Billionaire Bachelors 7 ; The Billionaire's Final Stand(23)

She hadn't wanted to work for Joseph's family, but during her time with him, she'd formed a real bond with his father, Milton. When Joseph left, Milton had practically begged her to take a job at the main offices. It hadn't taken her long to earn her stripes, so to speak, and quickly rise to the top.

She smiled fondly, remembering Benjamin. He'd been a good man. At least she'd had the last five years with him. She despised Neilson. She found him the slimiest of snakes, but she had to keep that opinion to herself. After all, her job was to remain objective, not to take sides. The only side she could be on, was the side that benefited the corporation in the most positive way.




 

 

"On the other hand, we don't want to take too long and make the investors think we're incompetent. They need to know we can make a decision," he countered.

"They'll have more faith if we do a thorough job," she countered.

They argued back and forth for a while longer before the meeting broke up, agreeing to reconvene in three days. They each had their own investigating to do.

Katherine walked to her office and sank into her chair, her head falling forward. It had been another long day and that shower was sounding better with each passing hour.

Her thoughts turned to Joseph, as they often did. She knew there was a chance he'd come home during the negotiations, and she needed to be prepared.

Five years, it's been five years. You can do this, she told herself.

He'd moved to New York, where he'd stayed for five years. He'd been very successful in the big apple, even without his family's financial backing, which he'd refused. She hoped, for her sanity's sake, he stayed there.

She couldn't believe how much she still missed him, how he still invaded her dreams nightly. No other man she'd met over the years compared to him, and she feared that's how it would always be.

He was larger than life, so it stood to reason that every other man would get lost in his shadow.

Katherine was stewing as she threw on her coat. Joseph was ancient history  –  gone. Out of her life. Kaput. She wasn't going to let him control her emotions. She was a big girl now, no longer the innocent eighteen year old with stars in her eyes.

If only he hadn't been so …  so …  No! She wasn't going there. Her mind betrayed her, though. He'd been so …  good.

Tender.

Kind.

Passionate.

Enough!

Katherine gathered her purse as she continued to berate herself. How did she expect others to listen to her if she wouldn't even listen to herself?

She walked from the office, grateful she didn't run into any of the other board members on the way out. She was fried for the day, and done talking, certainly done putting on her professional mask.

She grabbed a taxi and made her way the short distance across the city to her apartment. As she stepped inside and shut the door, she leaned against the solid wood and let out a relieved sigh.

Home at last.

She felt the day's tension begin melting from her body as she tossed her purse on the couch and made her way to the bathroom, discarding clothes along the way.

She was naturally a clean person, but she tended to let clutter build up by Friday. Then on Saturday's she'd clean the apartment spotless, only to let the process start all over again come Monday morning. 

As Katherine stepped under the pulsing water, the last of her strain washed down the drain. She stayed in an extra ten minutes to let the streaming jets work out the last of her knots. Her weekend was beginning a whole lot better than her week had ended.

She threw leftovers in the microwave, then waited for it to signal it was ready, when her doorbell sounded.

No, she silently yelled. She wasn't up for visitors. She wanted nothing more than to eat her dinner while getting lost in some comedy on television before falling into a deep sleep.

She thought about ignoring the person, but when the door chimed again, she knew she had to answer. It may be one of her neighbors who'd spotted her coming in. If she didn't answer, they'd know she was purposefully ignoring them.

She slowly made her way to the front door, gritting her teeth when the bell went off for a third time.

"Have some patience," she muttered.

She yanked the door open, really hoping her face didn't show her irritation at being interrupted.

She was ready to say hello when her good start to the weekend, instantly crumbled.

She was left speechless as she looked across the threshold at the one person she'd been hoping to avoid at all costs.

Joseph …

His arrogant face took in her short robe, slightly gaping open at her neck, then slid down to her bare legs, before he leisurely assessed her flushed face.

His arms were framed in the doorway, preventing her from slamming the door shut in his face. He smiled like a panther would just before pouncing.