“What? How do you know?”
“He told me.”
She angled her head, considering me with those gorgeous brown eyes that looked like gems. “Something’s going on with you and my grandfather. Tell me now.”
I caught the side of her face. “I’ll tell you if you agree to be my girlfriend.” Then I kissed her slowly, loving her soft lips against mine and savoring the taste of bacon and scallops. Our tongues twirled, and I wanted to take her into an empty room and have my way with her.
She drew back, breathless. “Okay.”
A single word from her energized me, making my body quiver with excitement. Eva was the catalyst that caused this internal earthquake, shifting my landscape completely.
I kissed her hard and deep and didn’t care who was watching.
She broke free and placed a hand on my chest, looking embarrassed. “We’re at a function. You’re supposed to be proper. Networking, remember?”
She didn’t need to know if I had another reason to be at this event. I didn’t want her to have nightmares like I did. One of us could carry that weight. What would it be like to have her sleep next to me? Would the nightmares disappear?
We enjoyed more appetizers and watched people mingle. Senator Falcone was scheduled to give his speech before dinner. I recognized a few entrepreneurs chatting in a group of men. They saw me and waved. I returned the favor.
“Kain. So good to see you.” Senator Falcone stepped up to us with his wife, Miranda, by his side.
Standing tall and sharp, he had a head full of silver hair, which stood out from the dark tux. Miranda wore a red gown with her silver hair twisted low at the back. In her early sixties, she still looked young and fit.
“Anything to support you and Miranda.” I offered her a hug. “Please meet my girlfriend, Eva.”
“So you’re the lucky gal who’s captured his heart.” Senator Falcone took Eva’s hand in his. “He’s a lucky man.”
“The most eligible bachelor has been taken by a beautiful woman.” Miranda opened her arms to Eva.
“Nice to meet you both.” Eva smiled. “Kain told me so much about your terrific foundation.”
“Thank you. It’s our job to help wherever we can,” Senator Falcone said. “Do you mind if I steal him for a few minutes?”
“Come with me.” Miranda placed a hand on Eva’s arm. “I’ll introduce you to some friends.”
“I’ll be back.” I kissed Eva’s forehead.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Kain
Inside a reserved room, Senator Falcone poured a glass of red wine and offered it to me. “Thanks for coming today.”
“Thank you.” I sipped the wine, letting the taste linger on my tongue. “You know I support your foundation.”
He ushered me to the chair across from him. “Your donations mean a lot to me and the foundation. They help us expand to other states in New England.”
“Education is important.” I swirled my wine glass. “Knowledge is priceless.”
That statement rang true for me, and I knew it was the same for Timber too. Godfrey and Hudson’s families were better off than Timber and me. Their families helped them, whereas I couldn’t have done it without assistance.
Aside from education, the will to succeed and the vision of a wealthy future drove me to build my empire. Each step was acritical move on the chessboard. In order to survive this cruel world, I needed wealth, power, and status.
“You should have access to Ozarrow next week. I’ll have them send you a confirmation letter with an ID number from our system.”
The Falcone family owned the portion of the woods that was still undeveloped. A few members of his family wanted to sell it to a developer to expand the retail area. He didn’t want to, so there was a family dispute, which delayed my request to enter that area.
“I appreciate it.” I finished my wine glass. “Is everything okay with your family?”
