Page 4 of The Addendum

“I don’t just mean death.” She shook her head. “I think the devil himself will make sure you stay up here a good many more years. He’s afraid you’ll take over once you get there,” she teased, trying to recover the lightness of a few moments ago. I chuckled at her words then stroked her cheek, wanting to understand.

“Tell me what you mean, then.”

“It’s just we’ve been level for so long. Nothing major, nothing rocking us.”

I smirked. “Are you forgetting how we started? That was pretty rocky. Or when I was in the accident? That time we thought we lost Gracie? When Graham had his stroke? You want me to go on? We’ve had plenty of trouble to deal with, Katy. We just deal with it together, and we move on. That’s all we need. Each other. We can handle anything as long as we’re together. And nothing is going to happen. The next while is smooth sailing for us.”

She smiled. “You’re right.”

“Of course I am.”

“Oh, go fuck yourself, VanRyan.”

I laughed. “Nope. I plan on fucking you again. Thoroughly.”

I captured her mouth, kissing her. Our tongues slid together, our bodies pressed intimately, touching chest to chest, hip to hip, our legs entwined. I ran my hands down her arms, lifting them over her head as I kissed her, stroking her skin.

“So soft,” I marveled. “Your skin is always so soft, Katy.” I sucked a hard nipple into my mouth, teasing it as she groaned. “You taste so good. So sweet here,” I praised as I kissed my way across her breasts. “So warm and good here,” I murmured, teasing the juncture of her neck. I slid down her body, tasting her as I went. I settled between her legs, meeting her eyes, hooded and dark with desire. I nipped her inner thigh. “And here—” I pressed a kiss to her warm, wet center “—here is where you taste the sweetest. The richest honey in the world. And it’s mine. All mine.”

She cried out as I covered her with my mouth, teasing and lapping. Caressing her. Loving her. It didn’t matter how often we made love over the years, how many times I had her. Fucked her, made her mine. Loved her gently. Took her roughly. It was always new. Each time was perfect. Unique. Special. It was us. The very basis of us.

Despite my age, despite the years, my desire for her never lessened. It had tempered and grown into something deeper, but at the core, it was still passionate and volatile.

And as I crawled up her body after she climaxed and I hovered over her, nothing mattered but the raging inferno inside me that could only be quenched by her.

As I slid inside her once again, I was home.

2

RICHARD

“Thanks, Richard. I owe you.” Jenna’s voice was warm and affectionate.

I chuckled. “You owe me more than I can count,” I responded, catching Katy’s eye across the table and winking. “You are going to be lost without me around every day.”

I hung up, still grinning. Katy set aside her Kindle. “Jenna is going to miss you. She was quite vocal about it last week when we had lunch.”

Katy and Jenna were good friends, and Jenna was the co-CEO of The Gavin Group. Her brother Adam was the other half of the duo that ran the organization. Until my retirement, I had been president, a role that would be filled by Jenna’s husband, Adrian.

“She’ll be fine. I stayed longer than I planned. She and Adam have this under control. With Brad and the team we have assembled, The Gavin Group will be solvent for years in this industry, even without me.”

“Graham must be so pleased,” she said quietly.

I nodded, thinking about my mentor, the man I considered a father figure, and my friend. He had retired years ago, but like me, had been around for consulting. After having a stroke, he had slowed down considerably, he and Laura now in a smaller house by the water that was maintained for them. He used a walker since his stroke and his speech was slower, but he was as sharp as ever.

“His family has done him proud.”

“He includes you in that family.”

“I know. You as well.”

“But his business family,” she stressed. “There are still very few outsiders there.”

“And it will remain that way. His grandkids are all into the business. It’s good. His legacy of excellence will live on.”

“How many meetings are you handling while we’re in Ontario?”

“Only two. One before and one after the wedding. Then you have me all to yourself.” I glanced at my watch. “If the plane ever leaves.”