Chapter 25
CHAPTER 25
Roman
I stared at her from across the table as she sipped her drink.
“Tell me about your father. What was he like when he wasn’t working on programs that no one would be able to trace?”
“He was special—a brilliant man with a brilliant mind. He was an amazing father. He enlisted in the military when he was eighteen and did one tour before he got hurt. Shortly after he got out, he met my mother. She got pregnant, and they married. He loved her so much and was devastated when she left.”
“I bet he was. I’m sorry, Morgan.”
“I appreciate it, Roman, but don’t be. It is what it is. I was going to wait and tell you this tomorrow because I didn’t think you’d want to talk business during dinner, but I found something out about Vanessa Graves.”
“What did you find?”
“Did you know that she doesn’t design her own jewelry? She never has. She has a team to design the lines for her. ”
“Okay?”
“She was running a contest. She told each of her designers that the winning jewelry line would result in a hundred-thousand-dollar bonus. She has five designers who designed five different lines of jewelry. The line Nina designed won.”
“Who’s Nina?” I asked.
“One of her designers.”
“And how do you know all of this?”
“I did some digging into every employee Vanessa has working for her. I came across Nina’s Instagram page, where she posted about her line winning and the bonus she received. So, I dug further, and that’s when I found out about the contest. I believe Vanessa Graves doesn’t know that Nina broke into your mother’s company and stole her designs from her newest collection.”
“Do you have proof this Nina woman broke into my mother’s company?”
“No. But give me some time. I’ll get it.” I smiled.
“I have no doubt you will. Do me a favor, and don’t tie her to a chair.”
“I can’t make any promises, Mr. Hamilton.”
“Is that Roman Hamilton?” I heard a few feet away. Glancing over, I smiled.
“Shaun Kind.” I stood from my chair, and we hugged.
“How are you?” he asked.
“I’m good. Jenni, you look as beautiful as always.”
“You’re such a charmer.” She smiled.
“Are you on a date?” Shaun asked, staring at Morgan.
“This is Morgan Ashley. She’s a private investigator who is doing some work for me. Morgan, Shaun Kind of Sterling Capital, and his wife, Jenni of Simply Jenni.”
“The clothing line?” Morgan smiled .
“Yes!” Jenni grinned.
“Oh my gosh. I have a few of your pieces, which are the absolute best!”
“You’re too sweet.” Jenni reached out and placed her hand on her arm.
“Hey, what’s going on?” Another handsome man and a beautiful woman walked over.
“Jackson, good to see you.” I shook his hand. “Georgia, lovely as ever.”
“It’s always a pleasure, Roman.”
“We’ll let you get back to your dinner.” Shaun smiled. “It was nice meeting you, Morgan.”
“You too.” She smiled. “Okay, I have to ask.” She leaned across the table. “How many Kinds are there?”
“A lot.” I chuckled. “Between the brothers, cousins, wives, and kids, they have their own village. They all live down the road on Kind Beach.”
“Kind Beach?” My brows furrowed.
“Shaun is buying up all the property in the area for his family.”
“Oh. That’s nice, I guess.”
“They’re a great family. I’m happy you got to meet some of them.”
“I know Jenni is a fashion designer. What does Georgia do?”
“She’s an OB/GYN at the Kind Medical Center. There are a lot of doctors in that family. So, if you ever need one, you go to the Kind Medical Center and see one of them.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” A beautiful smile crossed her lips.
My fingers dug into her hips as I thrust in and out of her. Her moans and heightened sexuality had me harder than ever. I couldn’t explain it, but every time we had sex, it felt like the first time and just as incredible as the last. She was the spider who wove a web, and I was the fly who got caught in it. She had a hold on me—a hold on my emotions and actions. I was so caught up in her that everything I believed over the years vanished into thin air. And for the first time in my life, I was afraid of losing someone that I truly cared about.
Her body shook as she orgasmed, causing me to do the same. I halted deep inside her, filling her insides with the pleasure she gave me. Pulling out of her, she rolled over on her back and stared at me as I hovered over her. Leaning in, I softly kissed her lips before rolling on my back.
“Have you thought more about coming to work for me?” I placed my arm around her.
“No pressure, remember?” She smirked before laying her head on my chest.
“Right, no pressure.” My grip tightened around her, and my lips pressed against the top of her head.
The following morning, I was sitting in my office, looking at cars online. My office door opened, and my two brothers walked in.
“Good, you’re both here. I need you to come to the car dealership with me.”
“For what?” Parker asked.
“I need to buy a car for Morgan.”
“Whoa, what?” Julian chuckled. “What is going on here?”
“She said she’d come to work for us if I bought her a car.”
“So, she is staying and working for us?” Parker asked.
“She’s still thinking about it.” I leaned back in my chair.
“And you think by buying her a new car, she’ll stay? ”
“Even if she doesn’t, I can sell it. But she needs something to drive while she’s here.”
“What about your car? Not the one Ollie drives you in, your other car,” Julian said. “Just let her use that one temporarily until she decides.”
“Nah. Come on.” I stood from my chair and grabbed my suit coat.
“As much as I would love to go, I can’t. I have to be in court in an hour,” Parker said.
Ollie drove Julian and me to the Audi dealership, where I purchased a brand-new white Audi A5 Cabriolet with a dark blue interior.
“Thank you, Mr. Hamilton. We’ll get the car cleaned up and delivered to your home this afternoon,” Mark, the sales associate, said.
“Thank you, Mark. It was a pleasure doing business with you.” I shook his hand.
Julian and I climbed into the back of the Escalade.
“I can’t believe you bought her a car.” Julian shook his head. “You’re in love with her, hoping that car will seal the deal and make her stay. You can’t fool me, brother. I know you too well. I just don’t want to see you get hurt.” He placed his hand on my shoulder. “I like Morgan. I really do. But something tells me that she won’t settle down in one place, and you’ll get hurt. I don’t want to see that happen. She’s the female version of us, bro.”
I stared out the window, listening to what my brother had to say. He was right. I hoped she’d officially stay and work for the firm once she saw the car. The thought of her leaving Los Angeles scared the shit out of me.