“Working.”
William stood and walked to the other side of the desk where Addie sat. “He left you, Addison. He left you here to deal with e
verything. He chose a promotion over his family. Over you.”
Addie balled her fists, certain that if she’d been standing she would’ve slapped him.
Addie stood to leave. Keep it together. “Like I said, this is over. As for my private life, I’m not sure that it’s any business of yours.”
William grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. “You made it my business, Addison. I know you don’t mean what you’re saying. You’re smarter than that. Maybe you’re buying your own bullshit, but don’t expect me to. There’s something here, something between us. Deny it if you want to. Fuck, if you’re not willing to be honest with me, do me a favor and quit lying to yourself.”
She needed to go before she lost all resolve, before her knees buckled beneath her. “I’m not lying, William. I can’t do this.”
“Suit yourself.” William leaned toward her, kissing her ever so gently at the corner of her mouth, not a full on kiss, but not exactly an innocent kiss on the cheek either. Addie put her hand to her face, feeling the buzz where his lips had just been. Damn. This man knows what he’s doing. Leave. Now.
William grabbed her hand, intertwining their fingers. Grabbing her chin, he raised her gaze to meet his. “Addison, it’s ok to be a little bit selfish every now and then. If you want to go, go. But if you want to stay, I promise to do everything in my power to make you happy. I know this isn’t easy. And I understand you have a lot at stake, but I promise to protect you as best I can.”
Addison kissed him with all the passion she felt in that moment. William kissed her back, matching her fervor. Soon they were entangled in a heap on the floor, making love as though they were the only two people in the world—as if what they were doing wasn’t one enormous mistake.
When they were finished, they lay there staring at each other for a long while before William broke the silence by whispering in her ear. “It’ll be the death of me, if our meetings keep ending like this.”
Addie laughed. “I’m sure.”
“Come to Italy with me, Addison. Please. I want you there.”
“You know I can’t, William.”
William kissed the tip of her ear, trailing soft warm kisses down her face towards her neck. “Why not? We’ll have separate rooms. I worked it out with Sondra. You can bring the boys. I don’t see the problem.”
“You wouldn’t.” Addie said, distracted.
Addie sat up, trying to clear her head. “How do you know Sondra anyway? And how do you know so much about me?”
“It’s my job, Addison. It’s what I do. Research.”
“You mean take overs?”
William grinned. “I like to think of it more in terms of mergers.”
There on the floor of William’s office, with those words uttered, the matter was settled. Addie had always wanted to visit Italy. Mistake or no mistake, she decided she’d be crazy not to jump at the chance when it presented itself.
Later that evening, when Addie picked up the boys from her in-laws, she explained that she had to go out of town on business to handle a client situation and asked Penny if she’d mind checking in on the kids for a few days. Addie had already decided that it was best if they stayed with Nanny Kelsey, whom they adored, in their own home. While it was kind of William to offer to bring them along, Addie never once considered that an option. Even though making the offer to Penny would complicate things by having to explain the trip to her in-laws and her husband, she knew how much Penny wanted to be included. Addie wanted to do the right thing, especially since she had recently been doing so much of the wrong thing. To her surprise, Penny was supportive of the trip and her idea, which Addie took as a positive sign since her mother-in-law had never once been supportive of anything she did. Finally, it seemed things were making a turn for the better.
Two days later, Addie and William boarded a private jet headed for Naples, Italy. Addie had a lot on her mind, knowing she needed to make a decision in regards to Sondra’s offer as well as Patrick’s suggestion that she and the boys move to China. She was relieved to get away for a few days and hoped it would give her a better perspective. Patrick hadn’t been thrilled with her impromptu trip to Italy and urged her to quit her job when she said she had to go. He explained that it was taking too much time away from where she needed to focus her attention: on her children and their home. If you only knew . . .
Italy was nothing short of amazing. From the sights to the smells, and the food to the language, Addie was fascinated. Upon arrival in Naples, they were driven by Carl and several members of William’s security team to a ferry that would take them to the isle of Capri where a boat was waiting to take them to their final destination: a private villa that belonged to one of William’s business associates. The whole thing was so carefully orchestrated it made Addie dizzy. William seemed to take it all in stride, but for Addie, this was a vastly different way of living. Having someone tell you where to be and having so many resources at your disposal was foreign and yet intriguing.
The villa was gorgeous and the views were stunning. Addie and William had separate bedroom suites, though she found that he seemed to spend most of his time in hers. William, it turned out, was fun to be around, even when they weren’t in the sack. He was serious when he needed to be and entertaining when he didn’t. While they were there on business and William spent the majority of his time working, he included Addie, asking her advice and opinion on the deals he was working on. Addie didn’t pry. She didn’t ask unnecessary questions, deciding that it was best if she kept her distance. Still, she enjoyed William’s company and felt freer than she had in a long time.
William Hartman was the happiest that he’d been in perhaps, well, in forever really. He was here on the beautiful isle of Capri where he was about to close a major deal, an acquisition that he’d been working on for years. It wasn’t only that the deal was going to close and he could finally put it behind him or that it would make him an extreme amount of money that had put him in such a good mood. It was the fact that he was here with the first girl he’d ever cared to get to know.
There had been many women in and out of his life but none that he’d ever wanted to keep around. The problem he found with these women was that they were addicted to and in love with the lifestyle, not so much with him. He’d first witnessed this with his own mother who was always looking for a way to advance up the food chain, yet with each marriage, finding herself more and more miserable. William was determined not to make the same mistakes she did. So he threw himself into his business and didn’t look back. When he was lonely, there always seemed to be a ready replacement for the last disaster who’d occupied his bed. But William never kept them around longer than a few weeks at most. Any longer than that and they started grating on his nerves. With each passing day, the needier they became.
The thing that William found most unsettling was that the more he pulled away, the tighter the women clung on, each one trying harder than the last to prove that she could be whatever she thought it was he was looking for. And when that didn’t work, she assured him that she was willing and able to put up with his philandering ways. What they didn’t understand was what they were buying into was a myth. Most men, and especially William, didn’t want a woman who devalued and disrespected herself, who was willing to put up with being treated in a way that was less than she deserved. This quality in women in addition to fame and money seeking seemed to go hand in hand.
On the other end of the spectrum were the businesswomen he bedded: powerful women looking to prove that they didn’t need any man, only to reveal in their next breath that they were looking to take over the world and would appreciate using his knowledge and assets to do so. The kicker was that it was almost always another man at the heart of their motive.
So meeting Addison Greyer was a surprising breath of fresh air—one he didn’t realize he’d needed until he noticed her standing there in the elevator that day. And then suddenly, he couldn’t get enough. First of all, she was crazy sexy, a natural beauty who carried herself in a way that told you she knew it, yet didn’t flaunt it. She didn’t have to. William noticed the way people looked at her, the way they watched her while she seemed oblivious to it all.