Page 49 of Noah's Reckoning
The goal. The end goal was to run a company of my own. Changing the culture from the inside to prove that clean energy could be as profitable as oil. It wasn’t something I’d ever told anyone before. Mostly because becoming CEO of a large energy company was no easy feat. Doing that as a woman would be even trickier. Some might say impossible.
However, the challenge of doing just that had always motivated me.
“What makes you think I plan to leave?” I asked, dodging answering for now.
“I saw how you were the other day in that meeting, Liv. You didn’t just control the room, you commanded it. You’ve obviously got more potential than being stuck in Hope’s Point. Looking over my work and giving me ideas I probably won’t use. Because we both know my work is flawless. Usually moving up the ladder means moving on to bigger companies. It only makes sense.”
“There is a plan,” I said, twisting my hands together wanting to be honest with him. “Of course I have a plan. I mean, who doesn’t? But that doesn’t really mean anything. Plans get changed all the time when life inserts itself.”
Like if you unexpectedly found yourself pregnant.
“You want to be the boss. Don’t you?”
I nodded, curious how he would handle that. Noah was the definition of a throwback alpha. I wasn’t sure how he would deal with me wanting to be the top dog in business.
“Who doesn’t?” I asked.
He laughed. “Not me. I see the shit Cal deals with and I’m, like, no thanks. Let me do my thing and leave me the hell alone. When you’re the boss, you have to worry about everyone and everything. It’s perfect for you.”
It was silly but I almost choked up a little. “You mean that?”
“Yep. I know you want to think I might have a problem with a female boss, but I wouldn’t. I’ve been known to think like a caveman, but I was raised by a strong woman who taught me how to respect that strength when I find it in anyone. Man or woman.”
“I believe you.” I really did, too. That was the thing about Noah. I might have called him cocky—okay, so he was totally cocky—but that wasn’t born out of bravado. It came from his innate confidence and someone who was that confident in himself would never have an issue with a woman boss. He’d give her as much grief as he would any male boss.
The memory of him facing off against the leadership team two days ago was priceless. Still, it made me wonder what his goals were.
“Do you plan to stay in Hope’s Point forever?”
He took a sip of his whiskey and seemed to consider that. “For now. Not forever. I imagine I’ll want to deal with humanity again. Eventually.”
His answer made me squirm a little bit.
“I don’t want to talk about the future,” I told him. “I would rather focus on the now. We only have one more day together, so let’s focus on that.”
“One more day? You called in sick to work?” he asked obviously surprised.
We’d had the weekend, but tomorrow was Monday. I would have been expected to be in the office.
“Yep. Horrible cold.” I fake-coughed several times to show him my acting abilities.
“You’re a natural. Ever play hooky before?”
I didn’t have to think about it. “Never in my life.”
“See how many things I’m introducing to you. Whiskey, blow jobs, hooky…could anal really be that far behind? No pun intended.”
“Noah!” Real outrage.
* * *
Later that night
Ark
I was making love to her again. We were in her bed that smelled like us now. Twisted up in the sheets. I was slowly sliding in and out of her while we languidly kissed.
She hitched her thigh even higher up my waist and I bent my head to worry her nipple.
