this project. But I don’t regret bringing you closer to me.”
“Well.” Her breath tickled my lips. “I’m still angry at you.”
“Would a trip to Abu Dhabi on a private jet tip the scales in my favor?”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, that would look great to the rest of my team.”
“Let them think what they think,” I said. “You don’t want to be caged, fine. First place to start is freeing yourselves from the opinions of others. It’s true in business. It’s especially true in pleasure.”
Her eyes flared wide. Her lips parted, but no words came out. She eyed my mouth, but didn’t budge.
She wasn’t going to listen to her own desires? Fine. I could be the one that took us back over the edge. The country club frowned on PDA, but what use was money without freedom?
I dipped in.
“Deacon. I heard you were here.”
My lust shattered at the shrill voice. I snapped up, and saw my mother’s lined, grey face scowling at me. She was dress in tennis whites, along with another large man who heaved at her side.
Demetri had told me she’d be here. It was always a pleasure to flaunt a wrong woman in her face, but this look…well, this felt much darker.
“I didn’t realize you were preoccupied,” she said.
“Just a casual meeting is all.” I spread my arms out along the booth, forcing myself to keep the heat from my face. Kerry glanced up, flustered like a frightened mouse.
“I just wanted to bring over our frontrunner for the Republican gubernatorial primary,” she said. “Mr. Roland Tarly.”
“Pleasure to see you again,” the round man offered a sweaty handshake, which I had no choice but to accept. It certainly evacuated the last heat from my groins.
“Nice to see you too,” I managed to get out. “Frontrunner, now, huh? That’s fantastic. I’m glad we’ve got you on our team.”
Tarly pudgy face grew tighter. “I agree. Your brother says you are abandoning us, though.”
Shit, what madness was this? He must be talking about the solar project. Jesse wasn't even in sight anymore.
“I'm abandoning no one,” I said.
“Your family and mine have worked together for generations,” Tarly said. “We could continue for another one or two more, but it seems you'd rather shift your company from oil to solar.”
“Sir, I assure you this is not the case.” I glanced at Kerry. “Tell them how small a deal this is for us.”
She had shrunk back into her seat, but she straightened a bit. “Uh, it's less than a percent of Stone Holdings.”
“Hmph,” Tarly said. “Everything big starts off as a small thingl.”
I could hardly argue that looking at his round frame. Luckily, he simply wandered off to the bar.
“And who is this?” Mother blinked furiously at Kerry.
“Ah, this is Ms. Kerry Martin.” I glanced warily at Kerry. “Kerry, my mother, Mrs. Grace Stone.”
“It’s an honor, Mrs. Stone,” Kerry shot out a hand.
“Charmed.” She shook it limply. “And what are you doing with my son?”
“I’m an outside consultant, Mrs. Stone.”
“We were just having a business meeting,” I said. “Jesse was with us until a moment ago.”
“Yes, he was the one who told me you were around.”
“Fantastic,” I beamed, grinding my teeth to dust. “Well, nice to see you both.”
“Oh, so good to see you too dear.” My mother gave Kerry an icy smile. “It's nice to see that my son is not alone as he runs the family reputation into the ground.”
She turned and walked off towards her big friend. Were they together? I honestly didn't give a damn.
“What the hell was that?” Kerry whispered at me.
“The thorn in my paw,” I said. “Welcome to my family.”
She shot me a look that made it clear just how welcome she felt.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Kerry
Sleep mugged down on my eyelids as we touched down in Abu Dhabi International. After convincing myself we weren't going to crash, I shut my eyes for a last few precious moments of rest.
My phone buzzed. Guess I'd
“Well.” Her breath tickled my lips. “I’m still angry at you.”
“Would a trip to Abu Dhabi on a private jet tip the scales in my favor?”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, that would look great to the rest of my team.”
“Let them think what they think,” I said. “You don’t want to be caged, fine. First place to start is freeing yourselves from the opinions of others. It’s true in business. It’s especially true in pleasure.”
Her eyes flared wide. Her lips parted, but no words came out. She eyed my mouth, but didn’t budge.
She wasn’t going to listen to her own desires? Fine. I could be the one that took us back over the edge. The country club frowned on PDA, but what use was money without freedom?
I dipped in.
“Deacon. I heard you were here.”
My lust shattered at the shrill voice. I snapped up, and saw my mother’s lined, grey face scowling at me. She was dress in tennis whites, along with another large man who heaved at her side.
Demetri had told me she’d be here. It was always a pleasure to flaunt a wrong woman in her face, but this look…well, this felt much darker.
“I didn’t realize you were preoccupied,” she said.
“Just a casual meeting is all.” I spread my arms out along the booth, forcing myself to keep the heat from my face. Kerry glanced up, flustered like a frightened mouse.
“I just wanted to bring over our frontrunner for the Republican gubernatorial primary,” she said. “Mr. Roland Tarly.”
“Pleasure to see you again,” the round man offered a sweaty handshake, which I had no choice but to accept. It certainly evacuated the last heat from my groins.
“Nice to see you too,” I managed to get out. “Frontrunner, now, huh? That’s fantastic. I’m glad we’ve got you on our team.”
Tarly pudgy face grew tighter. “I agree. Your brother says you are abandoning us, though.”
Shit, what madness was this? He must be talking about the solar project. Jesse wasn't even in sight anymore.
“I'm abandoning no one,” I said.
“Your family and mine have worked together for generations,” Tarly said. “We could continue for another one or two more, but it seems you'd rather shift your company from oil to solar.”
“Sir, I assure you this is not the case.” I glanced at Kerry. “Tell them how small a deal this is for us.”
She had shrunk back into her seat, but she straightened a bit. “Uh, it's less than a percent of Stone Holdings.”
“Hmph,” Tarly said. “Everything big starts off as a small thingl.”
I could hardly argue that looking at his round frame. Luckily, he simply wandered off to the bar.
“And who is this?” Mother blinked furiously at Kerry.
“Ah, this is Ms. Kerry Martin.” I glanced warily at Kerry. “Kerry, my mother, Mrs. Grace Stone.”
“It’s an honor, Mrs. Stone,” Kerry shot out a hand.
“Charmed.” She shook it limply. “And what are you doing with my son?”
“I’m an outside consultant, Mrs. Stone.”
“We were just having a business meeting,” I said. “Jesse was with us until a moment ago.”
“Yes, he was the one who told me you were around.”
“Fantastic,” I beamed, grinding my teeth to dust. “Well, nice to see you both.”
“Oh, so good to see you too dear.” My mother gave Kerry an icy smile. “It's nice to see that my son is not alone as he runs the family reputation into the ground.”
She turned and walked off towards her big friend. Were they together? I honestly didn't give a damn.
“What the hell was that?” Kerry whispered at me.
“The thorn in my paw,” I said. “Welcome to my family.”
She shot me a look that made it clear just how welcome she felt.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Kerry
Sleep mugged down on my eyelids as we touched down in Abu Dhabi International. After convincing myself we weren't going to crash, I shut my eyes for a last few precious moments of rest.
My phone buzzed. Guess I'd
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