The door creaks open, but I don’t bother checking who it is, assuming it’s just my brothers returning. Big mistake. The next thing I know, a shock of icy water hits me square in the face, jolting me out of my misery.
“What the fuck!” I roar, leaping to my feet, ready to make the person regret, but then I see who’s standing there, empty glass in hand, and my heart stops.
“Hannah,” I breathe. Water trickles down my face and chest, soaking my shirt, but I barely feel it. All I can focus on is her, here, in front of me. “Is it really you?”
I reach out to cup her face, desperate to feel the silk of her skin beneath my fingers, to confirm she’s not just a cruel mirage. But she steps back, holding up a hand to halt my advance. The rejection stings like a slap.
“We need to talk,” she says, her voice cool and businesslike. “There’s a problem at the company that requires your attention.”
Of course. Of course, she’s only here because of work. The bitter realization settles like a stone in my gut. She must be here to talk me out of withdrawing my funds from the H Continental.
“Do you really love him?” The question rips from my throat before I can stop it, the words heavy and jagged on my tongue. I need to know, even if the answer destroys me.
Hannah blinks, confusion clouding her beautiful face. “What are you talking about? Love who?”
Anger surges through my veins, white-hot and blinding. “You know exactly who I’m fucking talking about,” I snarl, my hands balling into fists at my sides. “So answer me. I want you to say it to my face.”
“What is wrong with you?” Hannah demands, her eyes flashing. “I just told you I’m here because of a problem at the company, and you are accusing me of being in love with someone else?”
“Not someone else, Alpha Collins,” I growl, the name like acid on my tongue. The room falls deathly silent, the tension so thick I could cut it with a knife.
Hannah stares at me, incredulous. “You’re still on this? You really think I’m here because of him and not because of you?” She jabs a finger into my chest, her touch searing my skin even through my damp shirt.
I freeze, my brow furrowing as her words sink in. Hannah takes a deep, shuddering breath and turns away, running a hand through her silky hair.
“Hannah,” I begin, but she cuts me off.
“Yes, earlier today, I was looking for you because I wanted to convince you not to withdraw your funds from H Continental,” she admits, her voice softening and thick with emotion. “But that’s not why I’m here now. I thought something happened to you, Alex. I was fucking worried sick.”
Tears glisten in her eyes, and my heart twists painfully in my chest. God, I’m such an idiot. How could I have doubted her after everything we’ve been through?
“Hannah, I’m so sorry,” I murmur, closing the distance between us in two long strides.
“Why can’t you just-” she starts, but I don’t let her finish. I capture her lips with mine, pouring all my desperation into the kiss. She melts against me instantly, her body molding to mine like we were made for each other.
I know we still have things to discuss and issues to resolve. But right now, all I want is to lose myself in her, to feel her smooth skin against mine, and bury myself deep inside her warmth. To forget about our problems, just for a little while. And from the way Hannah clings to me, I think she feels the same.
I break the kiss reluctantly, resting my forehead against hers as I stare into her eyes, willing her to understand. “If you had fallen in love with him,” I rasp, my voice raw with emotion, “I wouldn’t have let you go. I would have destroyed his business, taken everything he holds dear, until he had nothing left. That’s how much you mean to me, Hannah. Never forget that.”
She swallows hard, her pupils blown wide with desire and something else, something that looks a lot like fear. Good. She needs to know how serious I am and how far I’m willing to go to keep her by my side.
I lean in to claim her mouth again, but the shrill ring of her phone shatters the charged moment. I expect her to ignore it and let it go to voicemail, but to my surprise, she pulls away and digs through her bag to answer it.
“I’ve found him, Luna Marely,” she says, and my stomach drops. It’s my mother. I can only imagine how frantic with worry she must be.
“We’ll be on our way shortly,” Hannah assures her before hanging up. She turns to face me, all traces of the passionate, desperate woman from moments ago gone, replaced by a cool, professional mask.
“We need to head back to the pack immediately,” she says,
I frown, confused. “Why? What’s going on?”
Hannah gapes at me, shock written all over her face. “You don’t know?”
“Know what?” I step closer, needing to feel her warmth, to breathe in her scent. She hands me her phone wordlessly, and my eyes widen as I read the article splashed across the screen. White-hot rage boils in my veins as the pieces click into place. I know exactly who’s responsible for this fucking mess.
“That goddamn asshole,” I spit, my fingers tightening around the phone until my knuckles turn white.
Hannah looks at me, perplexed. “What?”
“You know he’s the one who released these photos, right?” I tell her, needing her to see Collins for the manipulative snake he is. “He did this to drive a wedge between us.”
She shakes her head, grabbing my hand and tugging me toward the door. “That’s not important right now. We need to go do damage control.”
I dig in my heels, forcing her to stop and face me. I cradle her face in my hands, my thumbs brushing over the delicate arches of her cheekbones. “It is important,” I insist, holding her gaze. “Because I need you to know that I would never stoop to something so low, so underhanded, to make you mine. Even though you already are.”
A ghost of a smile flickers across her lips, there and gone in an instant. “Okay,” she whispers.
“Good, let’s go. You can fill me in on the way about how bad this article fucked things up for the company.”
Hannah fills me in on everything as we make our way back. I can’t believe how much things have blown up in my absence. I call Rae and ask her to set up an emergency board meeting first thing in the morning. We need to get ahead of this, and fast.
“I think you should call Alpha Collins, too,” Hannah suggests, glancing over at me from the driver’s seat. She’s behind the wheel since I’m still sobering up.
I whip my head around to stare at her. Sure, I must have misheard. “What?”
“Just hear me out,” she says, holding up a placating hand. “The article makes it seem like you two are locked in some kind of pissing contest over me, right? Well, what if we use that to our advantage?”
I cross my arms over my chest, intrigued despite myself. “I’m listening.”
“If you publicly rescind your decision to pull funding from his hotel and announce that you’re actually partnering with him on the new H Continental project, it’ll make the article look like a bunch of bullshit. It’ll show the world that you’re not enemies, that there’s no bad blood between you. And it’ll get the board off your back, too.”
I turn the idea over in my mind, examining it from every angle. It’s a daring plan, fraught with risk, but the more I consider it, the more I can see the brilliance in it.
“Hmmm. That’s actually a good idea,” I admit slowly, a grin tugging at the corners of my mouth. “Risky as hell, but still good.”
It’s a gamble, but it could completely turn the tables on this whole mess if it pays off.
Hannah nods. “Yes, it’s risky, especially since the picture isn’t fake,” she acknowledges, biting her lower lip. “But I think it’s worth the try. If we can convince Collins to play along, it could change everything.”
I reach over and squeeze her hand, feeling a surge of gratitude and admiration for this incredible woman beside me. She’s not just a pretty face – she’s got a strategic mind that never knew she had.
“I will call him,” I declare, my voice ringing with determination.
I pull out my phone, my thumb hovering over Collins’s number. I hate the thought of asking that prick for anything, but if it means protecting Hannah and safeguarding my company, I’ll do whatever it takes. I hit the call button, sending up a silent prayer that Collins will have the good sense to play along.