Chapter 33
Liam
“You’re a bad influence,” Tess murmured later that afternoon.
“We’ve already established that.”
I was kissing the back of her neck while she tried to email the order sheet she worked on for the past hour. We were still in bed.
“There, all sent! Only took me five times longer than it should have. But I’ll take this distraction every day.”
“Good, because I don’t plan on behaving anytime I’m around you. Especially if you’re wearing this.”
“I’m naked.”
“Precisely.” I put her laptop away, pulling her in my lap.
“But I’m at a disadvantage. Why are you dressed up?”
“You insisted. So I wouldn’t distract you.”
“Oh, that’s right.” Grinning, she tugged at my sweater. “Just saying, it’s not that much of a cover. I can still see all these gorgeous muscles through the fabric.”
I ran my hand through her hair, enjoying how smooth it felt between my fingers. I was lost in thought, wanting us to talk about the issue at hand.
“You’re frowning. Let’s talk about the elephant in the room,” she suggested. “But wait, I want to cover up first.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know, just feels like I should be covered.” She looked over her shoulder, then pressed herself up on her knees. “You bad man. What did you do with my clothes?”
I lifted her off me, putting her on the mattress before getting out of bed and hunting for the dress. I found it on the floor at the foot of the bed. Tess held her hands out, but I swatted them away. Leaning with a knee on the mattress, I pulled the sweater over her head.
“Oooh, you want to put my clothes on. That’s a first.”
Five seconds later, it became clear I was much better at taking them off. I got her arms tangled in the fabric, but between the two of us, we sorted it out.
She looked adorable with her hair plastered to her face, blowing it out of her eyes.
Sitting next to her on the bed, I cupped her cheeks. “Tess, I promised you I’ll try to be more open about everything, so let’s sort out a few things. I don’t want you to borrow money from your family.”
“And I don’t want you to risk your business.”
She put a finger over my mouth, scooting away from the mattress.
“I know I told you before that I don’t feel good about getting family finances involved because it makes me feel dependent.
But…I don’t know how it happened, but my perspective about that has changed, and although it still wouldn’t be my first choice, I don’t think trusting those I love with all things, including financial, is a bad thing.
I’d always been wary of that, ever since Dad left us, I guess, because it was just so devastating.
But if you can’t trust family, who can you trust? Am I making any sense?”
“Yes, you are. I’m proud of you, babe. Your family deserves you to trust them in all things.”
“I know. I told them that. You’re a big reason behind my change of heart, you know.”
I grinned. “Can you mention it to Ryker and Cole? They were saying something about giving me the talk.”
Tess laughed. “I’m on it.”
I toned down my grin, because what I was about to say was serious. “But I still don’t want you to do that, because we won’t freeze the investment. I’m not giving that asshole what he wants. He doesn’t deserve it. I have a plan, and I want you to trust me on it.”
“Okay, so what’s the plan?”
“Something I never considered until you. I’m going to make it public that we caught him trying to embezzle years ago.”
Tess gasped. “But you always said that wouldn’t bode well in the industry. That it might look poorly on Harrington & Co. too.”
“Yes, that is the concern, but I don’t care about that anymore.”
“What do Becca and David have to say about this?”
“They’re both on board. I spoke to them this morning.
Between that and him showing up at your store making threats, we have enough to push him out of the company with very little money.
We even have eyewitnesses in your shop, so he can’t fight that claim.
There’s a clause about foul play. It’s not enough to put him away, but he’ll be ruined for good, and I don’t think he’ll fight it.
This may be the more discreet way to shut him down.
He’ll accept the smaller buyout. And after he does…
after his ties with Harrington & Co. are severed, we’ll give him to the justice system. ”
“Well, well. There’s karma, and there’s you,” she said.
“I don’t mess around when someone wants to hurt those I love.”
“You certainly don’t.”
She climbed in my lap again, wrapping her arms around my shoulders. She tilted her head from one side to the other.
“Your neck is stiff.” I immediately pressed my fingers at the side of her neck. She sighed, closing her eyes. “I wanted to do this last night too.”
“You can make up for that now.” She smiled, lying down on the mattress and moving her hair to bare her neck.
“Who said I’ll start with your neck?” I wiggled my eyebrows.
“Oh, what do you plan to attack first, then?”
Before I got a chance to answer, the doorbell rang. Tess frowned.
“I ordered food,” I explained.
Her eyes widened and she leapt out of bed, heading out of the bedroom. Chuckling, I took my time, knowing she would already be elbow deep in the basket by the time I was out.
“You ordered a cheese basket,” she exclaimed when I stepped inside the living room. I could tell she was smiling, even though her head was bent and she was rummaging through the contents.
“Apricot jam too.”
She giggled, taking out the jar. I went over to her, wrapping an arm around her waist.
“You’re a keeper.” She looked sideways at me. “You have more surprises for me?”
“Just a few.”
She had no idea.
Five days later
“Let’s drink to that bastard no longer being part of the company,” David exclaimed as soon as we stepped into the brownstone. It was late in the afternoon, and the interns were already gone. We’d just come from the meeting with Albert’s lawyer.
David immediately took out a bottle of champagne from the cooler. I hadn’t even known he bought one, but I should have figured as much. He never missed a chance to celebrate.
We all got out of our coats. They were drenched from the rain and snow. New York was really messy when it poured like this.
“He’s not out yet,” I replied.
David rolled his eyes. “Well, no, but we just kicked his ass. Everything else is a formality.”
That was true. That bastard was getting exactly what he deserved: a package so small that it was practically nothing.
But he agreed to it on the count of not going to jail.
I was going to let him believe that, until he was officially no longer part of Harrington & Co.
, and then a judge was going to get all the paperwork about him trying to embezzle from us all those years ago.
Back then, we were a young company, and a scandal would have damaged us irreversibly.
Now, it was different. We were established and well respected, and an old incident wouldn’t hurt us as much.
Albert wasn’t going to bother anyone again. Ever.
“We only have coffee cups, but they’ll do,” David said, pouring champagne for Becca, Tess, and the two of us. We needed Tess there, because we wanted his drunken incident at her store on record.
David clinked his cup to Tess’s first. “I’ll drink to Tess, who managed to make our friend here not just human but a happy human instead of the broody robot Becca and I have known for…a long time. Don’t want to say how long. Makes me feel old.” The last part was directed at Becca.
“Fine, I’ll have mercy on you today,” she replied, clinking her cup to ours.
“I’ll drink to finally getting rid of Albert, and to the best investment we’ve ever made.
I’ve crunched some numbers last night, and Soho Lingerie has the highest acquisition rate of new customers out of every investment we’ve ever made. ”
“Wow. Good thing we’re officially opening store number two next week. We’re really bursting at the seams,” Tess said.
“You crunched numbers last night?” David asked Becca, crestfallen. “Please tell me you’re not turning into Liam.”
Becca rolled her eyes. “Please go get laid. You’re becoming more intense by the day.”
David choked on his drink. Becca, Tess, and I burst into laughter. Becca then inspected the bottle of champagne, smoothing one thumb over the label.
“You know what? I actually have wine in my office that I’ve been keeping for a special occasion. How long do you guys think we’ll be here?”
I looked at Tess, who said, “We don’t have plans tonight.”
“I’ll go get it before the bubbles mess with my ability to walk straight.”
“I’ll come help you,” David said. I snickered. Becca looked at him suspiciously but shrugged. I foresaw a future where Becca really did take my place as David’s favorite person to give shit to. They bickered all the way up the stairs.
The second they were out of sight, I put an arm around Tess’s waist. Sitting at the edge of one of our intern’s desks, I pulled her toward me.
“You’re quiet,” I said.
“Just processing everything,” Tess replied. “That there’s no threat hanging over our head anymore. That you’re mine and we’re kicking ass together.”
“This is just the beginning.”
“I like that. Sounds like a promise.”
“It definitely is.” I kissed her forehead, gripping her hips tighter. “And I’m going to make good on it every day.”
“Starting today?” she teased.
“I’d start right now, but Becca and David are in the building.”
“Oh I see. So this plan of yours begins with something dirty.”
“Every plan begins like that. It’s brought us good luck until now.”
She laughed but nodded. “You’re right about that.”
I debated giving her a taste of the dirty plan I had in mind, but I heard David and Becca coming down the stairs. She was holding that bottle of wine like it was her firstborn.
“This is my pride and joy,” she explained. “Got it from a very special someone a very long time ago. But let’s have another round of champagne first.”
“Should we open it up or wait for Skye to arrive?” David asked.
“She texted that she’s going to be here in a few minutes,” Tess said. “No clue why she’s late.”
She pouted, turning around to face David and Becca.
I leaned in to kiss the side of her neck, trying to hide my smile from everyone.
I had a good poker face in business, but this was definitely unchartered territory.
Skye was coming from a certain shop on Fifth Avenue where she looked at the ring I wanted to buy for Tess.
I was planning to surprise my woman soon. I couldn’t wait to see her reaction.