“Flash,” breathes Arden.

Just the sound of her voice like that, all breathless and excited, carries me right back to that place where I’m making her come with my tongue and my fingers; my dick practically pulses in my pants in its struggle to get to her. This woman is slowly driving me insane; has been since before I had her under me in my bed. And the sex with her? The sex with her takes things to a whole different level, sealing the fact that I can never let her go.

“The view from your office window is breathtaking. I can see the Savannah River down there, even in the dark!”

Her excitement pulls a smile out of me. “Yeah. Being down here on Bay Street, in the heart of the business district, went right along with the vision my parents had for this company to be a part of Savannah; integrate right into the history. Not just glass and steel and money, but memories and community and family. I think SJI has gotten away from that in the years since my parents died, but I’m ready to bring the purpose of the company home again. Moving forward, the SJI brand is going to represent what they stood for. It might be a multi-million-dollar corporation, but it’s still my family’s company. It’s going to be a legacy for years to come, not just for me.”

Her breath catches, the way it does when I say something that affects her. Sometimes it’s when I make her body quiver before I’ve even touched her. Sometimes it’s when my words have touched her heart. I think that, this time, it might be the second one. I rewind my statement in my brain, trying to figure out exactly what it was that set that big heart of hers on fire.

Cocking my head to the side, I give her my full attention. “What is it, Bunny?”

What is it you’re not saying?

“I… You caught me off guard. We haven’t talked about…” She trails away, like she doesn’t know how to say what’s on her mind, and it sends a jolt of lightning straight through me.

Gripping her chin between two fingers, I lean forward, inhaling the scent of sweet peaches. “Just say it, Bunny.”

I need her to know she can tell me anything. Trust me with her secrets and insecurities. “I don’t want anything left unsaid between us. Ever.”

Her chin dips forward as she nods, but I don’t release her. Any excuse to touch Arden.

“It’s just that we haven’t talked about…about the future? Not that I’m assuming we have one. But hearing you talk about your children and grandchildren…it took me there. I’m sorry.”

Her words tumble out in a rush, and my jaw tightens as I move my hand to the back of her neck. “Don’t apologize. Don’t ever apologize for saying what’s on your mind. And no, we haven’t talked about it. But we will. You don’t need to assume we have a future, Bunny. We fucking have one. There’s no question in my mind that this ends with you and me and the whole damn white picket fence. If that’s what you want, then that’s what I want to give you. I know that I see you in my future. And yeah, I see kids.”

Her breath hitches again, and I squeeze her neck a little tighter as I bring our foreheads together. “Talk to me, Bunny. What do you want?”

Her lips brush against my mouth as her answer whispers, “You. I want you, Flash. I want this. I want us.”

Relief floods my soul. “Thank fuck. Then whatever happens, it’s you and me against the world, sweetheart. We’ve got this.”

I hear the smile in her voice. “Yeah. We’ve got this.”

There’s a comfortable silence as she turns back to stare out the window. When she speaks again, her voice is thoughtful. “Tell me about your parents.”

There’s a touch of pain that feels like the ghost of what it once was, and I take her hand. “They were great parents. My dad, he started this company when he was only twenty-two years old. He and my mom were high school sweethearts. SJI has always been a front runner in tech devices, and it’s always been a company with a real family vibe. That was something they were always proud of.”

I frown. “But Axel and I thought we had tons of time before we needed to learn the business. I knew I wanted to fly, so I went to the Academy. Axel ended up following in my footsteps. Our parents died when we were in college. Plane crash returning from an anniversary trip to South America.”

Arden drops her head onto my shoulder. “You must have been devastated.”

Nodding, I lean my head on top of hers. “I was. Axel and I both were. We had to leave the company to the board, keeping our seats but not participating in the company. We both wanted to finish what we started with the Air Force, and our degrees, and we knew that’s what our dad would have wanted. For us to follow our dreams before making sure his lived on.”

“And that’s what you did.” There’s admiration in Arden’s voice. “I’m sure you’re making them proud every day, Flash.”

I turn into her, my lips brushing softly against hers. “That means a lot, Bunny. Thank you.”

I’ve just taken her lips fully with mine when someone clears their throat in my office doorway. “Don’t mean to interrupt.”

My irritated growl is caught in my throat as Reese Manheim’s voice slides between Arden and me. When Arden goes stiff and I feel her attention snapping from me toward the intruder, my hands curl into fists and rage lances through my insides.

“Did you need something, Reese?” My voice fucking drips with the disgust I feel for this slimy, oily motherfucker daring to interrupt a moment I’m sharing with my girl.

His voice is pure irritation laced with amusement. “I thought you might want to make an appearance downstairs. Before the rollout. Potential clients and advertisers are asking about you.”

Sighing, I take a step back from Arden, only to grab and hold tight to her hand. “Of course. I’ll be right down.”

There’re no more words from Manheim, and after a couple of minutes, Arden breathes a sigh. “He’s gone.”

“See what I mean about him?”

She lets loose a light chuckle. “Yes. Ugh, he’s creepy as hell, Flash.”

Thoughtful, I nod. “Not the person I want in the president’s seat moving forward, definitely.”

Arden gives a little shake. “Definitely not.”

When we arrive downstairs, music thumps through the speakers on the first floor, where I know the entire place has been transformed from lobby and work cubicles to an event space. The energy around me buzzes, excitement riding the airwaves and making everyone in the enormous space high with anticipation.

Arden gives me a play-by-play of the décor (simple black and white, with splashes of turquoise throughout the space), the stage set up front and center (for the dancers hired to perform), and the extravagant dress of the attendees (black-tie). We’re stopped more than once, as we move across the room, by waiters offering heavy hors d'oeuvres and glasses of champagne.

We’ve greeted clients and guests as we cross the room, stopping for introductions and idle small talk. There’s a feeling in my soul, like I might burst from the satisfaction of having Arden by my side as I engage in a meet-and-greet that would have been impossible for me to stand just months ago. The idea of people watching me fumble around as a man who can’t see, wondering how it happened, feeling sorry for me. I couldn’t stomach the thought of it.

Now, here I am, prouder than anything, and it’s partially because of the product I devised and helped bring to life, but it’s mostly because of the woman standing by my side. I could give two shits now about what people are thinking or saying behind their hands. All I know is, I’m good enough for Arden.

And that’s fucking good enough, period.

“Oh!” Her voice lifts. “There’s Axel. Funny…he’s dressed just like you are, except his shirt is black instead of white.” There’s amusement in her tone. “Y’all have a ‘white knight, dark knight’ thing going on.”

I chuckle, bending my head so my words brush right up against her ear. “I’m no white night, sweetheart.”

Her erotic shiver might as well have swept through my own body, the way I feel it move from her shoulders to her toes. “And I plan on showing you just how dark it can be later. When I peel that dress off your body, one sexy-as-fuck inch at a time.”

The memory of her heated flesh, her lust-soaked pussy dripping all over my fingers, the peaches and cream scent of her mixed with the musk of her arousal, makes me grow hard in my slacks.

What this woman fucking does to me, in a room full of people. Insane.

And from the low, throaty moan I feel and hear rumbling in her throat, I know she feels exactly the same.

“But I don’t see Brantley.” Confusion colors her tone with worry.

“Flag him down.” I wrap a comforting arm around her shoulders. “Let’s find out where she is.”

“Hi, Axel,” Arden greets him when he arrives by our sides. “Where’s B?”

My brother and I grant each other a hand-slapping hug before he draws back and answers Arden. He’s trying to be casual, but I can hear the sharp edge winding around his words. “Thought you might be able to tell me. She stood me up.”

Arden freezes beside me. “She stood you up? Brantley wouldn’t do that, Axel.”

He’s carefree when he responds, but I know my brother. There’s an undercurrent of hurt lying just below his words. “I went to her house. It was dark, and her car was gone. I called her, texted. Nothing. Guess she really wasn’t up for being my date tonight.”

Arden’s hand tightens its hold on my bicep where it rests, curled around my arm. “That doesn’t sound like Brantley.”

Her hand drops from me, and my arm is immediately cold at the loss of her touch. “Do you mind? I’m gonna just duck out front to call her. I want to know what’s going on.”

The last thing I want to do is let her go. I also don’t want to be the clingy boyfriend who won’t let her out of my sight for a minute. So, I give her a nod. “Hurry back.”

She’s gone, and I’m left with Axel. His voice drops immediately, and I lean forward to hear his words.

“Forget about me and B. She’s in the wind, and I gotta accept that she’s not ready for what I’m offering. Did you know that your fucking ex is here?”

Unease rolls cold and dark down my spine. “No. I mean, yeah, I knew she was dating Manheim. I ran into Poppy here at the office a couple of months ago. But no…I haven’t spoken to her tonight.”

Because I was hoping I’d never have to speak to her again.

Axel lets out a low, quiet whistle. “So I’mma go out on a limb here…but I’m guessing you haven’t told Arden about Poppy?”

“There’s nothing to fucking tell,” I hiss, anger ratcheting my spirit and forcing my body into tense coils. “I was done with Poppy a long time ago. I won’t cloud what I have going on with Arden now with the shit from my past.”

“I’m gonna assume you know what the fuck you’re doing, big bro. But it’s on the record that I think you’re making a mistake. Arden’s not the kind of woman who likes shit to sneak up on her.”

Anger threatens to boil over in my gut. “I know Arden, and I know what’s best when it comes to her. I’ve got it.”

Axel’s hand lands on my shoulder in a sign of support, but he drops the subject, which is exactly what I need him to do. I sip the champagne in my glass, wishing it was something harder, but freeze when Axel mutters a curse under his breath.

Tipping my head toward him, I raise a brow in question. “What?”

Axel almost chokes on the words. “I’ll be right over there.” I can’t tell if he’s swallowing a laugh or a growl, and then he’s gone.

“Flash, it’s so good to see you again.” Poppy’s sugary voice is too fucking close. That thought is solidified when her hand connects with my arm. My entire body clenches at her touch.

Poppy touching me just feels wrong. I step out of her reach, but when she speaks again, her voice is just as close. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you, Flash.” Her voice drops, and a piece of me is tugged, pulled by the fact that she’s feeling something unlike anything I ever saw her feel before.

With Poppy, everything was surface-level. We were together for years, but now that I’m with Arden, I realize I never knew the real Poppy. Not until she left me at the time when things were toughest. She never let me past her first layer. I never really knew what she was thinking or how she felt. And hearing the level of emotion from her that I do her right now makes me pause.

Makes me listen.

“I made a mistake. I shouldn’t have given up.” Her hand slides up my arm and I can feel her move to stand directly in front of me.

“Given up? You never even tried, Poppy.” Trying to swallow the bitterness I know is spewing from my voice, I remain completely still. “You thought that me being blind was going to be a life sentence for you. That you’d have to take care of me, that I wouldn’t be able to be the man you wanted me to be.”

She sniffles. “That’s not true. I—”

“You what? Thought you’d stay close to my family’s wealth, and spread your legs for the guy you figured would be running it all one day?” I lean closer to her, making sure she really hears me. “Guess what, Poppy? Manheim’s time here is limited. And I’m here to stay. So, any access you thought you’d have to the SJI fortune is cut off.”

Her shocked gasp snaps me out of the fury suddenly swirling around me, and I take a big step away from her. It’s then I feel another hand on my arm, wrapping around until it settles into its normal place on my bicep. Every muscle in my body that was tense and coiled relaxes as Arden takes her place by my side.

“Hello.” Arden’s voice is polite and curious, but there’s a ripple of hardness running through the center of it. “We haven’t been introduced? I’m Arden Fontaine.”

Poppy’s silent for just a minute before she answers. The sugary sweetness is back in her tone, and if I hadn’t just been part of the conversation we just had, I’d never believe she was getting ready to cry not a whole minute ago.

“Poppy Sinclair. I’m Flash’s fiancée.” Even though Poppy’s tone is all honey, the challenge in her words doesn’t go unnoticed by either Arden or me.

“What the fuck? Ex-fiancée. We haven’t been together for a long time, Poppy.” The words are nothing but a growl.

Arden’s quick intake of breath alerts me to the way she must be feeling. “Your… You two were engaged?” She doesn’t wait for an answer before pressing forward. “But what are you doing here now, Poppy?”

There’s triumph in Poppy’s voice when she answers. “Well, to be here for Flash on his big night, of course.”

Arden swallows, and I’m getting ready to pull her in front of me, explain to her exactly what’s going on, when Manheim’s voice crackles over the speakers. Interrupted by that fucking prick again.

“Ladies and gentlemen, if I could have your attention. We have a new product line to preview tonight, just for our exclusive group of guests.” A healthy dose of applause bursts from the attendees. “And here to introduce it to you is the man who’s recently stepped into his inherited CEO position.”

Oh, what a jealous fuck you are, Manheim.

“Please welcome Flash Jackson.”

Amidst the murmurs and applause that ripples through the room, I tip my head down to Arden’s ear. “Walk with me?”

Wordlessly, she guides me through the crowded room toward the three steps leading to the edge of the stage where the podium sits. When the microphone is in front of me and Arden steps off to the side, I clear my throat.

“Thank you all for joining us tonight at our Product Launch Event. The idea for our new product line came to me after my accident, during a time when I was frustrated, angry, and bitter. When I brought it to my amazing development team here at SJI, it turns out that the technology we needed to make my dream come to life was already here. They took my idea and ran with it, and that’s why, this time next year, this product line will be available for purchase by the general public. But for now? I want you to enjoy the first sneak peek at our all-new Intelli Surfaces.” There are surprised gasps and excited murmurs as what I’m sure is the visual of the Intelli Surface floats on the screen behind me. “These are paper-thin, touch-screen surfaces that can be applied and put to use on anything flat in your home or office. Think of your coffee table as your new computer screen. Or the wall itself above your fireplace as your television screen. These surfaces will be waterproof, intelligent screens that can literally be placed almost anywhere. Take a look at our video presentation, and then you’ll get to play with some of our lineup, over in the display area we’ve set up behind the black curtain. Thank you.”

Arden steps forward and takes my arm again, and we walk down the steps together. We’ve only gone ten steps, the sound of the product launch video presentation humming through the room, before I notice Arden’s trembling.

Leaning down to be heard over the noise, I speak in her ear. “Get us to the hallway by the lobby elevators. I want to talk to you.”

Without a word, she changes direction, and I don’t say anything else until the sound of the video and the crowd is behind us. When Arden stops, I reach out until I find the wall, then I grab her with one arm and spin her until her back is against it. Bracing one hand above her head, I cup her face with the other. She takes a deep breath that makes her whole body shudder.

“The new…” She hesitates. “The Intelli Surface is amazing, Flash.”

I shake my head. “I don’t want to talk about that.”

Air puffs from her lips on the heels of a sigh. “Why didn’t you tell me?” The broken whisper stakes me straight through the heart, almost bringing me to my knees.

“Because there was nothing to tell. Poppy and I have been over for a year, Bunny. She’s nothing to me, and now that I have you? God…she never was.” My thumb strokes her cheek in soft circles.

“She doesn’t seem to agree. Did she really come here just to support you? How would she have even known about it?”

I want to wipe her voice clean of the accusation I hear in it.

“She’s here because, like the troll she is, she started dating Reese Manheim after we broke up. Listen to me, Bunny. Poppy? She’s nothing for you to worry about.”

Axel’s voice reaches us from a few feet away. “Everything okay here?”

“We’re fine, Ax,” I growl. “Give us a minute.”

Arden pushes against my chest until I take a step back. “You know what? I think I need a minute on my own.” Her voice lowers. “I believe you when you say that you and she are over, Flash. But that’s not the point. You knew she was dating someone who worked here. You’ve been spending time at the office. Are you telling me she hasn’t said one word to you before tonight? That she doesn’t want you back?”

“It doesn’t fucking matter if she wants me back!” The words explode out of me. “I told you, she doesn’t matter to me. You do.”

I have to strain to hear her reply. “You should have told me. You should have told me that she could be here. Instead, you let me be blindsided. I just…I need some time.”

No fucking way. There’s no fucking way I’m losing her over this. Not this.

“Don’t leave.” Hating the pleading note in my voice, I take a step toward the last place I heard her. “Stay.”

“I’m going to call B to pick me up. She…she needs me tonight. I’ll call you tomorrow. Please just give me tonight, Flash.”

Swallowing thickly, I nod. Dammit. “I can do that. I can give you one night. But tomorrow? Tomorrow, I’m coming for you, Arden. And we will work this out.”

She doesn’t answer, and I swear I can detect the absence of sweet peaches when she’s gone.

And for once, I’m glad I’m blind. Watching Arden walk away from me probably would have killed me.