played hardball.
* * *
“Just got word that BF Automotive has countered our bid.” Louis, the car dealership CEO from New York spoke in a low, frosty tone.
Antonio shook his head in disbelief. “Let it go, will you?”
“I want that dealership.”
Antonio bunched his brows together. “Why? It’s just business, right?”
“Wrong. Some things are business. Some things are personal. This is personal.”
Antonio threw his hands in the air. “Fine. Do what you want. I’m out of here.”
Louis stared at the closed door and shook with rage. He’d waited a long time for revenge—thirty-seven and a half years to be exact. And for each year he’d waited, his hate for Alcee Baptiste had intensified. He’d wasted five years of his life sitting in a prison cell, all because of Alcee, and he wanted more than revenge. He wanted total annihilation. Getting his hands on the dealership was just the beginning. He didn’t care what he had to do, but he’d see every one of the Baptistes roast in hell before he was finished.
* * *
The mood was relaxed and the red glow of the sunset streaked across the western horizon. Caitlyn stretched out on her back, her stomach too full to care what happened next. On Thursday, Marcel had invited her to a Saturday picnic, and she figured they would hang out together at a park. Never in her wildest dream did she think he’d create such a fantastic atmosphere right in his own backyard with all of her favorite foods.
“You barely ate a thing.” Marcel dropped down on the blanket next to Caitlyn. “No wonder you’re so tiny.” He chuckled. “Do you even weigh a hundred pounds?”
The only body part on her that moved was her eyes when she glanced up at him. “I’ll have you to know I weigh a hundred and one.” She sighed with contentment, then rolled to her side. “This day has been wonderful, Marcel. Thank you for making it so special.”
“Thank you. It’s been a long time since I’ve taken the time to enjoy a picnic.”
“Why?”
He reclined on his side and leaned on his elbow. His eyes roamed over her face to capture every facet of her beauty. “Working too hard, I suppose.”
“Have you always headed BF Automotive?”
He chuckled and shook his head. “Actually, heading the business was something I never planned to do. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always tinkered around with cars. You should have seen my room growing up. It was filled with every model car I could put together.”
“So what did you do before you went to work for BF Automotive?”
“After I got my degree in mechanical engineering, I went to work as a design engineer for BMW.”
She plucked a blade of grass. “Why did you quit?”
“Pop was able to snag up two more dealerships and business took off. We talked it over one day and knew we could take the company to the next level if we put our minds to it. So, a couple of months later, I resigned, went to Harvard and got my MBA, and the rest, as they say, is history.”
She rolled onto her belly and braced her hands under her chin. Three months ago, no one in the world could have ever made her believe she would feel this way. “Marcel.”
“Yes, kitten.” He sat up and stared at her, watching her breasts rise and fall beneath the semi-sheer beige tank top. His gaze shifted to the thin sheen of perspiration along her top lip and he ached to lick it away. The tiny flickers of fear he’d seen in her eyes when they first met was gone. In their place was peace.
“I trust you.”
He released a long breath through his nose and his smile mellowed as his voice dipped. “I hold on to what’s mine.”
“Am I yours?” She looked up to study him and plucked another bland of grass to keep from reaching out and touching his face. He had her on the verge of begging. She felt as if she were a stick of wax about to melt from his compelling gaze, even though the temperature was in the mid-sixties. She wanted to be possessed by him.
* * *
“Just got word that BF Automotive has countered our bid.” Louis, the car dealership CEO from New York spoke in a low, frosty tone.
Antonio shook his head in disbelief. “Let it go, will you?”
“I want that dealership.”
Antonio bunched his brows together. “Why? It’s just business, right?”
“Wrong. Some things are business. Some things are personal. This is personal.”
Antonio threw his hands in the air. “Fine. Do what you want. I’m out of here.”
Louis stared at the closed door and shook with rage. He’d waited a long time for revenge—thirty-seven and a half years to be exact. And for each year he’d waited, his hate for Alcee Baptiste had intensified. He’d wasted five years of his life sitting in a prison cell, all because of Alcee, and he wanted more than revenge. He wanted total annihilation. Getting his hands on the dealership was just the beginning. He didn’t care what he had to do, but he’d see every one of the Baptistes roast in hell before he was finished.
* * *
The mood was relaxed and the red glow of the sunset streaked across the western horizon. Caitlyn stretched out on her back, her stomach too full to care what happened next. On Thursday, Marcel had invited her to a Saturday picnic, and she figured they would hang out together at a park. Never in her wildest dream did she think he’d create such a fantastic atmosphere right in his own backyard with all of her favorite foods.
“You barely ate a thing.” Marcel dropped down on the blanket next to Caitlyn. “No wonder you’re so tiny.” He chuckled. “Do you even weigh a hundred pounds?”
The only body part on her that moved was her eyes when she glanced up at him. “I’ll have you to know I weigh a hundred and one.” She sighed with contentment, then rolled to her side. “This day has been wonderful, Marcel. Thank you for making it so special.”
“Thank you. It’s been a long time since I’ve taken the time to enjoy a picnic.”
“Why?”
He reclined on his side and leaned on his elbow. His eyes roamed over her face to capture every facet of her beauty. “Working too hard, I suppose.”
“Have you always headed BF Automotive?”
He chuckled and shook his head. “Actually, heading the business was something I never planned to do. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always tinkered around with cars. You should have seen my room growing up. It was filled with every model car I could put together.”
“So what did you do before you went to work for BF Automotive?”
“After I got my degree in mechanical engineering, I went to work as a design engineer for BMW.”
She plucked a blade of grass. “Why did you quit?”
“Pop was able to snag up two more dealerships and business took off. We talked it over one day and knew we could take the company to the next level if we put our minds to it. So, a couple of months later, I resigned, went to Harvard and got my MBA, and the rest, as they say, is history.”
She rolled onto her belly and braced her hands under her chin. Three months ago, no one in the world could have ever made her believe she would feel this way. “Marcel.”
“Yes, kitten.” He sat up and stared at her, watching her breasts rise and fall beneath the semi-sheer beige tank top. His gaze shifted to the thin sheen of perspiration along her top lip and he ached to lick it away. The tiny flickers of fear he’d seen in her eyes when they first met was gone. In their place was peace.
“I trust you.”
He released a long breath through his nose and his smile mellowed as his voice dipped. “I hold on to what’s mine.”
“Am I yours?” She looked up to study him and plucked another bland of grass to keep from reaching out and touching his face. He had her on the verge of begging. She felt as if she were a stick of wax about to melt from his compelling gaze, even though the temperature was in the mid-sixties. She wanted to be possessed by him.
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