Today, though, I knew that none of that was going to matter. This meeting might as well have been a formality, but for the one woman who would be in attendance who was in for a surprise. Haley.
There was no avoiding it. Today was going to be the day that she knew who was really behind the purchase of Peppertree.
If Haley had just waited long enough, I could have at least braced her for what she’d be walking into. I wouldn’t want to be in her position for anything, and she was getting less than nothing.
But now I had to deal with the fallout of not only what had to happen here, but the shock and betrayal that Haley was going to be hit with. Nothing I did to brace myself would soften that blow to both of us.
The conference room was sleek and modern, befitting the caliber of bank that was handling the transaction. A large, black conference table sat in the middle of the room with cups of piping-hot coffee or tea already set at everyone’s designated place, and the massive window on the south side of the room offered a breathtaking view of the mountains.
Whenever I was in Colorado in the winter, I always found myself gazing out onto the sweeping, pristine blankets of snow and feeling at peace. Unlike the bothersome snow in the city, it was simple out here. Beautiful. Serene.
Even that couldn’t settle me this morning.
I placed my second cup of coffee of the day down and crossed my arms. Behind me, I heard the conference room door open, and the bankers began to spill in, some of them already talking amongst themselves, a few of them casting surprised glances at me that I could see in the reflection of the window.
I didn’t bother turning around. I already knew how everything in this meeting was going to go.
My attorney was one of the men who entered with them, the only one not surprised to see me. He just gave my reflection a curt nod as he took a seat beside the one I always took at conferences.
“A pleasure to see you again, Mr. Hawthorne,” one of the bankers greeted me. Others chimed in with similar vacant greetings.
“Looking forward to getting this settled smoothly, it’s always a pleasure doing such efficient business with Hawthorne.”
“Well,” my attorney answered for me. “Once Ms. Simmons arrives, we can get started and be out of here before lunchtime.”
“She’s halfway across the parking lot,” I spoke. I usually kept my speaking to a minimum at these meetings.
As expected, my sudden interjection made everyone pause and look my way briefly before exchanging nods with each other.
It was true, Haley was making her way across the parking lot, looking flustered and hurried. I frowned. This wasn’t right. I could tell she was doing everything she could to handle her business well--she was no amateur, but it would take a seasoned veteran to be able to handle the mess that her father had left Peppertree in, and no matter how brilliant and charismatic she was, her inexperience and lack of resources worked against her.
I took a few slow, deliberate steps over to my chair and stood behind it. It would be a minute at most before she made her entrance. I took a few deep breaths and glanced among a few of the withered old men before turning to my attorney.
“Most of this deal is already settled, so can I assume we can keep negotiations over the details to a quick minimum?”
“If all goes well, yes, sir.”
“Good.”
No sooner had I finished speaking than the door swung open. Haley entered. She was wearing a crisp, professional outfit in black and gray that clung to her figure. Under any other circumstances, my first impulse would be to think about getting her to the office bathroom and ripping it off her before pinning her against the wall, impaled on my cock.
But for now, I only had a split second to appreciate the way she looked in her professional look and demeanor before she turned, and we locked eyes.
Her face was already sullen, given the nature of this meeting. But when she recognized me, saw me standing over my chair at the end of my table and realized what that meant I was doing here, those gorgeous cheeks went ashen.
I might as well have been driving the knife into her back with my own hands.
She was a businesswoman, though, and she was experienced with the basics of how to carry one’s self in a meeting like this. The emotions flitted over her face so fast that I never would have noticed them unless I knew what to look for.
There was shock written all over her, and it quickly melted away to utterly crushing disappointment, a kind of sadness I wished I’d never have to look in the eye. I knew that wouldn’t last long, though. Her jaw set and her brow leveled just enough to see the intense anger that was blossoming in her.
She must have thought that I was planning this from the very beginning, as if this was all part of some sick, twisted joke to humiliate her. The purest form of insult to injury.
She had surrendered to me last night, physically and in some ways emotionally. It had been sweeter than I could have possibly imagined, and I knew it was for her, too. But every ecstatic moment we shared together turned to bitter ash the second we exchanged that look.
When she made her way to her seat, it was a brisk, restrained motion that told me just how much willpower it was taking to keep her from tearing into me right then and there.
She could have, too, and if she chose her words carefully, she could have really humiliated me in front of some important business contacts here. But of course, it would tarnish her name too, stooping to the level of a personal attack. And more likely than not, these old codgers would not even believe her unless I admitted to it.
But she did no such thing. She sat down, smoothed out her outfit, and glared at me from across the table.
“Mr. Hawthorne,” she pronounced in an icy tone.
“Thank you for joining us, Ms. Simmons.” One of the bankers was using a vaguely condescending tone, implying she was late, and my jaw clenched.
“We’re in no rush,” I retorted. He looked a little surprised, but he was successfully cowed and said no more. This was very bad for her, but I would at least keep these vultures from humiliating her any further.
But I knew that what she really needed was some concrete help, and I had to think of something fast. I cleared my throat.
“Let’s begin, shall we?”
12
Haley
I could not believe this. I couldn’t wrap my head around it.
Last night, I had literally been sleeping with the enemy, and I didn’t even know. A maelstrom of emotions was spinning inside me, wreaking havoc and destroying all my logic and reason. How could I have been so stupid? So trusting? How could I have let Chase hurt me again, and this time, much worse than before in college? How did he hide this from me so deftly? So completely? Why didn’t I see the deception, the lies, the malice in those beautiful green eyes when he looked at me? How could I have fallen for him yet again, only to be hurt yet again?
How did I not see this coming?
During the whole meeting, I sat with my legs crossed, my arms folded over my chest. While the lawyers and bankers and representatives of Chase’s company discussed the gritty details of the hostile takeover, I could hardly even focus on the words they said. It didn’t matter anyway. I knew from the moment I got that email this morning that I had lost the battle. They weren’t going to give me any more chances. The deal was done before I even showed up to the meeting. And when I walked in to see Chase, the man I once loved, the man who had rocked my world last night and made me feel true happiness for the first time in forever, sitting at the table, I nearly fainted.
How could he have done this to me? How could he lie? Seduce me? Fuck me?
I refused to look in his eyes, even though I could feel him staring at me, longing for me to turn and look at him. But he didn’t deserve that from me. I was not about to make eye contact and let those gorgeous eyes lie to me again. I was sure he sat through the entire meeting hoping I would let him convince me he was sorry, that he didn’t mean to wreck my entire world and
steal away what little hope and control I had left over the sinking ship that was my life.
That lying asshole had violated my trust. And it came right after giving me the most amazing night of my life. How in the world had he managed to flirt with me, seduce me, make love to me, all while lying through his teeth? Keeping his true intentions hidden away under layers of false good intentions? I fell for his act hook, line, and sinker. It was just like it always was. Chase was so cool and clever, all he had to do was smile at me, feed me a few compliments, and I melted into his arms like ice cream on a hot summer’s day.
In college, he had won me over so easily. I made him my world. He was the sun in my sky. But then he broke my heart into little pieces and disappeared, leaving me scrambling to put my life back together again. And now? It was even worse. This time he took everything from me. Not just my heart, but my home. My dream. My memories. My world.
I nearly burst into angry tears when one of the bank lawyers declared that Chase’s real estate company, the one he inherited from his father, was buying out the Peppertree Resort. The bank was ecstatic, of course, to take it away from me and dump the resort into the hands of some huge, anonymous, uncaring corporate giant. They were happy to be rid of me, to kick me out of not only my job, but the only home I had ever known. Every memory, happy and sad, revolved around the Peppertree, and now I had lost it. Just like I lost my father.
“I know this decision may seem like a defeat, but in a lot of ways, I think this will be a good thing for you,” one of the lawyers, an old man with a grizzled mustache, told me across the table. “The Peppertree Resort has been struggling financially for quite some time. Since the unfortunate passing of Geoffrey Simmons, the Peppertree’s clientele and public relations have been on a steady decline. The failure of the resort is not your fault, Ms. Simmons, and you should feel proud to have carried on your father’s legacy as long as you did.”
Tears burned in my eyes and I bit the inside of my cheek to stop from crying. I looked over at the old man and glared. “What do you know about my father’s legacy?” I derided.
The man’s eyes widened, as though he had expected me to thank him for his thinly veiled insult to my family and me. He puffed up, looking indignant. “Well, I was a friend of your father’s. He was always very proud of you,” he added, though there was no kindness to his tone.
“My father had a lot of so-called friends, but in the end, I was the only one who worked to keep his dream going,” I snapped, leaning forward. “Yes, the Peppertree has had some difficult years, but it’s far from a failure, thank you very much. You all should be ashamed of yourselves, giving up on him and me so easily. I remember your names. I remember your faces from dinner parties when I was a child. You all called yourselves my father’s friends, but he would be offended to see how you’re treating the property he built. He gave so much to this town.”
“Ma’am, you may want to watch your tone,” insinuated one of the other lawyers. This one was a middle-aged woman with salt-and-pepper hair pulled back into a no-nonsense bun.
I raised an eyebrow at her and she seemed to almost shrink back a little.
“I apologize. I forgot that’s how this works. You get to rip the rug out from underneath me and I have to smile and thank you for doing it. My mistake,” I scoffed.
Then I closed my eyes for a second and took a deep breath. I knew it would do me no good to keep lashing out at everyone like this and causing a scene. The battle was already lost. The least I could do was be a graceful loser.
I began slowly and cautiously, “I can’t help it if this feels like a mutiny, because in a lot of ways, it is. I’ve known most of you since I was a little kid, and my father trusted you all. The Peppertree was struggling. I know that. I’m not a complete idiot. But damn it, I think I could have turned it around somehow. No, I know I could have. That resort isn’t just my business, it’s my home. Leaving it behind… well, I can’t even begin to imagine what my life will be without it. So, forgive me if I’m devastated.”
I glanced around at every person at the table except for Chase. I still refused to look him in the eye. Everyone here was a traitor, but he was the worst. I wouldn’t do him the courtesy of letting him look at me with pity in those green eyes. No. I couldn’t.
“Well,” announced the lawyer with the mustache, “that was a lovely speech. I think I speak for everyone here when I say that I do regret the way business has been handled here, and I would hope that you could find it in your heart to be forgiving and understanding. This is not a personal offense, Ms. Simmons. We are only doing this for the good of your father’s legacy. The Peppertree is bankrupt. By selling the property to the Hawthorne Family Hospitality Company, perhaps it may be granted a new life. A new chance. I hope that one day the bitterness and resentment you feel will fade away. I cannot exactly say it has been a pleasure working with you, but I do genuinely wish you the best, Ms. Simmons.”
I conceded my defeat with a heavy sigh.
“And with that, I think it is high time we adjourn this meeting,” interjected the female lawyer with the steely bun. “Mr. Hawthorne, Ms. Simmons, leave the details to the board. You will be hearing from us shortly. Unless you have any questions?”
“No,” I snapped.
I stood quickly, scooting my chair back. I snatched up my purse and files and stormed out of the room before anyone else could even stand up. I’d be damned if I spent another millisecond in that awful boardroom, listening to those soulless corporate bigwigs banter about how much of a pathetic failure I was. They had struck every single raw nerve I possessed, reawakened every insecurity and worry I had in me. Ever since my father had passed away, I had spent every waking moment wracked with guilt and worry that I wasn’t upholding his legacy.
That lawyer had said it wasn’t my fault that the Peppertree failed, but I knew deep down it was. I had tried. I had thrown my entire heart, body, and soul into the resort, but it wasn’t enough. It was never enough. I simply wasn’t Geoffrey Simmons.
I ran out of the bank and into the blinding sunshine and snow. It seemed almost extra cruel that something so horrible would happen on such a beautiful day. It was like the blue skies and crisp winter air were mocking me for my loss. Now that I was out of that horrendous boardroom, I finally gave in and let the tears fall. Why did it matter anymore, anyway? I had nothing and no one to be strong for now. I was no longer the face of my father’s dream. I was just a fool who let a man with an irresistible smile deceive me into losing everything.
The tears streamed down my cheeks as I made my way to my car across the parking lot. I didn’t even make an attempt to wipe them away. Who cared? Who the hell was I trying to impress?
I heard heavy footsteps behind me. Someone running after me. “Haley,” a deep voice called.
I wrinkled my nose. It was Chase. I swiveled around and gave him the most withering glare I could manage, but it didn’t deter him at all. He ran toward me.
“I should have said something earlier to you.”
“You think?” I shot back angrily. “God, why did you do this to me, Chase? It wasn’t enough to break my heart in college? You had to show up years later and steal my resort from me, too? Huh?”
“It’s not like that. I swear,” he protested.
“Oh, really? Then what is it like? Because from where I’m standing, it sure looks a lot like you showed up out of nowhere, seduced me, lied to me, and then ruined my life,” I cried.
He took a deep breath and lowered his voice. “Listen, can we please just walk down to that coffee shop around the corner and talk?”
I took a step back from him. “Talk? About what? You want to gloat and rub it in some more? Is that it? Your big coup.”
“You know I’m not like that,” he argued.
I rolled my eyes. “Actually, I don’t think I know you at all. Maybe I don’t want to know this new version of you.”
There was a twinge of hurt on his handsome face. “Come on. I need to explain this
to you. I need you to understand what’s going on. Please. Let me tell you everything,” he pleaded.
I stared at him, the tears still rolling down my face. “What is there left to explain? Why you slept with me the night before stealing my life away? Why the whole night we spent together you never once mentioned why you were really here?”
“Yes,” he answered fervently. “All of that. And more. Come with me and let’s talk.”
It hit me suddenly that I had nothing better to do. Nowhere to go.
“Fine,” I relented. “You get five minutes. And you’re buying.”
He flashed me a smile, which faded away quickly. “Of course.”
We walked in silence to the cafe and took a table in the corner. Chase bought me a chai latte and sat down across from me. I watched him, refusing to let him wiggle out of this. “You want to talk? Start talking,” I demanded.
“I want to help you,” he professed.
I laughed bitterly. “Sure you do. And I suppose buying my resort is your way of helping me, is it?”
“That was not my choice in the first place. The Peppertree was never on my radar,” he explained. “But it’s part of a larger deal. A very large deal.”
“And?” I prompted, not giving him an inch.
“It’s the last of twelve properties. A massive deal for my company. The bank owns all twelve. They are selling them as one sale. It’s all twelve or nothing. The numbers don’t support the sale any other way. That’s why I had to buy it from you,” he explained.
“All or nothing?” I repeated, frowning.
“Yes,” he nodded. “I agreed to the deal before reading the fine print. It’s the kind of thing my company handles all the time. But this time… I should have looked more into what exactly the bank was offering. I had no idea you were running it.”
“So you bought my resort even though you knew nothing about it and didn’t care enough to check?” I clarified. Chase’s jaw twitched. I could tell this was hard for him, but damn it, this was hard for me, too.
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