I’d always accepted their selfish expectations as a fact. Never questioned their insensitive demands of me. I’d been numb to my life for years. Right until a curly-haired tempest with a mouthwatering ass walked into my office to interview for the PA position I reluctantly agreed to fill. Alba Duarte barreled into my world with combustible energy. Ready, eager, launching herself into things in that unflappable way of hers, and for the first time since I could remember I’d wanted. From the moment I set eyes on her, I’d craved her.

But I knew my place and I knew hers and I would never betray my position or my power just because I was attracted to my assistant. She’d said she would stay for a year, and so I told myself I could wait. I’d let her get what she needed from the job and when I was no longer her boss I’d tell her how I felt. A year turned into three and still, I waited. Until I finally had my chance, and I’d blown it.

“Are you listening to me, Theo?” My father barked, snatching me back to attention. I prided myself on my ability to keep a cool head. Almost fifteen years of competitive swimming had taught me to never allow my emotions to hinder my ability to perform. Emotions were only a reminder that I was letting myself be distracted. A trigger forcing me to refocus. But right now my head was in a fog. I wanted to run out of this office, get on a plane to Dallas and bring her back so we could start over.

“The Valle Mar lawyer just emailed; they’ve got cold feet.” A frisson of concern traveled up my spine at the way he said it. When I glanced up, he looked...worried. “Sounds like they found out about Hunter Gardens.”

“Fuck,” I bit out, dread pooling in my stomach. No wonder my father looked like he was about to puke. And even though my mind and body were raging at me to get the fuck out of this office and go find Alba, my need to appease my father was very hard to break.