36. Declan
DECLAN
I t only takes one email to ruin my whole year.
“Iris!”
She comes running into my office with my brother on her tail. “What?”
I don’t even bother asking what he is doing here. Knowing him, it has everything to do with avoiding his responsibilities.
“Did you see Yakura’s latest email?” I slam my finger against the mouse, shutting the email browser before I have a stroke.
“No. What happened?”
My entire face feels like it’s on fire. “He received a call from my father.”
“ Fuck .” Cal wipes his face.
My thought exactly. “Yakura’s threatening to pull out of the project.”
She drops into the chair across from me. “Why?”
“He didn’t go into any specific details, but his sentence about how our goals don’t seem to align was as good of a hint as any.”
It doesn’t take a genius to understand what happened.
With my father’s personality and his desperation to remain CEO, I have no doubt he went out of his way to make my project seem inadequate.
Because in the end, the Kane Company bottom line doesn’t matter so long as he remains in power, even if it means ruining a deal that could make us billions.
He wants to make me look weak and inexperienced compared to him, and this is the best shot he has at destroying whatever credibility I have with the board thus far.
The executives know how hard I have been working on this project.
If it falls through, the blowback could be detrimental to my transition.
“We can fix this. I’ll reach out to Yakura.” Iris rolls her shoulders and tips her chin up. She has a unique ability to command the situation and ease the growing tension in my shoulders.
“And say what? ‘Sorry my dad’s a dick. He didn’t mean it,’” Cal offers.
Her brows scrunch together. “Of course not. What do you take me for? An amateur?”
“Then how do you plan on winning him over?”
Iris turns toward me. “We show him how our goals align.”
“Do we even know what those are?” Cal’s head swings back and forth between Iris and me.
My face is as blank as my thoughts. I thought Yakura’s goal was to build a park worthy of his land, but that doesn’t seem to be the case .
“I have an idea but I don’t know if it’s a good one…” Iris’s voice trails off.
“This doesn’t sound promising.” Cal grimaces.
I shoot Cal a look that tells him to keep his mouth shut. “Go ahead.”
She perks up at my obvious interest. “When we initially introduced the idea of building Dreamland Tokyo, Yakura’s first question had nothing to do with profits. I found it strange that someone as successful as him wouldn’t care about how much money he stands to make.”
“What did he ask about?” Cal leans toward Iris.
“If we could make Dreamland Tokyo happen before he was too old to enjoy it with his grandkids.”
“I don’t remember that,” I reply, drawing a blank on that part of the meeting.
Her eyes roll. “Of course you don’t. You were too focused on pulling up the next slide discussing expected proceeds.”
“So he cares about his family,” Cal says.
She nods.
“We’re screwed. There’s no way Declan can work with someone like that.”
“I disagree. Because while your father might be clever, he missed one tiny detail.”
“What?”
“Me.” Her smile rivals the sun.
Fitting because it burns away that last bit of remaining anger I have toward my father. In its place, I am filled with a newfound sense of hope. I can convince Yakura to stick with the project so long as Iris helps me. She can appeal to just about anyone’s humanity—mine included.
Cal whistles. “Someone thinks mighty highly of herself.”
I want to smack the back of his head but hold back. I’d hate to waste his last brain cells with something impulsive.
“I know my strong suits, and picking up after Declan’s messes happens to be a personal strength of mine.”
“So what’s your plan then?” my brother asks.
“Easy. We show him exactly what Dreamland has to offer.” Her eyes seem to sparkle.
“How do we do that?” I lean back in my chair and consider her idea.
“We take him to where it all started and show him what he would be missing out on if he walks away from this deal.”
“Are you suggesting we take a family trip to Dreamland?” Cal asks.
She nods, and his smile is wiped clean off his face.
I feel the same way. Unlike Rowan, neither one of us wants anything to do with the park.
Every memory of our life with our mother is attached to the place.
The only times I’ve gone have been strictly for business, and I’ve been sure to keep it that way.
“How is this supposed to change his mind?” My voice comes out rougher than intended.
“Yakura is a family man. We need to show him how, unlike your father, so are you.”
Cal’s laugh grates against my nerves.
“What’s so funny?” My teeth grind together.
“The idea of you playing a family man is too good to pass up. You can count on me to be there.”
“Who said you were invited?” She looks at him like a bug beneath her shoe, and I could kiss her for it.
He waves a hand down his body. “I’m part of the promotional package.”
“Not happening,” I respond for her.
He looks over at Iris for help and she shrugs. “He’s the boss.”
Forget kissing her. I could fuck her for standing by me instead of Cal on something like this.
“I don’t like you two ganging up on me.” He rolls his eyes.
She gives his hand a pat. “It’s in your best interest. You hate business talk anyway.”
He sighs. “You’re right. Still fucked up though when you’re my best friend.”
“And he’s my husband. Don’t make me choose between you two.”
My world seems to tilt as she says the words. The weight behind them nearly knocks me on my ass, and I grip the handles of my chair in a chokehold.
“You two in love is disgusting.” Cal’s lip curls.
She laughs. “No one said anything about love.”
The way she laughs his statement off feels like someone pierced my chest with a serrated knife. My chest burns equally strong as my gut churns.
Give her time to come around.
I’ve seen the way she looks at me. There is no way she doesn’t love me, even if she hasn’t processed it yet.
“There’s a chance he might not even say yes,” I grumble underneath my breath. I’m almost hoping that’s the case if only to avoid visiting Dreamland.
“After all this time, you still doubt me?” Iris actually looks somewhat hurt by the idea.
“It’s not you that I’m worried about,” I amend. It’s everything that going to Dreamland will stir up for me.
“Leave it to me.”
Iris drops a stack of papers on my desk. “Here.”
“What’s that?”
“Next week’s travel itinerary. I already went ahead and cleared your calendar, that way we have enough time to get acclimated to Dreamland before Yakura visits.”
Holy shit. She fucking did it.
Did you really doubt her in the first place?
No. Of course not. Although I was worried about the damage my father caused and how Iris would overcome such a challenge, I never doubted her.
I grab the stack of papers and flip through them. The first packet includes information about our pilot and our Dreamland schedule, from a park walkthrough with Rowan and Zahra to meetings with the different creative teams on the property. She even secured a private office for me to work out of.
I scan the next packet which includes everything on Yakura. From all his preferences to an entire family tree, there isn’t a single stone Iris left unturned. “Please tell me you went about this plan the legal way.”
“That depends on if you consider it illegal to hijack Yakura’s travel plans to the Grand Canyon and pay someone to ground his plane in Florida.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “You didn’t.”
She laughs, and it does something strange to my heart rate.
“Of course I didn’t! Although I’m flattered you think I could pull off such a stunt.”
“I wouldn’t put it past you to accomplish anything you put your mind to.”
Her smile wavers. “Don’t go saying sweet things to me at work.”
“Why not?”
“Because it makes me want to do something inappropriate.”
I lean back in my chair and throw her papers on the desk. “Like what?”
She wags her finger. “Nope. I’m off-limits during business hours.”
Blood works its way straight to my dick. “We could call in sick.”
What the hell are you doing by suggesting both of you should skip work?
She laughs. “It’s the middle of a workday, and you have a meeting with the head of park development in ten minutes.”
I check the time on my computer. “Clock is ticking then.” I press the automatic lock button underneath my desk, and the clicking sound makes her brows rise.
“What are you—”
I latch onto her hand and pull her straight onto my lap.
“You’ve lost your goddamn mind.”
“Then I hope I never find it again.” I slam my lips against hers, silencing any protests. An electric feeling sparks across my skin as she kisses me back with enough intensity to make my head spin. Kissing her feels like I cheated my way into heaven, and I plan on soaking up every second of it.
We break apart as she straddles my lap. My head drops back against the chair as she presses herself against my cock, swiveling her hips in a way that drives me wild with want.
I grip onto her hips with a chokehold to keep her pressed against me.
She kisses her way down the curve of my neck before sucking on the spot that makes my hips buck forward.
A wet spot gathers in front of my pants from the way she rocks back and forth against my stiff cock. I’m mindless as I push her up and down, switching directions and making her moan as she grinds into me from a different angle.
The shrill ringtone of her phone threatens to kill the moment. She pulls away, but I don’t release her hips from my grasp.
“I have to get that.” Her husky voice sends a fresh wave of arousal through me.
“Let it go to voicemail.” I grip her chin and pull her mouth back toward mine.
She turns her head at the last second, giving me her cheek. “It could be important.”