Annihilate Me (Vol. 3) (The Annihilate Me Series) by Christina Ross

to see you, Henri.”
    I wanted to reach out and hold Alex, but that would be
inappropriate in this situation, so I restrained myself.   Instead, I reached out for his hand and
squeezed it fiercely in my own.   He
responded in kind, and I could feel the heat pass between us.   I was dizzy with relief.   Alex was on his feet.   He was dressed for the evening.   At that moment, I was certain that I’d
never be happier than I was then.
    Henri Dufort was no fool.   He reached for Alex’s free hand and held it in his own.   “You look well,” he said.  
    “I feel well.”
    “And you’re in love.   It’s obvious.   We
French—we feel the energy.    It overcomes us.   We know
the importance.   Business is
important, but so is love.   And
you’re in love.   You’re finally in
love again, Alex.   After all these
years.   And with this gem of a
woman.”
    “I am.”
    “It’s fantastic.   Go home and be with her.   There’s no need to be here for me.   Take her home with you.   Be
together.   We’re not going to lose
any time.   Jennifer and I just had
a meeting of the minds.”   He nodded
toward me.   “By the way?   This one?   This one is smart.   This one has sold me.   This
is the one I want to lead the project.   You too, of course.   But you
have a lot on your plate, which I appreciate.   So, I want this one on my team.   She’ll make it happen.   Don’t you agree?”
    “Absolutely.   You’ll be in excellent hands with Jennifer.”
    “Then I’m fine for tonight.   Right now, you two need to be together.   Especially with you fresh out of the
hospital and after what happened at my birthday party.   Go on.   I won’t be so kind when we meet in the next few days.   I’ll want results and plans and
strategies.   But tonight it’s time
to be human.   I remember what new
love felt like once, before my Claire died.   And I can only imagine what you’ve been through these past
few days.   Peachy will find someone
else to sit next to me.   Look
around—take your pick of who’d like to have a seat at that coveted
table.   In just a few words,
Jennifer already has me excited for Streamed’s future. So, go.”
    “Henri,” Alex said, “I didn’t show up to stop the
conversation.”
    Henri look at me and then at Alex.   “What you two need to do is continue your own
conversation.”   He started to move
away into the crowd, thus emphasizing his point.   “We’ll meet soon.   At Wenn.   I’ll come to you
because I know you’re still recovering.   You know what I expect from you.   Just lay it out for me.   We’ll talk.   We’ll
laugh.   We’ll conquer.   We’ll go forward.   I already feel happy and ready for the
next steps, but we go forward wisely.   My assistant will be in touch with yours.   C’est tout.   Allons .”
    And Henri Dufort disappeared into the crowd.

 
 
 
 
 
    CHAPTER TWELVE

 
    When I turned to face Alex, he had that endearing grin on his
face that I’d missed so much.   It
was the one he usually wore when we were headed to an event and—after
being molded and transformed by Blackwell and Bernie—I’d take the
elevator to meet him on his floor at Wenn.  
    At that moment, I was aware that we were the center of
attention.   Yet, in an odd way, it
felt like we were the only two in a room filled with hundreds of people.   He was still holding my hand when he
lifted it to his lips and kissed the back of it.   For a moment, his lips lingered there.   Then he pressed his cheek against my
hand and closed his eyes as if in relief.
    I’m in love with you , I thought while running my fingers
through the side of his hair.   Everything
I worried about in the past is gone.   You’re a good man, Alexander Wenn.   I’m sorry for all of the walls I pushed up—they were a product of
my fear.   I regret all of it.   I trust you, I’m in love with you, and
I couldn’t be happier to finally be here with