AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’ll let it go if you admit one thing. Admit that you missed me.”
Celeste rolls her eyes, and I gently begin to massage her scalp, needing to touch her as intimately as possible. “Unlike you, I don’t make a habit of lying, and that’s exactly what I’d be doing if I said that I missed you, Zane.” She glares at me, and I smile back at her despite her scathing tone. I just love the way she’s giving me her undivided attention. “Being away from you was the highlight of my time in London. Not having to see your smug face brought me more joy than you’ll ever know.”
“That’s unfortunate,” I whisper, unable to tear my eyes off her. “Because I missed you, my beautiful Celestial. I missed that soft huff that escapes your lips when I annoy you, the way your eyes flash when I outdo you, the way you challenge me to do better.”
“Is that what this is?” she asks, her voice faltering, her vulnerability shining through. “Is this another game we’re playing, Zane? Another contest?”
The way she looks into my eyes without a hint of the timidness that always hid away her beautiful soul is a real fucking delight. “Perhaps so.”
“You’ll never win this one.”
“You don’t even know what game we’re playing yet,” I counter.
She shrugs and subtly rolls her hips, drawing a soft moan from my throat. “I have a pretty good idea, Zane. You won’t get me into your bed — I’ll never want you.”
I smile, my heart pounding wildly. “That’s not what you said when you came all over my fingers on prom night, my sweet goddess.”
“That was amistake,” she snaps, taking a step away from me, her eyes flashing with shame and anger. “It’s one I’ll never repeat, Zane. Not even in my worst nightmares.”
It hurts to know she regrets the one night that meant everything to me. Nonetheless, I smile, the way she expects of me. “I’ll remember those words fondly the next time I’m pushing my cock deep into you, Celeste. When I’ve got you on the brink of an orgasm, my name on your lips, I’ll make you eat those words before I make you beg for more. And you will. You’llbeg, just like you did that night.”
She glares at me, but that hatred I see in her eyes… it’s laced with pure, unadulterated desire. She’s right to say we’re playing a game, the way we always have. What my beautiful Celestial hasn’t quite figured out is that this time, I’m playing for keeps.
ChapterThree
Celeste
“You’re late,” my grandfather says the moment I walk into my office, and I tense, surprised to find him leaning against my desk. His disapproving expression keeps me rooted in place for a few moments longer than it should have, and his mood sours further.
“It’s five to seven,” I tell him, double-checking my watch.
I regret the words the moment they leave my lips, but by then, it’s too late. Grandpa’s eyes harden, and he crosses his arms. “I expect better from my successor, Celeste. I’ve always been the first in the office, and you should be too.”
I take a deep breath and smile politely instead of saying what’s on my mind — that Iamthe first person in the office, other than him. “Noted,” I say, trying my hardest to add some cheer to my voice. “I’ll come in earlier tomorrow.”
Grandpa nods, seemingly placated, and gestures at my chair. I’m surprised he didn’t seat himself behind my desk when he found it empty. I’d probably have preferred that over having him tower over me like this. My grandfather has always been an intimidating man, but even so, nothing could have prepared me for his intensity at work.
“Tell me what you learned at the Windsor gala,” he asks as I sit down. “Was there anything notable about the hotel?”
Heat rushes to my face at the thought of Zane, and I clear my throat in an effort to clear my mind. “As expected, their latest hotel is pure luxury, down to every last detail. I analyzed everything I could get my hands on, and the results are… unsatisfactory. From what I can tell, a lot of their success comes down to synergy. Most of their locations are cherry-picked by Windsor Real Estate before they’re handed over to Windsor Hotels to develop, and all of their electronics, down to their elevators and automated curtains, are designed by Windsor Motors. Those are just the things they keep in-house. Their collaborations with other brands are unprecedented. Any brand that’s considered luxurious already has an exclusive partnership with the Windsors that they aren’t willing to compromise — right down to the hand cream brand they offer in their hotel bathrooms.”
Grandpa’s eyes flash with anger, and I sigh, bracing myself for yet another lecture. “You aren’t telling me anything I don’t already know, Celeste. I don’t need you to identify the problem — I need you to fix it. I could’ve told you all of this myself.” He straightens and shoots me a disappointed look. “I’m tired of coming second to the Windsors, and I’m done being humiliated by your inability to outperform that Windsor boy. Perhaps my hopes were too high, considering you couldn’t even beat his academic records in school.”
The bitterness in his voice hits me hard, and I can’t help but, feel utterly defeated. “I’ve only been working for you for a few weeks,” I tell him. “Give me a little bit of time, and I’ll come up with a plan. I have full faith that we’ll be able to increase our profits for the year by at least thirty percent. That kind of growth puts us on par with Windsor Hotels in three years. The Bellevue Inn could be a tremendous opportunity for us.”
I spent weeks analyzing our investment opportunities and ended up selecting a small Victorian inn that could be turned into a highly luxurious retreat — the Bellevue. My proposal for it is near-perfect, and if all goes well, Grandpa might actually start trusting me a bit more.
He huffs, his disbelief apparent. “I’ll believe it when I see it. For years, you’ve come second to Zane Windsor, and the gap between you two only increases with time, just like the gap between our companies. Zane started working years ago, while you were out gallivanting in London.” He looks away, agitated. “It’s bad enough that your father decided to forsake his upbringing to become a writer, of all things. If Archer hadn’t been equally stubborn, we’d at least be on the same level as them already.”
I subconsciously wrap my arms around myself, but it doesn’t shield me from the pain Grandpa inflicts by reminding me I’m not his first or second choice. Part of me wants to tell him I’m trying my best, and that he should acknowledge that much at least. Years of being compared to my brother and Zane taught me better than that.
“Do better, Celeste. Considering how much time you spent on that little inn, you’d better finalize the acquisition without delay. It’s an easy enough project, which is why you selected it, isn’t it? There’s nothing wrong with taking on some smaller projects every once in a while, so long as they’re profitable. But we aren’t a small firm. You need to think bigger if you ever want a chance at beating Windsor Hotels.”
I nod demurely, and he takes a step toward my office door. “Grandpa!” I call, the tremor in my voice betraying my nerves.
Grandpa looks back over his shoulder. I hesitate, unsure how to voice my request. “About Lily’s job application,” I begin to say, and he clenches his jaw, annoyance flashing through his eyes.
“I made an exception for you because you’re my granddaughter, Celeste. My company is not a playground. Your friend can apply the way everyone else does, and if she’s good enough to work here, she’ll be hired through the proper routes.” He says it like he hasn’t known Lily for years, like we haven’t been best friends since we were twelve. “You need to learn to separate your private life and work — you’re aHarrison. People will attempt to use you left and right if you let them. You’re too weak. Work on that.”
