“Settle, Nitro.”

I bite back a grin, because my dog lets out a low growl every time Reese Manheim walks into my office at SJI. I don’t work at the office every day; I don’t have to run the company alone. I have a personal desire to make my parents’ company soar, not just in their memory, but for the sake of my brother’s and my own legacy. Now that I have a vested interest in this place, and the new product line I envisioned is coming to life, I like being here a few days a week to monitor the progress in person, and to soak up every bit of knowledge about this company that I never knew I wanted so much, until I stepped up to manage it.

“What can I do for you, Manheim?” I keep my voice even, even though the president of SJI and I have figured out there’s not much we agree on, personally or professionally.

To be quite honest, every conversation I have with the man has me walking away feeling like I need to take a shower, and I’m pretty certain he won’t be holding his top position for much longer. I need to surround myself with people I trust and have faith in, and Manheim isn’t turning out to be one of those people.

“Sir.” He approaches my desk, his footsteps heavy, before I hear him stop just in front of it. “I wanted to update you on the plans for the product ad launch party coming up next week. All the final details are in place.”

“Yeah?” I lift a brow, lacing my fingers together behind my head as I lean back in my chair. “That’s great. But why are you updating me? Isn’t this whole thing Mandy’s baby?”

I can almost hear him rolling his eyes. While I’m relaxed at the office in slacks and a button-down, no tie, I know without seeing him that Manheim’s all buttoned-up in a suit and tie every day. He probably hates the way I talk about business as much as he dislikes everything else about me, but I could give a shit less about sounding like I graduated from an Ivy League business school.

Whether Reese Manheim likes it or not, this company’s mine. And he can’t hide the fact that it makes him want to shove my face into my desk every time he sees me. He wears his jealousy like a fucking jacket, but all it does is make me smile.

I still can’t figure out if Poppy ever told him about our history. After the way she dismissed him the day of that first board meeting I showed up to, he has to at least suspect. But it’s not my job to fill him in. If he knows, and thinks I give two fucks about the fact that he’s with her now, he’s mistaken.

I haven’t brought Arden around the office yet, but anyone here would only have to take one look at me with her to know there’s only one woman in my life who matters to me now.

Poppy’s nothing but a distant memory, which is exactly the reason I haven’t told Arden about her. Anything, anyone that happened before her doesn’t matter. Everything that’s happened with Arden has been a hard-fought battle won, and I don’t want anything to set us back even a step.

Poppy isn’t someone she should worry about, and I don’t want any ideas put in her head that say otherwise.

Manheim clears his throat. “As head of our Marketing Department, yeah…Mandy’s taken care of all of it. But I wanted to brief you personally.”

Of course you did, you slimy prick.

Aloud, I level my voice. “Shoot.”

I listen for fifteen minutes to Manheim drone on with the details that I only care a little bit about. I’ve already received several e-mails from Mandy, updating me periodically about the ad launch event, and I know Manheim’s just here to stay close.

When he finally finishes, he gets around to asking me what I can only guess is what he really wants to know. “Will you be bringing a plus-one to the event?”

I fill in the words he didn’t say. Or will you be hitting on my girlfriend all night?

I swallow my chuckle. “Hadn’t really thought about it. But yeah, I guess so.”

I can almost hear his sigh of relief. “Perfect. I’ll let Mandy know.”

Nodding, I lean over my desk and wake up my laptop, effectively dismissing him. “You do that, Manheim.”

His footsteps retreat, but I hear them pause at my door. I glance up again, listening.

“Mr. Jackson.” The disdain in Manheim’s voice he reserves just for anyone named Jackson is clear.

“Manheim.” Axel doesn’t bother to hide the fact that the feeling is mutual, and I hear him kick my office door shut behind Manheim before he crosses over to stand by the window behind my desk.

“That dude’s such a douche.” Axel flicks the casual words over his shoulder, and I snort.

“Yeah. I’m pretty sure we’re gonna be in the market for a new president down the road.”

“Thank fuck.” The grin in Axel’s voice is apparent when he answers.

I lean back in my chair again, tilting my head to one side. “You coming to the ad launch?”

My brother isn’t interested in the day-to-day running of SJI, but he’s been behind me every step of the way as I’ve made known my intentions to become more than a name at the company.

“Wouldn’t miss that shit,” he says seriously, just before laying a hand on my shoulder. “Proud of you, big brother.”

I can’t help my own sense of pride surging forward, upward, at Axel’s words. “Thanks.”

I track his movements as he removes his hand from my shoulder and sits on the edge of my desk. “So you bringing Arden to the launch?”

The same warm and slippery feeling that always slides around in my chest when I’m thinking about Arden pulls a grin to my lips.

“Christ.” Axel’s voice goes quiet, his tone becoming serious. “I never thought it would happen.”

“What’s that?”

He pauses, obviously choosing his words carefully. “You. That shit-eating grin on your face. Man, I hoped I was wrong, but I was scared that, after you lost your sight, I’d lost that man forever. My brother as I knew him. He was gone.”

The air catches in my throat, remembering the man Axel’s talking about. It wasn’t that long ago that I also thought he was here to stay.

“That was before Arden.” The somber tone of my voice matches my brother’s, but my lips are still quirked upward in a smile. “She changed the game, brother.”

“Yeah, that she did.” There’s admiration in his tone now. “The change I see in you is…well, it’s humbling. One day, I’m going to thank her for giving me my brother back.”

I swallow. “Yeah. First, I need to find a way to let her know that this thing between us isn’t going anywhere, Ax. I want this woman…and I want her long-term. But I think telling her that might scare the shit out of her. Every single step we’ve taken has been one I’ve had to work for…she’s not like any other woman, you know? As strong as she is, she’s also exactly that fragile. She’s been shattered before…and I don’t want to be the reason she breaks again. All I want to do is…”

“Love her? Are you saying this is love? After everything you went through with losing your eyesight, and then that bitch Poppy walking out…you think Arden is a forever kind of thing?”

I chuckle, even though humor is so damn far from what I’m feeling right now. “Nah, I don’t think. I know that forever is the only place Arden and I are going. I’d bet my life on it.”