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"True," I conceded, "but by letting hi of the quarter, you’ve set a precedent"

"I know," she said, rubbing her te in here to tell you what you’d done rong I was co in here to tell you I understand why you did it I can’t really fault you"

She dropped her hands, eyeing me cautiously

"At this point in your career, I can’t be surprised you said yes to Papadakis"

Her mouth opened and I could see a litany of curse words for forward and holding upthe ‘seasoning’ card again--though it’s true no matter howYou want to show the world that you’re Atlas--and to a Titan, that fking celestial sphere weighs nothing It’s just that it’s iet why you did it, and I also get why you’re conflicted I’m sorry this is hard for you, because I’ve been there" I lowered my voice, row darker, the sun dipping behind the horizon just as I’d finished my sentence Chloe watched me, face smooth and practically unreadable

Well, unreadable to anyone else Anyone who hadn’t seen that face a thousand times, the one that told me she wanted to smack me, kiss me, scratch me, and then fk"I see what you’re doing"

"What a a hardass, yet alsoto fk me in your office!" I crowed, lee "God, you’re easy"

She stood quickly, walking around the desk and reaching i it around"

"Never" I closed my eyes behind the silk fabric and letthe delicate citrus scent of her perfu to feel the soft skin of her forearms I movedher back to my chest "This better?"

Her quiet huff wasn’t for enuine frustration "Bennett," she ripped her hips, pulling her to ainst her ass "At least soht attendant, who bent low to catch

"I’e with yourht and coiled around me as I’d fked her over her desk "Just some Grey Goose and a cup of ice, please"

"And for lunch? We have filet non or a cheese and olive plate"

I ordered the latter and glanced out theFrom thirty thousand feet up, I could be anywhere But I had the distinct feeling I was headed back in time

I hadn’t been back to France since my return to the States, when I met Chloe in person For what felt like the hundredth tiistered how that old Bennett didn’t feel fa had been a revelation in part because, before Chloe, I would have also said yes to George’s deht Chloe was so sihtening

I sht back to my mother’s advice:

"Find a woman ill be your equal in every way Don’t let yourself fall for someone who’ll put your world before theirs Fall for the powerhouse who lives as fearlessly as you do Find the woman who makes you want to be a better man"

Well, I had found her Now all I had to do ait for her to get here, so I couldto our borrowed villa was covered in small, sh they were clearly selected for their appearance and hoell they fit the landscaping, it was refreshingly obvious that the grounds were meant to be enjoyed, not treated as a precious museum piece Flower beds and urns lined both sides of the path, each spilling over with bright, colorful blossoms There were trees everywhere, and off in the distance was a little seating area, screened fro vines

Truly, I had never seen a more beautiful country home The house was a soft red, the color of faded clay, and weathered to an absolutely gorgeous effect White shutters framed the tall s on the first and second floors, and ainst the doors The perfuainvillea crawled up a trellis and framed the French provincial-inspired narrow double doorway The top step was cracked, but swept clean, and a sireenbehindtrees, a long table was covered in a brilliant orange tablecloth, the tabletop decorated simply with a narrow line of tiny blue bottles of different shapes and sizes Clean white plates were spaced at even intervals, waiting for a dinner party to appear A green lawn stretched to where I stood on the narrow porch, broken only by the occasional inground planter bursting with purple, yellow, and pink flowers

I pulled the key from my pocket and entered the house Froe, but it almost seemed to expand like an optical illusion inside

Christ, Max, this seeion was large, but I didn’t realize there were sorooms Just from the front door, I could see at least a dozen doorways connecting off the main hall, and doubtless there were countless other rooht

I paused in the entryway, staring at the enorer cousin to a s roolaze was identical, and the same beautiful yellow lines bled down its curved sides I reht it for my mother the first time he’d come home with me, over the winter holidays I hadn’t realized at the tiift had been to hi around his vacation home, I could see the same artist’s work everywhere: in plates mounted above the mantel, in a handmade teapot and a set of si out to touch the urn Chloe would co inovercame me that ere almost fated to have come here

After her birthday dinner in January, Chloe hesitated in the dining roo at Mooing for the obvious gleam of the Tiffany vases or the intricate detail of the carved wooden bowls, she went straight for a tiny blue vase in the corner

"I don’t think I’ve ever seen this color before," she said, awestruck "I didn’t think this color existed outside of the iination"