Chapter 13

Tobias This morning is a disaster. It started out great, with Hannah moaning underneath me as I licked her pink folds, but now it turns out all my private chefs are down with corona.

What the fuck am I going to eat?!

My stomach growls, and misery is all around. I’m sitting by the kitchen table, gazing over the empty space with a frown. I’m good at many things, but cooking isn’t one of them.

“It’s a beautiful morning, isn’t it?” Hannah chirps.

“I guess it is…”

“Then why are you pouting?”

“I’m not…”

“You are.”

I turn around, studying Hannah as she strolls into the kitchen with a messy bun at the top of her head.

Despite the disaster, seeing Hannah cheers me up.

Blonde baby hairs are spilling out over her forehead. She is wearing one of my oversized t-shirts over bare legs, and since she is so itsy-bitsy, it looks like a white dress.

She beams at me with pink cheeks. Adorable and whimsical. “Aren’t you going to eat something?”

“I’m not hungry.” My stomach chooses that moment to gurgle in protest and Hannah giggles.

“Do you want me to cook something for us? Are you in a hurry? I was thinking of making pizza.” Now she got my attention. “Pizza?”

“Uh-huh,” she walks over to one of the cabinets, opening it to rummage through its contents. It’s her first.

time being here, yet Hannah easily navigates through the kitchen. “You mentioned that you had everything in here, and my heart is telling me that it wants pizza. How about you? Should I make you one?”

I’m starving, but can Hannah cook, or will I die eating her food? There is only one way to find out: taking a massive risk by trying it out.

“Sure,” I say, trying not to show the fear coiling inside me. “Make me a pepperoni pizza.”

She laughs. “You’re so funny trying to boss me around-you’re obviously helping.”

I snort. “I’m not-”

My words trail off my tongue when I see that the shy woman I know and married is gone. Left in her place. is a determined one. Hannah’s arms are resting on her sides, and she glares at me from across the table.

Tiny but oh so fierce. Hannah’s ice-blue eyes are cold and relentless, and her stance tells me she isn’t.

messing around.

I have to give her credit for daring to stand up to me. Not many people have managed that, considering my position. What is impressive here is that I’ve also been Hannah’s boss, which is why I can’t fight my smile. It takes guts to boss me around.

“Okay, Mrs. Ford. I will help. Where do you want me?”

“You’re going to be making the dough.”

“Am I?” I challenge.

Instead of replying, Hannah smiles, and it’s so scary and convincing that shudders sweep down my spine. Jesus Christ. Where has my cute Hannah gone? This one is scary!

“I take my cooking very seriously, Mr. Ford,” Hannah cranes her neck when I walk over to her. I tilt my head to look down at her. She doesn’t even reach my chin, yet she isn’t one bit afraid. Nope. Instead of backing up from me, she pokes my chest with a finger while talking. “And in the kitchen, I’m the boss. Do you hear me?”

Why am I suddenly aroused? “Yes, ma’am.”

“Good,” she grins. “Now, let’s make one hell of a pizza!”

“Yes!”

“That’s ‘yes, ma’am’ for you.”

Bossy when it matters, huh?

I immediately straighten my shoulders. “Yes, ma’am.”

“That’s the spirit!”

Hike this motivated version of Hannah just as much as the shy one-my hard-on would agree. It feels like I have a sword in my pants, but I tell myself now isn’t the time.

Instead of carrying Hannah to bed, I bake pizzas in the kitchen.

Honestly, I should be at work. But I am okay with showing up late to my office. It’s not like I have a boss.

anyway, and when I relax, the morning quickly turns into the most delightful one I’ve had in ages.

Hannah shows me the ropes, and while she is shy about certain things, she becomes a whole new person when focused on a task. It’s admiring. Somehow, I allow her to turn into my boss.

I do everything Hannah tells me to, but I also mess with her. When we roll dough, I tackle her tiny body out of the way, not hard, but enough to take over. She glares at me but gets her revenge by smacking flour and raw eggs into my face.

I’m about to give her the same treatment, but when Hannah laughs, I decide to let her have this victory. I focus on baking pizza, and then we eat around the table.

It’s great fun, and when it’s time to leave, I almost don’t want to. I’m slowly putting on my shoes in the hallway while Hannah watches me with sad, glistening eyes.

“Do you have to work every day?” Hannah asks.

“It’s not about having to work; it’s about taking responsibility,” I stand up and give her a smile. “Shouldn’t you be studying anyhow?”

“Well, I definitely should, but…” she bites her lower lip while eyeing my hand, which is now resting on the door handle.

“But?” I ask, blinking.

Hannah blushes, and then she spreads her arms to give me a hug. It’s so sudden that I blink and do nothing. Shit. Why does it feel so nice having her body pressed to mine like this?

I silently look down when Hannah boldly squeezes my pecs, and that’s when I realize this isn’t about romance-there are now white flour marks on my pecs!

“You little!”

Hannah falls into a fit of laughter and hurries away from me. “There, now I’m leading in the prank.

leaderboard!”

I glare at her, but on the inside, I’m smiling. “I’m going to get back at you, Mrs. Ford, and my revenge will be worse than what you’ve done.”

Hannah winks at me. “I will be looking forward to it!”

“Oh, you will change your mind after I’ve gotten my revenge,” I open the door and glance over my to find her standing by the bottom of the staircase. “Have a nice day.”

She beams at me with a slight pink tint to her cheeks. “You too.”

shoulder Hours later, I’m sitting inside my office. The pizza I made with Hannah tasted great, even as a warmed-

up lunch. We made an extra one that I’ve just finished.

Suddenly, there is a knock on my door, but like always, my ex-wife doesn’t bother to wait. Sarah storms into my office unannounced, and her expression today is furious.

“Why didn’t you tell me you had met someone?!” Sarah demands the second she sets her wild eyes on me. “And you married her right away? Is that a good idea, Tobias? Is your new wife now a co-owner of this company?! Have you thought this through?!”

“Hello, you too,” I say in a dry tone. For some reason, my heart isn’t excited to see Sarah. That’s… odd.

Usually, there is love behind the hurt, but not today. “And Hannah isn’t a co-owner. Not that it’s any of your business. I plan to buy you and Daniel out of this company before the year ends. I have soon collected the money your husband demanded of me.”

Sarah’s eyes flare, and she angrily parks her arms underneath her breasts to pout at me. “Where have you but-” gotten so much money from? Not that we aren’t making a profit. We are, “I’ve bought a couple of other companies this year, and they are all very profitable,” I interrupt her without remorse. The sooner she is out of here, the better. “Now, was that all or are we done here? I would like to continue my lunch break in peace.”

Sarah sucks her lips into her mouth, and for a brief moment, I see the woman I fell in love with:

vulnerable and sweet, with her emotions worn on her sleeve.

I married Sarah because she was always honest in the past. She laughed a lot, joked with me, and we had lots of fun together. But now I’m unsure if she was herself with me or if she manipulated me and played a game of hearts to get to my money.

Because after we got married, Sarah immediately slept with my best friend, Daniel. And sure, I was drowning in work and hardly had time for my wife, but that’s not an excuse to break anyone’s heart like that. Sarah really hurt me, and I’ve had trust issues ever since.

“I was hoping we could talk,” Sarah says, and when I stare at her in silence, she sighs heavily. “Over dinner, Tobias. Not here.”

I swallow thickly and lean back in my chair. “You expect me to pay for dinner after you cheated on me?

What kind of dream world are you living in?”

She winces as if I’ve punched her but quickly recovers. “We didn’t end things on a bright note, and I feel as if talking about it over a nice steak would do us well.”

I laugh and shake my head. “How about you kiss my ass because I sure as hell isn’t taking you to any restaurant.” 1 My words seem to shock Sarah. She stares at me with her jaw slacking to the floor, and that’s when I realize something bizarre: I have exactly what I want.

Sarah is desperate to talk to me. She was also jealous during the buffet. I’ve gotten my revenge, and I’m pretty sure my ex-wife is still interested in me based on how she is acting. But here is the oddest thing: I don’t want her back-I want her gone.

It’s strange.

I’m still in love with Sarah. My heart is singing some sad song about lost love, but perhaps I’m slowly moving on.

“Well…” Sarah walks over to the door. Her face is one of hurt and anger when she looks over her shoulder. “This won’t be the last of me. I will keep trying to talk to you.”

I roll my eyes. “I suppose there isn’t anything I can say to make you leave me the fuck alone?”

Instead of replying, Sarah leaves my office, but she doesn’t look angry when she walks away. There was hurt on her face. And that breaks my heart for some stupid reason.

“Fuck…” I rub my eyelids. “How do you get completely over someone? I’m tired of this shit.”

I exhale at my complicated emotions and then look down at my phone that vibrates on my table.

Hannah: I baked you some cupcakes and came over as we discussed. But your assistant Samantha isn’t letting me see you. I am trying to figure out what her problem is!

I snort in amusement.

Samantha is a young girl, and I’m positive she is in love with me, based on the flirty notes she has sent me since I divorced Sarah. Perhaps she is angry that I’m married to someone new already and taking it out on Hannah?

I begin typing a message, but then I stop myself. Hannah is here, probably in the lobby where people.

usually wait if they have a meeting with us higher-ups. Hmm. I should go and pick her up from the waiting room myself. Samantha may back off if she sees us together.