Page 73 of Snapshot

“It’s all the PR and public speaking training. I was born to be in corporate or politics.”

She shakes her head and wrinkles up her nose like she smells something disgusting. “I think you have more potential than that, Dex. But I do wish I could borrow your confidence in the matter. You’re not worried about what anyone is going to say? You just appointed a CEO whose most impressive business accomplishment is an unimplemented dive shop business plan she wrote out when she was eighteen years old. You’re going to have hell to pay with your leadership team.”

“First of all, you underestimate yourself.” I kiss her forehead. “You know what my grandma used to tell me?”

“What’s that?”

“Leadership is less about what’s in your head and more about what’s in your heart. Business can be learned, but a cold heart will starve potential every single time. You have the best heart, Len. That’s all you need.”

She rolls her eyes. “Sappy.”

“Roll your eyes at me again,” I say, dropping my voice to a husky whisper. “I’ll bend you over this counter and spank you.”

She chuckles as she clamps her knees tightly around my waist. “Go ahead and do your worst, Mr. Hessler.”

“Second of all,” I say, refocusing before I get too distracted. Now, bending Lennox over this counter is at the forefront of my mind. Every three hours, like a biological timer, the urgebubbles up and I need to have her. Let’s hope the obsession fades or I’ll become the most unproductive, useless piece of shit on the planet, unable to function without my body locked into my wife. “This was my decision.Youwere my choice. The only other person who gets a say in that is you. If the executive team has a problem with it, they can leave their jobs and pensions at the door and walk the hell away.”

Lennox still doesn’t have a full grasp on how much power I have. How much power she now has. I don’t think she’d care though. It’s my favorite part of her. We could be happy together with absolutely nothing. That’s the kind of love Grandma wanted for me. The kind that withstands all the changes and challenges. She knew from the moment she met Lennox what I wanted. I was too stubborn and distracted to move my feet, so she had to force my hand.

Thank you, Grandma.

Scooting the plate aside, I plant my hand on the counter and lean into Lennox’s body. I bury my nose in her neck, smelling the light traces of my shampoo that she used. It smells so much better on her. “Are you still hungry? Or can we move on from lunch?” I kiss down her neck and across her clavicle. When I run out of skin, I push my shirt off her shoulders, exposing her tits and pert nipples.

“I’m never going to get enough of you,” I murmur.

I scoot her to the edge of the counter and reach between her legs. The tip of my finger is barely slick from her entrance when I hear a loud,“Oh, shit! Dex, I’m sorry.”

It’s not Lennox’s voice.

I whip my head around to see Denny standing at the entrance of my kitchen, covering her eyes murmuring, “Sorry, sorry, sorry,” as she blindly backs away, getting dangerously close to falling down the stairs that lead to the basement. She’d break her neck tumbling down those stairs.

“Denny, watch out! Stairs,” I shout. Eyes popping open, she dodges the stair landing and pivots before scuttling down the hallway.

“I’ll wait outside,” she calls over her shoulder.

I blink a few times, trying to make sense of the situation. Denny is here in Las Vegas…in my home…and just saw me fingering my wife. I check Lennox’s face. She looks mortified as she pulls my shirt back over her shoulders and wraps herself up as tightly as she can. Her cheeks are scarlet red and her jaw is tense.

“I’m sorry,” I mutter.

“So…that’s Denny, huh?”

“That’s Denny,” I respond.

“Denny with a key, hm?” Lennox looks pissed, but I can’t imagine she’s jealous. Denny is old enough to be my mother. Maybe it’s just embarrassment, but we weren’t doing anything wrong. An uncomfortable sight for an outsider, but there’s nothing wrong with enjoying my new marital bliss however I please in my home. Why she’s here is the big question.

Then again…

“Not a key,” I explain. “She has the code to the front lock. Denny was in charge of arranging the moving and cleaning crew. I gave her the code last week so she could schedule everything.” I grimace as I tuck Lennox’s hair behind her ear. “She was also the one trying to find me a wife. And I ghosted her last night when I asked you to marry me.” I shake my head realizing I caused this uncomfortable situation. “I haven’t opened her texts or answered any of her calls. She probably thought something happened to me.”

Lennox crosses her arms even tighter. “Were you ignoring her because she’s going to be pissed we got married?” There’s a touch of sadness in her eyes.

“Not at all.” Running my hand over her shoulder, then down her arm, I try to relieve the tension. She looks so on edge at the moment, like prey that senses a predator. “I’ve been ignoring everyone. Apparently, I’m a little neglectful of my responsibilities when I’m this happy.”

Immediately, she relaxes. “Well, that’s sweet.” She places her hands on my cheeks. “Now, duty calls. Give me a two-minute head start to get up the stairs then hurry up and bring her back in. It’s chilly out today.” Stepping aside, I let her tiptoe away. She peeks down the hallway before darting across the living room, then upstairs.

I don’t retrieve Denny immediately. I scrape Lennox’s plate clean into the trash then rinse it in the sink. I even wash my hands and take my time drying them off on the kitchen towel. I’m trying to come up with a reasonable explanation before I address Denny. The last conversation we had, she was expecting me to commit to Allie. Canoodling with Lennox was enough of a surprise for her. Finding out she’s my wife, and now the CEO of Hessler Group, might send Denny into a coronary.

When I pull open the front door, I see Denny sitting on the porch. She’s in a tight pencil skirt that goes past her knees, forcing her to sit awkwardly like a land-stranded mermaid. She turns around, and before I can address her, she blurts out an explanation. “You dropped off in the middle of an important conversation and I never heard back from you, Dex.”

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