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Chapter Twenty-One
Landon
I rarely admitted that I bit off more than I could chew, even to myself. But two weeks into juggling two companies, I had to admit it. Overseeing the development of Val’s project for the department store had turned into running the entire company. Since her headaches had subsided somewhat, Val was working from home a few hours a day, answering e-mails and taking phone calls, but the brunt of the work had to be done from the office. When my sister was back on her feet, I had to talk her into hiring someone as a right hand. She couldn’t do the job of two people forever.
The deal with Sullivan required more of my time than I’d anticipated, which explained why I was the last person in the building, with samples of perfumes and body washes covering half of my desk, reports the other half.
A shuffling sound caught my attention, and I looked up from the samples, wondering if Val’s assistant was still here after all, but was pl
easantly surprised to see Maddie leaning against the doorway. I rose from my seat and headed to her.
“Beautiful, come on in. What are you doing here? How long have you been standing there?”
“Not long. Was just admiring a CEO in action. It’s a very good look. That suit and those cuff links are yumm. Do you have an endless supply of both?”
“Almost.” Adam had sent over almost all of my clothes.
“I’ve come to whisk you away.”
I pulled her into the office, kissing her hard. I’d spent almost every night at her house the past two weeks. Her bed was my favorite place. Her sweet smell was embedded in the sheets and the pillows. It was my own personal heaven.
“Come on, let’s go,” she murmured.
I glanced back at the literal mountains of work on my desk, but she tsked.
“Oh, so you think you can boss me into painting my house, but I can’t take you away? That’s not how it works, Mr. CEO. I give in, you give in. It’s a two-way street.”
I had no idea what she had in store, but I was looking forward to it. My Maddie had been a bright light among the San Jose deal spiraling out of control and developing Val’s line. But coming home to Maddie and waking up next to her had made everything else manageable.
“You’re feisty today! I wasn’t going to say no. That mountain of work can wait until tomorrow.”
Her face split into a grin. “Come on, then. We have a sunset to catch, and an evening of debauchery to take your mind off that mountain of work.”
We arrived at our destination forty minutes later. The view was extraordinary, the weather as warm as mid-July could be in LA. We were higher up over the city than I’d realized. I could even spot the ocean in the distance. As far as parks went, this one was wild. We were surrounded by yellowing bushes and overgrown grass, but I preferred it to perfectly kept spaces. As a plus, we had no company.
Maddie sat down on the grass, stretching out her legs. She patted the spot next to her, but I shook my head. Instead, I sat behind her, pressing my chest against her back, cradling her legs between mine, needing to touch as much of her as possible.
“How was your day?” I asked.
“Exciting. I’m always excited when I start a new project. It’s so weird being in a school and not seeing any kids around. But it’s easier to work when they’re on vacation. We’re due to finish right before they start school. I’m going to miss working for Val, though. And I can’t spy on her from a distance.”
“Between Lori, Jace, and Will stopping by so often, I think that’s covered. How did you discover this place?”
“I often look for wild spots in the city. For inspiration, you know, since my landscaping aims to mimic the wilderness. Natural habitats have a more relaxing effect on the human brain than perfectly manicured spaces. Obviously I can’t just plant things anywhere and allow them to grow wild, because they’d get in the way. It wouldn’t be practical at all. But I like observing naturally formed clearings and such, because nature usually finds clever solutions, you know?”
I didn’t know because I rarely paid attention to such things. In fact, I didn’t remember the last time I’d taken the time to watch the sunset. Usually I avoided downtime at all costs. But with Maddie, all I wanted to do was carve out more of it in the weeks we had. I liked that she made me stop and pay attention to details.
“I saw an ad today from a residential housing developer. They’re working on a green concept. They want to raise apartment buildings and have the surroundings look like a park. It would be a dream to work on something like that.” She giggled. “Sorry, that was random. I was just excited when I saw it.”
“It’s an honor to hear about your dreams,” I assured her. “Thank you for sharing them with me. Did you apply?”
“I did, actually. But I think I did it just because I couldn’t help myself. I don’t have the capacity for such a project. The area they’re talking about is huge.”
“A partnership sounds more appealing?” I teased.
“The idea keeps nagging, but it still sounds more like an ordeal than an opportunity.”
“That’s fear, Maddie, because it went wrong once. You shouldn’t let that keep you from going after what you want.”
