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“Because I want to change things up and pull you off of that company.”
I sat on the couch and watched Nicole take down two glasses and pour the wine. Looking at her and contemplating leaving was too much to process right now. “I’ll have to see if I can make that.”
“Didn’t you hear me? I said we’ll discuss it tomorrow.”
Nicole looked my direction after pouring the second glass.
I raised a finger to have her give me a minute while I thought through the ramifications.
“You there?” Dad asked after I didn’t respond.
I wasn’t in a mood to be pushed tonight. “Dad, I’ll get back to you on that.”
“This is not a request,” he said.
There it was. The same threat as always. It was always hanging over me that I had to follow his every instruction without question or else. I’d inherited the position of crown prince at Benson, which most often meant crown lackey. Do this, do that, with an unsaidor elseat the end of every direction. Or elsewhatwas never a discussion we’d had. I’d always done my duty. Following Dad’s instructions had become second nature.
I crooked my finger to motion Nicole over. Having her close was what I wanted tonight.
Dad breathed a sigh of exasperation. “In order to get moving on our succession plan, I need you on Camper Heaven now.”
Succession planwere the words I’d always lived for.Alwaysbeing past tense. Two weeks ago, the words would have elated me. Tonight, my gut reaction was different.
Tonight, as I looked at the girl in front of me, I had a decision to make. I’d urged Nicole to be more decisive, and now it was my turn to practice what I preached.
Nicole handed me my glass and sat next to me.
“I have unfinished work here,” I told him.
Nicole took a sip of her wine and sidled up close, a very warm, very enticing hand on my chest. Her lips brushed a soft kiss on my ear.
It wasn’t just the feel of her touch and the energy that flowed from it. I’d followed directions long enough. Tonight I was setting my own course, and my destination sat next to me. Leaving was not an option. Tonight, London or bust was being replaced by Nicole or bust. Somehow I knew she was worth it. If it didn’t work, it wouldn’t be for lack of me trying.
I gathered the strength I needed for this from her touch. “I’ll get back to you. I have to go now.” I hung up—only the second time in my life I could remember hanging up on Dad. The first hadn’t gone well.
As I looked into Nicole’s eyes, I could see my yellow brick road no longer went through London.
When my brother Vincent left the company, Dad had insisted it was time for me to join Benson Corp. I’d initially resisted, but Dad could be a force of nature when he set his mind to it, and won that battle.
This time, I would be the immovable object.
Chapter 24
Nicole
“I’ll get backto you. I have to go now,” Josh said as he ended the call. Irritation laced his voice.
I curled my fingers into his shirt. “What was that about?”
His phone rang with his father’s odd ringtone again. After silencing the beast, his look softened, and he pulled me closer.
Every touch ignited sparks of possibility. Sandy was right—it had been too long for me, way too long since I’d felt like this. Just his hand at my side raised goosebumps of anticipation. This man pulled me in a way I hadn’t felt before—not ever.
He put the phone away. “Dad wants me to talk to him tomorrow about another project.”
“Oh… Like, another company?”
He nodded.
