“What?” he asked innocently, reclining back in his seat to watch her.“I know what you’re thinking, and you said you didn’t have time. Finish your work so we can leave.”“Fine,” he grumbled, closing his laptop lid and standing up. With a feigned disgruntled expression, he walked to her. Leaning over her, he kissed her hard and passionate then groaned and walked to the door. “Just don’t finish without me,” he told her with a wicked grin. “Unless you take pictures that we can look at later.”Sandra smiled as she straightened up in her seat and sighed. It wasn’t that she was necessarily anxious to make love, it was just teasing him was too much fun to allow the opportunity to pass. Still smiling to herself, she picked up the man’s phone and stepped into the bathroom, unfastening her blouse and snapping a selfie of her exposed breasts. That should keep him interested for a few more days, she thought with a smile, then closed the door and unzipped her pants.Sandra returned to her husba
Damn, she thought. How was it, this man knew what she was thinking even before she opened her mouth? She had hoped he couldn’t read her mind this time. The pictures, the secret plans. Too much was riding on his being ignorant of her motives for the time being.“I approved the budget for the party without you,” she said, thinking of the only excuse she could come up with on short notice.“That’s great,” Creighton said with an enthusiastic smile. “I knew you would step up to the challenge, if the moment presented itself.”“It is going to be expensive,” she told him. “You know that, don’t you?”“As long as everyone is happy, that’s all that counts.”“That they will be,” she answered as she leaned into his shoulder, hugging him tightly. “If all works out as planned, they will be very happy.”Sabrina shut off her phone and returned to the designs sitting in front of her. Three weeks. That’s how long she had left to decide if marrying Andre was really what she wanted or not. Still, a part o
Sandra sat at her desk, typing the last chapters to her newest children’s book about Max the Dog, when Creighton came stomping through the back door. The rain started as a slow mist yesterday and turned into a full summer downpour today. In the back of her mind, she promised not to scream at him for tracking mud through the house she had spent two hours cleaning, but she knew it was about to happen. She had spent a very frustrating morning cleaning with two whining children under foot, and she wasn’t in much of a mood to start all over again.“Are you busy?” Creighton asked poking his head around the corner of the living room. Sandra glanced up from the table she used as a desk and drew a deep breath. At least he had taken his boots off before he tramped this far.“I’m almost finished, can it wait?” she asked in a sharp tone that warned him she’d had a bad day, and he should not interrupt her.“It can. Where are the kids?” he smiled.“Taking naps and don’t you dare wake them up. It w
Forty-five minutes later, and Sandra’s new book was at last finished. She contacted her publisher and sent an electronic copy to him for editing, then closed her laptop and sat back in her chair. Now, she could concentrate on their upcoming trip. She was excited to go on a holiday, even if it was a few short days. It had been well over two years since she was able to go anywhere that didn’t involve Creighton’s business, or a family affair. As much as she would love to spend a family holiday at the beach, she really just wanted to have some time alone with her husband. Maybe she could get her grandparents, or Creighton’s parents, to take Brandon and Grace for the weekend. She knew the yacht was still in dry-dock, and there wasn’t enough time to get her ready, but they could always rent a boat. A little scuba diving, some parasailing, maybe a poker game or two, and she’d feel young and free, just as she had six years ago when she surrendered her innocence to Creighton. It was exactly
“I just think you should be checking up on this guy. How do you know he’s not some kind of pedophile or serial killer? Have you checked to see if Andre is even his real name?”“Sabrina trusts him and that’s all that matters to me,” Creighton said as he sipped the sweet liquid from his glass.“You’re lying,” she accused. “You’re just as leery about him as I am. If he really loved her, he’d be here to support her. Do you see him? Have you seen him? You need to tell Clark to do a background check on him.”“No.”“Why?”“Because I’m not interfering. Now, lay off, and let Sabrina enjoy her day.”“What if she were to ask you to find out about him? Would you interfere then?” Sandra asked, as Creighton drew a deep breath.“Yes, I would interfere then, but she hasn’t, and she won’t. She’s made her decision and she won’t go back on it.”“Then we’ll see what the future brings,” Sandra said with a smile so sweet she had several of the models glancing her way as they passed.“Don’t do it, Sandra,”
Creighton sat at his desk at NHT’s London headquarters reviewing the recent statistics for their newest security system. Testing was going much better than he had hoped, but it was a slow process. The system still had bugs that had to be worked out, and until it was perfected, he couldn’t afford to manufacture it and put it on the open market. Far too many companies cut corners as is. He wasn’t going to allow the name and reputation he had worked so hard to build, to fall into the same grouping as those others.With an exhausted sigh, he tossed his iPad aside and closed his eyes, rubbing them with the heel of his palms. His eyes were crossing, and he had a headache developing behind them. In the back of his mind he was beginning to think he needed glasses. He knew it was only the long hours of reading small print that gave him the tense muscles, but maybe a pair of reading spectacles might offer a bit of aid.Creighton glanced at his watch as he rubbed the stiffness from his neck. San
“This whole thing has gotten way out of hand,” Sandra moaned as she fell into the cushioned sofa beside Creighton. “We have over six hundred employees coming to this party next week. Who is going to be taking care of the company while everyone is away playing?”“We have more than a third of the employees who chose the monetary package over the trip,” Creighton told her, pulling her into his embrace. “Not everyone likes to travel and may not even have passports, so the money is a good option for them. I don’t know why you’re so stressed about it. NHT is not going to go bankrupt if the work is reduced for a few days. We have everything under control, with enough added help to make sure things are taken care of. All you have to do is sit back and relax.”“Is this another one of those times when you tell me money speaks?” she asked as she curled into his shoulder, slinging her legs over his.“Volumes, Darling,” he teased, kissing the top of her head. Sandra drew a deep breath as the hous
Sabrina stepped out of her shower and onto the soft rug, thankful for the time alone to concentrate. The fashion show had been a huge success. Two more shows were scheduled before the end of the summer, as well as a full layout for three of the most exclusive fashion magazines in France. Everything was going so well for her that she was able to afford two new assistants and had placed an offer on a building she could call her own. As much as she loved working at New Hope’s French headquarters, she really wanted to prove she could stand alone, away from the shadow of her very wealthy brother. Sabrina looked at the reflection shining back at her through the mirror. She was proud of all she’d accomplished over such a short time, and yet she couldn’t forget her conversation with Sandra. A part of her knew her sister-in-law was right. She still had deep feelings for Giovanni. He had been a part of her life since they were small children, but nothing ever really developed between them un