Page 88 of Hate Notes

A wave of whispers swept the room. I wished I had the podium to hold so I could keep from swaying.

"Well?" Davenport asked, turning to me with twinkling eyes. "Would you be willing to keep my factories safe? To ensure both their profitability and their legacy?"

"I—" My voice cracked. I swallowed and tried again. "Yes. Of course, yes."

"Then it's settled." Davenport smiled, really smiled, for the first time all evening. "Foster Real Estate will manage the properties under the conditions outlined in this proposal. The community board will be established immediately."

The room erupted in applause—mostly from the Foster Real Estate side, though even some Northman Group employees joined in. I barely heard it. I was too focused on Orion, who was making his way toward the stage with purpose in his stride.

He took the steps two at a time, reached for my hand, and before I could process what was happening, he was kissing me in front of everyone.

The applause got louder. I thought I heard Moira shout something surprisingly lewd.

When Orion finally pulled back, he was smiling—really smiling, the kind that reached his eyes and made those dimples appear.

"I have another hate note for you," he murmured, just for me. “This one isn’t blank. I actually wrote it last night…”

"Oh?"

He pulled out a card, and I recognized the familiar logo. But instead of hate, the words made my heart stop. Somehow, he had the whole hate notes logo repurposed so it read “love notes”.

He slid past me and took the microphone from the podium in his hand. He looked at me, but spoke into the mic so everyone could hear.

Dear Miss Hartwell,

I love you.

Orion

"I love you too," I whispered. “That note must have taken you ages to write.”

“Getting the art commissioned took two days,” he said, smirking. “Then there was a mishap with the printer, and I almost had to?—”

I grabbed his tie and pulled him down for another kiss.

Someone—probably Julian—shouted "Get a room!"

But for once in my life, I didn't care what anyone thought. I had Orion, I had a job I loved, and I had managed to fix the mess I'd made.

I may have started out looking for petty revenge, but somehow I had stumbled into something so much better.

“Hey,” I said softly as we pulled back from the kiss, hardly feeling the weight of so many eyes on us. “Does this mean we’re ready to…you know.”

A dangerous light flickered in Orion’s eyes. “You want to call me Daddy again?” he asked.

I laughed in surprise. “If you want? I meant… the other thing. The part we haven’t been doing.”

“Oh, right,” Orion said. “I’ll have to check my schedule, but I think I may be free tonight.”

I gave his chest a soft punch, but it probably hurt my hand more than it hurt him. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll free up a spot for me. Tonight.”

“Daniel,” Orion called. “Is my schedule clear tonight?”

There were confused looks in the crowd as everyone turned toward Daniel. He pulled out a phone, adjusted his glasses, and looked back up toward the stage. “Um, no, Sir. You have a meeting with a client. And then you?—”

“Clear it all,” Orion said easily. “I’m going to be busy.”

“Oh,” Daniel said, nodding. “Yes, Sir. What should I write in for tonight?”

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