I get back to my apartment and st ep into the shower, where I plan to remain for at least twenty hot, steamy
minutes. It’s a different kind of hot and steamy than my weekend revelries, of course, and I’m almost sad to wash
myself clean of him. There’s every possibility the love affair between Tex and Ace is now over.
Yeah right. That’s what you said last time. And the time before that. As I stand here under the rain shower
head, which has a perfect water pressure and does its best to ease my stress levels, I mull over what I should do
about my new discovery.
Should I tell Ace about Rylee? Of course I should. Of course I will—even though she threatened to out me and
Ace to the entire company, and everyone in the office will then immediately assume that I sl ept my way into my
job.
Even so, I know I’ll end up doing the right thing. Damn these scruples. They’re going to end up costing me
everything. But Ace could potentially lose the business he’s spent years building, along with billions of dollars. So
could Noah and Colton, who have also invested years of hard work into IE. I could never forgive myself if I didn’t
do everything I could to stop that from happening.
At the expense of your own career? Unfortunately, the answer to my subconscious’s question is yes. Maybe
they’ll go easy on me if I save their company.
And so, after exactly twenty minutes of steam-heavy bliss, I turn off the shower and dry myself with one of
the fluffy towels that were included with my furnished apartment. It’s the softest towel I’ve ever used, along with
the nicest shower I’ve ever had as my own, the nicest bathmat, the swankiest bedroom, and so on.
Most likely, I’ll have to move out within days, once the news breaks. I’ll have to bunk with Emma and hit the
mean streets of New York in search of a coffee girl role. A problem for another day—or at least later on in this
one.
I choose a light blue knit dress that’s both flattering and professional. Standing in front of the mirror, I put on
some mascara and lip gloss. I leave my hair long and loose.
Ready or not, Cash Maddox, here I come to save the day. And then to pick my way out of the rubble once I’ve
decimated all my hopes and dreams.
I unplug my phone from its charger and notice I’ve missed a call from Ace. He won’t be happy that I ran out
on him again, but we both know it’s for the best.
He’s left a message. I hesitate before listening to it. I’m expecting him to tell me that yes, it was a beautiful
weekend. The kind of amazing, in fact, that you could lose yourself in and wish for the kind of happily ever after
that only happens in fictional romance novels or cheesy Netflix rom-coms. But that it’s best if we ke ep a low
profile. I’m sure he’ll tell me that he’ll call me sometime once things aren’t so crazy at work.
I play back the message. His low, husky voice instantly brings back a particularly vivid memory of that
wicked mouth and all the things he did to me with it.
“Now you listen here, Texas. You want honesty? Well, here’s some fucking honesty: I’m coming into the
office now and I’m going to tell the whole company we’re together. Because we are. We’re together. I’ll shout it
from the fucking rooftops if you want me to. I’m addicted to you and I’m in love with you. Do you hear me? And I
don’t give a damn who knows about it. I don’t care that it’s happened like a runaway freight train on fucking
steroids. The only thing I care about is making sure I can see you again tonight. If I have to sling you over my
shoulder like a goddamn caveman and carry you through the office kicking and screaming, then I will. Is that
honest enough for you?” There’s an agitated pause. “Yes, you work for me.
So the fuck what? Lots of people work for me! That doesn’t mean we can’t be together. The two things don’t
have to be mutually exclusive. I’m the fucking CEO! I own the majority shareholding of the company! I get to
make the decisions. And here’s my decision: I want you. For the first time in my life, I don’t want to be half-assed
about it. I’m all in, Texas. Now stop running from me.” When he continues his rant, his voice is softer. “Yeah. Our
weekend was pretty damn spectacular, wasn’t it, baby girl? I loved it too. And I’m not making things harder. I’m
making them easier. I don’t care if my empire crumbles around me. That just won’t matter to me if you’re not in
my empire. Or at least near it. I can build more empires. I’ve done it before, I can do whatever it takes. And as for
being sorry, Tex, you fucking should be! But you can make it up to me tonight. You’re going to be very sorry
when I spank your sweet little ass for leaving without even so much as a goodbye kiss. So I’m going to hang up
now and I’m going to come into the office and we’re going to meet and talk things through. No more running. I
need you, baby.”
Wow. A long time ago, I used to allow myself to dream about the perfect man. The kind who would say the
kind of words you needed to hear exactly when you needed to hear them.
A man who would fight for you. Who would dedicate his life to you, like you see in Disney movies.
A man who would stay. But that fantasy is something I gave up wishing for a long time ago. I honestly wish I
could restore that kind of idealism in myself. I wish I could let Ace restore it, if that’s the kind of thing he would
even want to do.
The sad reality is that it’s been too long for me. Too many years of day- in-day-out struggling. Working.
Striving. Not hoping, but doing whatever I have to do to win. Hope was never really part of the equation, so it’s
incredibly hard for me to hinge my future on it. The part of my psyche that might be inclined to hope was dented
beyond recognition when I was four years old.
I ignore the sting behind my eyes, squaring my shoulders and getting ready to face what promises to be a roller
coaster of a day.
Closing the door of the apartment, I take the elevator down to the Sky Walk. I stand there for a few minutes,
staring down at the New York traffic and wondering what will become of my life.
Then I call Ace’s number.