Page 10 of The Bourbon Bargain

It may feel right, but it also feels absolutely insane to be this deeply in love with someone I have known for such a short period of time. But I also know we will have plenty of opportunities to grow and find our rhythm as a couple the longer our relationship progresses, and that will give us plenty of road bumps and detours to navigate that will help us develop this relationship together.

I hope.

I pull away from Hayes’s mouth. “I’m really glad you found me, and that you brought the demon spawn. I missed you both so much.”

Hayes reaches out and ruffles his hand along Cerberus’s ears. “This shithead has been a pain in my ass all week. He was not happy when it was just me who came home. You really did break my dog.” He drops his hand to my thigh. “You broke me, too, angel.”

I tilt my head and purse my lips. “What are you talking about? I’m pretty sure it was my heart that was stomped on when I learned of your business betrayal.” I poke him in the chest, and he captures my hand against him.

“Baby, watching you walk out and not knowing where you were for days was the most helpless I’ve ever felt. I kept thinking about all the things that could have happened to you, but the worst being what I did.” He shuts his eyes tightly and moves his hands down to grip my hips. “The look on your face when you found out haunts me. I’m your husband. I should be making you smile. Instead, you were devastated and in pain, and I did that to you. Worse even is that I wasn’t the one to tell you, you had to learn of my betrayal from your mother.”

I tip his chin up and kiss him quickly before I sink into the familiar headspace he’s reminding me of. I pull back, my hands on his cheeks. “Did you ever stop to think how you would have felt if someone bought out your father’s company before you could take it over? How much would that have changed your own life?”

His eyes open and he studies me. “I don’t think I’ve ever put myself in the position of the businesses I have acquired.” He grows introspective and pulls back a bit. “I probably wouldn’t be as successful if I did this every time, but I see what you’re doing now. You’re right, it would have completely changed my life.”

“Yes, it does. I hate not knowing what my future looks like now that the thing I’ve been working toward is no longer an option. Even with a board position, it’s not something I’ll need to be working on daily. So what do I do with myself? I was planning to start my general manager position at The Mansion in the new year. Now I have… nothing.”

He shrugs a shoulder. “You can be my beautiful wife and we’ll make a life together. You’re an heiress socialite and billionaire yourself. Shouldn’t be too hard, right?”

I smile indulgently. “If you think I’m going to be sitting at home or shopping all day while you’re off building your empire and taking over every business you can, you don’t know me very well.”

“You really are an enigma, woman. How can you refuse to take the easy life I offer? You’re not even the slightest bit interested in being a trophy wife?” He shakes his head right along with me. “In that case, how about carving out your very own empire in the liquor business?”

My brows scrunch and I shake my head. “What do you mean?”

“I have it on good authority that Underworld Spirits has a beautiful new owner lined up. Think you’d like to make a run of it?”

“Oh, Hayes, you didn’t.” I sit up straighter and hold his shoulders at arm’s length as he nods. “But why would you do that? I thought you loved the business.”

“I couldn’t think of anyone else I’d rather have running it than you. Besides, I owe you a belated wedding present. All I have is my heart and a few businesses under my belt, so I went in this direction because you already own my heart.”

“How are you known for your ruthlessness yet so willing to distribute your holdings? I can’t believe I’m married to a man who is so generous with his businesses.” I laugh and scrunch my shoulders up, feeling completely inadequate and unprepared for this. “You really want me to run it? I don’t know the first thing about the liquor business.”

“But you have spent your whole life learning how to run a successful business, and that’s what matters. You won’t be doing it alone. There is an entire staff ready to implement your fresh ideas and work with you to take over the South, and even farther. And you automatically have an entire hotel group that will be ordering everything you have to offer.” He kisses my nose. “I think your first order of business will need to be increasing production because the demand is already there.”

“Can I make you a VP? I would love to have you on my team.” I’m only half joking.

He laughs off the question. “I’ll always be available for consulting, but I want this to be yours. You were raised to run an empire, and I’m just making sure you have what you need.”

“I just need you.”

His hand rises and cups my face, thumb stroking my cheek. “You have me, angel.”

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The Atlanta Haute List

ElusiveBillionaireAndHisNew Bride Are Shaking Up The Business World

We previously reported that Hayes Olsen and Olympus International had bought out the boutique hotel empire, Xenios Group, from right under his bride, Paige Fairchild’s, nose. It appears that wasn’t the only business transaction to take place for Olympus International in the last few weeks. We have an exclusive tip that Olsen is going out of his way to impress his estranged sweetie, likely to win her back after his business betrayal that earned him her scorn and subsequent separation. Olsen went so far as to transfer ownership of his Atlanta-based liquor darling, Underworld Spirits, to Fairchild. The young lady may have a business degree, but she has no experience to speak of when it comes to running a multi million-dollar enterprise. Will Fairchild have what it takes to bring this fledgling company to the forefront of alcohol sales, or will it flounder before it ever gets going? We were surprised enough with this development but call us shocked when we caught wind of another recent business acquisition Hayes has procured and just as quickly gifted.

Olsen bought Savannah-based Daniels Industries and gifted the entire enterprise to his new father-in-law, William Fairchild, in what appears to be a bid for his approval. We’re not business analysts, but we can see how this may have softened the hotelier when it came to selling his hotel group to Olympus International. Whew, that was a lot of businesses that have changed hands in such a short amount of time between Olsen and the Fairchilds! So, Hayes, if you have another company just lying around, you know we would be happy to take it off your hands!

But why Daniels Industries? Our sources say it has to do with a rivalry between Olsen and Garrison Daniels, heir to Daniels Industry, who was previously linked to Hayes’s new bride. There may have been some interest from Paige’s mother’s family business, in the Daniels Industries cotton processing plants, as well. Clearing out the competition would certainly work in his favor when wooing the Fairchilds into selling, despite how it looks now that the business deals have all come to light. Does Hayes remove all obstacles in the path of his conquests—both in business and love—this way? We’re looking into it for you curious kittens.

We’re not sure how the Fairchilds will use their new gifts, but we’ll be watching. Click Like and Subscribe for all the Haute gossip.

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