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One unit in a prime position at the noon point of the fountain was all lit up inside. She could see the gleaming white marble of the floors through the broad glass frontage.
That they actually went to the unit and Hugo produced a key to open the door was a surprise. Tess didn’t know why they were there, but figured they had to be meeting someone or that Hugo had business to deal with before they got to the surprise.
Going inside the sweet-smelling space, she admired the size and the modern lines. Because she expected Hugo to be there for his own purpose, she said nothing. But when her scanning around the place brought her attention to him, there was an unusual smile on his face.
“What do you think?” he asked.
She rolled her eyes around their sockets. “Uh, it’s great… You know I like this building, it’s beautiful.”
In truth, the plaza was too busy for her taste. Every inch of the entire building seemed to be occupied, always moving. All of Vegas was like that. But she was raised better than to insult the host. Her mom was big on, “if you have nothing nice to say…” with outsiders anyway.
“I hoped you would like it,” he said and opened his arms. “It’s yours.”
Unsure what he meant, she raised her brows. “Mine?”
“Yes,” he said, nodding as he approached. “I already have people working to employ you a staff and a squad ready to manufacture your product from the samples you have completed.”
The “samples” he was referring to were, she guessed, the already constructed garments. Given the current situation, most of what she made was for her own wardrobe or to combat boredom. In normal times, her pieces were sold to pay bills. It had never occurred to her to scale what she did or to run her own boutique.
“Thank you, but I… I can’t accept.”
He frowned. “You don’t have to worry about anything. This space is yours. Rent free. We have plenty of foot traffic passing through this location.” Hugo leaned in to stage whisper. “And we have bars and casinos to lower people’s inhibitions… and loosen their purse strings. There are shows and concerts and events all over, your highest end items will sell here.”
Her highest end items weren’t close to what a man of his means would consider high end.
“I appreciate it, really I do,” she said. “It’s an amazing thought, but…” There was another reason running a store wasn’t a good idea. “I never stay in one place for long. It’s never a good idea to stand out.”
“That’s the way you were raised,” he said, sliding an arm around her to guide her deeper into the empty space. “You don’t have to worry about Olympus, you’re part of Olympus now.” He stopped to take her shoulders. “You can stop running, Tess. No one will hurt you. No one is after you… You can have a life now.”
Daire was the first thing that came to mind. The only life Tess wanted was the one she could never have with him. He would hate the idea of a boutique. Not because he didn’t want her to have success, but because he wouldn’t want her to be a target… It also didn’t help that he’d already told her flat out that he was conscious of what Hugo could offer that he couldn’t.
Always believing himself to be secondary to the mission, to Hades, to Olympus, Daire’s life was about sacrifice. Giving him up was her sacrifice. His cause was worthy… But maybe she’d contributed to the problem. If he loved her, wanted her, he had the right to make his own choices. By declaring they couldn’t be together because he belonged to Olympus, she’d reinforced that his own desires should be dismissed. Was her sacrifice noble, or did it marginalize him the way Olympus always had?
“Tess?”
Hugo’s voice snapped her from a daze. “I… I do appreciate it. There’s no way I can possibly fill a space this size. Not quickly.”
“You can take as much time as you need,” he said. “You will have a team at your disposal. I’ve commissioned a workspace for you in a suite upstairs. For now, you can consider it your office. Mari will help with your personal needs. We’ll have an assistant assigned to run errands. Anything you require will be provided.”
“Hugo,” she said, laying a hand on his forearm. “Why are you doing this? Why would you do this for me?”
“Because you’ve been running long enough,” he said, touching her cheek. “Olympus has taken too much from you. It’s time you took control of your own future…” His grin returned. “Come on, I’ll show you the back, then take you upstairs to meet the beginnings of your team.”
Her own future. That could mean so much. Hugo liked to touch her, he liked to sit close and use endearments. But just like she’d said to Daire, their host hadn’t crossed any lines, hadn’t tried to kiss or grope her. If this was the way he went about getting laid, he was putting in a lot of effort and many miles. There had been no hint he wanted payment or expected gratitude. Still, Daire’s warning played in her mind. Hugo had an agenda. She just had to figure out what it was.
EIGHT
THE DAY QUICKLY WENT from easy and relaxed to difficult and busy. Sitting in the enormous suite Hugo designated hers, equipment and people passed before her with an expectation she’d make reasoned decisions.
In the evening, Hugo tried to persuade her to stay in the suite overnight, to consider it her home. Yeah, right. Going back to the house was important, necessary. All the assurances of her needs being met wouldn’t dissuade her. His hotel couldn’t accommodate her most essential need: Daire. Not that she said that aloud to the mogul.
Asserting that she wanted to pack her own things and didn’t want others snooping around in them, she eventually won out and he took her back to his house.
That didn’t mean he left her alone. Dinner was waiting for them under silver in the atrium. How had he done that? While they’d been talking in the suite, it was clear Hugo expected to win the argument. She shouldn’t be surprised. A man with his means could make almost anything happen.
Throughout the meal, he talked about how he’d support her new venture, and how it was a guaranteed success. Some aspects of running her own boutique were exciting, but her suspicions wouldn’t silence. It was like a dream. One she’d wake up from at any moment. Typical dreams came with cruel twists. Of course they did, Daire starred in them.
No one disturbed the meal. Unfortunately. She didn’t want Daire to witness her socializing with another man but would feel better to lay eyes on him.
