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I hated that side of our business. No matter how hard we tried to build our reputation and make more contracts with clients, there were the unscrupulous sharks that lied shamelessly about things that were far from truth.
How did they know about the project, though? Maybe someone at the bank leaked that the expense was higher than the value. Yes, that could be possible.
Shit. These things happened, but this time it was different. This time I could lose Rebecca, and I couldn’t allow that. I’d promised her she could make whichever design she wanted, giving my best to find the money she would need, and I had to show her all of that was real. I didn’t really care how this happened or why—I had to prove to her I was a good guy and didn’t mislead her about the project.
Now I understood why she was angry at me, probably thinking I just wanted to use her. She couldn’t be more wrong and I wanted to give my best to prove to her what she meant to me. I got so addicted to her in this short period of time that I couldn’t imagine spending another day without her. I needed to see her. I needed her to believe me.
I went to the hotel and headed for the old bridal suite. After Rebecca told me how much this place meant to her, I remembered this room, and I’d wanted to use it once to surprise her. I’d never thought I would have to use it in this way—trying to get her to forgive me, but what was done, was done.
If anyone had told me I would be so crazy about some woman, I would laugh at them and then laugh some more. Hell, until recently I joked about Grant being so in love with Madison, not really understanding that connection they shared.
Now I wanted nothing more than to be with Rebecca and never get separated from her.
I loved her.
Shit. I loved her. I loved that woman who was so serious, but at the same time so fiesty and seductive when she wanted to be. She was smart and talented, and she was so beautiful. There was no one else like her. She was truly special and I needed her. I had to make things right with her.
After an hour, I set up the old bridal suite with roses and candles. It had already been furnished with the double bed and floor mirror, and I brought blankets and pillows. I lit the candles and stepped aside to take a look of the work I’d done.
I shoved my hands into my pockets, feeling too nervous. My heart was racing and my palms actually started sweating. Seriously, what was wrong with me? I was acting ridiculous.
I was worried she wouldn’t forgive me. What if she wasn’t the “roses and candles” type of girl? What if she didn’t trust me in the end?
“Stop this, man. You will sort it out. Come on, you act like you’re a teenager on a first date.”
I took my phone out of my pocket and texted Rebecca to let her know where she could find me.
The more time passed, the more nervous I became, and by the time I heard the knocking on the door, I was already pacing around the room in circles and imagining the negative outcome.
Shit. Okay. Here we go. I opened the door and felt my heart skip a beat when I saw her. She was wearing one of her boring business suits, but she’d never looked prettier to me. Even though her face was pale and she had dark circles under her eyes, there was no one more beautiful than her.
“Rebecca.” I approached her, my hands itching to touch her, but I noticed the way she tensed and I halted mid-step. I smiled slightly at her, trying to ease the atmosphere, but she didn’t return it. Okay. I needed to take baby steps with her. “Come in.” I let her pass, stepping backward to give her some space.
She entered and stopped when she noticed how I’d decorated it.
“Charles...,” she began, but her voice died off.
I closed the door, suddenly worried she would decide to bail from here. I got to the other part of the room, making sure to show her I didn’t want to pressure her or anything.
“I’m sorry if it was too much. Do you like it? I mean, I hope you like it. This doesn’t mean I wanted... I... Shit,” I was mumbling, terribly nervous, and I had to pull myself together. I moved my hand through my short hair and thought carefully about the right way to start our conversation. “Why don’t you take a seat?” I pointed at the chair that was placed opposite from the double bed.
“Okay.” She sat do
wn on it and waited for me to take a seat somewhere. Strangely, I felt too restless to sit, so I just stood.
“Look, I saw the news about the hotel today, and now I understand why you were so angry yesterday.” She opened her mouth to say something, but I raised my hand to stop her and looked at her with my pleading eyes. “Please, let me just say this. That was a lie. We never planned to tear down that hotel. Shit, I want to do opposite from it.”
“Then why did that contractor say that?”
“To ruin the project.”
She looked at me like she couldn’t believe me. “What?”
“Yes. Someone lied to ruin our project.”
“I can’t believe you. That is not possible. That is horrible!”
I shrugged my shoulders. “Yes, it’s possible, and you’re right—it is horrible.” I sat on the bed and leaned my elbows on my knees. “Those things happen all the time in our line of business, Rebecca. There are people who would sell their own mother to beat their competition, and the market is too big. There are a lot of strong players, and each one of us wants to be the best.”
