Page 162 of Owned (Office Intrigue Duet 8)
Tonight I decided to put all the possessions on duty to tend to us, starting with having Auberon go down to the offices to retrieve Braelyn. While he did that, Ari and Rolphe set the table—wine, roses, candles, and linens. Bram and Corvin were on kitchen duty, preparing the meal. And Sim and Taurus were standing by to serve and cater to Braelyn’s every whim.
Because tonight was all about her.
Perhaps I was going out of my way to romance and seduce her, but I had my reasons. With Trent strategizing how to get Braelyn and Ransom’s parents out of the way, freeing them to move back to Chicago if they chose, I decided I would put forth my best efforts to show Braelyn this was where she belonged. Here with me.
With us, technically.
And while Ransom had made the suggestion that I get rid of my possessions in an effort to make Braelyn happy, it wasn’t something I could do. Nor did I believe Braelyn would expect that of me. From the brief time we’d been together, I figured it was safe to say Braelyn knew me better than possibly anyone else. Even Tiegan and Zion, who had been closer to me than anyone before them. But just because they were close didn’t mean they knew me.
“Wow, this is … beautiful,” Braelyn said as she stepped outside, her arm twined in Auberon’s.
I couldn’t help but smile, pleased that she would think so.
I nodded to Taurus, who immediately retrieved the wine from the ice bucket, pouring it into two glasses, then delivering one to Braelyn before passing me one.
“What’s the occasion?” Braelyn asked, smiling at Auberon when he stepped back so she could move toward me.
“Do I need a reason to treat you to a nice dinner?”
“No, I don’t guess you do.” Her smile brightened when Ari and Rolphe began lighting the torches mounted into the corners of the railing.
As they worked, soft music began playing.
I held out my hand to her. “Dinner will be ready shortly. Care to sit?”
Her smile was sweet when she placed her hand in mine, allowed me to lead her to the wide-cushioned couch.
“How’d things go today?” I asked, making polite conversation.
“Better than I expected.”
In the past few days, I’d noticed a glimmer in Braelyn’s eyes whenever she spoke of work. It had surprised me, to be honest. While I was one who thoroughly enjoyed what I did, would go so far as to say I lived for my companies, I rarely encountered others who shared the same enthusiasm.
“I really think you’re going to like the improvements we’re suggesting. But I won’t spoil the surprise. We’ll wait for the presentation.”
“Presentation?”
“Of course. You didn’t think we’d move forward unless we have your approval, did you?”
I liked that about her, too. Although I’d detected some frustration on Ransom’s part when it came to getting my blessing for changes, Braelyn seemed delighted to keep me in the loop.
Braelyn was quiet for a moment, her attention on the ocean.
“Have I mentioned how much I love it here?” she whispered.
Her eyes jerked to my face, almost as though she hadn’t meant to say the words aloud.
“I’m glad.” I took a sip of wine. “Have I mentioned how much I love having you here?”
In the light flickering from the torches, I saw her blush.
When Sim and Taurus slipped inside the house, I knew they were going to get our dinner. Getting to my feet, I held out my hand, assisted Braelyn to hers, then led her to the table.
I fully expected Braelyn to continue with the conversation about work, so I was surprised when she shifted topics.
“Were you aware Ransom and Jasper knew each other? Many years ago?” she prompted after politely thanking Sim for the salad he set in front of her.
“I was.” I picked up my fork. “I’ve done a thorough background check on all my employees.”
“Did you know they’d been a couple?”
“I knew they’d had a relationship. I didn’t know the particulars. Still don’t.”
“Neither do I.” She took a bite, chewed thoughtfully. “I think it’s serious.”
As did I, but I didn’t say as much. While I didn’t hesitate to deep-dive into someone’s past to ensure there weren’t problems that might interfere with my businesses, I didn’t make a habit of getting in the middle of personal matters. Sure, I was perceptive, knew everything that was going on here on the island. Plus, I wouldn’t hesitate to intervene when I felt it might help—Tiegan and Memphis, for example—but I tried to keep my distance. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t.
However, Braelyn’s feelings on the matter were of importance to me.
“Does that worry you? That they might be serious?”
She shook her head, finished chewing. “I’m actually hopeful. I never met Jasper before, but I remember Ransom talking about him. They weren’t together for that long. Maybe two years. But their breakup was hard on Ransom. I don’t think he’s loved anyone since.” She looked at me. “Do you think there’s only one person for everyone?”
