Page 95 of Snapshot

I place my hand on his thigh. “It’s not a problem, Mr. Hessler.”

He smirks. “You only call me that when you want rough sex.”

“Look at you, reading between the lines this morning.” My hand creeps up an inch higher.

Joe clears his throat from the front seat. “Sir, we’re here. Right up front.” I look out the window to see the grand entranceto the Hessler Group corporate headquarters. It looks more like a palace made from glass windows than a corporate office.

“Thanks, Joe,” Dex says, “Throw the hazards on. We need a minute. Also, I’d recommend you close the partition now.”

Laughing, Joe presses a button, and the partition automatically closes. When I asked Joe if we could switch from a limousine to a less ostentatious car, I wasn’t expecting an upgrade. The outside of the SUV looks somewhat normal, but the inside of this luxury stretch Escalade looks like a swanky lounge. There are even swiveling trays that pull out to set up a laptop or tablet. I'm assuming it's so Dex can complete private meetings while he's traveling, but it bothers me his schedule is packed so tight that he can’t just sit down and relax for a fifteen-minute commute. Every second of his day is accounted for.

“My insatiable, kinky wife, I thought I handled you thoroughly last night. At this point, I’m going to have to start bringing in mechanical support.”

I laugh. “I guess happiness makes me horny.” I kiss his cheek.

“As much as I’d love to pull your panties to the side and fuck you senseless in this car right now”—he turns his wrist—“I have a video conference in twelve minutes.”

“I thought that meeting you’re dragging me to isn’t until ten-thirty.”

He chuckles. “I’m notdraggingyou to anything. The weekly leadership meeting is technically the CEO’s meeting.Your meeting, baby.”

I roll my eyes. “Dex, everyone knows you’re the one who’s actually in charge. Don’t patronize me.”

Hooking his finger under my chin, he turns my face so he can hold my gaze. “Today, I’m announcing to the executive team that we’re moving forward with the ‘Once in a Lifetime’ idea for Luxe Cruises. We’re going to start in-house fundraising for a mega-marketing plan. Our CFO has already assessed the numbers, and if everything goes off without a hitch, this endeavor could save a division and a lot of jobs. I want you to wrap your head around that.”

I raise my brow. “Around what?”

“This idea is going to save jobs, create opportunities, and benefit a lot of charities. Everything has a trickle effect. Not only can it change the industry, but ideas like this can also change a lot of people’s lives for the better.Your idea.”

“Is it, though? Because I don’t know how to navigate the business stuff. Just because I said a concert in the middle of the ocean would be cool doesn’t make me a business mogul. This isn’t my wheelhouse and I’m trying to be a help, not a hindrance. I honestly think it’s best in these meetings that I sit back and let the professionals do their thing. They’ll probably like me more if I don’t get in the way.”

“I don’t care how you got here. You’re here.” Dex shakes his head. “Be loud. Lean in. Take your seat at the head of the table. I want the whole room to know when my wife speaks, it’s time to sit down and listen. You have what most people in this industry don’t. Better priorities. You have so much more potential than you realize. You know what Grandma used to tell me?”

“What?”

“You can teach numbers, but you can’t teach heart.” He touches his lips to mine. “You’ve already got all the stuff you need. The team is going to love you, I promise.”

I hike up my new business pencil skirt and climb on Dex’s lap.

“Woman,” he says, looking at his watch again. “What’d I just say? Meeting in now eight minutes. I have to get to my office.”

I stroke against his growing bulge. “Can you skip it?” I whisper-growl in my most seductive voice.

“No. It’s with Peak Publications. A personal vendetta, if you will.”

“What do you mean?”

His eyes narrow. “I don’t take kindly to people fucking with my wife. I’m going to buy the company and then fire Kat. Then, I’m going to call up all my new publication partners and blackball her from the entire industry. When I’m done with Kat, she won’t even be allowed to publish on a Reddit forum.”

An uncomfortable pang flashes through my body. Yes, I’m furious. I was taken advantage of, manipulated, and bullied. The petty side of me wants revenge and to see her suffer. But what would that really get me? She hurt me. I hurt her. Then we’re just all hurting… Not to mention, I made a promise to my dad.

“How much are you buying the company for?”

Dex raises his brows. “A substantial amount. Suddenly, you’re interested in numbers?”

“I just want to know how much revenge is worth to you?”

He nods, wrapping his arms around me, then rubbing the small of my back. “Don’t you want a man who defends you?”

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