The Passion

Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

FLYNN

I wish I had time to spend all day with Felisha, but I have to make an excuse to leave this morning. I have a meeting with the biggest shareholder in Kentwall Estates. If I can get this woman onside and the deal done, then we are off to a great start. If she won’t sell to me then there is no point with the smaller ones because there won’t be enough to overthrow Ewan. All it will do is give him the satisfaction of seeing all my money tied up in his business but with no control over how he spends it.

For all I know, he would just gamble it all away just to spite both Felisha and me. Plus, it would give him leverage over Nic and Darby Hotels when he starts boasting to all his associates about our failed takeover.

I’ve left Felisha still sleeping while I make her some breakfast and reread all the intel I have on Luchia Bianchi. She is an Italian heiress of a wine company with their main vineyards in Tuscany. Her husband died many years ago, and she has a daughter and son who run the wine business while she manages their shares and property portfolio. We have set the initial meeting up under the pretense of a partnership on a property near one of her vineyards that we would like to purchase, turning it into a hotel that would border on hers, and we could collaborate on marketing it as the perfect wine tasting getaway.

It's not completely a lie, because when I mentioned to Nic what I was looking at, his ears pricked up to another opportunity to add to our chain of boutique hotels. But his thought is that eventually he would love to buy the vineyard off her too. This man always has to take any idea to the next level. Though I also love the sound of it too. We are both wine lovers, and to be able to set up a place where we could create the menu to be paired with our own wines and our favorites from around the Italian wine region sounds like a dream.

But I can’t let my mind get distracted from the real reason of this meeting. Nic will be in on the meeting initially and then will leave me to the other part, as we don’t want him involved in that. Although people will link him to it anyway, but if he wasn’t in the meeting, then he can’t ever be asked to testify to anything in court if for some reason we end up there. And when you choose to go up against Ewan Kentwall, anything could happen, and we need to be prepared.

“Morning.” Felisha’s soft velvety voice breaks me from the intense thoughts that were running through my head. “I woke to a cold bed. How long have you been awake?”

I don’t want to tell her that I hardly slept and have been out of bed for a few hours now, first working out in Forrest’s gym and then working on some paperwork until I checked on her. I could tell she was starting to stir because her cute little snore had gone, and there was movement, so I knew it was time to start cooking.

One thing about being a forty-four-year-old bachelor is that you get to spend the money you make just how you like. Forrest’s apartment has every added extra you could want in a home. A full gym set-up that I think would be good enough for an Olympic athlete to train in. Its own full bathroom in the gym so you can shower after a strenuous workout. Where my kitchen and music room are next level, because they are my loves and the things I need in my home to give me a place to wind down, but for Forrest, he has an entertainment area that includes old-fashioned arcade games, like Pacman, Leap Frog, and Space Invaders. A vintage pinball machine, a putting green, and of course, a pool table. None of which match my brother’s personality of being the strait-laced serious finance guy.

But the other room that is Forrest all over is his home office. There’s a whole wall of televisions and computer screens where he has all the major financial markets in the world running across the screen twenty-four seven, even when he is sleeping. I know we all should be thankful for his dedication to his work because it keeps Darby Hotels at the forefront and us all individually increasing our wealth without having to place our trust in the hands of a stranger.

I focus all my attention on the half-awake, half-naked woman in front of me. Again, she’s wearing my shirt from last night. Not sure I’ll ever be able to wear that shirt again without thinking about her sensual, shapely legs that fit very nicely around my waist.

“Just a little while.” I walk around the kitchen counter and take her into my arms. She is still all warm and toasty from being in bed, and I can’t wait until this is how she gets to wake up every morning. To me and her breakfast, ready and waiting. Although being the businesswoman she is, I doubt she normally sleeps until eight am. Like me, she would be up already and having responded to countless emails and looked at what problems she needs to solve, all before her morning coffee. Actually, I don’t even know if she is a strong coffee in the morning person or, being so English, maybe it’s a good old English breakfast cup of tea. Well, I guess I’m about to find out.

“You should have woken me,” she says, lifting her head to look up at me.

“Why would I want to do that when I could lie there and listen to that cute little snore of yours. It’s adorable.”

Scoffing at my comment, she pushes out of my arms. “I don’t snore, I just breathe heavy,” she says, trying to defend herself.

“Ahh, I can tell you I know the difference between when I make you breathe heavy and when you are snoring. One of them you are wide awake for, the other you are totally out of it.” I tap her on the nose with my finger and go back to my sourdough toast that will need reheating as it popped out of the toaster a minute or so ago.

“I must have been tired. I only breathe heavily when I’m exhausted.” She rubs her eyes and smooths her hair off her face. I love that she doesn’t think she needs to get up and make herself look perfect before she sees me. This is how I want our mornings to be, laid back and real.

“Wellllll, you did exert yourself last night.” Winking at her, I start plating the sourdough toast with smashed avocado, diced tomato, mixed seeds, crumbled feta cheese, topped with a poached egg and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Breakfast of champions in Australia and one of my favorite ways to start the morning.

“Fair point.” I know it’s not what the exhaustion is from, it’s all the mental strain we are both under, but who wants to put a damper on the morning with bringing that up yet.

“This looks awesome, and even with your midnight snack, I’m still starving this morning.” She takes her seat on the stool at the kitchen counter. “You are spoiling me with all this homecooked food.”

“I can’t wait to see what your reaction is when I cook you a real meal and not just toast and avo.” Taking the seat next to her, we both start into our breakfast and happily sit in the peaceful silence of the morning. Watching her reach for the pot of tea and cup that I had in front of her instead of the coffee, and I’ve got my answer. I need the caffeine to get me going in the morning, but in some ways, the calmness of a cup of tea might be a better way to start the day before the hustle of our busy lives.

Felisha sits back on the chair and sips on her tea, and I know I’m running out of time and need to tell her that I have to leave.

“I have an important meeting I need to get to today, so I’m sorry, baby, but I will have to get dressed shortly and leave. You are welcome to take your time, shower, and get dressed before you head back over to Harper’s apartment.” I feel guilty for where I’m going, but I can’t let that hold me back on what I’ve started.

“That’s okay, I have work to do too.” As she puts her cup of tea down, her nervous look is worrying me.

“Umm, also, tonight I am going out to dinner, but I want you to know it’s only to keep up appearances and I have a plan, so it will be all fine.”

I can feel my shoulders already tensing. I don’t like the sound of this at all. Especially when she is being so vague with the details.

“Dinner with who?” I know I’m using the wrong tone with her, but I can’t help it.

“Again, don’t get mad, I’ve got this.” She is avoiding the question.

“Who the fuck are you having dinner with, Felisha.” I hate this whole fucking secret-relationship scenario.

Sitting up taller and pushing her shoulders back, she is trying to appear confident, but I can already see in her eyes she is bracing for my reaction.

“Fulton Anderson.”

And I feel like my head explodes, and I can’t even sit still. I push my chair back with such force it lands on the floor, and I pace the room. “No! Not happening. That man is not touching you, do you hear me? I’ll lock you in this apartment if I have to.”

“Calm down.” Now she is standing too, and her hands are on her hips. Why the fuck do women do that when they are mad?

I’m the one who should be mad. Actually, I’m not mad, I’m fucking livid. That old guy is the only man I have seen her date more than once in the time I’ve known her, and I’m not letting this happen.

“Calm? I’m so far from calm that there is a fucking ocean between me and calm.” I’m trying to keep my rage in check, but I’m not very successful at this stage.

“You have to trust me on this. We need to put up a normal front, and me being seen out for dinner is a normal thing. Harper is going to make sure the photographers are around to capture it.” She is walking toward me, and I know I can’t let her touch me because I will cave, and I’m not ready to give an inch on this.

“Great, let them take a picture of you and Harper out having dinner. That’s ‘normal.’” I hook air quotes for the ridiculous world we have created around us.

“Flynn.” Her voice is softer, like she is trying to get me to do the same, but it won’t work.

“Don’t you Flynn me! What part of your extremely intelligent brain thought that I would be okay with this?” I throw my hands in the air and feel like I want to walk back into the gym and run a thousand miles to try to get the rage out.

“Okay, stop, just stop!” She yells at me loud enough that it makes me stop and look at her, and her body language tells me she is about to let loose on me if I don’t listen to her. “I have a plan. I will meet him, get pictures, eat my entrée, and by then Harper will call me with an emergency that I will have to leave straight away for. I will never be alone with him, and it will be over before you know it. I told you this is my life to control, and you need to let me do what I think is needed to keep my father blind to what is happening.”

The silence is deafening between us as we just stand there staring at each other. It’s like a standoff, and we’re both waiting to see who is going to break first.

I know it won’t be me because I can’t talk without yelling, it’s just not possible yet.

“He won’t touch me.” This time as she starts to take a slow step toward me, I can’t stop her. “I’m yours.” Ever so gently reaching, she takes my hands in hers. “You touched me last night in a way no man ever has before.”

“And no one will ever touch you that way again. I will be the first and the last man to ever be one with you.” I pull her into my arms. I’m still furious, but I can’t stay mad at her. It’s more the whole fucked-up mess that we’re in that I’m infuriated about.

“Nothing stands between us.” She looks up at me.

“Nothing stands between us. You’re mine.” I’m almost growling at her, and already in my head I’m thinking about what I will be making sure I have set up to keep her safe tonight.

“Yours.” Rising up on her toes, she tentatively kisses me to see what sort of reception she will get.

None of this tentative bullshit, I’m about to remind her who she belongs to before I leave.

I turn the kiss into one full of passion, and in a way, I’m trying to mark her so she won’t forget in a hurry how I taste… or feel.

“Bedroom now!”

The moment Felisha left the apartment with her ripped dress pants on, that were now held together with tape instead of the zipper, and my dress shirt hanging long over the top of them, I was straight on the phone to Remington.

“I want two bodyguards in that restaurant, as close as possible to their table. Another waiting outside if needed.” I tried to keep my voice businesslike, but poor Rem is getting the full brunt of all my anger now.

“Don’t you think that’s a bit over the top? He isn’t looking to kidnap her.” I can imagine he is rolling his eyes at me on the other end of the phone, but I don’t care.

“No, he wants to fuck her and touch what’s mine. No way, no how is that happening. I don’t care if I have to blow this whole charade wide open, walk in there myself, and make sure he understands she’s not available to him—or anyone else for that matter.”

“I get the possessiveness, but she’s a grown woman who knows what she’s doing. Plus, surely her security will be with her.”

“Don’t care. And I’m not possessive…” I’m grumbling as he cuts me off.

Rem pretends to cough over top of his word, “Bullshit.”

“And don’t tell me you wouldn’t be doing the same. It’s who we are, and I can’t change that.” To be honest, I have never felt this protective over anyone before, and it’s so damn strong I’m struggling to keep it under control. It’s like a clawing feeling on the inside that is trying to break free because I feel like I have no power at the moment, and I hate it.

“Okay, okay. I get it and will sort it out. But promise me one thing.”

“What?” I snap at him.

“If I do as you ask, you will stay far away from The Savoy tonight and let both Felisha and our team handle this. I can assure you she’s not in danger.” Rem waits for my answer. “Flynn?”

“Fine! Make it happen.” I hang up on him because I’m done talking about this.

Riding the elevator down to Forrest’s car in the basement in just my pants and no shirt, I’m glad there is no one else around. I can’t help but feel good knowing that Felisha is still wrapped in my shirt. Nothing hotter than seeing your woman in your clothes.

But I know I need to push it out of my head for now, get home, shower, and wash the smell of sex off me to get ready for my meeting later today.

I’m going to need every bit of brain power and persuasion to get this deal over the line. I’ve now got an even greater urgency to make this happen, so I don’t have to put up with the bullshit of Felisha being out with another man. I want her on my arm to have a dinner at The Savoy, no one else’s.

We walk into the private dining room at The Ritz in Central London because we couldn’t risk having this meeting with Luchia Bianchi at any of our hotels. Plus, the use of the private dining room will make talking easier with the sensitive nature of the topic. Especially after Nic leaves and it’s just the two of us.

“You ready for this?” Nic asks under his breath as we walk through the elaborate foyer. This hotel is over one hundred years old and steeped in tradition. Everything is immaculate and decorated to perfection to take you back into the elegance of our English history. Although its beauty speaks for itself, it’s not my preference in a hotel. Only because I know the cost and work of upkeep on these old buildings.

“More than,” I reply as the doorman nods at us and opens the door to the room, obviously expecting us.

Seated at the table already is an impeccably dressed woman who looks to be in her late sixties. She is sipping on wine while scrolling on her phone, seeming very relaxed. Normally I like to be first to arrive at a meeting I have instigated, and we are thirty minutes early for that reason, but obviously, she has the same philosophy.

Approaching her, Nic makes the introductions as the head of the Darby Hotels.

“A pleasure to meet you, gentlemen.” She lifts her hand for us to shake but doesn’t bother to stand, making sure she is exerting her dominance over the meeting from the beginning. I’m guessing in other meetings she has not received the respect she wishes for being a woman, but that won’t be happening here.

“The pleasure is all ours, Mrs. Bianchi. Thank you for the opportunity to meet.” Nic takes the seat across from her while I take the one next to her.

“Please, call me Luchia, Mrs. Bianchi makes me feel so old.” She laughs to herself as she pushes her phone to the side and starts giving us her full attention. “I know, I know I am old, but that is beside the point. Let’s eat, shall we.” She waves her hand at the head waiter who disappears through a side door, and then the food starts appearing, being brought out on plates. “I took the liberty of sorting out the meal. I’m sure you will enjoy it.”

Oh, I like this woman. She is strong and has no problem showing her authority. Commands the room, and I can see why she is so successful.

I can see Felisha in her and hope that at this age she will still be ruling the world like the queen she is but with me beside her as her king.

We get straight into talking about Nic’s proposed business arrangement through our late lunch, and I can’t fault the meal she chose, or the quality of the food served. Luchia is very receptive to what we are looking at doing with the hotel and her vineyard. I’m sure she can see that our future plans are trying to buy her out, but neither side is giving that away at this stage.

I’m not overly hungry with so much anticipation of what I’m about to propose to her, and as they clear away the last of the plates and offer another drink, Nic takes this as the perfect time to leave.

“Not for me, thank you. I’m sorry, but I must leave as I have another commitment I need to attend. But I think we have come to a perfect understanding and agreement that will allow us to move forward on our purchase, and then we can speak at a later date. Maybe visit you in Tuscany?” Standing and shaking her hand, she agrees and thanks him for a lovely lunch.

As he turns to start leaving, she looks at me, a little confused, as I haven’t started to move.

“What about you, young man, you don’t have anywhere more important to be than to keep an old lady company?”

Hearing the door close behind me confirming that Nic has left the room, I wave the waiter away from pouring me another drink. This meeting is better had with no clouded judgment.

“I was hoping I could discuss something else quite private with you?” Her curiosity is piqued when I pull out of the inside pocket of my jacket a non-disclosure agreement for her to sign. Laying it on the table in front of her with a pen, I give her time to read what is in front of her.

“It’s not often I’m taken by surprise, but okay, you have me intrigued.” Picking up the pen, she scribbles her signature on it, which has me breathing a huge sigh of relief. At least I’m going to get the chance to have the discussion.

“But don’t take me for a fool either. I know who you are. Not that I would ever degrade the poor girl by watching it, but I know you are the man who was in the video that was leaked of Felisha Kentwall. I assume this has something to do with her.”

“Thank you for the respect you showed Felisha by not watching it. And you are far from a fool, rather a very well-respected businesswoman, and from the last hour spent with you, I can also say a lovely lady.” I mean every word I say.

“You are too old to try sucking up to me to get what you want.” She smiles, though, and I know she is not being too serious.

“Far from one to suck up to people, Luchia, I’m usually known more for pissing people off with my cockiness, so let’s get that out of the way straight up. This is something that is extremely important to me and must stay between you and me until the time is right.”

“Okay then, go on.” Waving her hand at me, she leans back into her chair to listen intently to what I’m about to say.

I take a deep breath. It’s now or never.

“I would like to purchase your share in Kentwall Estates.” I can see her trying to keep her poker face, but she wasn’t expecting that.

She lets me continue to tell her the proposed deal. She sits there not saying much but just digesting what I have said.

The sweat is running down my back, and it feels like I’m in the principal’s office and they are deciding my fate from something I did wrong.

“My business brain tells me that I should worry about a competitor trying to buy up shares in a company in secret, but I see through you, Flynn. This is not about business, is it?”

I want to lay it all on the table, but I can’t trust anyone with the full story.

“No, it’s not about business.” That’s all I say, and the fact that Nic has left the meeting would indicate to her that this is personal to me.

“So, you are prepared to pay me whatever it takes to get control of my shares, for a woman?” She taps her long nails on the table like she is thinking but also waiting for me to answer.

I only have one answer.

“Yes.”

“And what are you prepared to do with these shares if you get hold of them?” She clasps her hands together as her elbows are now resting on the table, and she sits forward and shows that she is ready to challenge me.

“Make sure they end up in the hands of the rightful owner.” I take a breath, knowing I’m going to have to give her more if I want to get closer to her thinking about the deal. “Surely you have seen the smear campaign her father has started to discredit her since the video was released. And you would know that she is to take control of the company in nine weeks. However, if my suspicions are correct, her father is trying to stop that from happening.” I’m very careful not to let out anything that I know of what is happening or to be seen accusing anyone of anything.

“Why didn’t Felisha come to me herself?”

And here is the detail that I’m not sure she is going to be happy about, and to be honest, I’m not even sure that I chose the right way to do this either, but it’s too late now.

“Because she doesn’t know. And before you worry that I’m trying to do something underhanded, you are right, but it’s for all the right reasons. This in not in any way business-related, it’s purely personal, and I would never do anything to hurt her.” I flop back in my chair because I know I’m up against not only a killer of a businesswoman, but this is a protective Italian mother and grandmother who will be looking at this as if Felisha were one of her family.

Instead of continuing to interrogate me, instead she also relaxes back into her chair and starts to laugh at me.

“Oh, you poor, stupid boy. If, and that’s a very big if, you manage to pull this off, you are about to be in a whole world of pain when she finds out. Do you have any idea what a woman on the attack is like? Because I have a feeling you are about to find out.”

Taking another sip of her wine, she just looks at me for a few minutes.

“Do you know how I came about owning shares in Kentwall Estates?”

And that’s the part that I don’t know. She has owned them for a very long time, and those records aren’t public property.

“No, but I’m interested.” Because any more backstory I can find out about Ewan Kentwall is going to help our plans.

“My husband, may he rest in peace, acquired the shares from Ewan before he passed away over fifteen years ago. As his sole heir, of course, they came to me, and I could see they were a solid investment, so I kept them. But there were things I found out about my husband after he passed to do with how these shares came to be in his possession. I, like you, keep my personal details close to my chest, but all I will say was they were given to him to repay a debt between him and Ewan.”

The serious look on her face is like she is trying to help me connect the dots, but there is no need.

There are more things connecting in my head right now than she realizes.

I always wondered why he had sold off shares of the company when it was a private family one. Nic’s grandfather never sold off any of his company, although he needed a board to help run it as it grew so large.

But as I’ve been guessing, Ewan has run up a gambling debt that he needed to clear, and the only way not to expose himself in some way was to give away parts of the company.

Jesus Christ, does this mean every person who owns a share is someone he got himself into trouble with? Stupid man.

I hated him before, but this just makes it worse because now I know he is gambling away his daughter’s future too.

Thankfully, as part of the divorce settlement with Felisha’s mother, she insisted that she get a share of the company, and that share was to be put in trust for Felisha until she turned twenty-one. I wonder if Lady Kentwall knew of her husband’s gambling problems, or she had the foresight to secure her daughter’s assets because she didn’t trust her husband.

“Sadly, I understand.” And with my answer, I can see she has decided that this discussion is over for today.

“For that reason, I need time to think about this. But also, understand I do respect the sensitive nature of this, and it stays between you and me. You will have your answer in the next few days.”

As she moves to collect her things, I ask one more question before she stands.

“Is there anything else important that you feel I should know?”

Standing and taking a step beside me, she places her hand on my shoulder and gives it a squeeze. “Yes.” Lifting her hand, she starts to walk away. “You aren’t the first man this week to approach me and ask to purchase my shares.”

And with that bombshell dropped, she is through the door and gone.

Leaving me sitting in stunned silence for a moment. I slide the NDA off the table back into my jacket and stand up.

“Shit just got real,” I mutter to myself and try to calm my racing brain down as I leave the room.

Who the hell is also trying to attack Ewan?

I think I may have bitten off more than I can chew, but it won’t stop me from storming forward.

I promised I would protect Felisha, whether that’s from her father or even if it’s from an unknown enemy too.