Page 75 of Broken Bonds

“I’m glad you like it.” I smile. I’m not wearing anything out of this world. It’s one of my purchases for the day, a white linen dress with a brown leather belt and flat sandals. This is my new favorite dress.

Also, I cut my hair down to the middle of my back and Pierre, the stylist who did my hair, cut a few bangles to frame my face, making me look neater.

“I love it.” He stands up, his eyes fixed on mine, his hands on my waist connecting our bodies. “As much as I love you.”

Hearing him say the L word makes me shudder. Since we reconciled, we have been very cautious in announcing our feelings, although the distance seems to be shorter and shorter with each passing day.

His lips touch mine and soon enough our kiss starts to get out of control, my fingers are in his hair, while he seeks to feel my skin with his.

“You were working and I need to go home.” I give him a gentle push, trying to pull myself together, his hands on my back not giving an inch. He isn’t willing to let me go. “I just wanted to show you the results of my excursion and also see where you work.”

The office is fancy and classy. On the walls hang old photos of the city and a heavy desk reigns in the space. Behind the leather chair I was sitting in when I entered there’s a huge bookcase full of special editions, the kind with spines printed in gold letters. The result is as imposing as the man who rules this place.

“You are such a tease,” he accuses me, but he’s the one tempting me. He knows how to touch me so that I’m unable to carry out my plans. When he kisses me like that, I’m unable to deny him anything. “But I should inform you, Mrs. Kral, that my work here is finished. So now I’m all yours, let’s go out for dinner. You look beautiful and I want others to see how lucky I am.”

His words make me feel very good. He’s a man to whom life has treated him kindly, even after a complicated beginning.

“We could just go home. You know, to start with dessert and all that.”

Yes, I’ve become a fiend who is not afraid to ask for what she really wants.

“That sounds great, but it turns out I haven’t had lunch and I’m sure you haven’t either. Let’s go eat something. I know for a fact that you will need that energy later.”

I don’t even have time to comment or ask him what this plan is, where I’ll need all my energy. Holding my hand, Lionel takes his suit jacket from a coatrack in the corner, and we leave the office, earning the glances of his employees.

I hope they get used to it. This is a scene that they will see many times in the future.

The future is ours and it’s at our fingertips.

Chapter 24

After two weeks of drying, it’s time to cut my soaps. I’ve never been more nervous in my life. This is an important step for my business because if Cat’s clients enjoy the product, they will surely want to buy more. No advertising works better than word of mouth. Also, people are coming from all over the country. This could be the next big thing.

Even though I’m working remotely, I’ve never been more organized. My aunt Felicia is helping my mother maintain the hive, so I’ve assigned her a small salary that she reluctantly accepted. Braxton, the guy who is developing my store’s website, has installed an inventory system on my computer that makes it easy to organize my stock, what I should replenish soon, we are almost sold out.

My supplier’s information is also included, and an alert to follow the hive routines, which notifies my aunt directly to her cell phone. It’s truly a wonder.

I put a thick piece of cardboard on the breakfast bar to protect the granite before unmolding the soaps.

“You know I’ve been doing this for a long time, right?” I say to Lionel, who is by my side willing to help me with the process.

Not only do I have to cut the dry leaves, but smooth each of the bars individually, pack them in a polyurethane wrapper, and then label them.

“I don’t need your help.” I don’t want him to feel in any way compelled to be here.

“Occasionally, it’s nice to accept someone’s help,” he replies, wiping his hands on a paper towel. “And must I remind you that marriage is a partnership, so here I am, your PA.”

That makes me snort.

Lionel is nobody’s assistant. The man is too bossy for that.

“You’re going to follow my instructions to the T,” I warn, pointing a finger at him. “And you’d better pay attention. I don’t want to keep repeating myself. It would only lead to wasting more time.”

A gorgeous smile is drawn on his delicious lips.

“As my mistress orders,” he scoffs.

When I bought the wooden molds, I also ordered some wire cutters of different sizes for the loaves, now we’re ready to get down to business.

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