of you together? You told me he was in
trouble, right?”
“He said we were a match and Ethan’s a good
guy. Besides, there’s a flaw in your argument. Who would trade a multi-billion
dollar business venture for me? No woman is worth that much to anybody.”
“There’s more…” Claudia continued,
enigmatically. “This morning, Hammond Industries, transferred millions of Byron
Energy stock to your father. He was about to lose his control of the company,
but this put him back on top.”
“That can’t be right. He didn’t tell me he was
losing control of Byron Energy…”
“Hammond’s an American company. What does this
have to do with Ethan?”
“I don’t know, but it’s worth looking into.”
I pondered this information some more as I
peered over the roof at the street below. It had to be a coincidence…
“What do you think of Ethan? Is he nice?”
“He’s cute but he’s exactly what you think he’s
like. The man is a spoiled brat! He’s just like my father, but worse. He’s
extremely controlling and acts like it’s a real marriage.”
“In his mind, maybe it is.”
“Don’t say that,” I cried. “I have more than my
share of problems to deal with.”
“Are you attracted to him?”
I paused, not because I needed time to think it
over. I was damned no matter how I answered because Claudia knew me well enough
to know when I was lying and I was in no condition mentally or emotionally to
admit the truth anyway.
“It doesn’t matter…” I answered, somewhat
politically. “The only man I want is Danny. I can’t wait until this nightmare
is over.”
“It will be hun ,
don’t worry.”
She gave me a hug.
“Let’s get back to the party. We have a wedding
to celebrate!” Claudia teased.
“Don’t’ remind me,” I groaned, following her
into the club. “Ethan’s trouble, I’m not sure I’ll be able to handle him. I
just have to remind myself that it’s business as usual. Think of it this way,
it won’t be the first time I took work home with me.”
“I don’t care how cute he is, don’t give in. You
know this will set womankind back a few hundred years if you do.”
“Trust me, I won’t. But he’s sexy. Isn’t he?”
“And he can’t seem to get enough of you. He was
practically mauling you in there.”
“Hey, how about we play the drinking game?
Every time Ethan grabs my hand or kisses me on the cheek, we take a shot of
Patron?”
“Hell, sounds like fun to me. Let’s get drunk!”
Claudia said, returning to her true happy-go-lucky self. “I’m just glad you’re
okay.”
“As long as I have my friend, I’ll survive,” I
said, giving her a squeeze. “He’s not an ogre, he just happens to be the man
I’m married to, for better or worse for the next three years.”
“Three years! Ay! An eternity! You poor girl.
At least he’s cute. If I wasn’t in love with Wayne, I’d take him home myself.”
“Honey, you can have him!” I teased.
Just then, Ethan sidled up to me and slid an
arm around my waist. I blinked as a bulb from a camera flashed before my eyes.
The photographer thanked us and moved on. Claudia looked at me and giggled.
“One Patron, coming right up!” she said, buggering off to order a bottle for
our table.
“What’s so funny?” Ethan asked, staring after
her.
“Nothing. We’re gonna have a shot of Patron. Care to join us?”
“You’ve had enough to drink,” he answered,
taking the glass out of my hand. “Have you had anything to eat? I’ll get
something for you.”
“I’m not hungry,” I complained. “Have a drink
with us, please ...”
Ethan sighed. “You’re drunk enough for the both
of us.”
“So what…you can learn a lot about a person
when he’s drunk,” I teased.
Ethan gave me a skeptical look. “You hated my
guts a few hours ago, and now you want to buy me a drink? Are you hitting on
me?”
“Don’t be silly! We’ll be tethered to each
other for the next three years so we might as well
trouble, right?”
“He said we were a match and Ethan’s a good
guy. Besides, there’s a flaw in your argument. Who would trade a multi-billion
dollar business venture for me? No woman is worth that much to anybody.”
“There’s more…” Claudia continued,
enigmatically. “This morning, Hammond Industries, transferred millions of Byron
Energy stock to your father. He was about to lose his control of the company,
but this put him back on top.”
“That can’t be right. He didn’t tell me he was
losing control of Byron Energy…”
“Hammond’s an American company. What does this
have to do with Ethan?”
“I don’t know, but it’s worth looking into.”
I pondered this information some more as I
peered over the roof at the street below. It had to be a coincidence…
“What do you think of Ethan? Is he nice?”
“He’s cute but he’s exactly what you think he’s
like. The man is a spoiled brat! He’s just like my father, but worse. He’s
extremely controlling and acts like it’s a real marriage.”
“In his mind, maybe it is.”
“Don’t say that,” I cried. “I have more than my
share of problems to deal with.”
“Are you attracted to him?”
I paused, not because I needed time to think it
over. I was damned no matter how I answered because Claudia knew me well enough
to know when I was lying and I was in no condition mentally or emotionally to
admit the truth anyway.
“It doesn’t matter…” I answered, somewhat
politically. “The only man I want is Danny. I can’t wait until this nightmare
is over.”
“It will be hun ,
don’t worry.”
She gave me a hug.
“Let’s get back to the party. We have a wedding
to celebrate!” Claudia teased.
“Don’t’ remind me,” I groaned, following her
into the club. “Ethan’s trouble, I’m not sure I’ll be able to handle him. I
just have to remind myself that it’s business as usual. Think of it this way,
it won’t be the first time I took work home with me.”
“I don’t care how cute he is, don’t give in. You
know this will set womankind back a few hundred years if you do.”
“Trust me, I won’t. But he’s sexy. Isn’t he?”
“And he can’t seem to get enough of you. He was
practically mauling you in there.”
“Hey, how about we play the drinking game?
Every time Ethan grabs my hand or kisses me on the cheek, we take a shot of
Patron?”
“Hell, sounds like fun to me. Let’s get drunk!”
Claudia said, returning to her true happy-go-lucky self. “I’m just glad you’re
okay.”
“As long as I have my friend, I’ll survive,” I
said, giving her a squeeze. “He’s not an ogre, he just happens to be the man
I’m married to, for better or worse for the next three years.”
“Three years! Ay! An eternity! You poor girl.
At least he’s cute. If I wasn’t in love with Wayne, I’d take him home myself.”
“Honey, you can have him!” I teased.
Just then, Ethan sidled up to me and slid an
arm around my waist. I blinked as a bulb from a camera flashed before my eyes.
The photographer thanked us and moved on. Claudia looked at me and giggled.
“One Patron, coming right up!” she said, buggering off to order a bottle for
our table.
“What’s so funny?” Ethan asked, staring after
her.
“Nothing. We’re gonna have a shot of Patron. Care to join us?”
“You’ve had enough to drink,” he answered,
taking the glass out of my hand. “Have you had anything to eat? I’ll get
something for you.”
“I’m not hungry,” I complained. “Have a drink
with us, please ...”
Ethan sighed. “You’re drunk enough for the both
of us.”
“So what…you can learn a lot about a person
when he’s drunk,” I teased.
Ethan gave me a skeptical look. “You hated my
guts a few hours ago, and now you want to buy me a drink? Are you hitting on
me?”
“Don’t be silly! We’ll be tethered to each
other for the next three years so we might as well
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