Page 13 of The Bourbon Bargain

“So, you’re saying we have to reevaluate our image, along with cleaning up a mine disaster, navigating a media shitstorm, and recouping losses and operating costs in the shutdown and reconstruction of a brand new investment?” Zander asks, his voice giving away his irritation at the expectation. “It seems a little contrived to roll out a new publicity campaign to change our image right now, but we can begin by taking public actions that speak louder than any shitty promises in writing ever could.”

I’m in agreement with Zander on that. Money is always the issue, and the scope of work Payton is proposing could bankrupt the mining entity.

“We’re better off selling the mine and washing our hands of the issue. It’ll be down too long to be profitable in the foreseeable future and will be hemorrhaging money trying to get back in operation at a pace that makes sense for why we picked it up to begin with,” I say, steepling my fingers in front of my face, glaring around the table. My head always goes to money, understandably. As the CFO, it’s my job to ensure Olympus operates well into the black with all of our acquisitions, especially the newer, riskier ones like these overseas operations. It’s my priority to cut the losses before they sink the ship, and this is looking like a big fucking loss.

Zander plants his hands on the tabletop and pushes his chair away, standing. “Selling the lot and throwing money at a problem doesn’t have the personal touch this situation needs. Making statements from the gleaming lobby of our high-rise headquarters seems cold and removed.” He looks around the room. “We need to put words into action and boots on the ground. Pack your bags, boys, we’re going to South Africa ourselves. We’ll leave tomorrow.”

I slice a hand through the air. “You will leave tomorrow. I need to stay in Atlanta and ensure our other holdings are not affected by the backlash that’s happening overseas.”

That and make sure my wife doesn’t want to go through with that divorce she may have been considering just yesterday.I have to be a man of my word and show her with my actions that she is more important than anything Olympus has thrown at it. Hopping on a jet and traveling halfway around the world now would just show her I can’t be bothered to work on our relationship when it needs it the most.

Zander scrutinizes me across the table, nodding tightly. “Fine. Payton and I will take our teams to South Africa to handle this at ground zero. Unless you have something you would rather be doing here, Payton?”

“My schedule is cleared, and we can get this handled and be back within the week,” he says, finally setting down his tablet.

“Don’t we have a controlling interest in some of the media outlets firing cannons at us now?” I ask Payton, who heads up the media portions of our conglomerate, along with operations.

“We do, but it doesn’t look good to send a notice to the free press telling them what they can or cannot write stories about. The most we can do is lay low and let them hunt down another juicy story. That and clean up our act now to reverse the tide that is turning our way with accusations.”

I fight the urge to roll my eyes. We should be able to do whatever the fuck we want when we want to. I sigh. Payton is right, though.

“Call it a wrap tonight. Go home. I’ve got a wife who needs some tending to,” I say, rising from the table.

Zander wolf whistles. “I told you my plan would work! No wonder you don’t want to leave the country with that pussy back in Atlanta where it belongs.”

My lip curls into a snarl at his words, but before I can move to throttle him, Payton steps into my line of sight, effectively blocking Zander from the punishment he deserves for speaking crassly about Paige once again.

“Don’t let his words get to you. Go home and take care of your marriage before we have more of thoseare they or aren’t theystories to deal with. The Atlanta Haute List hasn’t reported you being back together yet, since the mine collapse seems to be more appealing. Take her out, show her off, and make sure the world, or at least Georgia, knows you’re all good despite everything else. A united front and all that bullshit. We need the better press, one way or another.”

“That’s an order, Hater,” Zander says, leaning back in his chair to see me around Payton. “Make a bigger story than a mine collapsing. Knock her up, already. That should get their attention.”

“Fuck off,” I say, too tired to add the normal vitriol I would usually throw at him. The thought is far too appealing, however, and the practice to get to that place isn’t a burden in any way.

eleven

Paige

Ihadn’tbeengonefor long, but coming back to Hayes’s house felt like I was entering a museum to what our first magical week together had been. I didn’t think it would feel like home as much as it did, and that thought got me caught up in my feelings again, wondering if we could get back what we had—before he destroyed the one dream I’d had my whole life.

Stop thinking that way, Paige, I chastise internally. It won’t help me get to a place with Hayes that everything to this point has hinted at. We have so much potential, and I want to give him a second chance to see what blooms from that little bud of happiness.

Hayes had me driven back to the house from the airport when he realized the mine collapse would be taking all of his attention at work, and I wasn’t mad about it. But walking in by myself, seeing the home that had been my refuge from the storm Mama created, and not having him beside me to experience it, was… weird.

Now, Cerberus’s ears prick up at a noise, and I follow his gaze to see headlights cutting across the front of the house.Hayes. I rise from the couch and pad barefoot after Cerberus to the front door, opening it as Hayes strides up the stairs.

He doesn’t stop until his hands are tangled in my hair, tipping my chin up as he brings me in for a kiss that needs no prelude and has me standing on my tiptoes to meet his intensity. My fingers curl into his shirt and instantly, flames are licking through me, igniting my core, making me ache. His tongue works across mine, drawing out pitiful whimpers from my throat. When he pulls back, nipping my lip with his teeth as he sets me back on my heels, I’m hazy and almost surprised by the heat in his dark, jungle eyes, sparking up what was set to be my darkest night.

“That’s what I’ve been wanting all day, angel. Your mouth on mine making everything better,” he rasps, his lips still close enough to feel the heat of his words against mine.

A fire is roaring in my lady bits and the week apart has me desperate for him. My back arches, pushing my body against his, my arms twining around his neck as our mouths meet again. This time my tongue delves in and takes every drop of his minty sweet taste. He groans against my mouth, and I feel him, hard and thick, pressed against my belly.

Oh, I missed this. This physical connection and willingness to nearly climb into each other’s skin just to be close. I draw him with me as I step back into the house, wanting to find a horizontal surface. I want to strip down and really fit together, but he stops me with a hand under my chin and a nip to my lips. His hands slide down my body, skimming my curves until he joins our hands by interlacing our fingers.

“Going somewhere?” he growls. A predatory smile breaking across his face.

“To bed, if we’re lucky, but I’ll settle for any flat surface,” I respond, my eyes heavy-lidded and my voice coquettish. I take a few steps back, letting our clasped hands stretch between us and tug. Hayes’s eyes light up at this, and he follows slowly, letting me lead him to the stairs, where he stops me.

“Do you need me to fuck you, angel?” he asks, sliding up behind me and whispering the naughty words in my ear as his hands come around my front. His body molds to mine as his hands plump my breasts and work lower to the junction of my legs where the source of this fire resides.

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