Page 72 of Beautiful Beast

So, I just speak my truth. “Anything with you.”

He closes his eyes against my words. “Your next one is going to be really special, princess. I promise.”

My birthday is in January, but I wonder if we’ll still be together by then. It’s only July, and winter is a long time away when everything is so tenuous.

I don’t know if Adam meant it when he said that he didn’t want anything serious. Part of me thinks he just doesn’t believe he deserves good in his life, but I intend to prove him wrong and be exactly what he needs.

I’m not going anywhere, even if he tries to push me away.

Persistence is the name of my game when it involves my people.

And this man is mine.

We stand together, our hands still linked, and make our way out to the waiting limo. Adam keeps his head down to avoid any curious gazes, and I wish he would hold his head high and be proud of the man he is both inside and out.

He’s too beautiful to be hidden. As much as I don’t think surgery is necessary from a cosmetic standpoint, I’m glad he’ll be getting it to take away his pain and give him back some of his confidence.

He glances up to smile when he opens the limo door for me to get in. I never even took a limo to prom, and it’s just a regular everyday occurrence for Adam to travel in luxury.

We live in such totally different worlds and even though I often have culture shocks experiencing slices of life as one of the elites, he never makes me feel stupid or unworthy. Old money people are laid back and unpretentious, not needing to prove anything to anyone.

I’m just about to make a joke when a little girl and her mom walk by. I smile and wave at the little one who is staring at us. The child has blonde ringlets and is absolutely adorable.

But what comes out of her mouth is most certainly not.

“Mommy! That man looks like a monster!”

Chapter 16

Adam

Ifanotherpersonasksme why I don’t have my camera turned on, I’m going to combine my past job with this one and call myself a mercenary CEO.

The little girl’s assessment of me after my uncle’s funeral confirmed that I need to stay hidden until I’m fixed. It’s entirely possible to jump into my new job from a distance. I won’t be going into the office for a very long time, but that’s the benefit of modern, global business.

It can be done from anywhere.

“I can’t see you, Adam,” Max says into my headset.

“Are you able to hear me?” I ask.

Of course, he has a complaint about the meeting logistics. He has a complaint about everything that I say and do.

“Yes,” he admits.

“Then don’t worry about my camera.”

Now that Max’s interruption is over, the project manager continues his presentation about data lakes and how they change our entire customer lifecycle.

Running Townsend Enterprises has been surprisingly interesting. Meetings are no bullshit, at my direction, and we don’t waste time talking in circles or not making decisions.

It’s going to take a big overhaul to change the culture, but I’ll get us where we need to be – more efficient and primed for unprecedented growth. It’s not that the team isn’t competent – they are. It’s just that they’re used to the old-school way of doing business and that won’t suffice.

I sent Belle home after the funeral because I just needed to be alone. Her emotions always play out like a movie in her eyes, so I know she was disappointed that I didn’t spend the day with her.

But she never pushes me too hard.

She would be the perfect girlfriend if I were ever going to have one.

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