The dinner went by pleasantly. Laughter and smiles were never in short supply, nor were Francis’s slightly indiscreet comments. His nephews were completely smitten with Johari and asked her questions about her work and her life in general. There were no awkward conversations, and Johari seemed completely at ease. It was… too nice to be true, and he didn’t know why he felt like what he was experiencing was just part of some illusion. Deep down, he knew he was being pessimistic by constantly thinking he didn’t deserve a bit of tranquility and peace in his life, that he didn’t deserve to be happy. Maybe because ever since he could remember, he had been immersed in doing what everyone expected of him. Especially since he took over Chrome Machine. Becoming one of the most important CEOs in the automotive industry had consumed all his time and energy, preventing him from seeing the other side of his life.Honestly, he had believed he would always be alone, without anyone by his side to acco

If he had to describe everything that happened over the weekend… well, he wouldn’t know where to start. Maybe with the pleasant dinner on Friday night—not only that, but he had introduced Johari as his girlfriend to his family. Of course, Johari didn’t stay over; he had to drive her back to the apartment she shared with her best friend. Saturday went by in a somewhat unusual way. In the morning, he went shopping with his brother, sister-in-law, and nephews. In the afternoon, Adela insisted on inviting Johari over for “tea.” The “tea” turned into dinner. Another pleasant family dinner, and once again, he had to settle for long kisses before dropping Johari off at her apartment. Sunday was similar. The only difference was that Adela and the boys had to return to Manchester in the afternoon. It was emotional and difficult for his brother to say goodbye to his wife and children, with the promise that he would be home soon.That night, he had a quiet dinner with Francis.In summary: he had

A little voice in his head told him what he was doing was wrong, that he should stop and continue after leaving the company. But damn it, he couldn't. Not when kissing Johari was driving him insane with desire and lust.His heart pounded wildly as his hands roamed the outline of Johari's waist and hips, caressing slowly, memorizing the geography of the body he had pinned between his own and the desk. He felt the touches she was giving him—the ones that made him desperate and hungry for more. Johari knew exactly where to touch him. Her hands traveled across his chest, his abdomen, until they reached the buckle of his belt. The wet sound of the kiss was pushing him to the edge of sanity. The little voice grew fainter, more distant, but the knock on the door stopped the situation from going further.Biting Johari's lower lip, he pulled back a few inches and opened his eyes, savoring the sight of her flushed face and swollen, wet lips. God, seeing her so beautiful and confirming that she

He had anticipated that things would get tense once they touched on Delclaux's exit—especially because Lorenzo had explained that it would be a good opportunity to gain some benefits, like officially announcing Francis as Chrome Machine's new vice president. Of course, there were disagreements and crossed opinions among the executives, considering that Francis was his brother and, according to some, there could be a conflict of interest. This didn't surprise him. It was clear that some executives viewed his brother becoming the second most important person in the company negatively. However, that didn't mean his brother would do anything improper or harm the company. On the contrary—these people should be grateful for everything Francis had done for the company so far.“It was supposed to be a way for Delclaux to get recognition for all the years he dedicated to working here and to ensure he wouldn't do anything against the company or us,” Henry said, his face etched with a deep frown

With the glass in hand, he swirled it so the ice clinked against the crystal and mixed better with the whiskey. He turned to face a tender gaze. One that brought him a sense of peace. Love did strange things to people.“So… what was it that…?”“I don't want to talk about work, please,” he said, approaching and dropping onto the sofa. “But the truth is, no matter how much I don't want to, this thing between us is also, in one way or another, related to everything that's happening here. And I know it's only the beginning.”“Yes, you're right.” He took a sip of the liquor and closed his eyes, feeling the pleasant burn in his throat. “The only solution I can think of to not cause you more problems is…”“No,” he denied, opening his eyes and looking at her steadily. “Johari, you don't cause me problems. You never were and you never will be. I don't want you thinking that way anymore.”“But it's something that's worrying you and—”“I'm not worried about that, beautiful,” he interrupted, lean