“What’s life without a little bit of crippling drama?” I wrapped my arm around her as we drifted toward the elevator. “So where is this new place? Might it have a nineties office floor in desperate need of modern decorations?”
She laughed and smiled up at me. “I’ve been throwing myself into the planning for the community theater floor. I can’t stay away. And I know I’m not an engineer, but I think the rooftop patiowillwork for a helipad. So we can just do a straight commute between the Hamptons and here, basking in how good it feels to re-purpose my father’s building for all these scandalous initiatives.”
“I like your definition of revenge,” I told her.
“It comes at a steep price.” Her expression turned sober. The elevator doors opened, and we boarded, standing just inches from each other as the elevator lurched upward. “But it’s one I’m willing to pay.”
“I’ll up the ante.” I captured her chin between my thumb and forefinger. “Whatever price you’re willing to pay, I’ll pay it too.”
“We’ve been paying it for years,” she said with a sigh. The doors opened on the top floor, and we stepped into the abandoned office space. “I want this to be done.”
“You’re so close to being done,” I told her. “You’ve left Eli. You’ve left Margulis Realty. What’s left?”
She smiled at me cryptically, something mysterious churning behind her gaze. “I can think of one last thing.”
“You have an evil glint in your eye, Cora, which I’ll have you know is a major turn-on. So you better spill it, or we’re going to have to fuck right here.”
She laughed, wrapping her arms around my neck once more. With her pressed up against me, her soft warmth against the front of my suit, everything felt right with the world. Even amid the wild destruction of both our lives. With her in my arms, filling the empty spaces of my heart and life, none of that mattered.
“I want out of Margulis Realty,” she said, something serious edging her tone. “Completely. I’m divesting myself of my share of Margulis stock.” She pushed up onto her tiptoes so that our lips brushed as she spoke the next words. “I want you to have them.”
The meaning of her words washed over me in undulating waves. First confusion, then shock, then evil glee.
“You can’t be serious.”
“Deadly,” she said, then captured my lips in an intense kiss that sucked the air from my lungs.
When we broke, my mind was racing, both from the lack of oxygen and the trump card she’d handed me. Once upon a time, I’d thought convincing Margulis Realty to use my business for their wealth management services could be an acceptable revenge. But this opportunity was a whole new level of happily-ever-after.
“Cora,” I said, nearly panting. “I’ve been buying Margulis stocks. If you give me your shares, I’ll have enough for a hostile takeover.”
The grin on her face was the stuff of legends. Gorgeous, furious, and all the best types of conniving.
“I don’t think there’s a better way to get back at my father than if you become the majority shareholder," she said, batting her eyelashes. “Welcome to the board, Axel. Do with it what you will. It’s your company now.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CORA
“Babe? You still out here?” Axel’s voice drifted toward me from inside the house, floating on the warm, early-September breeze. This was my favorite time of year in the Hamptons, when the ocean air swelled in the heat but was tempered by the tang of autumn lingering on the sidelines.
I turned to look back toward the house. Zero lifted his head noncommittally from his spot at my feet. We’d been spending almost all our time at Axel’s Hamptons house, riding out the negative press. I was treating it like a vacation of sorts, if vacations normally included fielding near-constant requests for interviews, frequent calls with my legal team, and the occasional irate message from people I used to call family.
My tell-all letter was being hailed as the media event of the year. Women had started pouring out of the woodwork, coming forward with their own stories about Eli’s transgressions. Maybe it was the sheer number of allegations, but yesterday Eli finally signed the damned divorce papers, which meant the judge I’d painstakingly tracked down to declare me legally single was no longer required.
Everybody and their brother was tuned into this drama. But now that the truth was out, I was done.
I needed to lay low and recuperate.
“I’m here. I finished my call and now I’m working on my project.” I called into the Suicide Hotline daily now that I had the time. When I wasn’t pouring my pain into helping other people resolve their own, I crafted. I had a craft area set up on the back picnic table, so I could soak up the late-summer sunlight while working on the first project I’d consciously put together in…decades. The type of project that was explicitly for me. No, for both of us. Not designed to make money or become an investment opportunity. Just art for the sake the of art. All the beach glass I’d ever collected in the shade of Axel’s blue eyes lay on a small glass tray. Other trays contained additional treasures: interesting beads, pieces of fluff, all manner of twine and cords.
“How’s it coming?” He came out onto the deck, lowering his designer sunglasses as he headed my way. The man grinned ear-to-ear almost all the time now. There was no denying it: hiding out together, tucked away in our own Hamptons paradise, was not a hardship for either of us. Axel left via helicopter several times a week to head into the office or take meetings. Otherwise, it was just the two of us—and Zero, of course.
Exactly as we wanted.
"I found a few more pieces today," I said pointing out the new additions. He sat on the bench next to me, taking in the scene. I’d started off trying to hide this project from him, since it was ultimately going to be a gift. But it was too hard to stay away from him for extended periods of time. No, scratch that—I didn’twantto stay away from him for as long as this project would require. So I outed it early on, and now he followed along like the doting, curious, attentive boyfriend he was.
He rested his chin on my shoulder, then pointed to the far tray. “Is that the ornament?”