“I don’t know. It depends on the proposal.”
“Do you really want to acquire Hawthorne Inc?”
“It’s a formerly blue chip company that can be returned to its--”
“I’m not an investor you’re trying to court. I am talking about the truth. The real reason you’re doing this. It’s because of me, isn’t it?”
A ‘you’re not that special’ retort dances on my tongue, but I can’t say it. It would be a lie.
“Take all your revenge on me. Do whatever you want to me. I’m the one you hate.”
She’s asking me to withdraw my assault. The only problem is I can’t reverse a decision like this on a whim. “Your plea is a little too late, princess. The barbarian has brought his horde and is here to ransack your kingdom.”
Her eyes widen. “But you are willing to consider it.”
“A lot of people are counting on this deal going through.”
“But Raine can say no, right? If I vote no, it won’t be your fault you couldn’t convince us to sell. What if that’s the case?”
“And let Nolan win?”
“Do you really care if Nolan wins, or do you care more if I lose?”
Breaking up Hawthorne Inc. and selling it for parts is my dream, right? The closer I come to grasping it, the less I want it. It’s an odd feeling. The dream was brought on by the way my relationship with them ended. And she’s right. I don’t care if Nolan wins or whatever winning means, but destroying Ivy? Why can’t I savor the possibility of finally getting my revenge?Because she’s the mother of your child.A small voice says. The child she hid from me for years. Lake’s handsome face pops into my head and anger follows.
“What can you offer me that’s worth the billion dollars I would lose?”
She straightens. “Me.”
Chapter 18
Ivy
3 days later
Wear this. A driver will come to pick you up at six.
A white dress. I take the garment out of the red box it came in. It’s a gorgeous, sequined, and form-fitting dress. I turn it around. Make that a backless dress. It’s reminiscent of the one I wore eight years ago, only this one is a more mature, less ethereal version. This is a much sexier version, one designed to make the wearer look as irresistible as possible. Beneath it is a pair of white stilettos to match the dress and a diamond-encrusted purse that’s probably worth more than the stuff I’m going to put in it.
An overwhelming sense of trepidation takes over as I anticipate tonight. When I made that deal with Damien at that meeting, I didn’t think he was going to cash in so soon. Living in the same place with him feels like wandering in a sexually charged minefield. Now that he knows where I stand, I feel exposed. Just making breakfast this morning felt more eventful than it actually was. Lake had requested pancakes and raspberries the night before, and I rose early to make them. The second Damien entered, I felt his presence, even though my back was to him.
“You cook?” He had said with a frown on his face.
“I own a bakery. It would be odd if I didn’t know how to make a pancake.”
He scoffed in disbelief. “Yeah, but you’re not the one doing the baking there, are you?”
Instead of being irritated by his low opinion of me, my body was more concerned with how close he had gotten as he stood behind me, looking over my shoulder while I flipped a pancake. Heat rose in my cheeks that shamelessly had nothing to do with the stove but with the flashes of images that invaded my mind. Images of Damien wrapping his arms around me and drawing me into his chest as he dropped sweet kisses on my neck. I felt so embarrassed by my train of thoughts I almost burned the cake.
As though he knew what I was thinking, his hand brushed mine as he reached over to grab one of the nine pancakes that were on the plate next to the stove. It was a simple act, but it made my heart flutter.
“Huh,” he said after tasting the cake. “Better than I expected.” I put the last cake on the plate and turn to face him. Only to find him standing close to me. Too close. He looked fresh, well groomed, in his suit and combed hair. A direct contrast to my pajamas and messy bun. No one had a right to be as handsome as he was that morning. I got trapped in the pools of his beautiful eyes as I continued to stare. The energy swirling around us increased as more salacious images of the things I wanted him to do to me flashed across my mind. His finger brushed my cheek. I gasped. “There’s flour on your—” he leaned forward and I was sure he was about to kiss me when —
“Mom makes the best pancakes in the world.” Lake’s voice broke through the sexual haze. Part of me was glad, while another part cursed my son. Damien stepped back and said to me, “I’m going to send a package to your workplace. Please follow the instructions inside.”
I will myself to the present and back to my tiny office at the back of the kitchen. The background noise of kitchen utensils and people calling orders is the only noise that filters into the office. It is in contrast to the glamor of the dress I am holding. He wants me to wear this before leaving work. I am mortified by the image of walking past my employees wearing a shimmering cocktail dress while a town car waits for me outside.
Sonya would never let me leave it down. She will want all the details. Where I’m going. What I will do there. If only I knew. There’s nothing else written on the card except the single sentence. Yeah, no. I am wearing a coat on top.
