Page 26 of Rekindling Desire

I added, “If you have any further encounters with Darius or Amber Sinclair, I want to be notified immediately.” The executive board was scheduled to meet tomorrow at nine. “I have every reason to believe they’ll be in Indianapolis tomorrow. After that, I don’t know. Unfortunately, my brother has the means to travel when and where he wants.”

Spoiled fucking rich kid with hurt feelings and a wife willing to fan the flames.

“Do you still want us working the hospital?”

I nodded. “Yes. My mother deserves the peace of knowing you’re here.”

“Very well, sir.”

Ella peered through the narrow window within the door before turning away.

Standing, I offered Leo my hand. “Thank you for taking care of my parents. I’ll look forward to hearing from you about tomorrow. Send the bios on the four prospective bodyguards by tonight.”

Leo nodded as we shook hands.

Opening the door, Leo stepped out as I scanned the larger waiting room. Clusters of people sat here and there. Mom wasn’t here. She was in Dad’s room, undoubtedly watching his monitors and learning everything she never wanted to know about cardiac recovery.

To my right, down the hallway, I turned to see Ella and Dani coming my direction.

“Any news?” I asked as they came to a stop.

“No,” Dani said. “Mom promised she’d call or text.”

“Let’s head back to Indy.”

Ella offered a slight grin as she reached for my arm. “Do you want to talk to your mom again?”

“No. She knows we’ll fly back down if needed.”

Dani lowered her voice. “Thanks for the security, Damien. Mom won’t say it, but she feels better knowing Dad won’t get upsetting visitors.”

“Yeah, she said it to me. I told her if Dad gets pissed, tell him I did it.”

“It’s what I’ve always done,” my sister said with a laugh.

Securing Ella’s hand in mine, I asked, “I want to know what you’re thinking. I can see the wheels turning.”

Ella shook her head. “There are too many things to pin down one or two. I was thinking about my new campaign. I’d jumped in with both feet, and now I haven’t thought about it since we left the Shermans’ house.” She grinned. “I’m hoping the boss at my new office will accept my excuse. I’ve had a crazy weekend.”

“I hear he is a real dick.”

“Oh,” she said, “he can be.”

Dani chimed in, “He sounds like someone I know.”

Getting to the plane and into the air was uneventful. I spent most of our flight going through the information Johnathon had provided. I had the numbers to back up my appeal to the executive board. Gloria may have thought blindsiding me during my father’s medical crisis was to her advantage, but truth be told, I had the possibility of a coup in my head for the last five-plus years. I never imagined it would involve Amber Wilmott or marrying Ella.

Darius didn’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell of taking over Sinclair Pharmaceuticals. The numbers didn’t lie. Since launching propanolol, our net earnings were higher than ever in our history. Under my leadership, we’ve put more money into research and development while still maintaining our market share of our tried-and-true formulas. Even without the addendum, Darius would be hard-pressed to make a case for his reinstatement as CEO.

As we drew nearer to Indianapolis and while Dani was on a call, I convinced Ella to accompany me to the back bedroom.

Though she came willingly, once the door shut, she placed a fist on her hip. “I’m not being fucked with your sister out there.”

It wasn’t what I’d planned. Nevertheless, I wasn’t one to back down from a challenge. Step by step, I made my way to my wife. Still wearing the off-white sundress with her hair high on her head, she was breathtakingly stunning. Add her little declaration of limitations and I was growing harder by the second.

“Damien,” she said, keeping her blue stare on me.

“I can compromise. A blow job.”

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