Three Months Later

Tatiana knocked on the door, entering before Marcus could wave her in.

“Have you seen our budget numbers this quarter?” she asked, tossing the ledger at him.

“Should I leave?” Addison asked, rising from her desk.

“No!” they responded in unison, and she sat again, smiling to herself. Oh, how things had changed in the past three months.

Addison had taken on Melissa’s old role as Marcus’ personal assistant, assuming the responsibilities of running his hectic day-to-day schedule from his side. But not once was she treated like a trophy, nor did she feel under-stimulated, her days chaotic and filled with endless activity. She visited the diner often, mostly because she liked spending time with Ramon and Olivia.

Marcus gave Addison the penthouse, and she allowed Janine and Roscoe to live in the swanky apartment for as long as they wanted to reside there. Addison had expected an argument from Marcus, but he seemed pleased that she was happy.

She was happy, truly, blissfully content.

There was no doubt in her mind that Marcus loved her, and she was madly in love with him. He showed her his affection for her in every possible way, showering her with gifts, spending every night with her, and whisking her away to his cottage or the Caribbean Isles for the weekend.

I guess I was wrong about who can find a Prince Charming, she thought to herself.

She hadn’t seen the dragon in Marcus since the encounter in his office, but she knew the beast was there, and it excited her to no end. Sometimes, she fantasized about ways to unleash it again.

I will see that side of him another time, she vowed.

“Why do we have such an influx in our liquid assets?” Tatiana demanded, and Marcus chuckled.

“You’re never happy, are you?” he laughed. “It’s too much. It’s too little. Make up your mind, Tatiana!”

“I’m not complaining!” she retorted. “I am just asking where it came from.”

Tatiana turned to look at Addison, and she shot her gaze back to the computer, her ears growing hot. Along with the changes had come a developing friendship with Tatiana, something she would never have imagined for herself.

“Do you know anything about this?” Tatiana demanded.

Addison shook her head, blushing at the lie. She would let Marcus tell Tatiana about everything he had done to ensure Addison felt secure that she was the only one.

“I got rid of the excess staff and apartments, as per your request last quarter,” Marcus replied, redirecting her attention to him. “That’s what you’re seeing.”

“I am seeing over two million dollars!” she cried. “Did Melissa put the stolen money back in the wrong accounts?”

“No,” he said slowly. “I’m sure she did precisely as she was told.”

Tatiana eyed the couple suspiciously. “Does this have anything to do with those fires in the buildings you own, Marcus?”

“Hmm? Oh, no of course not. I just couldn’t bring myself to put in an insurance claim on that. What a freak accident that was,” he commented flippantly, and Addison swallowed.

Freak accident indeed, she mused, thinking about how Melissa and Tavia had been uprooted from their residences due to undetermined fires on the same night. She could still hear Marcus talking to the girls on a speaker that night.

“And if I should happen to so much as hear your names in southern Ontario,” he had nearly snarled, “you can be assured there will be more fires for everyone. Because you’re right, Missy. I can’t harm you, but I can harm every single thing you own. Am I clear, ladies?”

A strangled consensus came through the speaker, and Melissa and Tavia were no longer a problem.

“You really spent this much on your… staff?” Tatiana asked him, again glancing at Addison.

Marcus shrugged nonchalantly. “I’ve found that I’m much happier now that we’ve trimmed away the excess expenses,” he said pleasantly. “Should we do lunch today?”

Tatiana scowled at the abrupt change in conversation, but as Addison expected, she nodded.

“I’m in the mood for Thai food,” she told them, and Marcus agreed.

“Thai food, Addy?” he asked, rising to grab his jacket from the coatrack in the corner.

“I should finish this—”

“You should do what your boss tells you,” he replied, winking, and Tatiana bobbed her head.

“You really should,” she conceded.

Addison giggled and stood up from her chair, hurrying to take Marcus’ outstretched arm.

“You’re an all right boss,” she whispered as Tatiana slipped out the door, the couple close behind.

“You’re the best thing that ever happened to me,” Marcus responded, pausing to stare into her eyes. At that moment, Addison knew she was the most protected woman in the world, and the realization turned her on to no end.

Perhaps she could convince him to have a few minutes to themselves before lunch.