Landon

The streets were crowded on the drive to Val’s house the next morning, even though it was early. The city had begun to wake up, but we made it back with enough time to spare. Maddie’s crew hadn’t even arrived.

“You know what? I’ll bake a carrot cake for Val as a welcome home gift,” Maddie said as we walked up the front porch.

“I’m gonna share a secret with you, Maddie. My sisters’ telltale signs when they don’t like some food. Val drinks a lot of water, so she doesn’t have to eat much. Lori only takes very small bites. Hailey will say she’s on a diet. So if Val didn’t eat much last time....”

She shook her head. “Why didn’t she just tell me she didn’t like it?”

“You can’t escape my siblings’ flinch-inducing honesty if you share their blood. They show more tact toward the rest of the world.”

“And I had to sleep with you to find out the family secret, huh?”

“Can’t sell our secrets cheap.”

I pulled her into my arms, kissing that sassy smile. Then I headed upstairs to change into fresh clothes. I’d only brought two of my best suits, but I’d arrange for more to be sent from San Jose. Clothes mattered, especially when dealing with people who didn’t know me. A groomed appearance set a foundation of confidence and trust, even before I introduced myself. I knew how to play that game well.

When I stepped back outside, Maddie was near the front gate, stretching her back. A sack half her size was propped on the ground next to her. She must have unloaded it from her truck all by herself. I hurried to her.

“Maddie! Wait for the guys to arrive and unload.”

“Why waste the time when I can start right away?” She straightened up, making to move for the gate, but I put a hand on her waist.

“Because you’ll break your back. Wait for the guys.”

My voice was firm. I didn’t want her to exert herself. She tilted her head to one side, pushing my hand away.

“Do you think you can give me orders just because your dick’s been inside me?”

She was a spitfire. And hearing the word “dick” from her mouth turned me on.

“I’m not giving you orders. Just looking out for you.”

“Right,” she countered, but her expression had softened a bit. “I’m a tough girl, Landon.”

“I’m not questioning that. But the laws of physics still apply to you. I’ll help you unload them.”

“And wrinkle this mouthwatering suit? It would completely offset the effect of the cuff links. You’ll do no such thing. If you think—”

I pulled her into a kiss, eating up all her fire and sass, palming her butt and rolling her hips against mine.

I’d been semi-hard all morning, but now there was no semi about it. When I ground her against me, I could feel her nipples pebble even through her bra and work shirt. What this woman did to me was insane. My shoes sank into the earth as I scooped her up by her ass. She wound her arms around my neck, her knees pressing at my sides.

I kissed her until the sound of the front gate opening reached us. Maddie pulled back, gasping as I put her down.

“I don’t want the guys to see me like this,” she said.

“Why not?”

“Because I’m their boss.”

I dragged my thumb across the skin around her lips, which was red from our kiss. I’d marked her as mine.

“I’ve messed you up,” she murmured, arranging the collars of my shirt and suit. “Good luck today, Landon.”

I took one of her hands and kissed her palm, holding it to my lips. I’d loved waking up next to her, feeling her warm little body next to me. I’d been cradling her in my arms and hadn’t been ready to let go. I wasn’t ready now either, but we had to start our day.

***

I took a cab to the office and called Adam on the way. As I’d predicted, he hated my news.

“Landon, you can’t do that, man. Look, I’m sorry this is a bad time for Val, but it’s not peachy around here either. Sullivan is going back on every point. He’s trying to renegotiate everything, and he’s aggressive. He’ll have a field day when he finds out you won’t be back for another six weeks.”

“Adam, you’re my acting CEO. Sullivan knows that.”

“Yes, but I don’t actually own this company, and that diminishes my decision power. Is Val’s project really worth the risk of striking a bad deal with Sullivan? Or the deal falling through?”

A chill ran down my spine. Clenching my teeth, I looked out the window. I wanted to grow the company to be a force to be reckoned with. Our investors required the same. To set up the company, I’d had no choice but to take outside investment, and I’d had to give away shares in exchange. I owned 49 percent, the rest was distributed among the various investors, and they wanted larger profits. I’d brought the company as far as I possibly could have, but I couldn’t bring it to the next level on my own.

I needed more funds, or a partner with access to a wider distribution network, which was what Sullivan was bringing to the table. More funds meant an IPO or bringing in even more investors, which I didn’t want because I’d have to give up even more shares and control. The partnership with Sullivan was my best option, which was why I needed the deal to go through. But this couldn’t be helped.

While Adam was a close friend, he didn’t understand how deep family ties went in the Connor clan. Explaining myself further wasn’t going to change things, and I didn’t care to do it anyway. Ultimately, I was in charge. Adam had to do what I decided.

“I’m needed here, Adam. I’m officially not on vacation anymore, so I can be contacted at any hour after today. I’m taking the time to reacquaint myself with Val’s company. I can give you ten minutes right now to discuss any urgent matters.”

Two things became clear within a few hours in Val’s shoes. One: she was more efficient than 90 percent of the people I knew. Two: she didn’t delegate jack shit. She oversaw everything from executive decisions to small operative details. Nothing escaped her sharp mind, or pen. Almost everything needed her approval.

“We need approval for the shipments—”

“The samples will arrive today. We need you in the conference room at two.”

“The budget still needs changing.”

“When is Val coming back?”

“She hasn’t replied to our e-mails. That hasn’t—”

I jumped in. “And she won’t be replying for the time being.”

I felt like I was on a baseball field, fielding balls left and right, with several hitting me straight in the face while I was busy with others. Val’s daily to-do list was busy enough for two people to hack away at it until their eyes watered. In the rare moments when I was alone in the office, I went over the budget for the department store line, but the constant interruptions made it impossible to concentrate. Val led an open-door policy I did not appreciate.

Her assistant stepped in just as I’d started making notes.

“Mr. Connor, we need you down in shipping. We—”

“No.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Look—Angelica, that’s your name, right?”

“Yeah.”

“I will not be available for the next two hours.”

Her face drained of color. “But—”

“No ifs or buts. I will be here in the office, but I don’t want anyone to disturb me.”

“Val called.”

Jesus. My sister was still in the hospital.

“Right. Until I tell you differently, you will not be taking my sister’s calls. I will also need you to prepare a briefing for me. Include every major topic along the value chain.”

Angelica looked at me like I was mad, but she nodded and left the office. I closed the door behind her, taking a deep breath. I needed to draw up a plan, a damn good one. And unlike Val, I needed silence to think things through.

The offices hadn’t been here when I was with the company. We had fewer employees, so we didn’t need an entire building anyway. Val was smart to move everything here when the company grew. It was far enough from her house to make commuting a pain, but land was cheap, so she’d bought it, saving a lot on rent.

I sat behind the desk, which Val had positioned in the south corner of the room. I could as easily glance at the door and out the window. Maddie’s garden stretched outside. Even from here, it looked like the calm-inducing oasis Val described. I rose from my seat, grabbed the laptop, a pen, and some papers, and headed out of the office.

A few minutes later, I stepped inside the small park. It was amazing. A wide cobblestone path snaked through the center, and several narrower ones sprung to the sides. Everywhere I looked, it was green, with the occasional speck of color. I didn’t know the names of the trees, but I recognized a few palm trees and ferns. I snapped a photo of it and sent it to Maddie, along with a text.

Landon: This is amazing!

I figured she wouldn’t see it until later, because Maddie didn’t keep the phone with her when she worked. She answered within seconds.

Maddie: There’s a bench behind that big fern.

Landon: Thanks.

I laughed when I found the bench, wondering how I could already miss Maddie. Did she miss me? Maybe she’d kept her phone with her because she’d hoped to hear from me, even though it was more likely that she was waiting for a business call. This morning had felt like a slice of someone else’s life: waking up next to her, our closeness, her cute determination to smooth the hell out of my shirt and suit. How would life feel if every morning started this way?

I allowed that fantasy to take over just for a moment before diving into work.