Page 55 of The Passion

“Back off, girl, we have enough complications in our life. Don’t need any more drama.” I try to look serious, but she knows that I would never interfere in her private life.

“Me? I would never be the problem. You, on the other hand…” She rolls her eyes at me, and that has us both laughing again.

I’m sitting having a Friday-night drink with Harper waiting for Flynn to arrive at Forrest’s apartment. I haven’t seen him in the flesh for over a week, and as much as I thought he would be the problem one, complaining about not seeing each other, instead, I’m the one feeling like I’m going to jump his bones the moment I walk into the apartment and see him.

I have never had an urgent sex drive before, but since Flynn and I were together in Australia and I knew he was mine for the taking, I have learned there is such a thing as desperate for sex. I have enjoyed sex since my late teens, but it was all about the enjoyment of the moment, nothing like the longing I have felt all week. There is so much more to this longing, but tonight, all that I can think about is him taking control and giving me what I want.

“I’m glad Flynn got held up in that meeting. You and I haven’t had much time to just relax and spend time together.” I almost choke on Harper’s words.

“You see me every day, all day. Surely you are sick of me right now. Plus, the extra-long nights we have been putting in this week.” I feel guilty that she has had as little sleep as I have.

“That’s different. There’s nothing fun about wading our way through page after page of financial records.” She screws her face up.

“Exactly, but I couldn’t do it without you,” I say, lifting my glass toward hers. “Love you, sister.”

We clink our glasses together.

“You better.” Harper finds it hard to show too much emotion, and I think it has to do with her father. She changed after he left them, and although I know she loves me and would die for me, it’s not easy for her. She shut herself off from love, and I’m theclosest outside her mum and sisters to ever see emotion from her.

Laying my head on the back of the couch, I close my eyes for a moment, just thinking back to what Harper and I have been doing in secret this week. I don’t want anyone to know, and although I don’t think starting a relationship with lies in it is a good idea, I haven’t told Flynn what I’m doing.

The more I thought about my father’s actions on the long flight home from Australia, when my head was a little clearer, I decided there has to be more to all of this than me turning forty. Stepping down as the CEO, although it would be a change and make him lose control, he would have still been involved and have access to everything. But there is something worrying him about me taking over the company that would give me access to all the company records that I currently can’t see. The more I think about it, I think he is panicking about me knowing all his secrets, which makes me suspicious that there are actually bigger secrets than what I have already discovered.

We have been scouring records, and nothing obvious has come up yet, but we have only just begun. With a business our size, I don’t know if I’ll ever find anything or if I’m just jumping to conclusions. My trauma might be making me paranoid, but I’ve learned through my life to trust my gut, and there are red flashing lights and sirens screaming at me right now.

I don’t have access to any of my father’s personal accounts, and he can’t access my information either, and to be fair, what he does with his money is his choice. But what he does with company money, that’s a different story. Sure, I’m manipulating the books to hide a few things from him, but it’s different. Making sure our workers and contractors get paid fairly is a good enough reason to be making payments disguised as something else. I won’t let my father’s stinginess have people suffering, or on the flip side, thinking badly of our companybecause we treat them poorly. I’ve been doing this for years, and if he hasn’t noticed yet, he never will.

I have a few things that we have flagged to look further into, but that’s next week’s problem. I have spent this last week pushing through jet lag like I’ve never experienced before, and I’m sure I looked like I had dragged myself to work most days. Especially for my father to comment in a meeting, asking if I was unwell because I looked terrible. Did he really care? I doubt it, but it made him look caring in front of others.

My phone vibrating on the table has my heart beating faster as I reach for it, assuming it’s Flynn letting me know he is on his way here.

The name on my screen is not who I expected or the sort of message I want Flynn to ever see.

Fulton: I miss those perfect breasts and the way you taste. When can I see you?

“Fuck.” I drop the phone in my lap, and Harper moves like a flash, grabbing it to see what has me reacting like I did.

“Oh fuck is right.” She throws my phone back at me.

“Ughhh.” I put my glass down on the table with a thud that I’m probably lucky it didn’t shatter in my hand.

“What are you going to do? It’s not like you can say, sorry I’m off the market and don’t need your second-rate cock because I found a younger, hotter model.” Oh yeah, Harper has already had enough alcohol to loosen her filter.

“Harper, God, don’t be so crude.” Thinking about the time I spent with Fulton for a split second, it might not be what I want now, but that doesn’t mean he was second-rate, by any means. “I’ll assure you age had no bearings on his prowess in that department.” I realize now that being so exhausted has the champagne affecting me more than normal too.

If Flynn heard one word that either of us just said, there would be an eruption in this room.

“Christ, why do you always snag the good ones? I’m happy to take him on a rebound.” Harper laughs as she starts refilling her empty glass, but I know I need to stop drinking now.

“What is wrong with you tonight? You would never take someone I had slept with. Why are you sounding so desperate?” Picking up my phone, I glare down at the message again and try to figure out what to reply to Fulton.

Letting out a loud sigh, Harper takes a bigger-than-normal mouthful of her drink and then looks out the window away from me. “Maybe I’m lonely and can see my future unfolding in front of me.” She follows that statement with her second gulp of champagne.

“What are you talking about?” Shit, my mind is going in three different directions, and I’m feeling overwhelmed. Flynn arriving soon, what to reply to Fulton, and now Harper is having a mini vent with me that I’m worried is more than just a rant.

“As soon as this is over, one way or another, you will be riding off into the sunset with your man, and I will still see you, but it won’t be the same. And I’m so happy for you that you have found a man strong enough to stand next to you as your equal, but I just wonder what is in store for me.”

I’m about to reply when my phone buzzes in my hand again, and I’m not sure I’m game enough to look, but I can’t ignore it.

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