“In Bessie?” I stammer.
“Yes, in Bitchy. I borrowed her from Viagra Mike. Although I must tell you, I’ve ordered you a new Range Rover. Bessie is unbearable.”
“You snob.” I giggle, then turn and hug Alan in excitement.
He laughs. “Have a great weekend, Ms. Foster,” he says as he helps me into the car. I lean over and grab Jameson and kiss his face. I love that he borrowed Bessie for me.
He honks the horn. “Goodbye, Alan,” he calls as he does an overexaggerated wave.
I laugh out loud at his un-Jameson-like behavior. “Goodbye, Alan.”
We bunny hop out of the parking lot, and he takes my hand in his and kisses the back of it. “Where do you want to go, my little fuck bunny?”
I smile over at my beautiful man. “Bumfuck nowhere.”
Two hours later
Jameson pulls into the driveway of Arndell, and I bounce in my seat. “We are going to our house?” I shriek in excitement.
“Yes, I booked it for the weekend.”
I unclip my seat belt and slide over and begin to smother his face in kisses as we drive up the driveway while he chuckles at my childlike behavior. We arrive at the old house, and I bounce out of the car before the car even stops and run up to the front door. I turn and stare out over the view of the beautiful grounds.
“Oh, Jameson, I just love this place.” I smile dreamily as he walks up behind me.
“I know.” He hands me a key ring with a red ribbon bow tied to it.
I frown as I stare down at it in my hand.
“That’s why I bought it for you.”
My eyes meet his. “What?”
“Uh-huh. I thought we could live here on the weekends and on holidays.”
“You want to be a swamp person with me?” I whisper in surprise.
He stands and takes me in his arms. “I could be anything, Emily Foster . . . as long as I’m with you.”
Desperate to know more about the Miles brothers? Read on for an exclusive first chapter of the next book in the series, The Takeover, out very soon . . .
Chapter 1
The phone buzzes on my desk. “Hello,” I answer.
“Hi, Tristan Miles is on line two for you,” Marley replies.
“Tell him I’m busy.”
“Claire.” She pauses. “This is the third time he’s called this week.”
“So?”
“Pretty soon, he’s going to stop calling.”
“And your point is?” I snap in exasperation. I love Marley, but damn it, I wish she would mind her business. Sometimes, it really blows having your best friend as your receptionist.
“My point is we paid the staff out of the overdraft this week. And I know you don’t want to admit this, but we are in trouble, Claire. You need to hear him out.”
I exhale heavily and drag my hand down my face. I know she’s right: our company, Anderson Media, is struggling. We’re down to our last three hundred staff members, having downscaled from the original six hundred. Miles Media has been circling like wolves for months, watching and waiting for the perfect time to move in for the kill. Tristan Miles: the head of acquisitions and the archenemy of every struggling company in the world. Like a leech, he takes over companies when they’re at their lowest, tears them apart, and then with his never-ending funds, turns them into huge successes. He’s the lowest snake in the snake pit. Preying on weaknesses and getting paid millions of dollars a year for the privilege. He’s a rich, spoiled bastard with a reputation of being acutely intelligent, hard as nails, and conscience-free.
He’s everything I hate about business.
“Just listen to what he has to say—that’s all. You never know what he might offer,” Marley pleads.
“Oh, come on,” I scoff. “We both know what he wants.”
“Claire, please.” She pauses. “You can’t lose your family home. I won’t let that happen.”
Sadness rolls over me; what a mess I’ve made of everything. “Fine.” I sigh, defeated. “Schedule a meeting.”
“Okay, great.”
“Don’t get excited,” I snap. “I’m just doing this to shut you up, you know?”
“Good, mouth officially shut from here on out. Cross my heart.”
I roll my eyes. “If only. Will you come with me?”
“Yes, for sure. We’ll stick Mr. Fancy Pants’s checkbook where the sun doesn’t shine.”
I giggle at the idea. “Okay, deal.”
I hang up and go back to my report, wishing it were Friday and I didn’t have to worry about Anderson Media and the bills.