Own Me (The Wolf Hotel, #5)

“They’re just coming to watch me fail.”

“Yeah, probably.” Violet shrugs. “But some are curious. They want to know if it’s true.”

“Give them something to shut them all up, then,” Ronan mutters.

“Like what?”

“You riding Wolf’s lap.”

“Eww!” Violet’s face contorts.

Ronan chuckles. “Sorry, kid. I forgot.”

“Forgot what?” Henry wanders back out.

“Nothing.” I shoot a glare at Ronan. “What did Dyson want?”

He reclaims his spot on the couch, lifting my legs to drape over his lap. “To tell me that my acquisition of Luxury Travel Magazine is underway. It’s a great marketing opportunity for Wolf Hotels.”

My jaw drops. “But that’s … You’re kidding, right?”

“Don’t worry. It’s a boutique magazine. It wasn’t that expensive.”

Ronan curses under his breath.

Henry’s plan is becoming clear to me. “You bought a whole company—today—so you can fire Roshana?”

“She couldn’t stop singing its praises while she was in Alaska. Their compensation packages are top tier. Nowhere else is as competitive.” He collects his glass and takes a sip of scotch, as if nothing about what he just did is out of the ordinary. “She loves her job and traveling. She’s been moving up in the company, making a name for herself.”

“And you’ll be able to fire her?”

“After what she’s done, I think she’ll go quietly. And if she doesn’t?” A vicious smile stretches across his lips. “Let’s just say I can use my hotel security feeds too.”

I don’t think I want to know what those may have captured.

“Savage,” Violet says, but she’s smiling at Henry.

“Sends a very clear message.” Henry sets his drink down and, grabbing hold of my ankles, drags me across to pull me into his lap. “Fuck with my loved ones, and I will come for you with everything I have.” He leans in and skates his lips against mine in a kiss that feels way too intimate to be enjoying in front of his daughter.

“Later,” I whisper, pulling away.

He frowns at Violet. “What are you doing?”

She has her phone aimed at us. “Taking a picture.”

He gives her a flat look. “Yes, I understand that. Why?”

“It’s like Ronan said. Give them something to shut them up.” She shows us the shot she captured in the seconds after our lips pulled apart, our faces inches away. Henry’s muscular arms wrapped around my curled-up body make me look so small next to him. It’s sexy, and yet sweet.

“I love this.” Henry and I have so few pictures together. At least, ones that sleazy photographers didn’t take.

“You should post it on your Farm Girl accounts so people can see that you’re together and that stupid article is all bullshit. You two wouldn’t be kissing each other if Abbi was running around, sleeping with all these guys behind your back.”

Am I supposed to scold her for cussing? Because I don’t have it in me. And besides, Violet might be on to something. I don’t need to be “riding Wolf’s lap” for the message to be effective. “Would you be okay with that?” I ask Henry.

“With what?” His eyebrow arches. “People seeing me kiss you?”

I poke him in the ribs before asking, “Can you text it to me?”

Violet’s thumbs move over her phone and moments later, my phone chirps from its resting spot across the couch.

Ronan fetches it and tosses it easily into my grip.

“I’ll see what Annie and Zaheera say about that idea first. They might see a landmine that we don’t.”

“I think it’s a smart idea,” Henry says.

“Well, yeah, of course. I came up with it.” Violet reaches up and pats herself on the shoulder.

“Actually, I think it was my idea?” Ronan jumps in.

“Uh … your idea would get Abbi’s accounts suspended,” Violet retorts, rolling her eyes.

“Why does that not surprise me?” Henry mutters.





CHAPTER 19





Violet: Just wanted to say good luck with the big launch!

“What’s that smile for?” Henry swoops in to pepper a kiss against my neck while he steals a glance at my screen.

“Your daughter is wishing me luck today.” I punch out a quick reply.

Abbi: Thank you!

He hums, then snatches my phone from my grasp and quickly types out a message.

Abbi: Get to class before I send you to boarding school.

“Henry!” I glare at him. We are nowhere near making those kinds of jokes yet. How is she going to take that?

Three dots bounce almost immediately.

Violet: Hey, Henry. I guess you graced Abbi’s office with your royal presence? And do they have hot teachers at said boarding school?

Henry’s molars grind.

I tuck my phone into my pocket before Henry can grab it to reply. “I think she won that round.” But what’s even more impressive is that she knew it was him.

“What kind of teacher allows her to text during class?” He frowns. “We need to investigate private schools in her area. She can start next semester.”

“And have you asked her?”

“No, but she needs a good education. And to be with other people like her.”

“What do you mean, like her?” It dawns on me a second later. “Oh, right. Rich.” I roll my eyes. “Well, she’s not. She’s a kid who lives with her grandparents. Plus, you can’t just come into her life and take over. She’s not a company.”

He scowls, but he doesn’t respond.

That’s a conversation for later. “What’s the countdown?” I call out to Annie, who’s sitting at her desk, watching the clock and pretending not to listen to us. Maybe I’m too trusting, but I don’t think she would say anything about Violet if she did figure it out. That doesn’t mean I didn’t get her to sign an ironclad NDA, at Henry’s insistence.

Annie grins and holds up her hand. “T-minus five minutes!”

“Okay.” I take a deep breath as we wait for the clock to strike eleven a.m. and the shop to go live. “This is ridiculous. I don’t know why I’m so nervous. We’ll sell a handful of orders today.”

“Either way, we’re celebrating!” Annie holds up the bottle of Dom Pérignon Henry brought, already chilling in a bucket. Zaheera is on her way.

“Seriously, Henry, you don’t need to stay. Today is going to be anticlimactic.” Unless I drown myself in a vat of coconut oil.

He cocks his head and gives me an odd look. “Excuse us for a moment, please, Annie.” Roping an arm around my waist, he herds me into my office, pushing my desk chair back and pulling the door shut behind him.

I know what this is about. Henry is attracted to confidence and right now I am displaying anything but that.