Chapter Sixty-Nine

Richard came into work bright and early on Monday morning, opening his office and sorting through his files. He already had the most and the biggest accounts, so he didn’t have too much to do, but it was time for him to start being seen and noticed.But his concentration lagged, no matter how many cups of coffee he had. He kept thinking back to yesterday. It wasn’t the first time he’d slept with someone other than Samantha or Mari, but this Rosalyn chick, something about her was exciting and terrifying all in one. In some ways, she reminded him of Mari. The way she took control, the way she made him feel like scum. But if his night with her made Mari look like a nun, it made Samantha look like a virgin. He didn’t know what to think of Jaxson having a membership at that place. The upstairs area, the Aeria, was classy, with seduction as an underlying tone in the decor and atmosphere.Jaxson had come back from the pisser to find Rosalyn coiled around him on the lounge couch they had bee

Last Updated : 2025-05-10

Chapter Seventy

The week was dragging on. The wolf kept urging Daniel to make contact with Samantha, but Daniel knew he shouldn’t. He silently promised to protect her from himself as much as anything else he could.We can protect her better if we’re with her, his wolf insisted. It was insufferable now that Daniel had spent a considerable amount of time with her.Daniel was tired of this same argument, so he did what he could to shut the wolf out. They weren’t usually at odds like this, but the wolf couldn’t understand the complexity of the situation Daniel was in.Daniel had reached out to Donna. Emmanuel and his team were expected to be down by Saturday or Sunday at the latest. He’d make sure Samantha’s house was their first priority at the beginning of next week.As for now, he was waiting for Paige. They had appointments to see the lofts she and Lucas had picked out. Daniel had the security team throw in extra basic equipment in hopes that one of these were going to suffice.His door was open, and

Last Updated : 2025-05-11

Chapter Seventy-One

Samantha rubbed her hands nervously. She had the steakhouse set up the small private dining room for six people, per Uncle Edward’s suggestion. He had called her not long after Daniel left her home on Tuesday.It had been nice having him in her home. There was something about being able to sit and talk with someone that put her in a better mood these last few days and left her feeling optimistic about today as well.Uncle Eddie had promised to come, since this was an informal interview and more of a practical application to let the new owners of Elevated see what it is she does. All she really knew about the new owners was that they were a larger company, used to dealing with big money contracts, so she wanted to accent some of that power in the aesthetics of the room with heavy swatches of gold accents in the decor. She also wanted to show them that Elevated was an organic company, the people working there and their clients were very real to them, not just numbers, and Uncle Eddie

Last Updated : 2025-05-20

66 • Misunderstandings

“I.. I..” Samantha licked her lips, unable to look away.Daniel turned down his intensity and laughed.“It’s okay, Samantha, I know I’m intense. But, it’s just who I am,” he said softly, looking down at his own coffee to give her a minute to collect herself. He didn’t know what came over him. He wasn’t the kind to play games or flirtatiously tease like this. She was easy to fluster, but even better, he liked it when she smiled and laughed. It was as if all her troubles melted away.“And who exactly are you?” She asked, peeking up at him with curiosity, but refusing to get caught in his gaze again.Talk about a complicated question. She would never believe, or would run away screaming if she knew the full truth. What would that do to her, knowing she could be trading in one monster for another?“I am a successful business owner who has a lot of people he is responsible for,” he told her simply. “Who goes around rescuing damsels in distress,” she stated with a small smile. “Mr. Sanford

Last Updated : 2025-05-30

67 • Ground Rules

She knew she shouldn’t jump to any conclusions, but she still felt like a fool. Just because he didn’t have a ring on didn’t mean he wasn’t involved with somebody.She waited by the door while Daniel grabbed what he needed. She couldn’t help but rethink this whole thing. Inviting him to her home. Her instincts said she could trust him, but could she even trust her instincts?What am I even doing here?But before she could work up the courage to just leave, Daniel was back with what he needed.“This should do it for today,” he said as they left the suite and walked to the elevator. “Did you want me to follow you?”“Oh, yes, you need my address,” Samantha said, blushing. “But yes, you can follow me.” She texted him her address and heard the notification ping in his pocket. The elevator stopped on the third floor, and he exited. At first, she was confused, then she remembered the hotel had a parking garage connected to it by a walkway over the street.“Did you park here in the garage?” D