by Rene Webb
“You’re right,” he placates. “I can tell how much he loves you.”
“I love him, too,” I reply softly. “The truth is, at first, I worried it was because he’d rescued me.”
“What changed?”
“I got to know him.” I shrug. “How could I not love him, the person he is?”
Peter chuckles and asks, “You’ve known him… what? A week?”
“You learn a lot about a person when shit’s intense.”
We sit in companionable silence for several moments.
“How come you never told me about the FBI investigation?” I ask, taking a large bite of a chocolate frosted brownie.
“I couldn’t risk anyone knowing about the investigation, sweetheart. I didn’t even tell Mom,” he says, placating me again as he reaches for another brownie. “I didn’t tell her until I called her to come to Paris with me.”
“Will she ever forgive you?” I tease. Taking another delicious bite, I mumble around my mouthful, “Because we both know she made these for me.”
“I think helping bring you home safely has earned me some brownie points,” he says with a cheeky smile, taking a large bite.
I giggle into my cup of tea.
“Thank you,” I tell him seriously, my throat tightening. “I needed her—I needed a mom.”
We continue enjoying our tea and brownies for several minutes.
“Are you ready for tomorrow?” Peter asks.
An emergency board meeting is being held tomorrow afternoon to officially give Peter status as the company’s CEO and to recognize what my father truly wanted in his will.
“No,” I reply, setting down my mug. “The last thing I want is to be in a room with people who know what’s happened to me.”
“No one knows about… about Hong Kong,” Peter tells me gently. “They know about Mayer and how he’s defrauded the company, but that’s it. As far as they’re concerned, you’ve been studying in London this entire time.”
“Good. You know, I keep thinking about the company motto.”
“Integrity in practice,” we say together, chucking.
Before we had lunch, I showed Peter the letter from my father, and we both got emotional reading his words. I plan on framing it to hang somewhere I’ll see it every day.
“I know we can get us back there,” I tell him earnestly. “I’m not sure how I’ll fit in, what I’ll contribute. I never wanted to follow Dad’s footsteps. I still don’t. But that doesn’t mean the company does matter to me. It does. It’s a part of him, so I want to find my place within it. I just don’t know what that is yet.”
“You have plenty of time,” Peter says. “And I’ll help you.”
“I know how much the company means to you, too.”
“There’s something I wanted to talk to you about,” Peter beings slowly, turning to face me fully.
“What?” I ask cautiously.
“It’s about the company.” He pauses. “But I don’t want you to feel pressured to agree.”
“Peter.” I reach out and touch his arm. “There’s no one I would trust more with Dad’s company than you.”
“Sweetheart,” he murmurs softly, telling me how much my words mean to him. I know he loved Dad as if he was his own father.
“Are you sure you don’t need me to stay?” Aunt Kitty asks again as I help her load her luggage into her SUV.
“I’m going to be fine,” I tell her, my heart warming at her concern. “I have Peter and Finn.”
“Yes, the boys will look after you,” she agrees, pulling me into a hug. “And I’m only a five-hour drive away.”
“I love you, auntie.”
“I love you too, sweetie.”
Chapter Fourteen
~ Finn ~
The atmosphere walking into MacKay International corporate offices today feels different than it did two weeks ago—more vibrant and alive. The security guard smiles, greets me by name, and lets me pass without a question. Taking the elevator, I head up to Peter’s office.
He called me earlier and insisted I attend today’s emergency board meeting. It makes no sense for me to be there, but after receiving Lily’s text, I agreed. I’d do anything for her.
The purpose of the meeting is to officially recognize that Lily will take over—once she’s met the will’s requirements of graduating college. She has been thrown into something that she knows very little about and needs all the support she can get. I had planned on taking them all out to dinner afterward to celebrate the new leadership of Lily and Peter that MacKay International is now under.
Walking down the hall, I see Lily at the other end wearing a tight knee-length dress—which may be professional attire but looks sexy as hell on her—and her father’s silk scarf tied around her neck. My cock twitches in interest. Every part of my body misses her when we’re apart.
She is gazing up at a large portrait on the wall. It’s of Arthur and Mayer standing outside of the building, on the day they opened. They both have their arms swung across the other’s shoulders, with wide, hopeful grins on their faces.
“That should come down,” I tell her, making my way over to her.
Lily spins around and smiles brightly at me. “I’m going to cut Dad out and burn the rest.”
“I’ll get the matches.”
Anchoring my hands on her waist, I lean down and kiss her gently. Her hands glide up my arms, and she wraps her arms round my neck, pulling herself closer. Falling into the kiss. We nip, lick, kiss, and tease each other’s lips for several long moments.
Lily pulls out of the kiss and says, “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Me too.” Leaning in, I kiss her forehead. Moving down, I nuzzle her neck and whisper, “I love you.”
“You too, stud,” she breathes, moving her head to capture my lips with her own.
Snaking my arms around her waist, I pull her against my body. My woman’s soft curves melt into me, and my cock twitches. I press my lips firmly to hers before pulling away and asking, “Are you ready?”
“No,” she answers, her voice shaking slightly. “I feel like a fraud.”
“Princess,” I murmur. “All you’re going to do is go in there and do what Arthur truly wanted. Which was for you and Peter to continue his legacy.”
“But I haven’t even fulfilled his will’s requirements yet,” she says, exhaling heavily. “Why should they even listen to me?”
“Because most of them have known you your entire life, and they adore you. Plus, they respected Arthur,” I tell her truthfully.
“Do I look alright?” she asks, running her hands along my chest and unconsciously twisting my tie, and then says in a rush, “I didn’t have much to choose from and—”
“You look gorgeous.” I interrupt her with a quick kiss. “I can’t wait to get you home.”
She giggles softly, her entire body relaxing into mine.
My job’s done.
“Miss MacKay, they’re ready for you,” the secretary calls from the end of the hall, taking several steps toward us.
“Thank you,” I reply.
Turning to Lily, I grab her hand, kiss the back of it quickly, and lead her down to the other end of the hallway where the large board room is. Letting go of her hand, I pull the door open and allow her to step inside in front of me.
Walking in behind her, I place my hand lightly on the back of her neck. I whisper in her ear, “You’ve got this, princess.”
My woman turns and gives me a bright smile, her emerald eyes sparkling, before heading to the other end of the room where Peter is waving her over. There’s an empty chair waiting for her.
If anyone thinks it’s strange that I’ve joined the meeting, they don’t say anything. When Arthur was alive, I was in and out of the building a lot, so I know many of the board members personally. I shake several hands as I find an empty chair across the room from Lily.
The low hum of conversation in the room ends as Peter stands up from his chair, on the righ
t side of Lily, and addresses the room. “We’ve asked you all here this afternoon because it’s clear that MacKay International needs new leadership and a new direction.”
As I watch him take command of the meeting, I’m reminded of the internship we both had within the company the summer before our sophomore year. Arthur invited us to attend the quarterly board meeting. We sat in the corner and observed everything, soaking up everything he did and said.
I remember being awed by Arthur and his command of the room. He seemed to care about each person individually and what they had to contribute. He really listened to them. Peter is the same.
Peter quickly addresses the elephant in the room, Mayer’s arrest, without making my woman feel too uncomfortable or scrutinized. He also omits Lily’s kidnapping and captivity in Hong Kong.
The contents of Arthur’s real will have already been made public, and no one argues when Peter makes it clear that he’s assuming the role of interim CEO.
“While Lily has one more semester before she graduates, we’ve discussed at length how we can all move forward together in a new direction,” he says before going on to outline some proposed changes to the internal structure of the company. Peter then hands off the meeting to Lily.
I lean forward in my chair, silently encouraging her.
“As many of you know,” she begins shakily, before taking a deep breath, touching the scarf tied around her neck, and continuing, “Peter and Xavier Finch have been planning to create a manufacturing company with its own transportation and distribution system.”
My spine straightens at the mention of Peter and my plans.
“I suggest we retain Peter permanently as CEO and merge with Finch Distributing,” Lily states firmly, her focus fully on me at the other end of the table. “Using our manufacturing and their established transportation system to move MacKay International in a whole new direction.”
Her words completely floor me.
Peter and Lily planned this.
I gape at the two of them from across the room.
Chapter Fifteen
~ Lily ~
“I’m in favor of exploring the opportunity further,” one of the board members says, smiling at me.
“Yes,” another one chimes in. “Despite the recent setbacks, Finch Distributing is a solid company.”
Let’s be honest, I’m not well versed on how the company runs, and the rest of the meeting and discussion sounds as foreign as the Mandarin did when I was in Hong Kong. I let Peter takeover, as he was born to the job, and I know he has the company’s best interest at heart. It seems as if Mayer used his charm and cunning to seize control of the company, with a majority of the members believing it was what my father would’ve wanted. Even if they didn’t personally like him, he’d been my father’s best friend.
I don’t think anyone on the board realized how seriously Peter took his job, Mayer included, until he uncovered the blatant corruption and siphoning of funds. Peter moved to protect my father’s company, and he alerted the FBI.
As the meeting comes to a close, everyone files out of the room, all giving me warm embraces and encouragement. I’ve known many of these men and women my entire life, and some—Peter—are family. For the first time since my father’s death, I feel like I belong. Among his truly loyal friends and family. Even if I’m uncertain how I’ll be contributing to the company after graduation. I know I belong here.
Peter, Finn, and I are the last ones left in the room.
“Is this what you really want?” Peter asks me again for what feels like the trillionth time.
“I know Dad would’ve wanted to support your and Finn’s dream,” I tell him, grabbing hold of his hand. Glad that the two most important men in my life are finally getting what they’ve dreamed about—working together.
“But princess, this is your company,” Finn adds.
“We all know I’ve never had an interest in running it.” I remind them. “Not that I don’t care what happens to Dad’s legacy. You know I do. That’s why I can’t think of two better people to run the company. I know you’ll both make him proud.”
“Uncle Arthur would be proud of you too, sweetheart,” Peter says, pulling me into a warm hug. “So proud.”
“Thank you, Peep,” I mutter, my throat tightening.
One day, I will find my place within the company and truly make Dad proud. I’m not sure what I’ll be doing, but I know I’ve chosen men who both respect and love Dad and will honor his memory.
Letting me go, Peter kisses my cheek and says, “Later.”
“Later.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Peter addresses Finn, slapping his shoulder and moving to the door.
“I have a meeting with the insurance company about the warehouse in the morning, but I’ll swing by afterward.”
Peter leaves, clicking the door closed behind himself, leaving Finn and I alone together. He stalks toward me and plants himself in front of me.
“Are you really sure about this?” He hadn’t known that Peter and I had come up with the perfect solution to give them both exactly what they wanted—and MacKay International a new direction.
“Yes!” I exclaim. Then I teasingly remind him, “It’s still my company; I’m just handing it over to the two best people I know to run it and make it into something even better.”
“I love you,” Finn tells me earnestly, his golden eyes sparkling in the sunlight streaming through the window. “I just want you. Nothing else matters.”
“You have me, baby.” I grin, pushing myself up on my toes to press my lips against his.
“What did I tell you?” he growls, his hands moving down my back to cup my ass as he backs us up against the table.
“I don’t remember,” I giggle into his neck, kissing, biting, and leaving my mark behind his ear. “I think you’ll have to remind me.”
“You’ll be the death of me.” My man cups the back of my head and plunders my mouth with his own.
I jerk out of the kiss, my hands gripping the front of his shirt, and ask breathlessly, “Is the door locked?”
There’s no way I want anyone walking in on us, especially members of the board—members whom I want to take me seriously. But I’m not about to pass up the opportunity to take possession of what’s mine. And I don’t mean the company.
“Let me check,” Finn chuckles, pulling out of my hold. He kisses the tip of my nose before moving away to check that the door is secured. Clicking the lock, he drags a chair over and props it up under the handle before quickly returning to me.
“Where were we?”
“Right here,” I mumble against his lips.
My hands find their way between us and quickly pull at the buckle of his pants, impatient to feel my man’s thick cock. He’s just as insistent, pulling up the hem of my dress. It's a dance we are slowly perfecting, and practice makes perfect. Soon, I have my arms wrapped around Finn’s shoulders and my legs hooked around his trim waist.
“Fuck, you feel good,” he groans in my ear as he slowly enters me. “Perfection.”
“Yes,” I agree, moaning softly in his ear. My man’s cock is perfect.
We move together, our clothes rustling between us, and our breathing mixed. It doesn’t take long before I am shuddering with pleasure and feeling Finn’s explosion within me. Filling me, branding me, with his cum.
“Never had better,” he breathes heavily in my ear.
“Me either,” I tease, gripping my limbs tighter around his body.
“Princess,” he warns, pulling back and giving me his sexy scowl.
I glide my hands up to cup his face and pull him toward me, nipping his lips. Playfully, I whisper, “I never want to feel this connected to anyone else but you, Xavier Finch.”
My man cups the back of my head and fuses our lips together, leaving me breathless. We continue to kiss, stroke, and touch one another slowly, continuing to come down from our peak of pleasure. All too soon, Finn is slipping out of me with a wet po
p.
He grabs a nearby box of tissues and silently cleans us both up, muttering, “You don’t have this much mess with condoms.”
“Don’t worry, Mr. Clean,” I tell him, pulling up my panties and pulling back down my dress.
He gives me a sharp scowl at the name, his full eyebrows coming together in a sexy line.
“I’m only thinking of you.”
Drawn to him, I wrap my arms around his waist and give him a squeeze. “One of the many reasons why I love you.”
His arms come up around me, holding me against his solid form. He kisses the top of my head before continuing to straighten his own clothing.
“Let’s go home.” I reach out and straighten his tie, smoothing the collar around his neck.
“Lily,” Jasmine, my therapist, says softly. “You have a right to your feelings.”
“I know,” I mutter, my eyes clouding with tears. “I just feel guilty, like I’m a horrible daughter.”
I have been attending these weekly therapy sessions for months. At first, it was to help me cope with the trauma of my kidnapping and imprisonment. To help me deal with being in confined spaces like elevators and bathroom stalls. The sessions changed when the subject of my mother and our relationship took over the conversation. My mother and I have not spoken to one another since before my kidnapping, and once I discovered she was siding with Mayer, I made no attempt to reach out to her.
“Protecting yourself emotionally is not being a horrible daughter,” she says in a low stern voice as she continues to watch me.
“Right.” Taking a deep breath, I attempt to let the words penetrate my mind and heart.
“Last week, we talked about the letter you’re writing to your mother and the things you might say. Have you made any progress?”
“Yes.” I nod, grabbing my purse from the floor and reaching into it. I take out a thick envelope. “I don’t know if I should send it.”
