My heart thumped as Dean drew closer, his footsteps suddenly louder like they were powered by a microphone.Leonardo Rossi tilted his tablet towards me, but I did not dare look at it.The last thing I wanted was to have a public scene with Dean on my very first day here.“Don’t you like it?” Leonardo was saying when Dean finally got to us.“What’s that?”I stopped breathing. “A gift for your wife. She looked too lovely not to pencil in.” He said, and my eyes widened to stare up at him.How were some men so audacious? Or were these two enemies, and he was trying to rile Dean up.“Oh, how lovely,” Dean said, taking the tablet from him and staring into it. I turned my wide eyes to Dean this time.Was this a joke? Was this an act before he threw the tablet against the wall?“You really should open a gallery, Leo,” Dean said, staring at the screen with all attention, “The way you play with shadows is just tasty.” He shook his head in wonder now.Leonardo Rossi laughed richly now, sinking
“For starters, is it true?” a young woman said. I blinked. She looked twenty, and sounded like a teen.Before I could tilt my head, Emma leaned in from her seat behind me.“Sophie Stweart. Inherited a seat on the board after her whole family died in a plane crash last summer."I winced, immediately feeling sorry. She looked so young. I loved that she was confident though.“Is what true, Miss Stewart?” Dean was smiling, but his eyes were hard. And unlike everyone here so far, he addressed her formally.“Is Mrs Fletcher having an affair with Colt Fletcher?” The young woman said, her eyes fixed on Dean. Although I was the infamous subject of discussion here, glee fluttered in my heart.The room fell silent, and for the first time, a crack appeared in Dean’s mask. But for a man who loved control and hated anyone challenging his authority, he was doing a good job pretending. “I don't know how others do it in their families,” Dean emphasized. Oh, the man was truly a dick! Did he have
Emma knocked on the door, and Dean turned his neck. “Mr Fletcher is here.” She announced, and I did not miss the blush on her face. It was a struggle not to roll my eyes.Did her former bestie Samantha have any idea she had a crush on her man?“Shall we?” Dean got off my desk, and stepped back. I nodded, and Emma rushed in to take my laptop and phone before I could protest.My heart thumped, for obvious reasons, as I walked out the office into the adjoining lobby. But in the lobby, I froze, staring at the man who had his back turned in my direction.He swiveled around then, and my body tensed. Colt own a shirt? He was wearing one now, and he did the button all the way up except the top two. The way he looked, he might as well be the chairman.He looked… Refined and all business. Hair combed out of his face in backward waves, a black Roman cut Brioni suit, and a Zegna shirt that was the exact color of my suit.Was this another one of his antics? Had he seen me when I left for wo
I managed to have Emma delay the board for another hour while I paced my office, waiting for the almighty Fletcher brothers.My belly was in knots.The Auclairs have become a part of the board since the merger, and Emma confirmed that my aunt was indeed in the boardroom with the rest.All this because Colt just had to be Colt and treat me like his property, even in public.I looked around my office for something to distract myself, my eyes drinking in the creamy decor, exposed bricks and floor-to-ceiling windows that looked right out to the billion-dollar corporate zone and all their skyscrapers.I had not gotten a chance to check my new office before we flew to Rome.But this was not bad at all. A little too luxurious and lush, of course, but it should grow on me.I groaned at the knock on the door.Just when I’d finally managed to distract my mind with mundane things...“What is it, Emma?” I sighed, and the door opened a crack.“Ms Auclair is insistent on seeing you.” Emma looked n
When the fist finally loosened its hold on my chest, I realized Colt was mopping sweat off my brows.Those hazel eyes bright with worry, his brows knitted in concentration.“Stop this.” I pushed away from him, standing up. Then I stood still for a second because the room contracted and expanded around me.I gulped air down and continued, “Stop the pretense. All you had to do was be honest.”I walked around him, as he stared up at me, perplexed. I kept my eyes away from the Oscar-worthy shot of him on one knee, wet rag in hand, and staring up at me with innocent eyes.“You wanted to fuck?” I glanced at him, “I wanted the same too. Hated your brother and wanted to fuck him over? Hell yea, count me in.” I raised the camera still in my hand.“But this?” I shook my head. “I don’t play shit like this. I am too old for games.”“How're you feeling now?” His voice was calm as he stood up, throwing me off guard.I had no idea Colt could be calm. Before, and right after my wedding to his brot
I stared up at Colt, my eyes narrowing by the second till they became incredulous slits.It all makes sense now. Asking me here so suddenly, fucking my brains out and bringing up this discussion right in the middle of fucking my brains out.Anthony and Cleopatra my foot.“You never changed.” My voice came out hurt, wondering how the hell I fell into his trap twice?His head snapped back, his face confused. I pushed him off and hurried to the bedroom. “Olivia.” he grabbed my arm. I whirled around and shoved him, yelling, “get your hands off me,” without a care if anyone heard me.The confused and hurt look in his eyes annoyed me even more.Fuck. How stupid had I been? He was such a good actor.“Will you at least talk to me?” he thundered finally as I threw his bed-covers around, searching for my lingerie.“How foolish did you think I was?” I whirled around. “The stupid, fat, horny bitch who would do anything to please Colt the hottie.” I lashed out, hating, absolutely hating how my