“As usual,” I confirm.
“What’s on your mind?”
“What?”
“Something is bothering you,” he states.
You?
There’s something so annoying about him. He’s so hot, but then, he’s…well, him. I can’t deny I’m physically attracted to him but also repelled by his personality. I blink away deliberately trying to avoid staring at him.
“I could’ve packed your things and have them shipped. You don’t need me,” I explain.
He smirks. “Funny, that’s for me to decide, Ms. Aragon. What bothers you? Traveling or sacrificing your weekend?”
Both. I glance at him and roll my eyes. “I refuse to work all weekend,” I warn him.
He opens the passenger door and closes it once I’m inside the car.
“Don’t worry. I promised your friend that we’d be done by tomorrow afternoon, since we’re celebrating Hayes’ birthday,” he states once he takes a seat and turns on the engine.
“Woohoo,” I say sarcastically. “I’m only working twenty-four hours of overtime.”
“I don’t care for your sarcasm.”
“I don’t care for many things, and yet, here we are,” I answer with the phrase he hates the most.
To push his next button, I pull out my noise canceling headphones and make an entire show of setting my music and tuning him out.
Two
Henry
It’s said that we all start off in life with a dream. Like making a million dollars, traveling around the world, or having a career that fulfills us.
I don’t have any dreams. At least, I don’t think I do.
My life was decided way before I was born. I’d be the heir of two wealthy and powerful families. Here’s the kick: Mom chose the wrong man. William Aldridge, my sperm donor, was wealthy but not single. He was a philanderer, not a philanthropist. He cared about women—all of them.
I was born with a silver spoon, bred to become one of the most powerful men in the world, and taught that there’s nothing more important in life than to close a deal. Not even family. It comes as no surprise that my life is just a sequence of meetings, business deals, and mergers. My only goal is to ensure that Merkel Hotels & Spas are the best in the world. The only thing worth celebrating is when I buy a new lot, an old hotel, or a business that can benefit me in the long run.
I was raised to win.
For some, owning their own business is just a dream that they never accomplish. For me…well, lately it has become a process as similar as breathing. I can do my job with my eyes closed. Unlike my brothers, what I do is meaningless. It doesn’t enrich my life. It’s as simple as tying the shoelaces of my thousand-dollar oxford shoes.
You know what thrills me?
Looking at the beauty next to me chasing a deal, fixing an old hotel, or just being infuriated with me.
Sophia Aragon makes everything more…vivid. She brings life to everything she touches. Which is refreshing and maddening at the same time. How can someone so beautiful, smart, and sassy, invoke so many emotions in a matter of seconds?
She’s a puzzle, and maybe that’s why I haven’t fired her yet. Every single day we spend together, she surprises me. After so many years working for me, I can’t afford to lose her. She knows my business better than I do. The entire company depends on her.
By now, I’m just the guy who closes deals and signs the memos.
Her new venture is Aldry’s Sweets. Having her in charge of the factory is the smart thing to do; I know it. It scares me that she’ll be concentrating most of her time on that project. She’s now the brain of my company—and the heart. But I am sure everything will work out the way I planned.
I hoped we could discuss what’s to come during the drive, but it’s obvious that she’s not having it. Maybe later today or on Sunday we can discuss what I plan on implementing within the next couple of weeks. I expect some backlash on her part. She never takes change without a protest or a bonus. She’s smart and knows her worth.
When we arrive at the house, she looks at me and then at the mountain of dirt close to the lake. The construction company broke ground this Monday.
“Hayes is building a house,” I answer her silent question.
“Aren’t you supposed to live in the same house for eighteen months?”
I nod twice and sigh. She knows the stupid stipulations of my father’s testament better than I do.
“Pierce is trying to find a loophole to help them move once Rodin Construction finishes the house. If he can’t amend that part, then they’ll stay in the main house until the ordeal is over.”
“The kick-ass lawyer quit his practice so he can find loopholes in the will?” she asks with an insolent tone. I don’t get upset. Actually, it turns me on.
What is it about Sophia Aragon that makes me angry and want her all at the same time?
My brain is aware of the contradiction. My body is beginning to give no fucks about logic and just wants her. I’ve kept my distance, but since my father’s death it’s been hard, so hard…just like my fucking dick is every time she’s near me.
Today isn’t any different. She had the audacity to wear a skirt that falls just below her knee showing off her amazing toned legs, and, of course, she has on a pair of fuck me heels. Thank fuck she’s wearing a jacket because I’d lose my shit if she’s wearing something that accentuates her gorgeous tits.
“Not to step on anyone’s toes, but his time could be used in something more…productive,” she says with a tone that makes me want to fuck her sassy mouth.
I think that’s the only way she’ll stop being so insolent.
“We’re firing most of my father’s lawyers, and he’s taking charge of all the legal affairs. In his spare time, he’s trying to find ways to make these months more…bearable.”
She nods and shrugs. “Are you going to build your own house too?”
She points toward the east of the property. “There’s a spot there. You can claim it before one of your brothers do.”
“Probably not,” I answer.
“Of course. Once this is over, you’re leaving this house and the town,” she concludes and gets out of the car.
She’s not wrong, yet, she’s not right.
After spending almost two months with my brother Hayes and his fiancée, it’s hard not to think that my life needs a few changes. Living close to them might not be such a bad idea.
Would I build a house next to them?
Probably not. I need my space. There’s a lot in the south part of town that we own, and if I play my cards right, I might call that mine. My permanent residence and my future are up in the air. Hayes promised me that after the end of this shit show I’d get what I always wanted. Since I don’t have a dream, he said we’d discover it together. As a family.
All my life I knew what to expect from everyone. Not from these guys. I’m not scared of my future, but for the first time in my life I’ve taken a leap of faith and followed the unknown. I’m investing not only my fortune, but myself into this venture, knowing that I have a lot to lose.