Page 36
Story: Mended Hearts
Panoramic sunroof—wide open.
The rumble of my Bentayga through the floorboards had me itching for open roads to let her run.
Traffic—terrible, but I was too goddamn happy to care.
The aftertaste of Leighton Rhodes was a heady concoction on my tongue, and every inch of me buzzed with the echo of her touch.
Holy shit. She kissedme. Wantedme. Welcomed me into her home—and then her bed—and looked like a damn angel beneath those lust-drunk lids this morning. If the last thing I saw in this life was her face when that first orgasm hit, I’d die a very happy man.
She was a dream. And I had no intention of waking up.
Still grinning like a teenager, I waited for the gate to open and pulled into the driveway. I was back in my own gym set, her folded sweats resting in the passenger seat, the glorious sun warm against my face as I stepped from the car.
Men talked about walking on top of the world with the right woman by their side. I used to think they were suckers. But now? I damn near floated through my front door, breathing in the scent of bacon and coffee and the delighted laughter of my kids. I was one step from levitating when I rounded the corner into the kitchen to find Beau and Mattie bopping along to some kiddie tune with the nanny.
“Good night, boss?” Oaklyn chirped, already reaching for the coffee pot.
I just grinned and leaned down to kiss both my kids’ cheeks. Happy. I'd forgotten what that felt like. “Morning, sunshines.”
“Morning, Daddy,” they chorused.
Coffee in hand, I strolled toward my office, planning to clear a few emails before brunch. That plan ground to a halt the moment I stepped inside and saw Greyson sitting in the chair across from my desk, looking far too serious for a Saturday.
What was it with brothers shitting on the perfect day?
He cleared his throat. “Where you been, Ollie?”
“Out,” I clipped, circling him and ignoring the jackass perched in my chair like he paid the mortgage.
“Care to expand?”
“Not particularly.” I crossed to my espresso bar, setting down the black coffee and reaching for a sugar packet. “What do you want, Greyson?”
I could feel him watching me for a long beat, analyzing, strategizing. Even as I fetched a carton of plant-based creamer from the mini fridge and stirred it into my mug before returning it.
The man dominated the conference room only in part because of his strategy. What the opposition never realized was how much power he held in his ability to stay silent. Waiting. Eventually, they would crack under the weight of his stony, expectant glare. He’d always had it, but fuck if it wasn’t worse after his time in the Navy.
But this wasn’t some executive takeover.
This was my house.Myoffice. And I might answer to my brother on the board, but not here.
“You’re in my chair.”
“I am.”
“It’s Saturday. I blocked this morning off.”
“You did.”
“So, what are you doing here? Is Alice okay?”
“She’s fine. Thank you for asking.”
I turned and finally faced him.
“Take a seat,” he instructed.
“I don’t think I will.” Just to be petty, I leaned against the espresso table and took a slow sip. The first cup of the day was sacred, and he was fucking with my ritual.
The rumble of my Bentayga through the floorboards had me itching for open roads to let her run.
Traffic—terrible, but I was too goddamn happy to care.
The aftertaste of Leighton Rhodes was a heady concoction on my tongue, and every inch of me buzzed with the echo of her touch.
Holy shit. She kissedme. Wantedme. Welcomed me into her home—and then her bed—and looked like a damn angel beneath those lust-drunk lids this morning. If the last thing I saw in this life was her face when that first orgasm hit, I’d die a very happy man.
She was a dream. And I had no intention of waking up.
Still grinning like a teenager, I waited for the gate to open and pulled into the driveway. I was back in my own gym set, her folded sweats resting in the passenger seat, the glorious sun warm against my face as I stepped from the car.
Men talked about walking on top of the world with the right woman by their side. I used to think they were suckers. But now? I damn near floated through my front door, breathing in the scent of bacon and coffee and the delighted laughter of my kids. I was one step from levitating when I rounded the corner into the kitchen to find Beau and Mattie bopping along to some kiddie tune with the nanny.
“Good night, boss?” Oaklyn chirped, already reaching for the coffee pot.
I just grinned and leaned down to kiss both my kids’ cheeks. Happy. I'd forgotten what that felt like. “Morning, sunshines.”
“Morning, Daddy,” they chorused.
Coffee in hand, I strolled toward my office, planning to clear a few emails before brunch. That plan ground to a halt the moment I stepped inside and saw Greyson sitting in the chair across from my desk, looking far too serious for a Saturday.
What was it with brothers shitting on the perfect day?
He cleared his throat. “Where you been, Ollie?”
“Out,” I clipped, circling him and ignoring the jackass perched in my chair like he paid the mortgage.
“Care to expand?”
“Not particularly.” I crossed to my espresso bar, setting down the black coffee and reaching for a sugar packet. “What do you want, Greyson?”
I could feel him watching me for a long beat, analyzing, strategizing. Even as I fetched a carton of plant-based creamer from the mini fridge and stirred it into my mug before returning it.
The man dominated the conference room only in part because of his strategy. What the opposition never realized was how much power he held in his ability to stay silent. Waiting. Eventually, they would crack under the weight of his stony, expectant glare. He’d always had it, but fuck if it wasn’t worse after his time in the Navy.
But this wasn’t some executive takeover.
This was my house.Myoffice. And I might answer to my brother on the board, but not here.
“You’re in my chair.”
“I am.”
“It’s Saturday. I blocked this morning off.”
“You did.”
“So, what are you doing here? Is Alice okay?”
“She’s fine. Thank you for asking.”
I turned and finally faced him.
“Take a seat,” he instructed.
“I don’t think I will.” Just to be petty, I leaned against the espresso table and took a slow sip. The first cup of the day was sacred, and he was fucking with my ritual.
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142
- Page 143
- Page 144
- Page 145
- Page 146
- Page 147
- Page 148
- Page 149
- Page 150
- Page 151
- Page 152
- Page 153
- Page 154
- Page 155
- Page 156
- Page 157
- Page 158
- Page 159
- Page 160
- Page 161
- Page 162
- Page 163
- Page 164
- Page 165
- Page 166
- Page 167
- Page 168
- Page 169
- Page 170
- Page 171
- Page 172
- Page 173
- Page 174
- Page 175
- Page 176
- Page 177
- Page 178
- Page 179
- Page 180
- Page 181
- Page 182
- Page 183
- Page 184
- Page 185
- Page 186
- Page 187
- Page 188
- Page 189
- Page 190
- Page 191
- Page 192
- Page 193