Found in You(99)

“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to seem too forward.”

“Well, too f*cking late for that.”

He continued with an annoying degree of impassivity. “It wasn’t as insane as it sounds, Alayna. It was business. I saw you at the symposium and knew I needed you working for me. Since you weren’t taking any interviews with companies, I had to buy the company you were already at. Yes, I was attracted to you. Yes, it influenced my decision to pursue your talent, but wanting you working for me was the driving force of that pursuit.”

It wasn’t an uncommon scenario. Smart-minded business players often made large company purchases simply to get control of a talented workforce. “Then you got what you wanted. I am working for you. I don’t have to run The Sky Launch to be working for you.” I ran my hands up and down my arms, trying to get warm. “I have an important role, and I don’t need anything more right now.”

He stepped toward me, his impassivity replaced with vehemence. “Alayna, you have so much potential!”

“Stop it! You sound like my brother. Don’t decide that I’m wasting my potential. I’m building up to it at my own speed. I’m not ready to run a club, Hudson.” My hands flew expressively as I spoke—pointing at him, then at myself, then flinging madly at my sides.

Hudson chortled. “You’re going to have to be ready. Otherwise someone else will have to step into that role when David’s gone.”

“Then this isn’t about me at all! It is about David. You can’t fire him. You can’t!”

“It’s about you, Alayna. No one but you.” The calm exterior he’d adopted after the Paul Kresh situation was completely abandoned now. “I told you I don’t share. I won’t share you. Not with him. Not with anyone. I will bend over backwards to give you everything you need and want, but this is the one thing I have to have in return. Fidelity.”

“I am faithful. I’ve never been anything but faithful. I have no desire to cheat on you with David or anyone. I’m yours, like you said.”

“Yes. You are. Mine. And I should have gotten rid of him the minute I suspected there had been anything between you.”

The truth of what he was saying hit me in the gut. “In other words, you don’t trust me.”

“I don’t trust him!”

“It doesn’t matter if you trust him as long as you trust me!”

His face transformed into a bitter expression I’d never seen before. “Today I discovered you kept both your relationship with David and your recent interaction with Paul Kresh from me and you’re talking about trust? Good timing, Alayna.”

Ouch. But I deserved that. David, however, did not. “I told you why I didn’t tell you about Paul. And this is why I didn’t tell you about David. Because I was afraid you’d overreact, and wow, here you are trying to fire the best employee The Sky Launch has!”

“You’re the best employee The Sky Launch has.”

Under different circumstances, his faith in me would be flattering. “I beg to differ. I wouldn’t be worth shit without David, and I don’t want his job.”

Hudson leaned forward, his eyes dark. “It’s not an option. You want to work at the club, you’ll work in the position that I choose.”

Rage boiled through me. “Then I quit! Because I can’t work for someone who’s so obviously jealous and controlling. And you’re seriously making me reconsider my living situation as well.”

“Don’t!” He stepped forward, his face in mine. “Don’t throw our relationship on the line because of a good business decision.”