I could play nice for a while. However, once the agreed-upon period was over, I’d clean house. The three-month trial would give us time to learn who was valuable and who was expendable. My concern wasn’t about the employees as much as it was on licensing the technology. As soon as it was public that Venus had acquired Architech for two hundred and twenty million, the offers started to come in. In the current environment, we’d recoup our expenditure in less than a year. And then the sky was the limit.
Yes, in the chaos that was my life, the deal was good.
There was also the matter of my sister, Madison. Without going into detail, she was in the custody of the state of Wisconsin in a maximum-security institution. My sister wasn’t a monster. She was misguided, misunderstood, and currently undergoing psychiatric care.
She was also guilty of a crime.
I knew that without a doubt because the man she shot was my good friend. It was all rather complicated. Currently, I was sparing no expense on her care. My legal team was working on a plea bargain. If the state of Wisconsin agreed to reduce the charge to a class F felony, she will plead guilty. The sentence could be a fine of $25,000, a prison sentence of twelve and a half years, or both.
There wasn’t a right answer to this. Yet no matter what, Madison was my sister, and I would help in ways I should have been doing before. Just thinking about how much she’s lost made my heart and soul hurt.
Maybe it was because of Madison that I took this time away. I’d been so focused on my companies and success, on climbing the ladder, that I’d neglected people, people like my sister. There was also my friend Donovan who was injured—he was doing much better. Not only had he recovered from the injury, but he married a woman he definitely didn’t deserve.
Van and I go way back. We were jokingly supposed to end up together if we both remained single. The thought made me smirk. While we’d enjoyed one another’s company in a sexual way, the two of us together were better in the boardroom than the bedroom. He made the right decision when he proposed to his now wife.
I was happy for them both.
Van and I were like-minded in our pursuit of success. If he could let someone into the walls he’d built and take time to smell the roses, maybe I could too. Not that I was looking for anyone to let into my walls—no, I’d put them up brick by brick. Opening my eyes and seeing the sun glistening on the sea like diamonds, I hoped that perhaps I could take a week to enjoy a bit of the bounty I’d accumulated and drift away from the daily pressures.
“Ma’am.”
Looking up I saw Kelsey, one half of my current security team. She didn’t look like a bodyguard in her flowing beach cover and sunglasses. That was the point. She was blending in. “Yes?”
“Adam is over there.” She tilted her head. “I’m heading upstairs for a little while; this sun is brutal on my eyes. I wanted you to know you’re not alone.”
A grin came to my lips as I scanned the resort’s pool area. I was not alone. That was for sure. The chairs were filling quickly with people, those like me wanting to enjoy the sun and surf and possibly a few too many drinks with tiny umbrellas. “Thank you, Kelsey.”
“Will you dine in one of the restaurants tonight?”
My bathing-suit-clad breasts pushed forward as I inhaled. “I haven’t decided.”
It was her turn to smile. “It looks good on you.”
I peered down at my bathing suit. Keeping myself in shape was something I enjoyed. Parading in front of strangers in a two-piece bathing suit, not so much. The fact they were strangers and no one knew my name made it easier. “The suit?”
“No, I mean, yes. What I meant was seeing you relax. It’s a rarity. You deserve it.”
“Then why do I feel like a kid skipping school?”
Kelsey tilted her head toward the mostly melted daiquiri at my side. “Maybe you need another.”
“Maybe.”
“See, you’re doing it. Going with the flow. Not being planned and regimented.”
She was right. My usual life was planned daily to the minute. From waking to laying my head down at night, every moment was accounted for.
“Are you saying I’m boring—usually?” I asked with a grin.
“No. Usually, you’re a force to be reckoned with and that’s admirable. It’s just nice to see you letting your guard down. It’s good for you to not think about things for a while. Adam and I have your back.”
“Thank you, Kelsey.”
As she walked away, I waved down a young man in a resort shirt and shorts and ordered a fresh daiquiri. Time slipped away as I laid the chair back and closed my eyes. The sounds around me faded as the rum circulated through my veins and my mind drifted.
Gasping, I woke with a start. Shaking my head, I looked around, wondering what had startled me. Everything was as it had been. Adam was still sitting at a small table. When our eyes met, his opened wide. I shook my head, letting him know I was all right.
I was all right.
If I said it enough, maybe I’d believe it as well.
Whatever woke me wasn’t real. It was a dream. The details were out of reach as they’d been since the break-in…
I took a deep breath
More chairs were filled than before my nap. Needing to stretch my legs, I sat up, slipped my feet into my sandals, and walked to the closest bar. With one empty stool, I leaned in between two people to place an order.
The man on my right turned my way.
I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t been checking him out as I approached. His wide shoulders, muscular arms, and trim waist did more than catch my attention. I was instantly intrigued with his tattoos. However, it was as he turned that I had to stop myself from verbally reacting. He was incredibly handsome with turquoise eyes similar to the color of the ocean’s water, and longer dark hair tethered into a short ponytail at the nape of his neck. His chin and cheeks were covered with the right amount of stubble.
“Hi,” he said in a deep timbre with a sexy grin.
Thank goodness I was wearing my sunglasses. Hopefully, they hid my ogling. “Hi.”
“May I help you?” the bartender asked. She was a cute blond in short shorts and a tank top.
“Yes, I wondered if I could see a menu.” By my overreaction to this man, it was clear that the two daiquiris I’d consumed meant that I was in need of food.
The bartender nodded toward the stool. “You can have a seat.”
“That’s a good idea,” Mr. Handsome said.
Warmth filled my cheeks.
When was the last time I blushed?
That wasn’t me.
Yes, food. I needed food.
Looking back to the bartender, I replied, “No. I already have a chair over there.” I pointed. “Could someone bring it out to me?”
“Yes, of course.”
As I turned to walk away, Mr. Handsome spoke, “I don’t bite.”
I spun back toward him.
His grin grew. “Unless it’s something you like.”
It was difficult to gauge someone’s age when they were wearing orange swim trunks and no shirt. Nevertheless, I was pretty certain that I was the older of the two. With maturity came wisdom and experience. “Oh, I prefer to be the aggressor, not the prey.”
He turned my direction on the stool, giving me a full-on view of his tight abs. “Sounds like a challenge.”