Page 136 of Hoax and Kisses
“Whatever,” she laughs. “You’ve been haunting me for seven days. Even the silence was a constant reminder that you weren’t here.” Her fingers slide through my hair. “I love you, Matt Becker. I love you so much, I don’t even remember who I was before you. And I don’t want to, because that person wasn’t me. You peeled away the stubborn layers I’d grown comfortable hiding behind and forced me to discover who I truly was. And I never want to go back. I want you in every way you’ll let me. I want to live the kind of love that leaves me breathless. And honey, I can never catch my breath with you.”
She draws back, her eyes shining with tears.
“Growing old together sounds like a dream I never thought I could have. We’ll be the couple who always messes up our grandkids’ names and still holds hands in grocery stores.” She rises on her tiptoes. “Let’s never do space again.”
It takes all I have in me not to fall to my knees. I close the rest of the distance and brush my lips over hers, soft, light, steady. A promise woven in every caress. A vow that if she needed us to stay in this moment forever, I’d make time stand still. I wouldn’t move. I’d remain rooted until kissing her became the reason I breathed.
My name escapes her lips in a sigh, her mouth opening, giving me access. I continue my slow exploration. I let go of her hair, my hands drifting to her waist, then her ass, where I squeeze tightly.
She whimpers. “I have one very important disclosure: I’m in a very gross state right now.”
“Now that’s a very tempting offer,” I say, nibbling the lobe of her ear, pressing myself against her.
Sighing, she drops her head against my bicep. “It really is, but I have to kill the mood and tell you something.”
I press a kiss to her crown. “What is it?”
“I’ve had my head buried in legal documents and our archives for the past week, and I’ve been in contact with my team to find a way out of this mess,” she says, her voice bordering on defeat. “Unfortunately, the sale agreement I signed in the name of Imperial Excellence Group is airtight.”
Dread washes over me. I sit on the bed, forearms on my knees, lacing my fingers.
Zoé gathers a small pile of paperwork, then sits next to me. “ButI think I’m onto something…” She riffles through the pages of legal jargon I don’t know a thing about. “I was wondering if I could maybe talk to your friends. Charlee, specifically. About what happened in Pine Falls with my dad’s deal.”
I straighten, sucking in a breath. “What do you mean ‘what happened’? You don’t know?”
She shakes her head. “He’s always been vague about it. And I can’t find any traces of it in our archives. Something’s missing. From the beginning, it felt like he didn’t want to tell me. I brushed it off, assuming it was his massive ego. Until he took over last week, and my raised flags began flashing red. Something is not adding up, and your friends might have the information I need.”
“I thought you knew,” I whisper.
She gasps. “You know? You know what went down?”
I scoot closer. “I do. But it’s not my story to tell. The gang and I usually have dinner on Friday nights, and I actually came from there to get you. Oliver and Charlee will fill you in and answer all the questions you have.” I get up and turn in a circle, surveying the room. “Let’s start by packing your stuff. Time for you to come back home. Then we’re heading to Oliver’s. If we put our brains together, I’m sure we’ll build a solid case against your dad.”
Panic flashes in her eyes, and I press my lips in a firm line.
“I’m sorry, beautiful. I know this is not what you wanted.”
“It is what it is. He dug his own grave.” She gets up and stares down at her clothes. “I can’t go to dinner with your friends like this.”
I draw her to me until not an inch of space separates my body from hers. “They don’t care what you look like, but if you need any reassurance of how hot you are in my sweatpants, I’m sure you can feel the effect you have on me.” I press myself closer, and the sound that comes out of her mouth makes me even harder.
“Still,” she murmurs. “Let me at least change.”
Smirking, I release her. “Fine. I won’t be able to think straight anyway, with you in those. And we need to focus. So you go change. I’ll gather your stuff and load it in my truck.”
I place a quick kiss on her lips, then spin her around.
“Meet me in the lobby in ten.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
ZOEY
“So you haven’t spoken to your dad at all?” Matt asks as we drive the familiar route that leads to Oliver’s place.
“I haven’t heard anything back, no. I tried to call him, but he’s not picking up. According to his assistant, he flew to Europe last week to do some damage control with investors.”
Matt hums, his gaze fixed on the road. “I’m surprised. The issue over there must be very important for him to stay silent.” He glances at me. “Do you know what’s going on?”
