“I wish you didn’t have to go. I’ve really enjoyed spending time with you.”
“I am enjoying it too.”
“So why leave?”
“Because,”
She looked at me. I was hoping she wasn’t going to make me say it. What if she didn’t feel the same way and then I would sound like a total idiot. But I believed with every fiber of my being she felt the same way.
“Because I might do something that I shouldn’t.”
She raised her eyebrows at me. “Are you sure?”
“Am I sure about what?” I asked my thoughts were getting cloudy.
“That you shouldn’t?”
Oh god, here we go. She was tempting me. She knew how I felt. She leaned back and drew circles on the sofa with her finger.
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure.”
“Because of your wife?”
“Yes.”
“I understand. I do not want to be party to any stress or unhappiness in someone else relationship.”
She looked up at me. Her eyes were on fire. “I have to leave tomorrow. I’m going back to my assignment. If we are meant to be together, we will meet again. And if not, I’ll treasure these past two nights with you.”
It took all my power to stand up and prepare to walk out the door. She stood up and followed me.
“Kay, I…” I couldn’t bring myself to say the words.
“I’m going to miss you, Ethan.” She stood on her toes and kissed me gently. Her tongue touch my lips for the briefest of moments. I wanted to pull her close to me. I wanted to explore her mouth with my tongue. I wanted to carry her to the bedroom and spend a week exploring her body. I felt the blood pulsing through my veins, and I needed to leave now, or I would never be able to go.
“Kay.” I whispered again. Then I turned and walked away. I didn’t look back instead I waited to hear the door close behind me. It didn’t, not as long as I was in earshot.
Chapter Two
Kay
I had only been stationed in the Middle East for six months when my mother died. The cancer had been in remission, but it came back with a vengeance. My mother had called to tell me the prognosis and I started making arrangements to return home immediately, unfortunately, she passed while I was in route. Eddie, my mother’s personal driver provided by the family business met me at the airport and gave me the news. Fortunately, when my father died two years previously, he had seen to it that things were put in place, so that at the time of my mother’s eventual demise, the legal aspects of the family business and the private property would be a matter of me signing a few documents. I was an only child so the will was pretty straight forward. I received the real property, some money and the family business. There were sizable donations made to various charitable organizations in Gates Point.
My first order of business upon arriving home was to meet with the family attorneys; one for the estate and one for the company, Port City Industries. The family attorney for the real property was a very brief meeting. We went over the will I signed a few papers accepting the house and the monetary funds so they could be transferred into my personal account. Then I met with the corporate attorneys to sign the necessary documents that granted Elliott Goode limited power of attorney. Elliott was the corporate attorney for Port City Industries, he had been with the company for more than twenty years. But my father had taught me well and I only allowed him to exercise control over what might be considered minor items for the day to day operation. Anything major short of a vote by the shareholders would have to be forwarded to me no matter where I was in the world. I owned the majority of the stock in the company in addition to being the new chief executive officer.
As we sat in the conference room on the twentieth floor of the Port Cities Industries building, I was starting to get a headache from the whining of the corporate attorney.
“Ms. Dandridge, are you sure you want it set up this way?” Elliott protested.
“Yes, I’m sure.”
“You are living in a war zone at the moment what if something urgent arises?” Elliott continued.
“You have my cell number, call me. As you pointed out, I’m in a war zone, not another planet.” There was no way I was going to budge on this matter, and I would fire him if I needed to, I was not signing away control of the family business. “And I want to meet with the employees while I’m home.”
“That’s impossible.” Elliott blurted out allowing his frustration to show.
“Not for the ones here in the corporate headquarters.” I leaned back in the leather chair that my father had occupied for so long. I don’t think my mother ever came up there even though she was the head of the company after father’s death. “Listen, I realize that mother pretty much handed over control to you and the staff here during her tenure, but she never understood the business side of things. I do and I intend to be just as involved as my father was.”
“From the other side of the world?” Elliott was incredulous.
“I will make it work.”
“Hmmpf.” Elliott was clearly annoyed.
“It’s like this Elliott, I will make it work with or without you. The choice is yours and there will be no hard feelings.” Elliott turned red in the face and looked around the room. It was only himself; a junior attorney, Michael; the administrative assistance, Sherry, and me.
“I wasn’t implying that I would not be supportive, I am merely trying not to over burden you at this time.” Elliott was a little thin-lipped weasel of a man and I wasn’t sure if I could trust him. I sure as hell wasn’t taking any chances while I was halfway around the world.
I
