Page 118 of Unbind

I smile. I appreciate that he hasn’t brought up my type 1, but it’s there between the lines of what he’s saying. Alchemy has been a lot of fun, but God knows those late nights take their toll. It’s been a means to paying my personal bills and supporting Gossamer, but the cash injection and six-figure salary Adam’s suggesting put paid to both those headaches.

‘That makes sense,’ I admit. ‘I feel like I’ve been hanging on by a thread, to be honest.’

‘Of course you have. It’s bloody exhausting, doing what you do. Also, think of it like this. My goal is to give you choices and freedom. I’d love to know that all the work you’re doing aligns with your purpose and brings you joy. If not—delegate it. You’re a CEO, Nat.Own it.Focus on what you’re the best at, and outsource all the other shit.’

‘Say that again,’ I murmur, shutting the book and laying it carefully down on the coffee table. I clamber up so I can straddle him, slinging my arms around his neck and nuzzling the skin just under his ear.

He wraps his arms around me and laughs. One handslides down my back to cup my bum through my robe. ‘You’re afuckingCEO. Own it, and start acting like it.’

‘Or what?’

‘Or I’ll put you over my knee until you do.’

There he is, ladies and gentlemen.

My boyfriend.

My new investor.

My partner in love and business.

My best friend and my greatest cheerleader…

… and a kinky bastard to boot.

EPILOGUE - NATALIE

I’m wearingthedress. You know, the wisteria-print one with the chunky gold hardware on the shoulders. The one I’ve lusted over since Evan put the sample together.

I’m standing in the most beautiful ballroom at London’s Corinthia hotel. On every table, huge silver bowls overflow with vintage pink and white roses as the crystal chandeliers cast their dancing light overhead.

I’m surrounded by beautiful people. Famous people. Even Omar fucking Vega is here.

Everyone is seeking me out. Everyone is complimenting me on Gossamer’s new collection. Women who regularly grace the pages ofVogueare wearing our dresses.

It sounds like a dream. (Or a psychotic episode.)

It’s not.

It’s really happening.

This is the event that will officially launch Gossamer as a Wright Holdings brand to the great and good of the fashion industry while at the same time celebrating our new Spring/Summer collection.

My parents are here, of course. Stephen and Anna have just turned up. Winky and Adam had a frank—and highly emotional—catchup over a few beers in the new year, when Adam got his chance to apologise, face to face, man to man, and my brother finally got the closure he needed and deserved. I think it must have been a little deflating for him to know that there wasn’t any real villain in his story, after all, but he insists it’s better this way, that all that pent-up anger has really just disappeared.

Winky’s insane new prosthetic, otherwise known in the family as the Sci Fi Eye, has already saved the evening when I had a total blank on a familiar-looking blonde woman headed towards us. Turns out she was the editor ofVogue Germany. That face recognition technology is as useful as it is creepy. The prosthetic is bloody amazing looking, too. You’d really never know half of my brother’s vision is digitally generated.

Anyway, he and Adam are getting along as well as I could have hoped my brother would get on with any man I brought home, and he even entrusted us with Chloe for the day last month when he and Anna went to a foodie festival. Adam’s basement swimming pool was abighit with the little water baby.

When Winky and Anna came for a tour, we kept the other basement room, with its newly arrived spanking bench, firmly locked.

I’ve horrified myself by how easily I’ve acclimatised to being lady of the manor. It’s shocking, really. And, given we got the Wright investment in Gossamer closed by the end of January, I’ve had two months of evenings with my boyfriend in his—our—palatial home. I’d like to say we’ve been rewatchingTed Lassolike he proposed, but usually we sitside by side at the kitchen island, glued to our laptops while Adam and Kamyl force-feed me pulses.

I’d like to say I miss Alchemy, but we’re in there most weeks. Saturday’s visit proved to be my introduction to the wonderful world of spreader bars.

Let’s just say I’m a convert.

Speaking of Alchemy, the entire crew is here tonight. Even Belle and Rafe, who welcomed their beautiful little baby daughter into the world as Adam and I were flying home from New York, have come out to support me. I’m chatting with Omar Vega—who’s bitchy as hell but actually hilarious when he likes you—when Gen approaches.

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