Page 101 of Billion Dollar Dispute

“I’m so glad you found someone who can show you how gorgeous you are, my friend.”

I pull her into a hug. “Thank you.”

“I’m so happy for you,” she whispers in my hair.

I’m happy for me too. I just need to figure out how Chad works in this equation. I’m not ready to tell him I’m dating Harvey; it feels too soon. I want to take things slow with Harvey. But I can’thelp but wonder: will Harvey want a long-term relationship with me, and will he be willing to take on Chad too?

Chapter 26

Harvey

The next day, I’min the shower, my hands press against the cold white bathroom tiles in my ensuite, the scalding hot water pounding hard on my back. I can’t shake the vision of her… vulnerable and wounded… standing in front of me. It’s so hard to see her not be the confident woman I know her to be. I need to figure out how to bring out that confident, feisty Jemima when her clothes are off and it’s just us. The sadness in her eyes terrifies me.

Now that she’s letting me in, I want more… so much more. But I can’t just ask her on a date or have her stay over at mine or vice versa. This is a hard situation, and I’ve never had to navigate something like this before.

As I get dressed it sparks the memory of her hands gliding through and tugging it, with a twinkle in her eye, an idea comes to me.

We’re interviewing potential hires today, and as I drive to work, my father calls to check in. I give him a brief rundown andask if he and Mom can meet me at the building I’m considering for the firm. His detailed eye is something I’ve always valued.

After hanging up, I send Esme an email to schedule the walk-through and call my realtor for an update on the negotiations. When I pull up to the office, I see that Jemima and Molly are already here.

I walk into the building wearing a stupid grin on my face, feeling high… Not like Danny’s usual high, but a genuine contentment with my life.

When I smile at Molly, she gives me an unusually wide grin. I frown, but shake off the weird encounter, focusing on seeing my new favorite person. Without knocking, I walk into her office and kiss her. “Good morning,” I say, pulling back.

Her eyes widen, and for the first time, she’s at a loss for words. “What are you doing?”

I lean, my lips brushing the shell of her ear. “Taking what's mine.”

Her breath hitches, but her expression softens. She doesn’t hate the idea.

Something has shifted between us.

“I’ll meet you to discuss the interviews before the first candidate arrives. I need to check my emails,” I say, leaving her office, and swallowing a laugh at her priceless reaction.

Settling into my chair, I work until it’s almost time for the first interview. Wanting to make sure she’s okay and we’re prepared, I print out some questions for her as a guide. Entering her office, I sit in one of the chairs in front of her. “Disappointed?” I ask.

“No, just surprised.”

“I told you. I don’t want to be a dirty little secret, and I meant it.”

It’s not like she hasn’t already told Molly. What details, I don’t know, and I don’t care.

“Let’s talk about this later.” She’s trying to keep to business right now or isn’t ready to process what happened last night with me.

“Good idea. Let’s have lunch after the interviews. We can discuss the candidates and talk about us.”

She doesn’t flinch as she agrees, “Okay.”

“Let’s go through the questions you’ve prepared. I have some you might want to add.”

“Won’t you be there?” she asks, frowning.

“Yes, but this is your company. I’ll sit back and let you do the talking. I’ll be there if you need me.”

She scratches at her temple and looks over her questions. “There are obvious ones, like asking about previous experiences and why they want to work here. But I also thought about asking them to describe a time when they created an event from scratch. How they approached it and developed the concept.”

I nod, impressed. “Ask them about the budget too. Whether they tracked the expenses and if they ever went over budget.”

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