Page 6 of Counting On You

“I’m not a sex addict.”

Ben sighs. “We’ve already discussed all other options. You have no choice. You either check yourself in or you retire. It’s that simple.”

With that he gets up. “Your choice, Kaiden,” he throws at me in the kind of voice I’d like to punch right out of him. “Your therapy starts tomorrow. If you’re not there, you can kiss your seat goodbye. For the sake of our friendship, we recommend you do as we say.”

I stare at him, my anger flaring up. “May I remind you that I built this company from scratch?” I point my finger to each of the six board members, including my brother. “You wouldn’t be sitting here if it weren’t for me.”

Ben nods his head as if he saw that coming. “We’re all aware of your hard work, Kaiden. But your company wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for our shares, connections, and support. Right now, you’re risking our investment and reputations for a bit of a good ol’ roll in the hay, so to speak.” He stares me down, which doesn’t have quite the threatening effect I’m sure he’s going for.

“It’s still my private life,” I mumble, irritated.

“That may be true, but we won’t let you ruin the very company you and your brother worked so hard to build.” His expression softens. “Your father and I were friends long before you were born. Remember our agreement before we agreed to invest in your business?” He pauses, but not long enough to give me a chance to reply. “We want you to get better.”

Better?

I snort.

Frankly, I’ve never felt better. The sex is ah-mazing. Like rip-your-clothes-off-amazing. Imagine you could have all the food you wanted. Now imagine that what you got is so deliciously and mouthwateringly melty you’d instantly lick your fingers—that’s sex to me. Just give me a woman with hips and something to grab onto so that it doesn’t feel like I’m fucking a blowup doll. Give me a pair of tits—any size, any shape—I can push my face, or cock, in between, and I’m happy and ready to go.

“I’m doing very well, thanks for asking,” I say.

He shoots me a hard stare before he gets up, followed by the other board members. Only my brother remains seated.

As soon as the door closes behind them, I stand and walk to the bar.

“It’s not even ten a.m., Kade,” Chase says.

“It probably is…in Australia.”

I grab a bottle of whiskey and two glasses before I return to the table.

My hand’s slightly shaking as I pour the golden liquid into two tumblers, spilling a drop.

My anger flares up again. “It’s a fucking mess. I’m far too young and sexy to retire. Besides, they need me because I’m the only one who knows how to run my company the way it should be run. It’s not my fault they’re thick-skulled brutes, with their only interest being fluffing up their savings accounts rather than expanding this business. Sometimes I wish I didn’t have to ask for investors…that I’d never sold the shares to start up.”

“But you did,” Chase says. “Nothing you can do about that now.”

“Obviously, I have to have some patience and understanding, what with most of them being past sixty and counting,” I say, ignoring him.

His lips twitch in understanding. “You can’t expect people who have no idea what Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, and the likes are, to get you.”

“Obviously,” I mutter. I turn around in a dramatic manner. “I’ll tell you a secret. I do actually know what’s going on.”

“Please enlighten me.”

“They’re bored with their lives because nothing ever happens, which makes them jealous of me.”

That’s right.

They’re jealous ofme.

Jealous because they’re married and stuck in their boring routine.

Jealous because they think they have left their best years behind and miss their old, carefree days.

Divorce is always an option, but not when it’s already their second and third marriage.

“They love their mansions, their Botoxed wives, but they still think the grass is greener on the other side,” I continue. “That’s because the grass is greener on my side. Not my fault though. You can’t have it all. Even I know it, which is why I do have a set of rules.”

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