The Carrero Contract - Finding Freedom (Book 3 of Contract Trilogy)

31

I'm groggy and sleep muddled when I pad through to the main sitting area of our living room in a loose summer dress I changed into, rubbing my eyes and yawning like I didn't just have myself the longest siesta. Blurry eyed, cooler due to efficient AC and generally in a happier mood now I have slept. I wander towards the long leather L shaped couch where Alexi is sitting to slide down beside him and curl up next to that sexy body of his.

He's on his laptop with his phone propped to his ear, leaning forward to the coffee table and has a brown file of papers open to his right. He's working so I just lie down beside him and push my feet against his thigh to have some contact. I must have slept for a couple of hours at least as the lunchtime sun that was up when we got here is now lower in the sky which suggests late afternoon. I twirl my hair and watch him, feeling wholly content, sighing with just how quickly the resentment and scars from how he was towards me in the past are fading. My heart brimming with the adoration I feel whenever I look at him lately. He runs a quick gentle stroke over my foot to acknowledge my presence but doesn't look my way.

"What else did you dig up?"

He's talking to Mico I presume. I was a little shocked that our trip to Vegas was missing a ton of Carrero escorts until I overheard him and Gino, when we were heading to our rooms, talking about this hotel being secured by their Vegas relatives. Apparently, this hotel is connected to a branch that is being sold off to Carrero hotels and the security is already very Carrero embroiled from the other side of his family. His cousin Jake, along with his father and brother, are heading the takeover. Their family are merging two businesses into one and soon this five-star haunt will be emblazoned with a gold pentagon and a giant C. It must be a massive undertaking as this chain of hotels was once the Carrero empire's biggest competitor.

They are slowly taking over the high-class world of hotels, spas and luxury cruisers from what I hear.

"My father is still siding with the board; my hands are tied unless something changes. She hasn't done anything to warrant a heavy-handed retaliation, so they want me to find a peaceful resolution." He sounds pissed, it's subtle but that tension he tries to roll out of his shoulder highlights this is still a subject that's grating on him. Alexi likes to be in charge, so his family clamping down on the course of action he wants to take is seriously pissing him off.

I don't get why they care.

She is a nothing woman trying to meddle in affairs she has no business in. Her family were slaughtered and chased out of the city once before at their hands. I don't get why they would stop him from getting rid of the problem this time when she has shown she is just as ruthless as her father was.

"No. Don't. We will be back the day after tomorrow. Wait for me before we finalise the details. I need time to think this through and figure out how to approach it. Tell Santagato I will see him on my return. Keep everything low key as though nothing is amiss. We act like nothing has happened." Alexi nods a few times as though listening to a response then says goodbye and hangs up, the scowl on his face deepening to a full throttle frown. He puts his phone on the table and finally leans back to scoop up one of my feet in large strong hands. Startling me with the sudden attention.

"You feel better after your three-hour nap?" He pulls my leg so my foot ends up in his lap and rubs it gently, massaging my sole enjoyably. Obviously not in the mood to discuss his call or what I overheard. Alexi is deflecting and I don't want to talk about it anyway. That bitch can wait until we go home.

"Mmmm" His foot rub is divine, and I close my eyes to savour his hands on my body. Tingles creeping up my leg to my warm nether regions. Alexi's touch is an aphrodisiac and already my mind is picturing him naked. He has always been good with his hands, even when he was being a jerk. He has a confident, firm touch and is good at working kinks out of all sorts of muscles. Getting his thumb right in there and teasing my limb into submission.