Nine #3
Adam nodded. “Which is why I nixed the idea. I wanted to show you how much you meant to me—to us. And I understand how important this company is to you.”
Tears filled my eyes, and my lip quivered. I bit it as I struggled to regain my composure. “It’s silly.” My voice cracked.
“What’s silly, sweetheart?”
“How much of my worth I’ve placed in working for this boutique company.”
“Why would you say that?” Adam asked. “It’s no different from me getting to play here in Houston, for one of the best teams, under a brilliant coach. And now that I’ve retired, I get to coach with that brilliant coaching staff. That’s the stuff all hockey kids dream of.”
I tried to speak, but the lump was too big. I breathed a few times and then managed. “Clara gave me a job when I was sixteen. I was so young and stupid, but she trusted me. She helped me get into the University of Houston, get my degree in fashion. She talked me into working on my MBA…”
My voice trailed off. She’d been grooming me to take over since I was a teenager, but I’d never realized.
“You’ve bought most of the items in here for ten years, Naomi. Clara knows you have the best eye for fit and comfort. She knows that the women who step out of here are confident in their sexuality and their power. You give them that, not Clara. She told me all that last year, by the way.”
“And you kept it from me,” I said. “I can’t believe it.”
“I told Clara if you asked me, I was telling you. It wasn’t a lie, sweetheart—”
Cupping his cheek, I kissed him. “No, no. I get that. I’m just impressed! I wouldn’t have been able to keep the possibility quiet if I knew something great was happening in your career.”
Adam rose. His joints crackled and popped as he shook out his legs, then he settled in the chair next to mine. He picked up his fork and cut a small bite of his filet. He dipped it into the sauce and offered it to me.
I opened my mouth and accepted the bite, closing my eyes to better enjoy the flavor. Some foods were so well seasoned that the temperature didn’t matter. This was one of them. “That’s superb.”
Adam grunted. He’d already taken a second bite. He had to be starving, and yet he’d waited to give me my gift, to work with me through my surprise. Love welled up, large and shockingly sweet.
“Thank you,” I said.
“You’re welcome.”
“Do I want to know what exorbitant fee you paid to make me the owner?” I asked as I picked up my wineglass and took a slow sip.
“I didn’t,” Adam cut off another piece of his meat. He pointed the fork toward me. “Eat.”
I picked up my fork and dug into the creamed spinach next to my salmon.
Mm. So good. Next to sex with Adam, and sleep…
yes, sleep had definitely shot up my list of wonderful activities to number two…
was eating delectable food. I marveled at the flavor and texture, closing my eyes to moan.
I jolted a little as Adam’s fingers danced along my jaw.
I swallowed as he turned my face and then he kissed me, just as hungry for me as I’d been for him.
I’d worried—because, really, I worried about everything—that our marriage would grow stale over the years.
That hadn’t happened. Adam and I still hungered not just for each other’s bodies but to connect with each other’s minds.
I loved this man with every part of me—even the quirks and single-minded competitive streak.
I kissed him back, luxuriating in his feelings for me. Eventually, I pulled back and met his eyes. “Are you going to tell me how you bought me a business from my boss without me knowing anything about this deal?”
Adam smirked. “I didn’t buy it because Clara didn’t want to sell in the traditional sense. She knows you have great instincts and lots of plans for growth, so she asked for fifteen percent of the profits for the next fifteen years.”
That would put Clara into her late seventies, giving her plenty of time to enjoy retirement and, hopefully, an increasing paycheck without the stress of running the business. I eyed Adam approvingly.
“And after fifteen years?” I asked, though I was pretty sure I recognized Adam and Clara’s long-term goals.
“If you’re amenable, then after the term, you are the full owner.”
“I just have to sign?”
He’d taken another bite—he must be ravenous. He still worked out at the same level he had when he played professionally, so his calorie-burn each day was insane.
He nodded, his gaze remaining on my face. I smiled and raised my glass. “I’m glad you’re my partner, Adam. You always have my best interests in mind.”
He swallowed his bite and said, “Always, Naomi.”
“Believe me, I know how lucky I am. Thank you for taking a chance on me.”
He scoffed. “I should thank you for taking a chance on me.”
“You were a player,” I said with a smile.
“I was simply searching for the right woman.”
I winked. “Bet you didn’t expect to find one who was so high maintenance?”
“You’re worth my every thought and action, so it’s not high anything.”
I traced his beloved features with my gaze. “You know how to charm a woman. Thank you. For the company. And the sex. And loving me.”
“All those things were and will continue to be my pleasure.”