Dirty Sexy Alphas (Twenty Book Box Set) - Hannah Ford Page 0,89

next to it, remnants from our late lunch of fancy cheese and crackers and fruit.

“I’m going to take a shower,” he said, standing. He winced, rolling his shoulder as he held one hand against his sore ribs. “Maybe the hot water will help the soreness.”

The effects of his fight were slowly kicking in. By the next morning, he’d likely be stiff. But I could think of a few ways to help him out. Surely he had some massage oils somewhere in that massive bedroom of his. The image of me, straddling him as I rubbed oils all over his body turned me on.

I picked up my glass, swirling the cube around. “Alright.”

“Join me?” he asked, his lips quirking.

I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t resist smiling back. “I think I need a little more time.”

Now that I’d cooled off a bit, I could feel everything we’d done over every inch of my body. I thought of him with every shift of weight, every time my knee or elbow brushed against something.

Besides, eventually we would go to bed. And I couldn’t possibly lie beside him in that bedroom without peeling my clothes off and straddling him.

“You know where to find me if you change your mind,” he said, walking away and leaving me on the deck.

On the table, his phone lit up again. I glanced up, but Landon was gone. I stared at his phone, wiling myself to find restraint. But the urge to see what had his phone blowing up was too much to resist. I set my wine glass back down and scooted forward, grabbing his phone and hitting the button at the bottom.

Alexa, Alexa, Alexa.

Figures it would be her. I couldn’t read the full messages, but the previews were enough to get the gist.

I’ll give you the divorce when you give me 52% of your company.

I want the house in Phoenix too.

I will get it one way or the other. U know me Landon. U know I will get what I want.

Jesus, she was insane. Alexa hadn’t sacrificed anything to help Landon build his business, yet she felt entitled to demand a controlling interest in his company. I stared at the screen, thankful that I didn’t know his password, and therefore couldn’t unlock the phone and give her a piece of my mind. She had no idea what kind of person she was taking advantage of, how hard he’d worked to build every brick of his empire.

“Interesting reading material?” Landon asked, and I jerked, nearly dropping his phone.

I blushed, holding the phone up to him. “I’m Sorry. I didn’t mean to— “

“Yes you did,” he said, but there was no anger in it. His voice was flat, factual. “But I don’t care. I doubt she’s saying anything you don’t already know.”

“What are you going to do about this?”

“Nothing,” he said, his voice firm… resolute. “She’s no longer authorized on any of my accounts, and she’s little more than a nuisance at the center. A fly buzzing around, making noise.”

“She wants half your company.”

“More than half—fifty-two percent gives her the ability to fire me if she so chooses,” Landon said, as if he was discussing the weather. “It would put her boot on my neck for the rest of my life.”

“You think she’s serious, or is she just trying to negotiate to get a better deal?”

He shrugged. “It doesn’t really matter. She’ll give up eventually. The lawyers she’s hiring are expensive, and without access to my accounts, she’ll run out of money. Besides, my lawyers are better. And after a dozen or two of our monthly board meetings, she’ll lose interest.”

“Oh,” I said, softly.

He took in my expression, which must’ve been a mixture of concern and despair.

He sighed. “I’ve offered her a fair settlement—not fifty-two percent of the company, which is ridiculous—but a fair amount. More than she deserves, certainly. I don’t care if it takes her five years to realize it’s all she’s going to get. I won’t ever give her a penny more.”

It was like someone had taken an ice cream scoop to my chest, hollowing it out. I wanted him to care if this would take years. I needed him to care.

But he didn’t. he wasn’t thinking of me as he went to battle with her. He wasn’t trying to get free of her to be with me.

Five years?! I was supposed to date a married man for five years?

I couldn’t wait that long.

“So that’s the plan? Turn into Fort Knox and wait until she’s too tired