She sighed. “I don’t seem to have a choice. I’m in love with you.”
Something hot and fierce came back into his eyes, but his voice remained gentle. “Come here.”
They made love, slowly, tenderly, drawing out their pleasure and climaxing together at the end. Afterward, Alex brushed her hair back from her face.
“You okay?”
“Of course.”
“Then why the pensive look?”
“Well…because you’re still going to want to ruin the Rodales, and I can’t decide how I feel about that. I know they tried to use me and all, but still… Emily had her reasons. So did Charlie.”
Alex compressed his lips. “Natalie, I never told you why I want to—”
“You don’t have to. Emily told me.” She briefly debated with herself, then told him everything, including how Charlie was his half-brother.
When she was finished, Alex merely stared at her. “I don’t believe it!” He quickly amended that to, “I mean, how can I trust what she says?”
“If you want, I suppose you can do a paternity test. That is, assuming Charlie wants to know as well.” Natalie sighed. “I don’t even know if the Rodales want to talk to me anymore, but it’s a little sad to think that my own godmother was more intent on having her revenge than anything else.”
Alex was quiet. Finally he said, “You want me to give up the takeover, don’t you?”
“Do you want to give it up?”
His face remained unreadable, but finally he said, “If that’s what you want. If that’s what I need to do to make you happy, then yes. I’ll…act civilized toward them.”
Something loosened inside her, and she laughed. “Oh, Alex. We’re going to be great.?
?
Epilogue
NATALIE WANTED MORE TIME, but Alex wasn’t in the mood to wait. She managed to get three months to prepare for the wedding after a week of intense negotiation, but it still didn’t leave enough time to do everything.
First, Alex and Emily talked. Natalie didn’t attend their meeting, but it seemed to have resulted in a grudging truce. At least they were civil toward each other. That was all she wanted for now. Charlie got to keep the company, although he hinted he might be open to the idea of a merger with DDE. Maybe he’d get to be a painter after all.
Ethan tried several more times to resign, but Alex wouldn’t let him. Natalie understood that Ethan had been the one behind the NSA bid trap and who had pointed the finger at her, but she didn’t bear him much in the way of hard feelings. He’d been doing his job and trying to protect his friend. She might have done the same if the situation had been reversed. Besides, it made no sense to deprive Alex of his best friend and best man.
Danielle vanished, seemingly into thin air. Natalie asked Charlie about it twice, but he refused to discuss the matter. Finally, she dropped it.
As for the Halls, Brian announced that he would retire rather abruptly. The official reason given was so that he could spend time with his family. Belle decided to travel, although she promised to be back for the wedding. Louise said she would do her duty at the ceremony. After all, she was nothing if not responsible. Natalie couldn’t decide if she should try to shut her adoptive mother out of her life or not, but she supposed Louise really was doing her best. Probably she was hoping Brian would change his mind and run for president…and wanted Alex’s support.
“Hey,” Alex said, embracing her as she walked into their penthouse in Arlington. She’d rented out her place and moved in with him as soon as possible after their reconciliation. “I miss my fiancée.”
“I wish we could just elope.” Natalie fell onto the couch with him. “But I think Emily and Louise would kill me.”
“Emily would kill me. She said if you’re unhappy in the slightest, she’d see to it that I regret it.” He got a slightly worried expression, but his eyes were twinkling. “Permanently.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah.”
* * *
Alex hadn’t told her all the details of his exchange with Emily, but she wanted to make sure her goddaughter got the best. As long as he did right by Natalie, Emily said she would learn to forgive the Damon men.
“After all, you are trying very hard…for a Damon,” she’d said.