Renee kept her head down and released a suppressed sigh, swallowing her insults because it would get us nowhere.
I steadied my anger and spoke. “We have to keep reinventing our company if we want to survive another generation. Companies that just sit back and do nothing never last. I assume that’s the last thing you want…since you have nothing else.”
She turned her blue eyes on me, her plump lips outlined with a racy color of lipstick. There was no guilt in her look, no second-guessing. She didn’t give a damn what she did to me.
She owned it.
When the meeting was finished, she rose to her feet and strutted out. Her spike heels echoed against the hard floor as she walked out, her head held high as if she’d built this company from the ground up.
“Sometimes I want to jump over the table and break her neck.” Renee put her papers in her folders, a bit of redness to her cheeks from her anger.
“Yeah…I know the feeling.”
7
Dax
I sat on the couch in front of the TV and nursed my scotch. I usually went for a run after work, but today, I totally ditched the obligation because I just wanted to sulk in silence.
Carson texted me. I had to stay late at the office today, so I’m just leaving now. Dinner?
I wasn’t in the mood to do anything right now. But I didn’t want to push her away, do anything to jeopardize what we finally had. I already ate. But you’re welcome to come over.
Alright. I’m picking up Chinese.
See you soon.
Thirty minutes later, my elevator beeped quietly before the doors opened, revealing Carson on the other side, wearing skinny jeans and green booties with a black sweater on top. A plastic bag of takeout was in her hand. “Hey, babe.”
Did she just call me babe? “Hey, sweetheart.” I got to my feet so I could greet her properly instead of letting my sour mood destroy the energy in the room.
Besides, it seemed like my night just got better.
My arms wrapped around her small waist, and I leaned down and gave her a kiss.
I was shirtless and in just my sweatpants, so her hand groped me dramatically without apology.
I smiled against her lips, letting her know I liked it when she made me feel desirable, made me feel I was worthy of her. I knew I was attractive, but I rarely got compliments from women, maybe because they thought my qualities were obvious and should go unsaid. But beautiful women liked to be complimented, and the same applied to men.
“I know you said you weren’t hungry, but I got some extra spring rolls if you change your mind.” She stepped back and shook the bag, the plastic film making a shimmering sound.
It was hard not to smile. “Thanks for thinking of me.”
She carried the bag to the dining table behind the TV and ripped it open. “I’m sorry, but I’m starving.” She went to the kitchen and grabbed a fork and then took a seat so she could eat her chow mein and sweet-and-sour chicken.
I grabbed my glass of scotch and took the seat beside her. I watched her devour her food, quickly shoveling it into her mouth like she hadn’t eaten in days. “How was your day?”
It took a long time for her to give a response because there was always food in her mouth. “I’ve been doing a lot of surveillance today. Basically, stalking my prey.”
“Who’s the prey?”
“Pharmaceutical company that I can’t name. I have information that they’re purposely changing the concentrations of their drugs to make people sick. I’ve got to figure out what I’m going to threaten them with.” She stabbed her fork into the food again and took a few more bites.
Her profession would always be difficult for me, knowing she was rattling cages and pissing off people she should avoid. It would always make me worry about her. There were times when I wanted to ask her to step aside for me, but I knew it would just make me lose her. If I wanted to keep her, I’d have to accept this part of her life. “And you’ve narrowed down your targets?”
“Yep.” She dipped her spring roll into her dipping sauce and took a bite, the crunch audible. “How was your day?”
I shrugged. “Not my best day…”
“What happened?” She stopped eating like it was a limited-time buffet and gave me more of her attention, her eyes showing her sincere interest.
I shook my head. “Doesn’t matter. Just wasn’t good.” I didn’t want to spend time talking about my ex-wife, not when I was with the woman I should’ve been with in the first place. I used to believe everything happened for a reason, but now, I wasn’t sure. What could possibly be the reason for me to marry someone who just used me? To make me so paranoid that I created a fake life to lie to Carson? It seemed like a lot of work.
“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. But I’m always happy to listen…if you change your mind.”
That gave me a change of heart. If I wanted her to be open with me, I had to reciprocate. It wasn’t that I felt uneasy sharing my life with her; I just didn’t want to dampen what we had by talking about a woman who already took up enough of my time. “I had a meeting today at work, and she was there. She always brings her lawyer to these things, and her only interest is determining what her paycheck is for the quarter. She doesn’t even have the class not to make it obvious. She questions my business decisions whenever it decreases her revenue, and I actually have to justify what I’m doing…to her.”
Carson was silent as she continued to look at me, clearly searching for something comforting to say. She obviously didn’t find anything because her only response was silence.
I looked out the window in front of us, seeing the city lights become brighter as the night intensified.
Her hand went to mine on the table, and her small fingers caressed my skin. “I’m sorry. I can’t even imagine…”
“Yeah. Fucking sucks.”
“But you don’t have to see her a lot, right?”
I shook my head. “Thankfully.”
She turned in her seat altogether, her knees hitting my chair. Her fingers remained in mine, her gentle pulse vibrating against my hand. “There’s really nothing you can do?”
“Besides murder? No.”
“I could beat her ass for you…if you want.”
That immediately made me smile, not because I would actually ask her to do it, but I could clearly picture that scenario. Rose would step out of the building, and Carson would beat her ass right on the sidewalk. “No, it’s okay.”
“Offer is always on the table.”
“No doubt.” I turned my gaze away from the window and looked at her face, her glowing eyes. “I don’t want to talk about her anymore. I’d rather spend all my time thinking about you.”
“I’m not sure you want to do that.”
“Why?”
“Well, if you think about me all the time, you’re gonna be walking around with a big-ass boner, twenty-four seven.”
That made me burst with a chuckle, and it made me immediately snap out of my bad mood too. “That’s a valid point.”
A beautiful smile formed on her face, like my happiness increased her own.