Page 105 of When Hearts Ignite

“I love you, Steven. Don’t you forget that,” she whispers, her skin damp with sweat.

I kiss her temple. The beautiful mind and soul of hers. She always knows just what to say.

“Thank you, Grace. Thank you for loving me.”

She turns her head and flashes me a blinding smile and I look at her in awe. Even now, I still can’t get over how this woman is mine. I press my lips to hers, kissing her gently with reverence, tasting her sweetness at the source before pulling out of her and cleaning her with a tissue from my desk.

After adjusting our clothes, she grabs my hand and pulls me to the sofa. Her face is flushed, a beautiful glow on her skin that screams she has been freshly fucked, and I can’t help but grin at her disheveled appearance.

“What?” The lip gnawing is back.

I tug it loose and press another soft kiss where her bite marks are.

“Nothing. You’re just so beautiful…and not only on the outside, but especially on the inside.”

The flush turns pinker, and she drops her head on my shoulders as we stare at the bookshelves lined up with accolades and placards from the sofa. All my achievements on paper, but none matters as much as the woman next to me.

Suddenly, she stills, and a tensed energy emanates from her being.

Frowning, I glance at her. “What’s going on?”

“Steven, don’t you think it’s time for us to explore other options? We can’t fight a cheat without using some tricks of our own.”

Her brows are pinched as she stares at me. “I’ve been thinking about the TransAmerica situation and I think it’s time to take it to the next level.”

“He wanted to do things above-board. His way.”

“But he’ll lose the company. Isn’t that what he wanted more than anything?”

I swallow, a phantom ache returning to my chest. Yes, that’s what Father wants more than anything.

Grace turns toward me. “The times have changed, Steven. We can’t go to a gunfight with our fists and expect to come out alive. We are not dueling amongst gentlemen of bygone eras now. Voss is a crook—and a crazy one at that. We need to think outside the normal boxes with him.”

My fingers trail circles on her shoulders, enjoying the silkiness of her skin. “What do you have in mind?”

She sits up, her eyes holding mine, her teeth gnawing on that plush bottom lip of hers as if she’s debating whether to say anything.

“Tell me, Grace.”

She sighs. “When I was dancing at Trésor, I worked under Elias Kent.”

My body stills at her mention of the infamous crime boss everyone in the city is terrified of.

She swallows and continues, “You may not know this, but he provides protection and candidates for the men and women working on the Rose floors. It’s probably one of the more above-board things in his portfolio.”

She crosses her legs. “He was a good boss, but part of my job there, when I was mingling in the crowds during mixers and such…like the casino night, was to obtain privileged information for him from the patrons. He collects secrets. I think that’s part of why he’s so powerful and feared.”

My mind whirs with the new knowledge as a tiny spark of hope flickers inside me. “You want me to ask him for a favor. For a secret to topple Voss.”

She nods. “If TransAmerica is your father’s lifeblood, and his opponent isn’t playing by the rules, why should we? I’m sure Elias has secrets on Voss. He knew about the takeover long before it was public.”

Grace nestles her head on my shoulder again. “Think about it. He will probably ask us for a secret or a favor in return, but…having worked for him, I don’t think it would be something we can’t stomach. He’s fair.”

A roaring appears in my ears as I contemplate her words. I might not be able to decide yet, but I have to admit this may be our ticket out of this mess.

I squeeze her shoulder and press a kiss on her hair. “You’re absolutely brilliant, Grace. I appreciate how you’re thinking outside the box and treating this project as important as it is to me. Let me think about it. But thank you.”

She emits a satisfied hum.

---