man is a manipulative jackass most of the time. I’m skeptical.”
Jake and I share a look, and he gives a slight nod. If Edward is lucid and wants to talk, it could be about anything.
“Babe, I need to call Chris and tell him what’s going on.” She kisses me quickly and moves back to her seat.
“I hate to be a bitch but are things always this intense?” Laci asks.
No one answers her directly but Stella burst into laughter. We all join in and the mood in the cabin changes. Once again, Stella has found a way to lighten the situation.
I’m pretty sure everyone in a twenty-mile radius has shown up to see the newly remodeled community center. Pedro’s grandmother and her entire church brigade have had Stella occupied since we walked in the door. Laci even has her own fan club.
Men, women, and children swarm each of the rooms, admiring all the new furnishings, technology, and books. Since we run a light shift on Sundays, we went made the decision to close the factory today, allowing anyone to come out if they wanted.
Pride and happiness radiated from Stella when the director performed the dedication ceremony. I was prepared for the tears and as soon as the first one hit her cheek, I pulled her into me, causing the crowd to cheer. Once the formalities were over, the party started. To my surprise, the locals prepared a feast and set up tables and tents in the courtyard.
The only thing bothering me is lack of communication from Dana. She sends me text updates but so far, she hasn’t had any time alone with Edward again. Rita and Erica have been taking turns staying with him. But luckily bringing in Rita’s family may have worked. She’s asked Dana to come sit with Edward tomorrow.
“We need to talk.” Jake motions for me to follow him. Once we are out of earshot of anyone, he pulls out his phone. “Marshall Barnes has a lead on the wire transfer into Sullivan PR. He’s sending you everything he has through a secure email. I’ll need to see it but for obvious reasons he can’t send to me.”
I nod because I know Marshall did not get this information legally.
“Also, my supervisor and I agree that this thing with Edward is suspicious. But we think there may be some validity. After Edward was taken to the hospital, we got a guy in his office to look around. Before he collapsed, he was reading through financial reports and bank statements on line. These were not Hurst & McCoy. These looked personal. It could be a coincidence, but we’re covering every corner. Too much has gone into this investigation to have loose ends.”
“I get that, but why are you just now telling me? How’d you even get someone into his office without me knowing?”
“We sent h
im in through the cleaning service. Don’t get hung up on the shit. There’s something else you need to know. We found the man Edward was paying off down here. Edward sent him money every month to intimidate the employees. He threatened them if they talked to the fed’s investigating JOS. According to this guy, he got a message from Edward when the renovation started and Hurst & McCoy became a community name. He paid him five-hundred thousand dollars to get lost and forget Edward’s name. The guy took it and agreed. But he’s a dumbass. He started bragging about being rich and knowing people in ‘high’ places. Word got back to one of our local guys and they got him.”
“So what does this mean?”
“The guy cracked. Now we have everything we need to take down Edward. You’re clear. We’ll also know more once we see the email from Marshall and link the money in Stella’s account, and this is will be over. My advice. Get Stella back on your payroll for a new project. This one will be ‘Project Cleanup.’ Hurst & McCoy’s going to be in the news again, so get the golden girl on it. You won’t be able comment about the charges or investigation.”
“Why don’t I feel the relief I should?”
“Because your woman taught you compassion and you’re about to watch a man you’ve grown up and partnered with go to jail. A sick man I might add. Your company is going to take another hit within six months. But you’ve got the right people in place. You’ll bounce back.”
I watch Stella flitter around, making sure to meet as many people as she can. Her smile is genuine and with each person she greets, they warm to her instantly. I can tell from across the courtyard that she’s a crowd favorite. Pedro walks up quietly and when she sees him, she hugs him tightly. He hugs her back and I can tell he’s intimidated. He sees me staring and steps back quickly mumbling something. Stella turns around and rolls her eyes, still grinning.
“Just another hour. Let’s give her another hour to socialize and thank these people and then we’ll head back to the hotel. You can get into my email and I’ll explain everything to her. Better get ready though. Laci’s going to be livid she’s been kept in the dark.”
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