Read The Ultimate Merger for Free Online Page B

Brazil is far away, but you’ll be back and forth
now, won’t you?”
    He nodded. “When I come back, I
want to see you. Every day.” He kissed her. “Every night.” He kissed her again.
“I want to spend every moment I can with you when we’re not working.”
    “I wouldn’t want it any other way,”
Sabrina said. She felt light-headed and drunk with happiness.
    “Let’s not go out. Let’s stay here.
I leave tomorrow, and I want to spend as much time alone with you as possible.”
    Sabrina nodded her agreement. She
rose from the sofa. She took Renaldo’s hand and led him into her bedroom.

 
    Chapter Eleven
     
    The next morning, Renaldo
reluctantly dragged himself from Sabrina’s warm bed and soft arms. He dressed
in silence and declined the steaming cup of coffee she offered. He had no appetite
for drink or food.
    At the door, they kissed one last
time. He crushed her to him, running his hands up and down her body through the
silk robe, trying to imprint her shape in his mind until he could see her
again. As if he could forget anything about her. He couldn’t. Not her long
legs, the flair of her hips, nor the cushiony feel of her backside. Not her
soft lips, her wild kinky hair, nor the scent of pink lilies clinging to his
clothes.
    She represented everything a man
could want. Smart and funny. Strong yet vulnerable. Sexy, and she even laughed
at his jokes. She was curious about his culture and wanted to learn his
language. For the first time in his life, he didn’t look forward to returning
home.
    Once he left, he moved on leaden
feet down the hallway, the tightness in his chest expanding the farther he
walked from her door. At the elevator, he punched the button and stepped into
the open cabin. As the doors closed, he thought back to their conversation. They’d
agreed to continue seeing each other when he came back to the States. It seemed
like a good idea, but in the bright light of day, he realized it wouldn’t be
enough.
    The elevator stopped and two women entered,
smiled at him, and then resumed their conversation with each other.
    Worry seeped into his bones as the
doors closed. What would she do when he wasn’t here? Would she date other men? Would
she restart her friendship with her “friend” who had stood her up the night
they met?
    He thought about his parents’
loving relationship, which served as a blueprint for the type of marriage he
wanted. In the short time since he’d met Sabrina, he’d felt they could have the
same type of relationship.
    There was one more characteristic
he admired in her. She had a strong work ethic, like he did. With her
intelligence and knowledge, she should be making strides at the firm where she
worked. Instead, she continued to be overlooked and remained unhappy.
    An idea popped into Renaldo’s head.
It made perfect sense. He pushed the button for the next floor and exited the
elevator when it stopped. With a newfound burst of energy, he sprinted up the
stairs, back to Sabrina’s apartment.
    ****
    A loud knock on the door startled
Sabrina from her moping. She stood at the kitchen counter, staring down into a
cup of coffee that had grown cold. Frowning, she went to the door, and for the
second time in less than twenty-four hours, she opened it to let Renaldo in.
    “Did you forget something?”
    “You.” He walked in and shut the
door.
    “What do you mean?” Sabrina asked,
her heart rate picking up speed. She didn’t want to jump to conclusions about
what he’d just implied, but he looked so intense.
    “On the way down in the elevator, I
realized I don’t want to see you every few months or whenever I can get away
and come back. It’s not enough. The past few days have taught me that.” He
cupped her face in his hands, his dark eyes staring intently down into hers.
“Marry me. Come to Brazil and become my partner, in my personal life as well as
in business. Help me build my company.”
    Sabrina’s mouth fell open. “Marry
you?”
    He nodded.