Page 52 of Secrets & Desires
“Not any more. Seems Rod has been quietly buying up every last share that you and Idon’town.”
“What the actual fuck?” Nox’s adrenaline pumped through his veins. “How doyouknow?”
Sandor smiled without humor. “Rod had one hold-out. Zeke Manners. Zeke called me and told me Rod was offering him three times market price. Zeke told him to drop dead.” He sighed. “I blame myself. If I hadn’t urged you to float the company, we would still retain overallcontrol.”
“Wait,” Nox looked aghast, “you’re saying wedon’t?”
“Do the math, Nox. We gave up fifty-one percent.” Sandor sighed and leaned forward. “Look, whatever Rod’s planning, we’ve still got, with Zeke’s shares, a majority. It just means we have to bring Rod in as partner due to the deal we made. It’s not the end of theworld.”
When Nox gothome that night, he heard Livia playing piano and went to the music room to find her. He stood at the door watching her, her fingers moving lightly over the keyboard, her body swaying to the melody. He went to her, bending to kiss the soft skin of hershoulder.
“Don’t stop,” he said as she started slightly, so Livia continued to play while he sat down beside her. He put his arms around her waist and buried his face in her hair.Fuck work, fuck everything else,he thought.This is all I want, this woman. She and I—us. Nothing elsematters.
“Come away with me for Christmas,” he murmured. “We’ll go somewhere where no one can find us, nothing can bother us. You and me and a log cabin in the mountains. A whiteChristmas.”
His lips were at her ear, then they trailed down her neck and he felt her shiver. She stopped playing and turned to kiss him. “That sounds perfect. Justperfect.”
“I’m just so sick of everyone interfering in our relationship, in our lives, our work. All I want is you, Livia…foralltime.”
She wound her arms around his neck. “And I, you.Justyou.”
He kissed her deeply, pouring all the love he felt for her into the kiss, leaving them both breathless. “I love you,” Livia whispered, brushing her lips back and forth against his. Nox smiled and, standing, pulled her toherfeet.
“Come with me.” He led her into his study and to the huge globe he kept in there. “Pick somewhere, anywhere in the world, and that’s where we’ll go. Anywhere. I know you won’t let me splurge on youoften…”
“Unless it’s to buy freakin’Steinwaysfor my college,” she interrupted, grinning, and Nox inclined his head withagrin.
“Touché, but please, let me do this. Let me give you the most romantic, over-the-top Christmas. It’s our first one together. Let this be my gifttoyou.”
Livia studied him for a long moment then smiled. “I guess, for our first one, it would be Grinchy of me to decline. Okay then, Nox Renaud, this one’s on you…with twoconditions.”
By the grin on her face, he knew she was about to make a joke. “Goahead.”
“One…next year, it’s my choice, mybudget.”
“As long as you promise there will be a next year, and a year after that, and after that, andsoon.”
She kissed him tenderly. “God, yes, Ipromise.”
His arms tightened around her and he gazed down at her lovely face. “And the second one?” He deliberately pressed his erection against her, making her sighhappily.
“That you never, ever make me listen to that god-awful MariahCareysong.”
Nox laughed. “What? “We BelongTogether?””
“Ha ha, no, I actuallylovethat one. Andwedo.”
Nox kissed her again. “Yes, we do. Now, stop prevaricating and choose somewhere to go onvacation.”
Livia hummed over the globe, spinning it gently. “What about you? Where do you want to go forChristmas?”
“All I want for Christmas is you,” Nox said innocently, then laughed as she punched his arm. “Ouch, devil woman. Have you made upyourmind?”
“Okay,” Livia said, closing her eyes and spinning the globe. “Wherever I put my finger, we gothere.”
“Deal.”
She let the globe spin a couple of times before pushing her fingeragainstit.
