Prologue
Thatcher
When you were six foot five with a big, muscular frame, you weren’t exactly hard to miss. I also had the tall, dark, and handsome thing going on. Not that I was particularly vain, but over the years, my brother, Justice, and I had both made The World’s Most Eligible Billionaires list, as well as being categorized in the “Most Sexy” blah blah blah in a dozen magazines. We’d also graced the cover of Forbes magazine multiple times. Apparently, my “dark hair, gray eyes, strong jaw, and full lips” made me desirable and easily noticed.
So, it completely baffled me that I’d been wandering past the woman of my dreams almost every day for the past month and I’d never so much as caught her eye.
Imogene Collier, according to her signature on her work, was a street artist, usually set up in Battery Park, not far from my office building. The first time I passed by, the smell of cinnamon and sugar had wafted under my nose, and I’d looked around for a food cart only to realize that it was coming from the artist sitting on a stool, painting. I was immediately drawn in by the emotion behind her paintings…until I saw her. Love hit me like a ton of bricks. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her, and one word kept bouncing around in my head over and over. Mine.
Chapter 1
Thatcher
“There’s been a delay in shipping the materials for the renovation, Mr. Kendall.”
I cursed and clenched the phone so hard I was surprised it didn’t crumble to dust. At least I hadn’t chucked it at the glass wall across from my desk like I’d been tempted to do.
Nolan, my assistant, would have been fucking pissed if I cracked the glass, especially because it was right behind his desk. Then he probably would have tattled on me to Patti. I didn’t want to face the wrath of the woman who’d been like a mother to me for the past fifteen years. She technically worked for my brother, but the honest truth was that she ran this place and it would fall apart without her.
“How far is it going to push back the project this time?”
“Um, well—we aren’t sure. Two weeks, maybe?” he stammered.
“You’re fired,” I snarled just before I heard the crunch of my phone cracking in my hand. “Fuck,” I mumbled when I pulled it away from my ear to inspect the damage.
I pushed to my feet and stalked to my door. Nolan looked up when I came to a stop by his desk. “Headed to your dinner meeting?” he asked as he scribbled something on a planner sitting open before him. Nolan was a true millennial in most ways, but he still clung to some old traditions, like backing up digital calendars with paper ones. I didn’t give a shit how he organized things, he never missed anything. If I was late to a meeting, it was my own damn fault, as he would tell me afterward.
“Yes.” I tossed the ruined phone into the air, and he instinctively caught it in one hand like I knew he would. He had mad reflexes, and I often wondered if he moonlit as a ninja. “Order me a new phone.”
“Hulk smash much?” Nolan quipped with a raised brow.
“And I need to find a new contractor for the renovation on my townhouse,” I deflected.
He shook his head as he made notes. “Another delay? Seriously?” His annoyed tone validated my frustration. I wasn’t overreacting. “What’s that make? Four times?”
“Something like that. This is taking way too fucking long,” I growled. “I need it done as soon as possible. I don’t care how much it costs, find me someone who can get it done in two weeks.”
Nolan sucked in a breath and shook his head. “That’s going to set you back a pretty penny.”
I shrugged. It wouldn’t even put a dent in my checking account, much less the overall total of my assets. “Get it done.”
The only reason I’d been able to wait this long was knowing that everything had to be just perfect before I made my move. I was doing everything I could think of to ensure that when I finally went for my girl, I would’ve done everything I could to earn her love.
I took a deep breath and tried to expel the residual anger from my phone call. My dinner meeting was crucial, and the last thing I needed was to take out my irritation on the man about to merge his business with ours.
I sauntered into Justice’s office and leaned against the doorway, shoving my hands in my pockets. Justice was staring intently at his phone, more than likely, stalking his girl.
His head lifted, and he scowled at me before snapping, “Remind me why this meeting had to happen tonight?”