Chapter 48
Lark
The oak table gleams under the lights, so polished I can see my own reflection in its surface. I take in the faces around the table. It’d be wrong to say I’m not wary. Difference is, I don’t feel intimidated by the board. Guess the view looks different when you’re seated at the head of the table?
The room smells familiar: of polish and power plays. But unlike the last time I was here, I’m the one setting the tone.
It’s New Year’s Eve. Yesterday, the board of directors voted to confirm me as CEO of Davenport Capital, taking over from my husband. And today, I wasted no time calling my first board meeting. It’s unusual to have one so soon after the last one, but not unheard of.
But these are unusual circumstances, with my taking over as CEO with no warning.
That, combined with the fact that it's the last day of the year, when the city thrums with excitement and everyone's making plans to ring in the new year, means I can catch them with their guard down. Or so, Brody advised me.
“Even the most cynical board member isn’t immune to the holiday mood. There's a hum of anticipation in the air, and that means distraction. Distraction means advantage. Your advantage,” he said.
Once he laid it out like that, I didn’t hesitate. I took his advice and called the meeting.
Only Brody won’t be attending. He's still a member of the board and perfectly entitled to be here, but he wants me to lead this one on my own.
To establish myself. To make it clear that the title isn’t a courtesy. To show them I can lead this company.
“Let’s begin.” I turn the page on the deck. “The Q4 P the other belongs to him. He takes the one closest to me, then gestures. "Proceed."
I clear my throat, picking up my train of thought.
“Now, unless there are further personal theories to discuss, I suggest we turn our attention back to performance, which is, after all, the only thing that pays dividends.”
"Hear, hear." Ursula claps her hands.
Arthur's features are wreathed in a smile.
Julian’s smirk fades. He looks down at his notes.
Tiny shifts beside me, tail thumping once against the floor.
I turn another page. “As I was saying, projected revenue growth for next year is eleven percent, with continued margin expansion from operational efficiencies. And unlike gossip, that’s substantiated by data.”
"You fucking aced it." My husband strides into my office, which used to be his, and pulls out his phone.
With a quick tap, the walls of the office turn opaque. I may have taken over his office, but he has access to the privacy settings. For moments like this.
He holds out his arms. I break into a run. He catches me and whirls me around.
"I am so proud of you." He grins up at me.
My heart is so full, it feels like it’s going to burst out of my chest. To have my husband look at me like I’m the most important thing in the entire world, and to know that he means it, is a feeling I never thought I would hold.
"You heard," I say breathlessly.
"Arthur called me on his way home and gave me the low down. He couldn’t stop gushing about how you eviscerated Julian Reed."
I wince. "He was asking questions which I’d already asked of myself."
"But you had all the answers," he growls.
"I did." I wrap my arms around his neck. "Not gonna lie. It was difficult, but I held my own."
"I knew you would. I had every confidence that you’d more than hold your own."
"If it weren’t for you, I never would have dreamed of coming this far so quickly."
"And if you hadn’t faced your fears and agreed to take on the role of CEO, I wouldn’t be able to focus on what I love to do." His features grow tender.
“I love you.” The words burst out of me. “I love you so much.”
His eyes flash. He opens his mouth, and it seems like he’s going to respond in kind, but then he simply lowers his mouth and kisses me deeply. There’s so much feeling, so much heart, so much love in the kiss, my head spins. By the time we break apart, I’m trembling.
He looks at me with what I can only describe as a love light in his eyes.
I know, without a doubt, that he loves me.
With the handover, we’ve spent so much time together the last three days.
His focus, his attention to detail, the pains he took to bring me up to speed with the business—that, too, was a kind of love he showed for me.
So why hasn’t he told me so yet? Argh, this man is so annoying. But he did ask me for time. And I know, he’ll tell me when he’s ready.
I push aside all doubt and smile up at him. "Was it a good day for you too?"
"The best." He walks over to sit in my big armchair, placing me on his lap so I’m straddling him.
"I agreed to invest in a startup that provides a digital platform which matches veterans to civilian jobs based on their military skill sets and temperament."
I lean back in his arms and stare in admiration. "That’s incredible. You've combined the thrill of funding new ventures with the satisfaction of working for veterans’ causes.”
"Absolutely." His smile grows wider.
"God, you’re so intelligent, it makes me want to kiss your head off." I dip my head and press my lips to his.
He makes a growling sound at the back of his throat.
And when I wriggle closer, so my core is positioned exactly over the tent that’s forming at his crotch, he hisses out a breath. "Fuck."
"Yeah." My heartbeat picks up.
"You feel bloody good, exactly there." He squeezes my hips and holds me in place. And when he experimentally punches up his pelvis, he hits my clit with the ridge of his cock, and I gasp.
"Oh."
"That all you have for me, wife?" He begins to rub me up and down the column of his shaft, and though we both have our clothes on, within seconds, we're panting.
"Oh my God." I throw my head back, baring the column of my neck. He obligingly bends his head and runs his nose up my throat, then down again.
When he bites down on where my shoulder meets my neck, I cry out, "Brody!"
"Much better." He picks up speed and pistons his hips upward, bringing me down at the same time. He hits me exactly on my swollen clit. My entire body shudders. Shock waves scream up my spine. "Oh God. Oh God. I’m coming."
He stops. "Not yet."
It takes a few seconds for me to realize he’s standing and has placed me on my desk.
He pushes me down with his palm pressed to my chest. Without any resistance, my vibrating body sinks back. I glance up as he steps between my legs. My very tight skirt is gathered around my hips. My jacket is undone. As are the top two buttons of my shirt.
Jeez, when did that happen?
He twists first one arm, then the other, over my head, shackles them together with his long fingers, then reaches for the rope, the same one I first noticed on his desk.
"What are you doing?"
He arches his eyebrows. "I’m gonna tie up my wife and make her orgasm. Any objections to that?"