Page 39 of Succumbed

I smile up at him as he releases me, squeezing his arm gently as we put more space between us. Shane doesn’t react to the friendly greeting, and I raise an eyebrow at Linc. His sheepish grin is telling. So, they all know. Fan-fucking-tastic.

“Declan’s in a great mood, then?”

“He’s in a mood alright,” Linc mutters, rolling his eyes. “Come on, we cleared the dining table for our meeting.”

I follow him over to the large round table and plush chairs. Glancing down, I admire what I assume is the original red tile floor.

“When was this place built?” I muse aloud.

“In the twenties,” a firm voice replies.

Declan stalks up to the other side of the table, pulling out a chair and settling in it like a throne, his eyes never leaving mine.

“It’s stunning.”

He’s silent for a beat, then he inclines his head. “Thank you.”

I smirk, noting how his jaw muscles ticked before he spoke. “That looked painful. You struggling to hold back an insult?”

“Maybe we should–” Linc starts.

“I’m trying a different approach,” Declan interrupts. “Maybe if I keep my mouth shut, you’ll dig the hole yourself.”

I can’t help it; I laugh. Keep holding your breath, buddy. “Well, on that charming note, we have a lot to cover. My team came back with the preliminary analysis of your data, and they agree with most of your findings. They have a few suggestions, though, which I sent over via email.”

“Thank you. I saw that this morning.” Linc glances over at Shane as I take a seat. “There were some good questions in there, and a few angles we haven’t fully explored.”

Declan frowns but stays silent. I’ll take that as a win.

“Anyway,” I go on, “our main topic for this week is the Summit. We have a lot to do in preparation, and it’ll require all of you to be entirely committed.”

“Do you have a plan?” Shane asks.

“We do.” I pull my laptop out of my bag and flip it open. “The team sent an overview my way just before I got here. What’s the wifi?”

Shane reaches out a hand for my laptop, and I pass it over.

“Thanks. Tonight we need to discuss press milestones and launch activities. The team has documented everything, and, if you’re aligned, we’ll get things in motion.”

“Do we get a say in any of this?” Declan looks more worried than hostile. For once.

Mouthing thanks at Shane, I accept my laptop back from him and pull up the presentation. “Of course. Solum is your company, and you in particular are its face. None of it works without your full support.”

“So, you’re saying you’ll partner with us every step of the way?” Linc gives me a little grin.

“Exactly.” I smile back, entertained by the lay up.

“And you don’t feel the need to be in the limelight?” Declan presses.

“God, no. I hate the limelight, if I’m honest.”

“You do plenty of interviews and big events for someone who hates the limelight,” Declan mutters.

I study him for a moment as I turn my laptop around so they can see the screen.

“Declan, have you ever had to put your personal preferences aside for the betterment of your business, or the people who work for you?”

He frowns. “Of course.”

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