He stood in front of the pool, all bronzed skin and sculpted muscle, as naked and unabashed as a Greek statue come to life. Soft lights spilled over the hard contours of his body, tracing the ridges of his abs and the strong, lean sinew of his legs.
A hot ripple wavered through me, coupled with a surprising pinch of envy.
What would it feel like to be that carefree and spontaneous? To do something I wanted without worrying about the consequences?
Oh, what the hell. It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen the goods before.
I made an impulse decision and stood before I changed my mind. Xavier’s eyes darkened as I walked toward him, shedding my dress, tights, and underwear with each step.
By the time I reached him, I wasn’t wearing a stitch of clothing, and it felt good. More than good. It felt freeing.
“Stunning,” he whispered, and I felt that one word from the top of my head to the tips of my toes.
We sank into the pool, our movements languid as we relished the silky, heated waters. We didn’t talk; we simply floated there, unburdened by the weight of our clothes and long-hidden secrets, our fingers interlacing more out of habit than thought.
It was impossible to see stars in the city sky, but the quiet, the warmth, and the fragrance of exotic blooms jeweling the air transformed our little pocket of New York into a magical secret world, at least for tonight.
Our lives weren’t perfect, but here, together, we were at peace.
CHAPTER 29
Xavier
I hadn’t planned on telling Sloane about my past. I’d never told anyone what happened with the fire, but there was something about last night, the way she looked at me, and the ease I felt around her that pulled the words out of me before I processed what was happening.
Once they were out, it was like a giant weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I hadn’t realized how much the poison from my past was eating me up inside until I expunged it, and not only did Sloane listen without judgment, but she’d comforted me afterward.
Sloane Kensington didn’t comfort people, but she’d comforted me. If I’d ever thought I could walk away from her before, last night confirmed I couldn’t.
Thanks to her, I also showed up to Vuk’s office on Friday morning armed with my new strategy. I didn’t bring slide decks or shiny handouts; I didn’t even bring my old bar sketches. I simply told him the truth. My fractured relationship with my father, my refusal to take over his company out of fear and spite, his death and my mother’s letter…everything I shared with Sloane, I reframed into a story that wasn’t just about numbers; it was about the heart behind them.
“You’re worried the club will crash and burn if my inheritance committee doesn’t rule in my favor come May,” I said. “I would be too if I were in your shoes. But here’s the thing: I’m no longer doing it for my inheritance.” Vuk’s eyebrows notched up. “I’m no longer doing it just for my inheritance,” I amended. “My entire life, I relied on what other people gave me. I lived off something I didn’t build, and I told myself I was okay with it because I didn’t have the courage to stray from that path. But this club? Everything I’ve achieved so far? That’s mine, and I’m fucking proud of it.”
I’d had help along the way because no one built an empire alone. But the vision and execution were mine, and I hadn’t fucked them up so far. Things were going well, as well as starting a new business in the city could possibly go, and it made me think I could do this—take the Castillo name and make it my own.
“I would love to have you as a partner,” I said. As expected, Vuk hadn’t said a word during my spiel, but his eyes appeared marginally warmer than they had when I arrived. Either that, or I was delirious from lack of sleep. “But if you say no, the club will still open. If I don’t secure the vault, I’ll find another location. It’s not ideal, but business isn’t always about the ideal. It’s about getting things done, and I’ll get it done with or without you.” I paused, letting my words sink in. “However, I’d much rather do it with you. So.” I nodded at the contract on his desk. “What’s your answer? Are you going to take the risk, or are you going to play it safe?”
It was a gamble, provoking Vuk like that. Without him, my path to opening the club would be that much harder, but I would figure it out. I hadn’t realized it until I’d said it out loud, but I wasn’t lying when I’d said I could do it on my own. I’d have to fight like hell, and I probably wouldn’t sleep from now until May, but people had overcome worse obstacles to achieve their goals.
If they could do it, so could I.
Vuk studied me, his eyes so pale they were nearly colorless. He didn’t move. He didn’t smile. He didn’t speak.
I maintained his gaze, my heart pounding to an ominous rhythm.
Then, after an endless, agonizing silence, and without saying a single word, Vuk Markovic slid the contract toward him, picked up his pen, and signed on the dotted line.
I did it.
I fucking did it.
Vuk was officially my business partner, and with his stamp of approval, the rest of the pieces fell into place. That night, Sloane and I celebrated with food, wine, a so-bad-it-was-good rom-com, and lots of sex (obviously).
I also had the personal pleasure of delivering the news to Alex over the phone. He greeted the update with as much emotion as a block of granite, but he did sign off with something that made me smile.
“Delivered two weeks early,” he said. “You might survive the industry after all.”
It was the closest to a compliment one could expect from Alex Volkov.
But most importantly? The bank vault was mine.
Jules had fast-tracked my permits and licenses and was currently working with Alex’s lawyers on the commercial lease. My relationship with Sloane was developing into something more than I’d thought possible, and the financing from Davenport Capital was in the final stages of approval.
Opening a nightclub this big this fast required a ton of capital, and with my inheritance tied up and Vuk unwilling to pour too much cash into an untested venture, I was relying on the Davenport money to cover the shortfall. I was confident it would go through, especially with Vuk on board.
Overall, life was good. Really good.
But as someone wise once said, all good things came to an end, and this particular streak of luck came to a sudden, crashing halt the following Monday.
LUCA:
Did you see this?
His next text included a link to a Perry Wilson blog post.
