Page 53 of My Forbidden Boss

I sink into the chair, happy to savor my favorite subject. “She’s gorgeous for starters.”

“One thing about you, David. You’re not superficial. If you want me to comment on her age, I can, but give me the real reason you’re tied up in knots about this woman,” Tristan says. He places his tumbler on the armrest and settles back.

I rub my bottom lip with a knuckle. “She’s difficult to define. She’s a mix of innocence and wisdom. She might be young on the outside, but she’s older than me on the inside. She knows the world. It doesn’t surprise her but she surprises me. Constantly.”

She’s under my skin and I like her there.

“One day is not enough. I want more than a week. A year. I want it all with her,” I say.

Tristan purses his lips. Weighs me up. “You have it bad, my friend. I’ve never seen you like this about a woman before, but I see one tiny problem. She doesn’t seem to feel the same way. You might have to let her go. You’ll need to be prepared for that.”

“I don’t know if I can,” I say.

I should agree with Tristan. I should listen to Adeline. They are big, compelling ‘shoulds’.

She’s the other half of this relationship, but I know ‘important’ when I see it. If I wasn’t the way I am, sinking my teeth into bones and hanging on when life wanted to rip things away from me, I would never be where I am now. I get what I want no matter how much anyone objects. Find the right reasons and things get sorted.

“There’s something going on with her. Holding her back,” I say.

When we’re together she gives herself so readily. Submits so beautifully. So responsively. Unlike other women I’ve been with, whose moves are highly practiced circus acts, Adeline is a natural wonder, so yeah, I’ll fight for that and make no apologies.

“Something other than those bullshit reasons,” I say when Tristan gives me that look.

“What on Earth could they be?” he says.

I sip, thinking. I’ve been trying to work that out all day. Her nerves are on edge and it has nothing to do with Samantha, Steph, or any of the other myriad of blockers between us. “I’ll tell you when I find out.”

“I have no doubt you’ll leave no stone unturned,” Tristan says with a smile. “How is the Moss Creek tender moving along?”

“It’ll be ready to submit next week. I’ve had Sophie add in some clauses and accounting run through more figures. My tender is solid. Jamie Taylor will be at Powerhouse Florida. I’ll chat with him and press my case to him there,” I say.

“Burke’s rumored to be there, too. He’ll be doing the same. Taylor is going to be a very popular Land Manager,” Tristan says.

“It’d be interesting to know if Taylor has heard about Bourke. He’s keeping his business finances very quiet,” I say. I’ve noticed a few movements from Bourke’s developments, but nothing that would strike concern if I hadn’t heard from Tristan about Bourke’s refinancing request. Then again, if my business was suffering, I’d do my best to keep the cards close to my chest as well.

“I can drop a few choice words into some ears. Make sure he gets the news. Government won’t want to deal with a business that has financial worries,” Tristan says.

“I’ll make sure Taylor is aware,” I say, making a mental note to do just that.

“You may not have heard Bourke fired his CFO,” Tristan says.

I sit upright. I’d heard nothing, but I’d been focused on other things these past two weeks. I’ve let things slide. “He fired Glen Brandt? I didn’t hear that.”

“I’m surprised, but not. Bourke has Brandt under court order not to talk about the Keystone Group for years. Still didn’t mean he didn’t get dead drunk one night at a local club and start spouting off about Bourke and his mis-management,” Tristan says. “Apparently, Bourke blames him for the collapse of the Bellhall project.”

Blue Sky had tendered for Bellhall and lost against Bourke. It was a smaller project mid state I hadn’t been too concerned with, considering I’d won a development in New York City a few weeks later.

“Bellhall was relatively small.” It was a local shopping center of ten strip shops. My crew would have been in and out under a year on this project. It was a simple demolish and rebuild of empty buildings that were crumbling to the ground. There’d been no local opposition when the plans went through their local council. “Should have been profitable for him.”

“Brandt ranted on about Bourke, saying his Bellhall contractors are removing their on-site tools next week. Apparently, he’d warned Bourke that might happen, but Bourke ignored him and now he’s being blamed. He’s begging for an extension on his loan but the bank is stalling, looking into his financials,” Tristan says.

I lean back in my seat. “That is interesting.”

“And why he wants Moss Creek so badly. That’s a good development for him. It’ll turn his business around,” Tristan says.

It’s a premium development. He’s pulling out all the stops to get it, as underhanded as they’ll probably be knowing him. I have an unapologetic dislike for the man.

“Talking with Brandt will be interesting,” I say, making a mental note to run into him as soon as I can. I’ve heard of him. Kept away for obvious business reasons, but now I see opportunity.

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