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“True, but that doesn’t mean you stop trying now. Lottie is special and she should be treated that way.”
“Fuck, I know that, which is why I’m asking you to help me out.”
“Fine, but you know I’m shit with fashion. Lucky for you I have a secret weapon in Gaspard. He’ll be overjoyed to help with this.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. No, go do your meeting and I’ll handle things on this end.”
I hang up and consider my brother’s words as I gaze out over Manhattan.
I don’t want to fuck it up, I already did that once and he doesn’t have a clue. When we broke up the first time everyone thought it was because of her mother moving away, but that wasn’t the truth, at least not the whole truth. I’d broken us before she ran from me, and I can’t say that I wouldn’t do the same thing again given the choices I had. That doesn’t mean I don’t regret it. The truth is I never got over Lottie, not really. I told myself I had, and I led my life for fun, never stopping to consider the people I hurt or caring much. Then she came back into my life like a tornado, and I have this urge to keep her, to make her mine, to make her love me again. Yet I’m terrified of allowing my feelings for her to take flight. If I let myself love her again and she leaves I’ll be nothing but a shell, so I have to be smart and make her love me without letting myself fall for her or at least letting her know how deeply she’s under my skin.
That’s the real reason I left her in our bed this morning and it’s the reason I’ll keep my distance from her apart from when we fuck or make love.
No, that’s not right. I can’t make love to her, or can I? Perhaps that’s the one time I can show her what we are without the risk of letting my heart get trampled into dust.
My watch beeps an alarm and I stand, switching it off. It’s time I took my place as head of this company and watch my father burn.
The muttering inside the conference room dies down as I step inside. My eyes wander around the room, immediately catching the gaze of my father. He’s tall like me and fit, with salt and pepper hair, but I have my mother’s eyes and mouth and both me and Clark follow our grandfather on my mom’s side for looks.
His lips twist into a sneer as he sits at the head of the table. My grandfather insisted this clause be added to my father’s last contract and he’d been so sure I’d never marry he’d allowed it.
Charles Coldwell was so sure that I had no interest in the business that he’d gotten lazy and I’d capitalized on it.
“Son, this is a surprise. Can you tell us why you called us all here on a Sunday morning?”
More mutterings came from the other members of the board, but I suspected some of them had seen this coming. While he was playing golf, I’d been working hard and making sure I had the support I’d need to make this move.
Unbuttoning my jacket, I sit beside him to his left and turn to address the board, keeping his face in my eye line. “I’m sorry for the inconvenience, everyone.” I catch Audrey’s eye and she lifts a perfectly arched brow. My cousin was the first person I added to the board and my grandfather had been thrilled about it. Audrey was a savvy businesswoman and a formidable one too. She’s the only person I wouldn’t want to face down in the boardroom.
“Well, get on with it.”
My father’s impatience only makes me want to draw it out longer, but I have no desire to spend more time with him than necessary. “Of course. I have some news. Yesterday afternoon I married my childhood sweetheart.”
Shocked gasps ring out around the room, but Audrey laughs loudly making me smirk. It’s overshadowed by my father shoving his chair back and banging the table.
“What nonsense is this? Why was I not privy to this?”
His face is almost puce red, and I take a perverse satisfaction in the fact. “Not nonsense father. I married Violet Miller yesterday afternoon. Mother and Clark were there as our witnesses.”
He blusters as if he can’t find the right words and I’m sure if I looked hard enough steam would shoot from his ears.
“This is an outrage. You marry that cheap little slut, and I’m not even invited?”
My chair hits the floor as I lunge at him, and he scampers back, away from my fury. “Call her that one more time and I’ll fucking end you.”
I feel a hand on my arm and look to see Audrey beside me.
“Sit down, Lincoln. Getting arrested won’t help.”
I glare at the man who sired me one more time, making sure he’s going to keep his trap shut about Lottie before I sit. “Now that is clear. I’d like to take my position as CEO of Kennedy Enterprises. The board is clear on the terms of my father’s last contract, and they state that if I marry, the board would vote between us for the position of CEO. I’m calling that vote today.”
“Let’s take a vote.”
Audrey sits beside me as the CFO and calls the vote. One by one the hands go up in my favor. Only two people vote for my father, and I know they’re his golfing buddies and the men who go on the same trips as he does to cheat on their wives. One is also a member of Ruin, or should I say about to be a former member.
“That’s eight two in favor of Lincoln taking over as CEO effective immediately.”
