Page 54 of Takeover

“No chance?” I ask.

“None. I don’t know if you’re aware, but I’m kind of in love with you. I’m not sure when it happened, but I am.” An unexpected surge of euphoria goes through my body. I hold his stare and realize I’m crying only when my vision becomes blurred by my tears. He presses his forehead to mine and wipes away my tears with his thumbs. “You’re just everything. Beautiful, selfless, and so full of life. And you have infinite patience to deal with me and my life.”

“Oh, yeah. It’s terrible dealing with all of this.” I press myself closer and kiss his chest. “Well, it’s a good thing you feel this way because I’m pretty sure I’m in love with you too.”

“Good. I want you to know that I’m yours and there is nothing Lindsay or anyone can do about that. I love my son, and I don’t regret my history with her, but I never regretted our divorce. I’ve never missed her, and I stopped loving her a long time ago. She’s Vincent’s mother. That’s it. You, Tar Tar, you’re the woman I was meant to be with. It just took me a while to find you.”

I surprise him when I jump into his arms and wrap my legs around him. “Maybe we could have been together sooner if you weren’t so awful when we first met. Come on. We have the house to ourselves, and you just told me you love me. Now, I want you to show me.” I finally lean down and seal the next level of our relationship with a kiss. Our kisses are usually a frenzied ball of fire setting us both ablaze, but this one is soft and gentle. There’s no rush because we know there’s no place else for us to go.

Our fates were sealed that cold November day. Even those few weeks when we pretended to hate each other, it was inevitable that we would end up here.

“I’m going to show you. I’m going to fuck you so hard and deep, you won’t know where you end and where I begin.”

“So romantic. Are you going to keep talking about it, or are you going to put your money where your mouth is?” I slide my hands in his hair, and he growls before he sprints up the stairs, and down the hall to the double doors leading to his bedroom.

“I’m going to put your pussy where my mouth is.”

He spins us around and we land on his bed, me on top of him, but he doesn’t stay down for long. He sits up, and instead of the slow, sweet kiss we shared downstairs, he kisses me with a hunger and need like the kisses we shared my first weekend here.

“I love you, Ethan.”

He trembles in my arms, and when he looks into my eyes again, I see the love radiating from him. “I was going to make love to you, but Tar Tar, I just want to fuck you right now. I’ll make love to you the second round.”

32

“We’re flying out Thursday and doing the tour on Friday. You can book a flight for yourself on Sunday if you want to stay the weekend. I’ll be staying until Monday with Ms. Taylor and Vincent. I will be unavailable on Monday. I want the entire top floor of the Ritz Carlton.” Hunter makes notes on his iPad while I give him instructions for our trip to San Juan. It’s the first BradCo ever on the island, and the public relations department feels it will be good press to be present for the grand opening. Since we want to promote this as a family company, what better way than to bring my son and significant other.

“Boss, one hour until the general counsel gets here to discuss the contracts for the new clothing line. I’ve emailed the contracts to you if you want to review them before they get here. You have lunch with the mayor at twelve-thirty, and you have the investors’ meeting scheduled for the rest of the afternoon.”

I nod at him and already have the contracts open in front of me.

“Great. Have someone bring me an Americano.”

I’m alone in my office for several minutes until Hunter comes back with my drink. He puts it down next to me, but he makes no attempts to leave.

“What?” I ask.

“Mrs. Bradford is here, boss.”

I take my reading glasses off and toss them across my desk. “Who?” I ask when I finally look at Hunter’s face. “Do you mean Elizabeth?” My sister is not due back in New York for another week, but I wouldn’t put it past her to get in early and surprise me.

“No.” Hunter leans down and whispers the rest. “Your ex-wife is here and wants to see you.”

Before I can wrap my head around what Hunter just said, Lindsay strolls into my office, smiling wide while she takes her coat and gloves off. She hands them to Hunter who grabs her items on his way out.

I lean back in my chair and watch her. She spins around in my office, the smile still on her face. She faces me and runs a hand through her long blonde strands. As usual, her face is fully made up. She’s in a short dress and high boots more suited for a cocktail party than for ten in the morning at an office.

She opens her mouth to speak, but I hold my finger up to silence her when my private phone vibrates.

Tara: San Juan is not ready.

It’s a picture of her in a long, white fur coat. She’s holding it open and has nothing on but a black string bikini. I hold back my groan at the sight of her body. A body I haven’t had in my bed since Thursday night.

Me: Who took that picture?

Tara: That’s all you have to say?

Me: See my last question.

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