Rekindling desire, p.9
Rekindling Desire, page 9
“He had his chance and he failed.”
“Gloria was right about one thing.”
I lifted my eyebrows. “What?”
“The members of the coalition should know we’re wed. This campaign is a great idea, and I believe in it for Beta Kappa Phi and for the coalition. I meant what I said about not wanting to upset the work Julia’s put into creating the unity the seven companies share.”
“If Dwain is working with Darius, you won’t be the cause of upsetting the coalition.”
Ella’s eyes opened wide. “My parents.”
“I’ll call them with you.”
“No.” She exhaled. “I’ll call them. I need to tell them myself.”
The complexities of the last week had me overwhelmed. “I should have asked. Are they still in Indiana? We could tell them in person.”
“They moved to Arizona about a year ago. Enjoying the retired life.”
“I could call Allen—”
Ella shook her head. “We’re not flying to Arizona just because we can. We have enough fires burning here, and we both have work we need to do.”
My cheeks rose with a grin. “Good. I want you to myself.”
“What about the bodyguards?”
“I’ve decided to have their company evaluate our home security systems, both of ours and Dani’s. I’ve been thinking about hiring all four candidates. They can work out a rotation that works for them and for us. If our homes are secure, their services will only be necessary when we’re away from home. That will mean both you and Dani need to communicate with them. No sneaking off to the salon or store without one of them.”
“I like that better than having them live with us.”
I smiled. “Reading their firearms experience and training had me concerned.”
“Why?”
“Because when you scream in the middle of the night, I don’t want one of them busting down our bedroom door.”
Ella scoffed. “There you go again, being so sure of yourself.”
“When it comes to making you scream, yes, Mrs. Sinclair, I am sure of myself.”
“What about the coalition?”
“Julia and Van know about our marriage. I told Van on the phone last night. I’ll call Julia this afternoon about what came up at the board meeting.”
“You told him last night. For the record, you suck at keeping secrets.”
I ran my palm over her round ass. “Oh, I can suck a lot more.”
She shook her head. “Okay. After I talk to my parents, I’ll spend the next few hours organizing what I learned over the weekend. If Julia thinks Niles would be a better choice, I want you to listen to her.”
“I’m not letting you work in Carmel.” I ran my hands up her back, splaying my fingers and tugging her against me. “I want you here.”
“You’ve got me. Remember, you must let me be me.”
She’d said she worried about vanishing.
“You’re not disappearing. I promise you.”
Ella lifted herself to her tiptoes as she brushed my lips with hers. “I think your idea for the bodyguards will work. I’ll see you later.”
I didn’t want to let her out of my arms, out of my sight. In a matter of days, I’d become completely addicted to Ella’s presence. She was a drug. Unlike what we manufactured here, she was the type of drug that revealed memories—memories of our time together—and desire, what we’d shared and what we had in store.
With each hit, I wanted more.
Reluctantly, I released my hold. As she walked away, I fantasized about removing her silk blouse and stripping her from the long gray slacks.
Ella peered over her shoulder. “Why do I feel like you’re looking at me naked?”
A smile broke out across my face. “Apparently, you can read minds.”
“Only yours.”
Once I was alone, I sat behind my desk and called the security company. The evaluation of our homes would occur tomorrow as would the employment of all four personnel. The person I spoke with offered to start with a month-long contract and we would reevaluate.
A knock on my door caused me to look up.
“Mr. Sinclair,” Johnathon said.
There was something odd about his expression. “Is everything all right?”
“Mrs. Sinclair is here to see you.”
“Ella doesn’t need you to announce her. Let her in.”
“No, sir. Amber Sinclair.”
The muscles of my jaw grew tight as I stood. “I’m busy.”
Amber pushed her way past Johnathon and turned to him. “You may leave.”
Johnathon’s gaze came to me.
“Five minutes,” I said, stepping away from my desk.
Once the door closed, Amber smiled. “Only five minutes? Oh, Damien, I remember when you used to last longer.”
“Now that you’re stuck with an older version, I’d bet you’re hoping he can keep it up for five minutes.”
Amber sashayed closer, her breasts practically spilling from the V cut of her neckline. “About that.”
Lifting my hand, I silently told her to keep her distance. “What the fuck do you want?”
“Darius and I aren’t married.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “You lied.”
“We didn’t lie any more than you and Gabriella did. We had a ceremony. There was a problem with the license.”
“What problem?” I asked suspiciously.
“You can only be married to one person, and it seems you and I are still married.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
Gabriella
A workman was outside my office door when I arrived.
“Is there a problem?”
“Replacing your nameplate, Mrs. Sinclair.”
Fuck you, Damien. Your secret-keeping ability is the worst.
“Hold on to the one that says Crystal, just in case.”
“I hope you’re joking.”
I grinned. “It depends on the time of day.”
Opening the door, I went inside. My gaze naturally went to the large window behind my desk, the one that looked out over Indianapolis. I wasn’t high up in the skyline; nevertheless, the view was much better than the one I had at Beta Kappa Phi. Sitting behind my desk, I removed my phone from the drawer where I’d left it earlier in the day.
I had numerous missed text messages and calls, three from Niles, one from Millie, and one from my mother.
“Okay, Mom. You’re first.” I hit the icon, wondering how I would explain the last weekend. As she answered, I decided direct was best. “Hi, Mom. Is Dad around?”
“He’s not. He’ll be back soon. Is everything all right?”
“I suppose. I thought you should know; I got married this past weekend.”
Silence.
Prolonged silence.
“Mom?” I questioned, wondering if our call was disconnected.
“Ella, I think I misunderstood you. You haven’t mentioned dating anyone.”
“Remember I told you about the campaign that I was roped into?”
“Working with Damien—you married Damien.”
I scrunched my nose at the way her volume rose with her statement. “Yep.”
“Oh, Ella. Why? What’s happening?”
I thought back to the answer I gave Amber in the hospital. “There’s a lot happening, but the real reason I said yes is because” —I took a breath— “I love him.” I did. I couldn’t deny it any longer. “I care about him. I know I left him, but being back with him feels right.”
“Oh, honey. I’m crying.”
“Mom, I’m sorry you and Dad weren’t there. The wedding was very fast. Damien has offered me a big ceremony in the future. His dad is in the hospital with some heart problems. We’d like to have all four of you and the rest of our family around.”
Mom took a deep breath. “That’s not why I’m crying. I always thought Damien was special. I also understood why you left. If you feel more confident with him now, Dad and I support you. You’re a grown woman. Of course, I’d love to share a ceremony of your union along with the Sinclairs, but that’s your decision, dear. We trust you.”
A lump formed in my throat.
“Thank you for trusting me.”
Mom’s voice regained her usual strength. “We trust him too. In many ways, Damien has reminded me of your father. They’re complicated men, or that’s what they want the world to believe. Men like that need strong women. That’s you, Ella. Stay strong.”
“Thanks, Mom. Things are very busy right now—a million fires. I’ll let you know about a ceremony and when we can get out to Tucson.”
“You’re always welcome. I’ll tell your dad.” She paused. “Is Derek going to be okay?”
“We hope so. I’ll call back soon. Love you.”
“Love you.”
Apparently, the cat was out of the bag.
My next text was to Niles. In the last few years, he’d filled the spot of my best friend. If this marriage wasn’t going to be a secret, I wanted him to hear it from me.
“Hey, back in Indy. Missing you from this new office. Do you have a minute to talk?”
As I waited for his response, I called Millie Barns’s office number. Her secretary put me right through.
“Ella, I was hoping to hear from you before now.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t have my phone with all the meetings today.”
“It’s nearly five on Monday. You met with the pharma coalition over the weekend,” she said. “After hearing from Dwain Welsh, I expected you to call first thing after getting back to town.”
Well, there’s been a lot happening. Instead of saying that, I sat forward, putting my elbows on the desk. “When and what did you hear from Dwain Welsh?”
“He contacted me on Sunday. As you know, Moon Medical has been a Beta Kappa Phi donor for years. He wanted reassurance that even with this new campaign we would continue in that relationship. It seems he is concerned about the coalition—about our representative working from Sinclair Corporate. I have a call out to Mr. Sinclair. He also hasn’t returned my call. I’m beginning to think we may have been premature about your move.”
I shook my head. “This was discussed in Wisconsin. The members of the coalition want their information in a secure environment. That is what Damien supplied here at Sinclair Corporate.”
“It seems that Mr. Welsh is particularly concerned with Mr. Sinclair’s access to the information. He mentioned that Mr. Sinclair may be exiting the CEO position.”
The hell?
The small hairs on the back of my neck stood to attention—little soldiers ready to do battle for my husband. “He’s not.”
“Mr. Welsh spoke of a temporary replacement—Mr. Darius Sinclair.”
Temporary?
“No,” I said more adamantly. “Millie, I know what’s going on. Darius is not taking Damien’s position temporarily or permanently. And honestly, while I might not be the right person to spearhead this campaign in the eyes of the coalition, that doesn’t mean the campaign should be dead on arrival.”
“I’m concerned that we jumped the gun on this. If there’s already discontentment amongst the coalition members, Damien Sinclair is guilty of breach of contract. He promised us the coalition, yet he hasn’t delivered.”
Two weeks ago, I would have easily dismissed this attack on Damien. Now, I was in full attack mode. “Damien has delivered. We met with the CEOs of the coalition. Julia Sherman is the chairwoman. We have her full support. Let me talk to Damien. He is many things, but he wouldn’t purposely mislead us. In the little time I’ve put into the campaign, I can see the possibilities for Beta Kappa Phi and for the pharma coalition. If the coalition doesn’t want me, I suggest Niles.”
“Mr. Walsh didn’t say you were the problem. It’s your proximity to Sinclair Pharmaceuticals.” She paused. “Why would the coalition doubt your ability?”
I inhaled. “It isn’t my ability. It’s my relationship with Damien.”
“You two have a working history. He was your boss.”
For an intelligent, competent woman, Millie was clueless.
Clearing my throat, I spoke, “As of this last weekend, he’s my husband.”
“Ella, we need to talk.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Millie, it’s very complicated. Not only did I work for Damien, but the reason I never mentioned my connection was that we had a personal relationship.”
“Why didn’t you tell me when I suggested this campaign?”
I covered my eyes with one hand and lay back against the chair, my temples beginning to throb. I practically begged her to assign someone else. Nevertheless, I pushed forward, not backward. “The past is insignificant. We’re married. I want to continue my work with Beta Kappa Phi. I don’t believe marriage is a ground for firing.”
“No one is talking about firing you. There is an obvious conflict of interest.”
“There isn’t,” I protested. “I want what’s best for Beta Kappa Phi and what’s best for Sinclair Pharmaceuticals. The coalition is comprised of non-competing companies that were aligned for the purpose of supporting one another. My work with the campaign will benefit all the companies, yes, including Sinclair.”
Millie’s voice filled with exasperation. “I need to call legal.”
“Don’t kill the campaign, Millie. Let Niles spearhead it. I’ll take a lesser position.”
“The compensation—”
“I don’t care.”
“Come to my office tomorrow. I’ll be here at 8:00 a.m.”
Telling her no was on the tip of my tongue. Then again, Millie Barns was still technically my boss. “What can I bring to assure you that this campaign is worth our effort?”
“At this moment, I don’t know. Be here tomorrow.”
“I will.”
The line went dead.
“Shit,” I sighed, tipping my head back against the desk chair.
I typed out a text message to Damien.
“Dwain Welsh contacted Millie yesterday.”
Next, I opened a text message from Niles.
“Leaving soon. I’ll call on my way home. How was your weekend? All work and…any play?”
I shook my head. He had no idea.
My phone dinged. The message was from Damien.
“On my way to your office. We need to talk and I’m guessing alcohol might be a good addition to this discussion. Let’s get out of here. Tomorrow is another day.”
I texted back.
“Bodyguard?”
He replied.
“They start tomorrow. Tonight, you’re all mine.”
I wasn’t sure how he’d done it. Yet looking down at my left hand, I knew that being all his was where I wanted to be. I turned off my computer and retrieved my purse from the desk drawer. It was only a little before five.
Playing hooky was acceptable when you did it with the boss.
Damien
Over a year ago
I stared up at the ceiling, watching the headlights from the street below chase away the shadows, as various degrees of light and dark danced high above. Turning to my side, I took in the sleeping woman. Her long golden hair fanned behind her head. Her lips were parted. Soft sounds of breathing created a hum.
Our earlier conversation ran on repeat in my head.
Marriage.
Unable to sleep, I exhaled a long, exasperated breath before slowly rolling to the edge of the bed and slipping out from under the blankets. As I searched for my clothes, Amber rolled, her arms searching where I had just been.
“Damien?” She squinted her eyes, searching through the momentary darkness.
“Go to sleep. I’m getting some water.”
“Come back to bed as soon as you can.”
I nodded, knowing it was a lie. Wearing only my boxers, I once again took her in. A quick glance told me that in only seconds, her eyes were closed, and she was making her way back to dreamland.
Sleep wasn’t something I could do.
Running my hand over my hair, I stood for a moment, watching the woman who could be my forever. I didn’t feel it.
Am I supposed to?
I was far from a romantic.
Nevertheless, the longer I lay in her bed, the heavier my chest felt. I had to move before I suffocated beneath the growing weight.
Amber Wilmott.
I’d known her most of my life. Her mother had been part of the Sinclair Pharmaceuticals executive board since I was a teenager. Her father was in the US Senate before his passing. Our families were close—dinners, cookouts, even vacations. Jordon Wilmott aided Sinclair with a few government approvals back in the day. Despite my knowing Amber for so long, there was a sense of familiarity that was missing and had been since my last relationship fell apart.
Fucking Ella.
I couldn’t think about the void she left.
Gathering my clothes, I made my way down the hall to Amber’s kitchen. The clock over the stove said it was only a little before two in the morning. Time to sleep.
My mind was too chaotic to sleep.
This was supposed to be a happy day, euphoric even.
The day I proposed.
I didn’t propose. The subject of marriage came up again as it often had since Amber and I began dating. It was time. I was in my late thirties, and not getting any younger. My career was moving the right direction. And then there was the bombshell Gloria dropped on us a few days ago. By marrying, I could fast-track my probationary period as CEO and get the permanent title.
The news had come as such a shock, I called my father.
He said he wasn’t aware of the addendum, yet I had a copy of the bylaws and could read it in black and white. After sending him a copy, Dad did what he always does. He added his two cents.
“Don’t marry someone for the wrong reason. If you love her, then consider the permanent title the cherry on the top. If you don’t like the sundae below, that cherry is fucking insignificant.”
