The possessive groom, p.1
The Possessive Groom, page 1
The Possessive Groom
Alexa Riley
Contents
The Possessive Groom
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Epilogue
Epilogue
Coming Soon…
Read Me Romance
Stalk the Author
Copyright © 2021 by Author Alexa Riley LLC. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, email to riley_alexa@aol.com
http://alexariley.com/
Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.
Edited by Aquila Editing
The Possessive Groom
by Alexa Riley
Lindsey sacrificed for her younger siblings and has found purpose in making their dreams come true. When she’s finally faced with figuring out what she wants in life, the path ahead is scary. Her brother Darian hands her the keys to his company and puts her in charge, but with no experience or education how can she possibly succeed? And can she do it while keeping a professional distance from the new guy?
Gibson has made too many mistakes in life, but bedding the new CEO isn’t one of them. One look, one touch, one taste…game over. Now she’s running and he’s hot on her heels as this possessive alpha does whatever it takes to get her down the aisle.
Warning: Can a tropical vacation with a hurricane on the loose really be the best time to fall in love? You betcha! There are lots of secrets inside this book, but we save the best for last!
For all the big sisters out there…
Chapter 1
Lindsey
I stare out the window of my suite watching the waves steal more of the sand. The darkness of the storm pushes into paradise, and I let out a long sigh knowing that today is going to suck. The bad weather and the lack of sleep I got last night are the makings of a dreary morning.
Already I’ve made a mistake. This is supposed to be a beautiful retreat and now we’re going to be swallowed by a hurricane. I really hope the weather reports are right about it blowing over quickly.
“A little rain never hurt anyone.” I jerk around to see Mary standing in the living room of my suite as if she appeared out of thin air. She has an odd way of doing that, and I haven’t decided if I like it or not.
“It’s six in the morning. How did you even get in here?” I ask, going back to looking out the window. She’s already dressed and ready to go with her short gray hair styled perfectly and her makeup flawless. She makes it all look so effortless, and I think of my own shortcomings.
“I knew you’d be up. You need me.” I glance over my shoulder, watching her walk over to the phone and call down for breakfast.
I do need her, and that feeling is foreign to me. Normally it’s everyone else that needs me because I’m the steady hand to guide everyone. Ever since Darian was finally recognized for his talents and his career took off, we’ve all been in the lap of luxury. Then suddenly I was thrown into a situation I wasn’t prepared for.
I have no fucking clue what I’m doing, and that’s been the story of my life lately. Now I’m doing it on a much bigger scale, and I’m anxious. When I’m home alone and I’m unsure, that’s one thing. This job, however, affects thousands of other people and could potentially affect millions more.
My stomach churns as my mind lets that number grow with each thought. I should get out of here and call my brother and tell him I can’t do this.
Thunder booms, and it jerks my attention away from the flood of thoughts. I couldn’t leave this place even if I wanted to. The storm reminds me it’s too late and I’m stuck.
“It looks like everyone made it here before they had to ground flights,” Mary informs me.
Lovely. Everyone is here to witness me falling flat on my face.
“Aren't we supposed to have breakfast downstairs?” I’m not hungry in the slightest.
“It can be hard to eat when everyone is talking to you, and you need a full meal. Come on.” She motions. “I want you to look at this. I made it last night, and I thought it would be good for you.”
I walk over and take the folder from her hand. I’ve always respected Mary, even from the moment my brother hired her as his right hand. The woman always knows what she’s doing, and I’m sure she’s guided him a lot too.
It’s weird to think that I’m her boss now, because I’m not bossing her around. Although to be fair, I’m not sure Darian bossed her around much either. Mary and the company got tossed into my lap when he decided to retire.
Me. The foster girl that took care of him and our foster twin sisters. We aren't blood—well, the twins are—but when we were all put into the same home, I pulled us together. I took care of us, and even though my little brother Darian might have only been a few years younger than me, I saw the greatness in him. I knew from the first day we met he would do something amazing, and he has. I just had no idea he’d then pass that responsibility to me. He acted like he didn’t have one doubt, and that faith is a big reason I’m here to begin with. I could have said no, but I didn’t.
I flip the file open and look at all the faces with names below them. Before I know it, I’m sitting down and reading through the pages of notes attached to the photos.
“You’re good with faces, and you’re better with watching people. So at the breakfast meeting this morning you won’t be eating, you’ll be observing. You’ll learn more than the notes I have here because that’s what you do, but I knew you'd like to see names and faces first,” Mary says as a knock sounds at the door. She’s right: I’m already relaxing, just a little, with this knowledge.
“Thanks,” I mumble as I keep on reading and she sets a plate down beside me. “Can I ask you something?” Mary looks up from the small laptop she has in front of her. “Was this a stupid idea? A retreat to get to know everyone?” I cringe. “Are people thinking this is a lame team-building retreat?”
Mary lets out a small chuckle. “No, I actually thought it was a brilliant idea with how much we’ve grown. There are still a few people I haven't met in person. It’s good to bring all the heads of the departments and different labs together from time to time. I think it should be an annual event.”
I nod and wonder if that was part of my anxiety and something Mary knew about me. I need to see these people and not through an email or on a piece of paper. I tend to be good at reading people and getting a feel for them. I’ve never in my life met a person who somehow surprised me. I can size someone up quickly based on the bad things in them, or the good. Growing up the way we did, I learned from a young age that reading people was about survival.
I eat my breakfast before heading into my room to find an outfit. I go through everything I packed but still somehow feel unsure. Darian’s wife Rosy helped me put together some things so I wouldn’t have to worry so much. I might have grown up poor and worked in a diner my whole life, but I’d also been thrust into the world of rich people alongside my brother, who took us all with him. This team is the best of the best, and it’s why my brother hired them to begin with.
“Wear whatever you want,” Mary says, watching me go through the clothes again. She’s in a custom suit as always and looking perfectly polished.
“Anything?” I snort a laugh. If only it was that easy.
“Lindsey, you’re in charge. I think you forget you’re their boss,” she points out.
I know I’m their boss, but I want them to respect me. When I ran the diner, it wasn't with that kind of fear. I would never ask anyone to do anything I wouldn't or couldn’t do myself.
This situation is different because I can’t do what some of these people are capable of. They’re geniuses, and I still don’t understand most of the technology my brother created. But what I do understand is people and how they work together.
“Lindsey.” Mary snaps my name. “Wear what makes you confident. That’s what they’ll feel and remember about you.” She pauses and nods to me once more. “There’s a reason Darian knows you can do this.”
She leaves the closet, and I realize she’s right. I grab my jeans and Chucks and get dressed. I’ve never run from anything in my life, and I’m not starting now.
Chapter 2
Gibson
“You doing okay back there?” the pilot calls out, and I look up from my barf bag.
Thankfully nothing came up, but that flight might have been the roughest of my life. “All good,” I manage to say as I tuck the paper bag back into the emergency pocket.
“We must have been the last flight before they grounded all the other ones,” he laughs as he brings the
plane down.
“Lucky us,” I mumble to myself. I would have preferred to skip this retreat altogether.
The wheels touch the tarmac, and I close my eyes, thankful to be firmly back on earth. I normally don’t have a problem on planes, but a tiny one like this flying around the edges of a hurricane isn’t my first choice for travel.
I’m late, and there’s nothing I hate more than not being on time. My company was bought out by Darian Wilson, and I’ve spent the last week on planes, trains, and automobiles around the globe transitioning it for him. I don’t know why I agreed to it, but when I got the call that he wanted to take over, there was something about him I trusted.
My company helped develop his biometric products, but he was right when he said our merger would be mutually beneficial. I get to stop traveling so damn much and bring our company to Boston, where his labs are located.
It will be the first time in a long time that I’ll be making roots, that is, once I’m done with this stupid department head vacation. I was told we’d hit the ground running, but the memo I got from the new CEO directed me to a beach getaway. Maybe I wouldn’t mind so much if the hurricane riding my ass on the way here wasn’t so dark and gloomy.
There’s not a time I can recall where I wasn’t changing cities each week in different parts of the world. I’m looking forward to taking a breath while reaping the benefits of this new partnership.
My phone chimes as soon as the plane pulls into the hangar, and I see a few missed texts. Once I’ve read the messages, I delete them quickly and tuck my phone away.
“How far are we from the hotel?” I grab my bag as the pilot opens the door for me. I’ve never been happier to get out of such a confined space.
“Just a quick ride to the other side of the island. There’s a car waiting for you, Mr. Fox.”
I look ahead to the black sedan and quickly make my way over to it after I thank the pilot for not killing me.
I’m the newest department head to the company, and I haven’t had a chance to meet with anyone yet. I’m hoping this doesn’t work against me since I’m late on top of it. I’m sure most of them are already close colleagues if not friends. From what I’ve heard, Darian is a personable boss and is hands-on with all of his departments.
My company was in charge of product distribution, and although we’ll still be doing the same thing, we’re moving all of our offices to Boston, and we’ll fall under Darian’s umbrella. He mentioned turning over some of my responsibilities to his staff so that I could lighten my load, but I don’t know if that’s in the future for me.
As if reading my thoughts, my phone chimes again. This time I delete the texts without reading them.
When I get to the hotel, the lady at the counter tells me there’s no reservation, and I grit my teeth. After a few minutes of them searching for somewhere to put me, I’ve finally got a key but no itinerary. Apparently Darian Wilson Inc. didn’t get the memo that I was attending this retreat. Too bad I didn’t find this out on the other side of the ocean. I could have spent the weekend house hunting, but instead I’ve got to search the damn island for people I don’t even know.
There’s a throb between my eyes by the time I drop my bag in my room and make my way to the convention center. The hotel staff told me all of the events scheduled this weekend would be located in that area and to just look around.
“Look around,” I grumble, my mood getting worse by the hour.
In the distance I can hear people talking and laughing, so I decide to check it out. Maybe there will be a sign with the company name on it, or perhaps Darian will be in there.
What I find as I open the door is not at all what I was expecting.
On the other end of the room is a large group of people cheering and shouting with music blasting. The lights are dimmed, and drinks are being poured like they’re on spring break. On my side of the room, there’s a ribbon strung all the way across like it’s a finish line.
Before I can comprehend what insane game they’re playing, a woman with long red hair wearing a blindfold is barreling toward me. I want to shout at her to stop but the room is too loud, and I don't even know if she could stop if she wanted to.
If she keeps going, she’s going to smack right into the door I just walked through at full speed, so I make a split-second decision. I hold out my arms and brace my feet as she breaks through the finish line ribbon and slams into me.
My back takes the brunt of the impact as my arms wrap around her and we fall to the ground. The wind is knocked out of me as I lie there with her body on top of mine.
Somewhere in the back of my mind I think about how soft she is, but there’s not time to focus on it.
“Fuck,” she hisses, yanking off her blindfold. “Oh my god, are you okay? Shit, I knew blindfolds were a bad idea.” She burps and then covers her mouth. “And tequila.”
“I’m okay,” I groan as I look up into the most beautiful golden eyes. “Are you?”
“Lucky for you I’ve got plenty of cushion.” She clamps her mouth shut like she didn’t mean to say it.
“Lindsey, are you okay?” A young woman rushes over to her side. “I told Peter shots were a bad idea.”
The two of them laugh as Lindsey climbs off of me, and I’m annoyed at the loss of her warm curves.
“I’m okay, but the next game you and Peter come up with, no blindfolds.”
The woman nods and then looks down at me. “Who is this?”
“My knight in shining armor,” Lindsay says while I stand up.
Her cheeks flush as she sees me come to my full height and tower over her.
“I really am sorry about that. Our games have gotten a little out of hand since we’re stuck indoors. Are you with hotel management? Don’t worry, I’ll tell them to keep it down,” she rushes to say, and I’m surprised to see her flustered.
“No, I’m here for a work retreat. Is Darian here?”
With my question, her eyebrows pull together in confusion. “Darian isn’t here. He put me in charge a few weeks ago.”
Now it’s my turn to be confused…and a little irritated that he failed to mention this during the merger.
“Oh really?” I let out a long sigh because it’s not her fault. “I’m Gibson.” I hold out my hand and try to keep my cool.
“Lindsey.” When she puts her hand in mine, that warm, soft connection comes back, and I like the way it feels when I’m holding her. “Glad you could make it, Gibson.”
She doesn’t look at me when she says it, and out of the corner of my eye I spot a short, gray-haired woman walking over. Lindsey takes her hand in mine, and for the hundredth time today I’m annoyed.
“You must be Gibson. I’m Mary. Darian just sent over your paperwork today. It must have slipped his mind now that he’s retired.”
Lindsey and Mary laugh at their own inside joke, and I don’t like being out of the loop.
“Come with me, and we’ll get you a schedule,” Mary says, and then the woman from before is beside Lindsey again.
“Okay, Peter and I have reevaluated the game and we have an even better idea this time.”
I don’t hear the rest of the conversation as I’m forced to follow Mary. But as she goes over the activities of the weekend and expectations, I can’t keep my eyes off the redhead in the room.
This is an unexpected surprise.
Chapter 3
Lindsey
I don’t hear a word Cora is saying about the new game idea as I watch Gibson and Mary wander off together. The buzz of the shots simmers through me, at least I think that’s what I’m feeling, because now I’m flushed and feeling really warm all over.
