Page 37 of The Forbidden Bride He Stole

“It’s true,” Hannah agreed.

“When can I start?”

“When I come back from New York. I laid the groundwork for you this week. Because I’m going to make sure that it’s known we’re going to engage in sweeping reform of the properties.”

She wanted to park the big emotions, the complicated things, and focus on business. For a moment. It was an issue, but not one that left her feeling bruised.

The annoying thing was, part of what she wanted was to make sure that she could integrate the technology from Apollo’s company into the properties. Which was likely something that he had long been waiting for. It was the best thing for the business, one of the things that would set them apart, and she knew that she would get the best deal out there. Their connection would make it advantageous for both of them.

It was annoying because he was going to get something out of this, and it would be cutting her nose off to spite her face to put a stop to it. She couldn’t do that.

She was enmeshed with Apollo whether she liked it or not. And the problem right now was she wasn’t entirely sure how she felt about it. What he had done getting the New York office prepared for her arrival was actually good. She wasn’t entirely sure she would’ve thought of it on her own. What would marrying Rocco have looked like? She would’ve been given the money and the control, and how would she have handled it? She felt pretty confident and bold, because she had been thinking a lot about what she was going to do to improve the company. She knew that he had been irritated she hadn’t taken a job at her father’s company, but a lot of it had come down to wanting to familiarize herself with the competition before that wasn’t possible anymore. Before her connection to the company made it so no one would hire her.

She was studied up on the history of the business, and what had happened in the years since her father’s death. She had ideas, and they didn’t come from nowhere. Her business in hospitality classes had given her a good jumping off point. But there was a lot she didn’t know about managing teams and big corporations, and Apollo certainly did know how to do it.

The way that he had so easily finessed the board spoke to that.

Though, she thought it was funny. She didn’t think she had needed him as a guardian for the last six years. Not really. He was actually the most valuable one now. Because she was fine when it came to dealing with her own personal life. Her studies, her own job, her own ambitions. But yes, she could admit that she was young. And that the responsibility she was taking on was a big one. And maybe a little bit that she had even rushed herself into it because of her anger. That was really annoying. Having to see that some of his concerns were valid, and that his help was appreciated.

She wouldn’t be telling him that, of course.

But she was aware of it.

When she returned from her conversation at the hotel, her bags were packed and sitting by the front door.

There was also a car waiting.

“We’ll head to the airport now. We will land in New York midmorning their time. It will be a day we spend getting you oriented to the time zone, and then the following day you’ll go into the office.”

“I didn’t realize that you had signed up to be my secretary,” she said.

“If it’s what you need,” he said. “I am happy to oblige.”

“I had no idea you were so accommodating. I feel like I wasted a few years of my life leaving that gem undiscovered.”

He lifted a brow. “Is that your takeaway from this experience? That I am accommodating?”

She let the silence lapse between them as she realized he wasn’t even going to humor her for a moment. She was tired. Of him. Of this. Of him not reacting when she was a mess.

She’d tried to focus on work. She’d tried to be sensitive to his revelation of trauma. But he wasn’t trying withher.

So now she was back to wanting a reaction. Any reaction.

“Yes,” she said, blandly. “That is one hundred percent my takeaway. You’re a secret softie. I could tell when you held me and whispered words of affirmation after you took my virginity in your study.”

And on that note she swept into the car and closed the door behind her.

CHAPTER EIGHT

HANNAHWASSATISFIEDat her view of his shocked expression on the other side of the glass. She wondered what part of that sentence he found shocking. If he hadn’t realized she was a virgin she would consider that a boon of sorts. At least for her own sense of mystery and her skill set. She’d wrecked it now, of course.

But it was worth it for the shock value.

He got into the car, in the back seat with her and made a slow show of rolling up the divider between them and the driver.

“You were a virgin?”

“Who would I have slept with?”

---