Page 16 of See You Maybe
“Seriously?”
“Promise.”
What the fuck are you doing?
This is a terrible fucking idea.
Declan ignored his brain, frantically telling him to stop, as he removed his pants under the covers and tossed them to the floor.
He had lost his mind. It was the only rational explanation for how he was behaving.
Declan huffed a quiet laugh and lay back down, careful to leave at least a foot of space between them. Lying on his side facing her, he watched fascinated as she gave him a sweet smile, before her thick lashes drifted shut again, casting shadows across her cheeks.
Declan watched her sleep for far longer than he should have. They were strangers. This was complete madness. But he couldn’t deny that lying next to her, listening to her breathe, filled him with an odd sense of peace.
He didn’t know what was happening, but as he allowed himself to close his eyes, he accepted that whatever it was… He wasn’t going to walk away.
CHAPTER SIX
Atlanta—Present Day
“Let me show you what being under the Bloom Communications umbrella means.” Chris Keller beamed at them across the table at the conclusion of their meeting.
Olivia was a little surprised when the CEO of the global corporation had come to the meeting himself. He was younger than she’d expected, not too many years older than herself. His kind face and a casual attitude were the complete opposite to Declan.
She mentally frowned. Why was she comparing them?
At the end of the meeting, Chris had thrown out an invitation to attend the famous Crystal Gala in New York as his guests.
Kyle’s face lit up at the prospect of a such a high-profile event. “That sounds amazing.”
“It’s unnecessary,” Richard demurred
Kyle glared at his father.
“It would be a great chance for you to meet some of the heads of our other divisions. Show you how Armstrong Electronics will fit perfectly into our corporate family. XEROS’s potential is extremely exciting.”
Olivia smiled. Chris seemed earnest, but she couldn’t help but hear her grandmother’s advice in her ear. “Anyone who promises you everything is lying.”
“We’ll keep all the design functions in-house here in Georgia, but you might need to come to the corporate offices at some point. This way you’ll get to know everyone in a more informal setting, and the next day I’ll give you a tour of our building.”
“Won’t our joining you make it look like we’ve already accepted your offer?” Richard asked.
“Dad, this is how business is done.” The muscle in Kyle’s jaw ticked, and Olivia looked away.
“I understand your concerns, Mr. Armstrong, but I assure you, this kind of thing is done all the time. This deal is a little like a marriage. I don’t know what your other offers look like, but Bloom Communications wants to work with you. And, if we are going to be working together, it is a good idea to see how well we fit.” His eyes drifted to Olivia, and he smiled. She returned the smile, and Kyle scowled.
“Will your fiancée be there?” Kyle cut in.
Was he really going to act like he was jealous? Though Olivia wasn’t sure of whose attention he was jealous. Chris’s or hers?
Chris’s smile didn’t slip, but his eyes dimmed. “I hope Courtney feels up to coming. Recently she has suffered some terrible personal losses.”
Olivia held her tongue, not sure how to respond. The deaths of both of Courtney Bloom’s sons had dominated the news several weeks before. Local news channels had run the story multiple times a day—the macabre draw of murder and money irresistible to the public. The headlines had been lurid. Youngest Son of Billionaire Widow Dead After Multiple Murders Revealed.
With his characteristic lack of sensitivity, Kyle’s eyes gleamed. “I read about that. How crazy is it that she’s your fiancée, and her stepson is the other guy trying to buy us? And, the woman who shot her kid is Declan Bloom’s sister-in-law.”
The air in the room grew thick with tension, and Chris’s jaw tightened. “It was very shocking.” Seeming to shake it off, he cleared his throat and extended his hands palms up. “What do you say? Would you like to attend the Crystal Gala as my guests?”