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Determination
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
One Night With The Kingpin CEO The Surprise
[Charlotte]Micah spent the rest of the morning acting strangely sneaky and suspicious. He has been giving me strange little sideways glances when he doesn’t think I’m looking. I have also watched him check his phone at least 10 times in the last hour as if he is waiting for a message. “Are you going to tell me, or do you want me to guess?” I finally say as I watch him check his phone for the 11th time.“I’m just taking care of a business thing,” he lies. “It is nothing for you to worry about.” I raise a single eyebrow. “Micah, you promised. No more secrets, no more lies.”“Even if it's a good secret?” he asks bashfully. He is definitely up to something. The beautiful ring he gave me last night catches the sunlight casting the back seat in miniature rainbows. “Is this a good secret, Micah,” I make sure that all of the doubt I am feeling is clear on my face. “Because this feels like you are up to something.”“I promise you that you will appreciate the results,” he dodges the questio
One Night With The Kingpin CEO Secrets
[Charlotte] My mouth drops open. All he had to do was make a phone call and my marriage to Andy was over. “Doesn’t this change our timeline a bit?” I ask, suddenly more than a little nervous. “Part of the plan involves Andy trusting me enough to introduce me to his other boss. I need to get into a position of trust and THEN we discard him when we don’t NEED him anymore.” “I don’t see it as a problem,” he replies smugly. “Of course you don’t!” I shout. “You’re not the one who has to make it work! Agghhhh!!!” He opens the box of pastries in his lap. “Croissant or beignet?” “What?” I shake my head in confusion. “I thought we were having an argument. Why are you offering me food?” “I think you might be hangry.” “Hangry?” I give him a hard side eye. "Hangry?!"“Yes,” he laughs, “As in hungry plus angry," he speaks with his hands, showing how the two words go together, "Hangry." “I know what hangry means, Micah.” I groan. “I'm not a child, you don't have to force me to eat. Also,
One Night With The Kingpin CEO You Can't Be Serious
[Charlotte] "You can't be serious," I laugh. He isn't laughing. He just looks at me expectantly as the truth sinks in. "You are serious, aren't you? You want me to convince my husband to re-marry me after our divorce is final." "Yes," he nods simply. "But wouldn’t I be secretly married to you? Wouldn’t that be difficult to hide?” I counter, trying to make sense of all of this. Micah grins and I realize what I just said. “So you agree to marry me as soon as your divorce is final?” I blush, wiggling uncomfortably in my seat. “Maybe," I confess. I was eventually going to tell him that I agreed to his plan for a secret wedding, but I was hoping to make him sweat it out a bit longer first. His devious smile stretches from ear to ear as he grabs my left hand, the one wearing the ring, and kisses it. He is still looking at me in adoration even as his tone becomes serious. “It’ll be tricky, but we will just have to keep the marriage a secret. Luckily I have lots of friends who can help
One Night With The Kingpin CEO Making Nice
[Charlotte]Micah is going to make me wait all day to find out the latest “surprise.” Which makes it SO hard to pretend that today is just another Friday in the office.My work friend, Seb, has taken over as Andy’s new assistant. “Hey Girlie,” he smiles at me as we ride up the elevator to the executive floor.“Are you ready to take over the corporate world?”“Maybe after I’ve had my coffee,” I give him a sideways smile as I hold onto the coffee cart. Everyone’s getting ready for the weekend, which means extra caffeine.He laughs. “We’ll I’ll see you later then,” he waves as he steals his coffee and a scone from the cart. "Love ya, doll face!""Love ya right back," I holler at his backside as he leaves the elevator, which gives us a few glares--not because anything is happening between us (Seb is more likely to try to date Andy than he is to date me) but because we are annoyingly loud and the elevator is small. As I push the cart, giving everyone their orders, I see Andy waiting for me
One Night With The Kingpin CEO Golden Key
[Charlotte] “Micah, stop! Talk to me!” I beg as he pulls me through his office and into the small VIP apartment. As soon as we are shut inside he presses the code to lock all the doors and keep anyone, even those with a key, from entering. Once the doors are properly sealed, he falls to the ground in a heap. He punches his fists straight into the ground and takes several deep breaths. His skin, where visible, is beet red, and his body is shaking as he rocks back and forth. I stand back, afraid. I have never seen him like this before. After several minutes of listening to his ragged breathing start to calm, with a shaking voice I risk a quiet, questioning “Micah?” He doesn’t respond at first. He takes a few more deep breaths and after a deep exhale explains. “I almost killed him, mon ange. I almost stormed into that office and beat his head in for talking to you that way, for touching you when he shouldn’t, for acting like you belong to him.” He finally looks up and I can see his
One Night With The Kingpin CEO Castle
[Micah]I close the door behind us as I sweep her into a country waltz. The look on her face is indescribably priceless as we twirl together. It amazes me how easy she is to surprise and how quickly she expresses joy. Despite some of the hard things she has gone through and continues to face, she can still smile with a hopeful innocence that makes me want to protect her from everything.It was that innocence that called me to her that first night in that bar. She isn't just physically stunning, she has a beautiful soul that glows from within shining through her smiling eyes. We waltz in the bright afternoon sunlight, moving together like we've known each other for a lifetime, rather than a few short months. In all my years I have never felt such a deep connection to another person. Not since I lost my birth family--first my mother, and then later my uncle. It's thanks to them that I can waltz with my soon-to-be wife, as they were the first to teach me not only how to dance, but how
One Night With The Kingpin CEO Diamonds and Dresses
[Charlotte] “So let me guess,” I let myself rest comfortably in his arms for a minute more. “We’re going out shopping in the finest stores for my fancy ball gown and matching glass slippers?” “No,” Micah answers with a stony expression. “Don’t be ridiculous. We are not going out anywhere.” I remove myself from his embrace and look to see if there is any crack in his expression that would signal any kind of joke. His face remains extremely serious as he continues. “When your last name is McKaine, you don’t go out shopping,” he explains as if it were obvious. “Well, then how do you get new things? Are they delivered?” I hate that he isn’t just telling me what it is he thinks I should already know. He likes his surprises a little too much. Sometimes it can be irritating the way he constantly has me guessing what is going to happen next. “The stores come to us,” he pulls out his phone and presses a button. Instantly he is connected to Violetta, who arranges to have the best stylists
One Night With The Kingpin CEO Other Mother
[Charlotte]The two of them look at one another, and their looks of shock and chagrin are so similar I almost start to laugh, despite my confusion. They look nothing alike physically--he is a tall man with lightly tan skin, deep hazel eyes, and curling chestnut hair and she is a petite woman with dark skin and a tight afro, but the family resemblance in how they move is almost uncanny.“She’s my other mother,” he explains with a lopsided grin. He knows I’m going to be upset with him for this trick of his, but he also seems happy to introduce us. “Charlotte, this is Rosalie, the woman who adopted me after my family died.”Ah, I see. She’s his foster mother. “And you thought it would make more sense to sneak her dresses into the lineup rather than just introduce her directly?” I give him a side-eyed look that hopefully conveys how crazy his plan is. “Couldn’t we have just gotten together and had lunch?” “Actually, cher, that was my original idea,” he confesses. “But then after this mo
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One Night With The Kingpin CEO Family Planning
[Charlotte]I don't remember much after that moment when I first attacked McAllister. I was lost in the moment, avenging my fallen friend, making sure that he didn't get up ever again. And then I felt a sting on my back and a rush of heat. I fell to the ground and the rest faded into nothing. When I woke up in the hospital two days later and Juni was by my side, I thought I must be dead. But I wasn't. She isn't dead, and neither am I. An hour or so later, Micah arrives in the room smelling clean and looking tidy, his arms full of dozens of chrysanthemums in shades of gold and white. "A gift, from the Masumotos, " he explains as he sets them down next to my bed. Juni kisses me on the cheek and says she'll see me later as she leaves Micah and me alone. "The girls are fine," he says as he takes a seat, "And as you can see, so is Juni. Everyone is safe."I nod. It's all starting to feel like a bad dream. A nightmare I didn't think I'd wake from. "Was it ever Juni in that room?" I ask
One Night With The Kingpin CEO With Guns Blazing
[Micah][Earlier that evening]Stepping out of my car, I am flanked by my crew as together we walk straight into the dragon's den. Our enemy, McAllister, is going down tonight. We aren't alone as we approach the landing. It seems that McAllister called in all of the faction heads to attend his VIP event. Even the current head of the Skeleton Crew is here, Bones LeRoux bringing full Louisiana flair, from his checkered suit to his ivory-topped cane. Mobs bosses and gang leaders from across the country all gathered in one place. McAllister is planning something. Something big. Maybe this wasn't just about MMK Industries. Does McAllister have plans for a global expansion? "Nah," I say to myself, realizing the truth. "He's just trying to show off." Roger, standing next to me, nods in agreement. For a man who is outwardly plain and prefers to remain unnoticed, he does have a way of making himself showy when he needs to. As soon as we pass the threshold to his mansion, the drab exterior
One Night With The Kingpin CEO Voulez-vous coucher avec moi
[Charlotte]The flight over was grim. We are not going to Portland on holiday--it is a rescue mission. Micah and I stayed next to one another, but I couldn't cuddle in his arms the way I'd prefer. We both had to be generals of this little rag-tag army of ours. I have my girls, my Blue Diamonds, and he has his Angels and his soldiers, his troops on the ground. There would be time for snuggling later. If we all survive this. And if we don't, I guess we'll have to find each other in the next life. As soon as we land we'll be going our separate ways. He'll be taking his people to the Tattooed Walls. We'd be McAllister's guests in one of his hotels.Our time went by much too quickly. It felt like a blink Holding my hand, we disembarked together, Micah refusing to let go of me until he had no other choice. Waiting on the tarmac were two cars heading in different directions. If all goes well, we'll be back here tonight, on our way home.And if it doesn't...Using our intertwined hands as
One Night With The Kingpin CEO Covert Operations
[Micah]I do not like this plan of Charlotte's. It is too dangerous. She is putting too much at risk, even surrounded by her Blue Diamonds. As part of the plan she made with McAllister, she and her girls will be providing "entertainment" for him and a few choice guests. "A private, intimate party for only the very best customers." Just the thought of her in a room with his kind of people makes my heart race and my vision blur with fear and anger."I'm counting on you to make the most of the time we give you," Charlotte demands, holding my face between her hands as she looks me dead in the eyes. "My girls and I can take whatever he dishes out, don't you worry about us. He isn't going to expect that a bunch of strippers are also cold-blooded assassins. But we are only the distraction. We need you and your boys to get us out of there safe."I think she is underestimating him, which is why I need to make sure my part of the plan goes flawlessly. As soon as we touch down, I kiss my beau
One Night With The Kingpin CEO Stratego
[Charlotte]My blood is still boiling after seeing what that bastard did to his own daughter. It is ten times worse than any humiliation that I ever faced by Andy's hand, and it is her father pulling the strings. Did he make her watch Kenji suffer too? Was she in the room when her father's men cut off his ear? We're going to save Sasha and Kenji. And then we're going to burn it all down. But how do we slay this sick dragon? Micah wants to go in full guns blazing, the Masumoto clan at his back. Grandma Masumoto is down for this plan, angry that her favorite grandson has been captured and so thoroughly disrespected. She's already called the cousins in Yokohama. They'll be flying directly to Portland and arriving tomorrow morning. I have another, more subtle plan, one that I hope will distract McAllister enough for Micah to be successful in our little coup.Pitching my idea to him, he tenses. "I don't like this, Mon Ange. I don't want to put you in that demon's grasp." "You'll be ju
One Night With The Kingpin CEO Fallen Chrysanthemums
[Charlotte]"Can you sign for this?" A smiling young man approached the main desk. I was passing through and our receptionist, Claire, handed it to me. Sasha was out today, so I took the package. Weirdly, she didn't call in, but knowing Kenji's plans for her last night, I'm sure they're still busy "resting" in bed this morning. I can already imagine the wedding. She'll be such a beautiful bride. After thanking Claire, I see that it is made out to Mr. and Mrs. McKaine. Rubbing my finger across the postmark, I can't help but glow. We're really married. It's still so hard to believe, even though I wake up next to him every morning snuggled into his warmth after a night of endless lovemaking. You'd think learning I am pregnant with his twins would cool his ardor--mission accomplished! He's so virile he succeeded in knocking me up twice over. But no, if anything he's even more passionate, even more determined to show me his love every day. "You are so beautiful," he likes to tell me eac
One Night With The Kingpin CEO Little White Lies
[Sasha]My father has never been a gentle man. Nor has he ever shown compassion to anyone, not true compassion. Not even to his daughter. I grew up knowing that I am not blood-related, that he picked me from a selection of surrogates pregnant with children they didn't want. He didn't want to leave his physical legacy in the world. I was just something for him to control and mold. Love wasn't part of the deal.To be honest, I don't know if he's capable of such a complex emotion. Or any true emotions. He wears masks that people find believable to convince him that he is interested in them and that he cares about anything they have to say, but it is all an act. Just another part of his carefully curated self-image. Just like me--just another prop to make him more "likable" and "relatable." Most children turn to their parents when they need comfort. I never had that instinct, or more precisely, I was never allowed to develop that kind of attachment. The only people who were with me cons
One Night With The Kingpin CEO Double Joy
[Charlotte]Humming to myself, I walk to the break room, take a slice of some "welcome home cake," that the office had presented to us this morning, and grab a nice cup of coffee. The cake tastes amazing. I've hardly been able to keep anything down lately and my body needs the calories. Apparently, this baby likes sugar because I am able to eat the entire piece without even the smallest touch of indigestion. Taking a sip of my coffee to cut the sweetness, I start to choke. Fighting back the urge to vomit, I force myself to keep it all down. Fine, no coffee. My girls gave me similar trouble. They didn't like any caffeinated beverages. I couldn't even drink a cup of green tea. "Babies suck," I look at my coffee sadly as I text Micah to let him know our appointment is in 45 minutes. "Meet me in the garage in 10 minutes," I text as a follow-up. Tossing my coffee, I groan. I could have used that jolt of energy.I don't even make it to the elevator before Micah has his hand around my wa
One Night With The Kingpin CEO Mrs. McKaine
[Charlotte]Things are different when I come into the office the next day. My morning starts normally enough. Micah is already off for his day, gone in early to take care of some "urgent business," and I'm to come in a bit later after dropping off the girls at their new school. My new driver, Agnes, is the latest addition to the Blue Diamonds, and like Roger is to Micah, she will be my constant companion and driver. "Ma'am, we're here," she announces in a tight, southern drawl. "Are you ready, or do you need me to make another circuit?""I'm ready," I give her my sunniest smile even though on the inside my stomach is churning--although I'm not sure if it's about this or something else, something more important. Thankfully Sasha is already in my new office, typing a report when I enter. I know she's McAllister's daughter and I shouldn't trust her, but Kenji loves her, and that's good enough for me. I trust his judgment and his family's legendary ability to judge a person's inner cha
