“Good morning.” Kiana blinks a couple of times, and her eyes are immediately drawn to the clock. “It’s late…”
“You needed some rest. I didn’t want to wake you.” I lean forward and press my lips to her forehead.
“Don’t you need to get to work?” The sleepy look on her face shifts to one of concern.
“I’ll get there, eventually.” I nod.
We talk for a few minutes, then agree to share a shower before breakfast. The water can’t wash away the emotions from the night before, but it feels good. Our desires are ignited, and they burn hotter than the steam surrounding us, yet we hold back—the sensual closeness means more. We both need it right now.
“How are you feeling?” I rub my hands along Kiana’s shoulders and lather them with soap.
“Better now.” She looks up at me, and I see the faint hint of a smile. “Ready to move past everything we talked about last night.”
“Good.” I nod and pull her underneath the water.
“Maybe we can try that again tonight?” She puts a finger on my chest and traces.
“Try what?” I raise my eyebrows in concern.
“Well…” The faint hint of a smile flourishes into a grin. “I kind of liked being a bad girl for my daddy before I got overwhelmed.”
“Are you sure you want to try that again so soon?” I tilt my head slightly.
“I got everything off my chest. My head is clearer now.” She sighs. “Please?”
“Okay.” I wrap my arms around Kiana and hug her. “I understand.”
I get it. I really do. It started off as an exploration, a way to put a bad situation behind us, and then it brought other things to the forefront. She needs to test her new boundaries and find out whether or not she’s strong enough to endure that weight without breaking. Lawson is her father, but she needs a Daddy—at least for tonight. She needs to feel the safety and warmth that she’s never had.
I’ll give it to her.
I’ll give her everything she needs.
I squeeze every minute out of my morning that I can before I finally have to leave for the office. My drive is easier than it was yesterday. I’m not worried about my relationship with Kiana, or what the future will hold for us. Things feel like they are finally headed in a positive direction, for once. I don’t even mind the hit that my bank account will take in order to pay Hudson’s debt.
I have what matters, and tonight, she’ll be in my arms again.
“Good morning, Mr. Ward!” Joanna seems more cheerful than normal. Maybe it’s just a reflection of my own view of the world right now.
“Morning.” I take my coffee from her and nod.
“Dan is waiting in your office.” She motions in that direction.
“Thanks.” I sigh.
I know why Dan is waiting in my office. He’s obviously not happy about Jack’s account. I’ll have to deal with it as tactfully as possible.
“Good morning, Dan.” I step into my office and close the door.
“Ten percent!” Dan throws his arms up. “That’s how much money Jack lost when the market opened this morning. Ten percent of his fucking investment!” Dan taps his tablet. “Wait, no—I’m sorry. Now it’s twelve percent!”
“Pennies in the bucket for him, I’m sure.” I sigh and sit down. “We’ll probably have to ride this out for a couple of days before we try to talk some sense into Jack.”
“By then he may be down fifty percent!” Dan throws his arms up again. It’s an exaggeration; at least, I sure as fuck hope it’s an exaggeration.
“We need his money. Ninety percent is better than nothing—fifty percent is better than nothing.” I take a sip of my coffee and put the cup down on my desk.
“I know we do. I just wish he would let us make him some money instead of lose it.” Dan stands up. “Sorry. That’s my vent session for today.”
“I understand.” I give him a nod. “At least you’ve got plenty of other accounts to keep you busy, so you don’t have to spend all day obsessing over Jack’s losses.”
“I’m going to do that regardless,” he mutters as he walks to the door.
Dan doesn’t like losing money. It’s a good philosophy to have when turning a profit for others is how you stay in business. I don’t like it either, but there is a finesse to using other people’s money to keep your company afloat. A lost investor is a lot worse than a few percentage points that aren’t in your favor because the stock market, or the company you’re invested in, took a nosedive.
The relationships are more important than the dollars—sometimes.
With Dan’s morning meltdown out of the way, I turn my attention to the other parts of the business that need my involvement. It’s nothing major, and my mind wanders to Kiana every time I try to focus elsewhere. Home is where I truly want to be, where she is, or at least where she will be later tonight.
“Mr. Ward.” Joanna pushes my door open.
“Yeah?” I look up from my computer.
“Um.” She steps in my office and closes the door. “You have a visitor.”
“Oh?” I immediately expect it to be Kiana. Why? I’m not sure, but she’s the only one who would stop by unannounced.
“It’s…” Joanna’s words hesitate in a way that makes me worry. “It’s Mr. Brooks.”
“Lawson?” I blink in surprise.
“Yes, sir. He said he needs to talk to you.” She nods.
“Well…” I sigh. “Okay, send him in.”
I grip the edge of my desk, and my heart begins to race the moment Joanna leaves my office. I have no idea why Lawson is here. Does he know about Kiana? Did he find out that she’s spent more time in my bed than her own the last two days?
I’m not afraid of Lawson. I could take him in a fight, but how honorable would it be to beat the shit out of Kiana’s
