“Dad! You aren’t helping!” She stomped her foot and took off in a twirled huff, her dark hair flaring out as she stormed off.
“Dad, what’s wrong with her?” Chad asked, coming through the kitchen toward the garage. “I can’t find my wallet.”
“Here, Son, you left it on the counter last night,” Dylan said, going to the kitchen bar, reaching across the granite countertop to where he’d seen the wallet earlier.
“Thanks, Dad,” Chad said, tucking his wallet in his suit jacket. “We’re gonna look like a holiday Christmas card today.”
That attitude had Dylan laughing again. “Yeah, I think that’s what your mom wanted.”
“I need everyone to stop whining and get in the car,” Teri yelled out from somewhere in the living room. She had to have been heard throughout the entire house from that vantage point. “You have three minutes!”
Dylan could hear her high heels clicking on the hardwood floors as she headed in their direction. She came around the corner as frustrated as Cate had been a few minutes ago. “We’ve raised terrible children,” she announced and stuck her head back out into the open living room. “Two and a half minutes, and I’m not playing. There will be consequences, and there better be smiles on your faces!”
She turned back, eyeing Chad closely. “Do you have anything to say to me about your suit?”
“No, ma’am!” Oh. Dylan winced. He’d pulled out the ma’am.
“Good, then you’re now my new official favorite child.” She looked over at Dylan, her eyes blazing mad. She stopped him before he had a chance to tell her how pretty she looked today. “I’m going to my car. Chad, get in my car. We’ll drive separately from you. Don’t be nice to them when they come down. They’ve been wretched and ungrateful children.” She was through the kitchen and out the back, the door to the garage slamming in her wake. Chad followed, raising his brows until something caught his attention and Chad turned.
“Oh my god, you look like twins!” Chad barked out on a laugh with wide eyes.
“Chad, get in the car and shut your mouth,” Dylan warned, waiting to see the girls come around the corner. He couldn’t help his smile when they did. They weren’t exactly matching dresses, but most definitely not a color or style they would have picked for themselves.
“You look beautiful,” Dylan started.
“No, don’t even say it, Dad! And Mom’s being terrible,” Cate said, storming toward the back door.
“I bet she’s on her period,” Chloe mumbled, following behind.
“It’s a big day for our family. Please put smiles on your faces and be nice,” Dylan advised. The horn sounded off as Chloe gave him a big fake smile and Cate opened the back door.
“We’re coming, Mom. Stop being so mad,” Cate called out toward Teri.
“Can I ride with you?” Chad asked.
“Yeah, come on. I’ll make the excuse to your mom.” Dylan grabbed his suit jacket off the back of a chair, patting his son on the shoulder. Today was a monumental turning point in all their lives. Secret Networks was announcing its merger with Wilder, Inc. The whole day would be filled with parties, press announcements, meet-and-greet sessions. Just a very special day for the Reeves family.
He grabbed a duffel bag by the back door and slung the strap over his shoulder.
“Should I take a change of clothes?” Chad asked, stopping himself from walking out the door as he eyed Dylan’s bag.
“No, I have to stay downtown tonight. Wilder has meetings into the night.” Dylan never looked over at Chad after he told the lie. He went out the back door, hoping he sounded convincing. Teri was far better at lying to them.
Tristan was in town for the big companywide announcement. Dylan stayed with him last night and came home way before anyone woke this morning. He planned to do the same tonight. Two weeks had passed since the last time Tristan had been in town and nothing earth-shattering had happened, except that he missed Tristan. Over the last fourteen days, they’d stayed discreet, yet talked every single day, about a million times a day and even had some late-night, locked-in-the-bathroom Secret video sex chats. He really loved those nights.
The stark realization hit him—he’d become Teri. He had a romance outside of their family and the world hadn’t broken apart into a million pieces. All things considered, even with a car full of angry women staring him down, it was an incredible day.
“He’s riding with me,” Dylan called out. Teri was behind the wheel of her SUV, the frown clearly in place as she began to back out of the garage. Both girls were in her backseat, looking sullen-faced and regretful. They must have gotten an earful in the last minute and a half they’d been in the car.
He smiled and waved at the girls. If he could gauge a look, he’d say they were begging him to come save them from the monster that had taken over their mother’s body. Chad didn’t carry any of that stress as he stood there looking at him over the hood of his car.
“You’ve been happy for a few weeks now. We should have sold Secret sooner.” Chad’s observation threw him off until he realized he was smiling right then. He’d been smiling a lot lately. Dylan didn’t say a word, but hit the key fob to unlock the doors. Chad got inside as Dylan lifted the trunk and put his bag in the back. He guessed he should have done a lot of things sooner, but if he had, he wouldn’t be here right now.
Honestly, he wouldn’t change a thing. Tristan was well worth the wait.
Tristan paced the foyer of the executive offices of his newly purchased Secret Networks, nervous as hell. He adjusted his tie, bit at his bottom lip, all while walking a path in the carpet. He kept stealing glances at the clock on the back wall. With the hope of keeping this moment as private as possible, he relieved the executive assistant from the task of answering the phones today and had her down with everyone else, eating a breakfast hosted by Wilder, Inc. It was a huge day of celebration and Dylan had clearly spun this buyout well. Company morale remained high. Not the normal fear he usually walked into after acquiring a business. Everyone was excited about the future, including him, just not at this exact moment. Right now, he was nervous as hell, waiting for Dylan and his family to arrive.
“Smiles!” he heard a familiar female voice say. He quickly turned to the main doors as Teri, Chloe, Cate, Chad, and Dylan entered. They were as beautiful of a family as their pictures suggested. He forced himself to walk forward, his fake smile in place only because his nerves had heightened to all new levels.
“Teri?” Tristan asked, heading to her first. She was safe and on his side. Her face changed from one of frustration to one of happiness in the matter of a second. He reached out to shake her hand and she stretched up to hug him.
“Finally.” Her arms wrapped tightly around him, and he did the same, looking over at Dylan who lifted his brow at their exchange. He’d never revealed how instrumental she had been in bringing them together. Apparently by the look on his face, she hadn’t either.
“Tristan, I want you to meet our children,” she said, keeping an arm wrapped around him as she turned toward their crew. She was a tall woman, and in her high heels, she was very close to his six foot two inch height. “This is Cate, our youngest, Chad’s our middle, and Chloe’s our oldest. Guys, this is Mr. Wilder.”
Tristan took a deep breath. He’d never been good with children, but these three were so open and friendly, it didn’t take much.
“I’ve heard so much about you guys,” Tristan said, shaking each of their hands as he grinned at them all. “Cate, you and Chloe are beautiful. You look like your mom. I brought you guys some flowers.” He extended an arm, motioning toward some wrapped bouquets sitting on a credenza behind him.
“Chad, I’ve heard a lot about you. You look exactly like your father. It’s nice to meet you. I wanted to get you something too, but I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I brought you an autographed Clippers poster,” Tristan finished, taking a few steps backward to the gifts he’d brought.
For Dylan’s sake, he kept his eye
s on Teri and the kids. They had entered with tension but seemed happy now and he didn’t want his new boyfriend to get skittish on this particular day.
“Dad, check this out. All the Clippers signed this!” Chad unrolled the poster, showing it off to Dylan.
“That’s awesome, Son,” Dylan said and offered out a hand to Tristan to initiate their greeting. That had Tristan looking at him for the first time since he’d walked into this room. Damn, his guy was hot and looked completely self-assured. His real smile spread as his cock plumped because Dylan smiled back at him, too, not creating the distance between them that Tristan had expected. Tristan shook Dylan’s hand, caressing a bit before he pulled away.
“They’re beautiful,” Cate said, smiling big as she lifted the bouquet to her nose. She went to stand by her mom, beaming up at her. He remembered Chloe was the serious one, and she gave a slight nod, but had a big grin as well. He hoped he’d done okay.
“Dylan, everyone’s ready downstairs for you.” A young woman from the public relations department stuck her head inside the door to announce.
“Do they need all of us?”
“I think so. It would be good to show a united front. We’ve got CNN and ABC downstairs, plus every newspaper and the Associated Press. Just about everyone came,” she said excitedly.
“Okay, good job! We’ll be down in a minute,” Dylan said, his tone turning more formal than before. A sure sign of his increasing nervousness.
“Tell Mr. Wilder thank you and let’s go put these in the cooler.” There was a three-way exclamation of thanks immediately given. He just smiled and nodded. “We’ll take these to the break room and put them in water and meet you at the elevator in five minutes,” Teri told Dylan directly. They exchanged something in that stare, something Tristan had no idea about. Then Teri said, “Chad, come with us.”
“Dad, can you put this in your office?” Chad asked, thrusting the poster in his hands. He never questioned his mother as he left in a flash to catch up with her and the girls as she marched down the hallway.
“This was very nice of you. They loved it,” Dylan said, heading toward his office. They were in the middle of renovating the conference room into a space for Tristan when he was in town, but right now, they were completely alone in this secluded area of the building.
Dylan stepped into his office, placed the poster on the desk, and used a large decorative mirror on one of the walls to straighten his tie and run a hand over his styled hair. He liked Dylan’s hair back off his forehead this way. Tristan quietly shut the door and twisted the lock before he walked up and stood behind Dylan. He studied their reflection. He’d never paid attention to the image they presented standing side by side before, but by his estimation, they looked pretty good together.
Dylan’s gaze shot to the door and then back up to Tristan’s reflection.
“You look great. I thought the pinstripe was my favorite on you. Now, I think this one might be.” Tristan pressed his chest against Dylan’s back and continued watching his reflection in the mirror. “I want to kiss you.”
“We agreed nothing at the office, that keeping the two independent of each other was best for now,” Dylan stated, not turning around.
“Yes, I agreed. But I still want a little kiss.” Dylan turned and took a step backward, eying him closely. Finally, he leaned in and gave him a quick peck.
“Okay, more than that. You left way too early this morning. Did you get your run in?” Tristan asked, taking a small step forward. Dylan started to answer, and Tristan reached out, grasped Dylan’s face between his palms, holding his lover in place while he kissed him.
The kiss was intense, but swift. He kissed Dylan like a man in love, which was an accurate description. When he pulled away, a moment of shock registered on Dylan’s handsome face. He loved that look, and he was growing to enjoy throwing the always steady Dylan Reeves off balance. Tristan retreated, taking another couple of steps backward so he wasn’t tempted to reach out for his lover again. “Now you have something to fix when you look in the mirror.”
“You promised.” The uncertainty showed on Dylan’s face as he spoke.
“Yes, I did, but I didn’t bend you over the desk and hump you like I really wanted to do. It was a celebratory kiss on a very special day. I think Teri and the kids liked me. That was important to me.” Tristan smiled, trying for nonchalant, hoping to banish that look from Dylan’s eyes.
“Of course they would like you. Who doesn’t like you, but I have an open-door policy for anyone to walk in,” Dylan explained, turning back to the mirror and pushing the ends of his hair where Tristan’s hands had been back in place.
“That’s why I locked the door,” Tristan rumbled and leaned suggestively against the neatly polished wooden desk, glancing at Dylan in the mirror. He inclined his head toward the locked door. “See, it’s locked. I’m catching on to how things are done around here.” He gave Dylan a wink and pushed off the desk. “So, are you ready for today? I’ve done these things many times before. Once you go down, it’s non-stop until the end of the day.”
“I think I’m ready. It’s a great day for Secret.” Dylan gave him a genuine smile and stepped closer. “I really love your tie…it brings out the color of your eyes,” Dylan said as he adjusted Tristan’s ice blue tie. After he finished, he turned without a word and headed toward the office door.
That made Tristan smile. Dylan should be proud, and he was glad he got to be here to enjoy the day with him. He’d managed to do something most people only dreamed of accomplishing.
“It’s a hugely great day for Wilder. I hoped you would like it. Hey, before you go out there.” Tristan took several steps forward and placed his palm on the door before Dylan could get it open. They were inches apart, and startled eyes met his as the scent of Dylan’s cologne surrounded him. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me. I’m not sure I’ve told you that.”
Confusion replaced the startled look as Dylan absorbed those words. Tristan didn’t give him time to ask any questions. He nodded his head toward the door and turned the knob. “Put your big smile on.”
He placed a hand on Dylan’s lower back, guiding him out.
“What have I done for you? I think it’s more the other way around.” They hadn’t taken more than a step outside the main office doors before Dylan broke his self-imposed protocol, leaning over to ask that question. They were only a few feet from the bank of elevators where he knew Dylan’s family stood, waiting on them.
“I’ll tell you later,” he whispered back. How did he explain everything to Dylan in the few seconds they had. How could he tell Dylan how much he’d changed his life, made everything better just by meeting him? Tristan experienced a wealth of emotion knowing Dylan waited for his call or visit. He couldn’t put into words what Dylan’s love had grown to mean to him. Tristan looked forward to every single day now that he woke up with this man in his life. There were so many things he needed to say. He didn’t want to weigh Dylan down with all of that heavy stuff on his big day. As for Tristan, he’d attended several of these merger deals in the past. He was usually bored out of his mind at these functions, but it kept Wilder, Inc. in the media which was technically priceless for his organization. Since Secret was the hottest thing going right now, associating his two companies would help balance the budgets. And he got to spend the entire day close to Dylan. He angled his head, getting Dylan to move again.
“Are you guys ready?” Tristan asked as he rounded the corner to the bank of elevators.
“Yes, I think I have my job description down. I’m to stand there and smile,” Cate said and did just that. She put on a giant toothy grin as Teri hit the down button for the elevators.
“She’s funny,” Tristan said, knocking Dylan in the arm with his elbow.
“Yeah, all I see is six thousand dollars’ worth of orthodontics at its finest,” Dylan responded, and Teri began nodding her head in agreement. Tristan’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He didn’t need to look
at caller ID to know Landry was calling. He answered on the third ring.
“I’m going down now. Are you ready?” The overall companywide transition would take some time, and he suspected Landry of dragging his feet in the beginning, making everything a little harder than it had to be, but today served two purposes—the formal announcement of the merger as well as revealing the new WilderNation-Secret logo for the search engine. They were set to go live the moment he introduced the world to its existence.
“We are, just waiting for the word,” Landry said.
“Good. Our people are in place. Get Amy to monitor the initial responses and message me. I know Market Research will, but they’ll take some time.”
“Already planned. Good luck today. Feels off not being there.” He could hear the sulk still in his voice.
“Funny, I don’t feel that way. I’m getting on the elevator,” Tristan said, stepping on after everyone else. “I’ll lose you soon. Hang up now. Stop whining.”
“I should be there,” Landry tossed out as Tristan disconnected the call. Landry was the kink in his otherwise perfect life. He still hadn’t given in and adapted to these changes. Tristan forced those thoughts away. Now was not the time to dwell on his pain-in-the-ass COO. Instead he looked around and found Cate standing closest to him. He casually draped an arm over her shoulders.
“The staff can be difficult sometimes.” He rolled his eyes for dramatic effect.
“My dad loves his staff. We’re always giving or going to parties with them,” Cate said.
“Hmm…I think I need to take lessons from him then. My operation’s guy is a pain in my butt. Good thing I found your dad, maybe he can help me find the good in him again.”
“Dad can do that, for sure. He sees the good in everyone except any guy we try to date, then there’s nothing but bad,” Cate said. That had him laughing as the elevator doors opened. The party was a few feet away with a stage directly across from them. The entire lobby was full of Secret employees.
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