Yeah, like I can do that when I feel like someone’s carved out my insides. There’s a giant Marcus-sized hole in my life, and I’m afraid nothing will ever fill it.
She tried him again.
“You’ve reached Marcus. Leave me a message.”
She hung up and sighed. Even in a two-sentence recording, his voice filled her with longing. Closing her eyes, she remembered the feel of his lips against hers. I’d give up my new position in a heartbeat if it meant I could have him.
She picked up her phone again, but this time she called Geena.
“Hey, Angel. How’s the new job going?”
“Marcus still isn’t answering my calls. I even managed to get his home number in New York and left some messages there too.”
“Well, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s upset with you. Maybe he’s just really busy.”
“I wish I hadn’t rushed out on him the morning he left. And then I told him not to contact me.” She grimaced, wishing she could take her terse message back. “How could I have been so stupid?”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself.”
“I thought I wouldn’t be able to handle hearing his voice. But not being able to talk to him is far worse.”
“He’ll have to pick up eventually.”
“Unless he’s decided to sail to Africa or something.” Angel winced at the way she sounded. When did she turn into a whiner? If there was something she wanted, she tried everything to get it.
“Someone must know where he is and what he’s doing,” said Geena. “Isn’t there anyone you can check with?”
“Maybe.” Angel said slowly. She searched for ‘Jake Bolton, counselor’ on her computer and his office phone number came up at the top of the results. Easy as that.
But Jake wouldn’t have heard from Marcus, would he? The brothers weren’t exactly close. Still, it was worth a try.
“Thanks, Geena. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Good luck. And Angel, try to enjoy your new job. You earned it, remember?”
Angel hung up and punched in Jake’s number. A woman answered, and said he was just getting out of a session with a client. Did she want to wait, or could he call her back?
“I’ll wait.”
The on-hold music was so bad, she wondered if it could be part of his patients’ therapy. Survive ten minutes on hold, and they could get through anything.
Eventually she heard a familiar voice say, “Hello?”
“Jake? Hi, it’s Angel. Marcus’ friend. We had drinks together a couple of weeks ago.”
“Oh, hi Angel. How are you?” To his credit he didn’t sound too shocked to hear from her.
“Sorry to call out of the blue. I was just wondering if you’d heard from Marcus in the last few days?”
“Actually, I spoke to him twice last Friday. He called me before his board meeting, and then again right afterward, to tell me that he’d quit his job.”
“Did he say anything else? Like what he planned to do next?”
“You haven’t heard from him, huh? I’m sorry, he didn’t give me any specifics. He just said he was ready to move on and leave the past behind. That it was time he made things right.”
Her gut clenched. Was he was putting her behind him? “What did he need to make right?”
“I assumed he was talking about our mother because I’d asked him to forgive her and delivered a note she’d written. But I spoke to her this morning and she’s had no word from him either.”
“Oh,” Angel said faintly. “So you’ve got no idea where he might be?”
Jake was quiet for a moment. Then he said, “After my injury, we got put into care and went to two different homes. Marcus ran away from his. He hitchhiked north, and it took several weeks before they found him. Maybe he’s done a similar thing now? He could have taken off for a while to get time to think.”
So he might be sailing to Africa after all.
“When you spoke to him, he didn’t mention me?” She was pretty sure Jake would have already told her if he had, but she had to check anyway.
“Listen, I can tell he means a lot to you. If you need someone to talk to, my door’s always open.”
She had to hand it to him, his counselor voice probably would be pretty soothing if she wasn’t losing her mind. “Thanks.”
She hung up and pushed her keyboard away so she could sink her head onto her desk. He was gone.
Fighting tears, she took several deep breaths. Then she swallowed hard. What was she doing? Angel Moore never gave up. If she didn’t get what she wanted first time, she’d try again until she did.
Maybe she could fly to New York and track him down? She could go to his apartment, talk to his neighbors, question his friends. Like a stalker?
Yeah, she’d be a stalker if that’s what it took. Thing was, getting the General Manager’s position should have made her happy. Instead it had made her realize just how empty her life was without him.
I’ll do whatever it takes to get him back.
The phone on her desk buzzed with the tone that told her it was an internal call.
“Ah, Ms. Moore?” said her assistant. “You have a visitor. I asked him to wait, but… ”
Her office door opened, and her head jerked around, a surge of hope stopping her breath. Could it be him?
No. It was an older man. One of her tenants insisting on congratulating her in person. The disappointment was a sharp thrust through the heart and she swallowed down a hard lump of despair. Why couldn’t it have been Marcus?
As she forced a polite smile and stood to shake the man’s hand, she made herself a promise. She’d find Marcus. Whatever the cost, and however long it took. She’d go to the ends of the earth if—
“Miss me?” asked a voice from the door.
She spun.
Marcus.
She launched herself into his arms. It’s really him. Only when his arms were tight around her did she let herself believe it.
He kissed her deeply, holding her against him and cupping the back of her neck with one hand. She drank in the scent of his cologne and the taste of his lips. He felt so good she never wanted to let him go.
“Ah. I’ll, um, come back later.”
Dimly she realized the door was closing behind her tenant, but she couldn’t pull away, not even to say goodbye. She’d call him later to apologize. Much later.
“What are you doing here?” she asked Marcus when they finally came up for air. And then, “Why didn’t you answer your phone?”
“I was busy organizing a deal.” He grinned, his arms still around her. “Plus I had a long plane trip, and not on a corporate jet. Not nearly so much fun.”
She had a million questions about what had happened in his board meeting and why he’d changed his mind about quitting, but she started with her most burning question. “What are you doing in Sydney?”
“I got a letter from my mother, and it helped me see things a little differently. She was dealing with more than I realized when she left. Anyway, I want to talk to her. I’d like to try to move past everything that’s happened and start fresh.”
He’d been so angry with his mother, for him to want to talk to her was a big step. “That’s fantastic.”
“Yeah. But actually, I’m mainly here for business.”
Her heart sped up. “You’re getting a job here?”
“Not exactly. I’ve just bought my first commercial property.”
“But how? When?”
“I figured, why run someone else’s business when I can create my own? I’m going to stop selling lemonade and start selling vodka.”
“Vodka?”
He laughed. “It’s a metaphor. I was actually thinking about that story your grandfather told, when I started wondering why on earth I was handing Cross Corporation such a great investment opportunity instead of reaping the rewards myself.”
She drew in a sharp breath, feeling so light-headed she was in danger of lifting off the ground. Was he saying wh
at she thought he was? “Pop’s retirement home?”
He grinned. “I’ll get the place humming. Make a substantial profit, while turning it into a better place to live. Upgrade the facilities. Serve decent food. And put in the extra apartments we talked about to bring in more income—”
Angel cut him off with a kiss. It was either that or squeal so loudly the whole office might come running in to see what was going on. She’d pictured what the place could be like if there was ever a decent manager running it, but she’d never imagined that dream might come true. Marcus would improve her grandfather’s life, and she intended to help make it happen. She had a hundred ideas and she hadn’t shared them all with him yet. But I will. That’s a promise.
Marcus deepened their kiss, his questing tongue setting her body alight. He put one hand in her hair and angled her head back to explore her mouth. His other hand found her breast and she melted into him. He knew exactly how to touch her. How to make her weak with longing.
She leaned back against her desk, pulling Marcus with her so she could tug up her skirt and wrap her legs around his hips. All she wanted was to rip off both their clothes and feel him inside her. To rejoice in the fact he was back in her arms, right where she needed him.
Marcus obviously wasn’t opposed to the idea, because he was rock hard and already undoing the buttons on her jacket. But he glanced towards her office door. “You sure you want to do this here?”
“Are you kidding? Getting a private office is one of the perks of being General Manager. I intend to enjoy it.” She swiveled to pick up her office phone. “Please make sure I’m not interrupted,” she told her assistant. “Cancel my meetings and clear my afternoon.” She hung up and smiled. “I don’t believe I’ve thanked you for promoting me yet.”
He tugged her jacket off. “One day, when the Bolton Property Company is bigger than Cross Corporation, I want you to come and work for me.”
She pretended to consider it while he unbuttoned her blouse. “That depends on what you have to offer. I’ll be CEO by then and earning a fortune.”
“I’m prepared to seduce you.” He quirked an eyebrow, keeping a deadpan expression. But at the same time he was stroking the top of her breast, slipping his fingers under the lace of her bra. “What else will it take to convince you?”
She bit her lip to muffle a sound of pleasure and ran one hand down the hard shaft that was straining the fabric of his pants. She meant to say something lighthearted, to pretend she wasn’t overwhelmed with a mix of joy, and relief, and a happiness so profound it was threatening to force its way out as tears. But looking into his eyes, she couldn’t keep up her casual act. “I thought being CEO was what I wanted most in the world,” she said, her voice suddenly cracking. “But now I know better. I’ve fallen for you, Marcus. You’re what I need. Just you. And I’ll do whatever it takes to be with you.”
He kissed her with such a deep intensity it made her tremble. “Whatever it takes?” he asked, pulling back to gently stroke her cheek. “I’ve fallen for you too, Angel, so don’t change a thing. Whether you’re a General Manager, a CEO, or if you decide to run for President. I’m sticking around regardless.”
“President?” She shook her head with a grin, conquering her tears. “You mean Prime Minister. And as tempting as it sounds, all I want is you, remember?”
He cupped her chin gently, looking deeply into her eyes. “Angel, if anyone can have whatever she sets her heart on, it’s you.” He smiled, his gaze so warm and open she wanted to be bathed in it forever. “And I’m all yours.”
Afterword
Thank you for reading the first three books in the Rich List Series!
Something that really helps authors is when readers tell others what they thought of a book. If you enjoyed this box set, I’d really appreciate it if you’d take a moment to rate it or leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads.
Also By Talia Hunter
Her Hot Number
About the Author
Talia Hunter likes writing about smart, funny women, and the men who set their hearts on fire. Her motto is, If you aren’t laughing, you aren’t doing it right.
A formerly committed city dweller, she’s recently moved to the country. She’s put in a veggie garden, learned how to make bread, and is now the proud owner of a pair of gum boots. These days she spends time Googling important questions such as how to cope with a runaway zucchini crop (make fritters), and narrowing down exactly what kind of giant hairy spider might be eyeballing her from the washing tub.
Connect with Talia:
@taliasromance
taliahunter
www.taliahunter.com
Copyright © 2015 by Talia Hunter
All rights reserved.
No part of these books may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
The Rich List Series: Contemporary Romance Box Set (Millionaire, Billionaire, CEO) Page 45