So I jump off the platform, just like she did.

“I love you, Elle Stryker. I know it’s utter craziness and ridiculously fast, and I’ll wait if that’s what you want. But I love you. So . . . yeah, I love you.” I think maybe the more I say it, the less shocked she’ll be? Like I can acclimate her to it by overdose.

She’s biting her lip so hard it’s turned white and I can’t read her eyes, which terrifies the fuck out of me. “Are you done? Got it all out?” she asks, still not giving me a hint where she’s at.

I nod, standing tall to face her firing squad but not letting go. In fact, I hold her a bit tighter, preparing for her to knee me like she taught Lizzie and possibly even make a run for it.

“I love you too.”

My arms sag, and my whole body droops. “What?”

She smiles now, and I finally feel my heart start beating again. “It is fast, and my dad’s going to absolutely murder you, so there’s that. Fair warning.”

She shrugs like her dad putting me six feet under is no biggie, a minor inconvenience at best. “But in case you haven’t noticed, I’m not exactly a think-things-through kinda girl. So yeah, I love you too.”

I smile as I realize what she’s saying. She loves me. And not because I’m some rich bastard or a hot-shot executive or because of my family name. In fact, it might be in spite of those things, because Elle could give a rat’s ass about any of that. The animal thing makes me laugh out loud, and she eyes me with one raised brow.

“One, you should see yourself right now. Big, bad Wolfe? More like cute, dopey dog. And two, it’s rude to laugh when someone says they love you. Really rude, Wolfe.”

Oh, shit, she’s calling me by my last name only. Reverse, reverse! I hold her tight, pinning her hands so she doesn’t start smacking me again. “I’m just happy. You make me so bloody happy, Elle.”

“Well, okay then. Show me around.” She gestures to the Estate surrounding us. “Oh, by the way, if Dad wins this whole HQ2 bid thing, we’re moving to Memphis. He found me . . . I mean us” —she winks exaggeratedly— “a cute little place nearby. Should be perfect, don’tcha think?”

I’m not a stupid man, and I know she’s throwing darts to see if she can get a bullseye and hit me where it hurts.

“He’s not going to win this, and you know it as well as I do. We’ve worked too hard and it’s too perfect. But if, and that’s a huge if, he does, I’ll find us a place in Memphis. Where is that, anyway, other than in Tennessee?”

She laughs like I’m an utter dolt. I’m faking. I obviously know where Memphis is and am more than familiar with the basics of Daniel’s proposal since he made it to the whole board. But I know I’m right. London is the better choice. There’s no doubt.

As long as I can get the trust and zoning squared away.

“Come on, the council rep will be here any minute, and I want to show you around first.”

And I do. I take her into the house, not gloating at all, or at least not out loud, as she talks about kitchen appliances and wanting an actual dining room table. Who knew that was a big deal? We walk the property a bit, and I show her the pond with so many fond memories. She listens as I talk about my papa as though it was yesterday when it was so very long ago and for far too short.

Then I have Oliver drive us down the side of the property to the site I have in mind for the actual Fox HQ2. Getting out, I see the council rep has already arrived.

“Baron Berkman, so lovely to see you. Thank you for coming out to the Estate, and Fox Industries’ new secondary headquarters.” I say it as though it’s a foregone conclusion, planting the notion in his mind.

We shake hands, politely and professionally. “Very good to see you, Colton. I hear it’s been quite some time since you’ve been home?”

“It has. But I’m here now, and ready to bring some brilliant things home to roost. Can I show you around, tell you what I envision?”

Baron Berkman nods, and we spend the next hour poring over the blueprints Debra sent me, discussing the actual build-out itself. As we move on to the economic benefits a Fox headquarters would offer the surrounding areas, I can see that I’ve won him over with the facts and figures Elle and I have been painstakingly working on round the clock.

“The property is currently in family trust, which is being handled. Once that’s been done, I will offer a small portion of the overall plot to Fox as a long-term lease, maintaining family ownership as well as presence on site.”

“You intend to live here and run the company as well? Bloody brilliant, I do say.”

He scans the paperwork and then the land surrounding us once again. I give him the moment to visualize it the way I do, the positive impact a Fox HQ2 can have, not just for me, but for London.

His lips press together, and I can tell he’s impressed. “Excellent presentation, Colton. Do the same for the entire council, and I don’t foresee your having any issues with your zoning changes. Especially with you at the helm.” He looks at Elle for a moment, as though debating what he’s about to say. “If it were an American company coming in and placing one of their own at the top, I’m not sure they’d go for it. But with your name attached, the history of the Estate returning to its grandeur under its heir, you’re an absolute shoo-in”

I dip my chin in acknowledgement. “Thank you, sir.”

Back at the hotel, I want nothing more than to make love to Elle. Especially after our rather revealing day, but she’s a wicked taskmaster who won’t let me rest. Not that I want to rest, exactly, but at least take a break buried to the hilt inside her.

“Not yet. Call Gary and Debra before they head home for the day. I’ll go . . . get ready.”

The light in her eyes is naughty, and I know she’s up to something, which only makes me want to follow her into the bedroom more. But she shuts the door in my face.

I stand there, nose to the wood, shocked at her audacity. And delighted at her cheeky boldness.

Sulking a bit, I do as she bade and call the US office. "Hi, Gary, what do you have for me?”

“Quite a bit, actually. I spoke with Roger, working as your liaison—not a Fox representative, to be clear.”

“Of course. I understand and appreciate your attention to detail.” I know Gary’s walking a fine line, helping me personally while maintaining his own standards professionally, all the while, keeping his contract with Fox at the forefront.

“Thank you. So, Roger says the trust is pretty clear-cut. If I may speak frankly?”

I hum an agreement, and he soldiers on.

“To be honest, you should’ve done this ages ago, Colton. Once you turned twenty-one, the property was available to you exclusively as part of your grandfather’s will. Even if you weren’t going to do anything with it, the Estate should’ve been under your purview for the last several years. But because you didn’t pursue it, it fell under a larger trust, an umbrella, if you will. Edwin Wolfe is primarily in charge of that umbrella in practice. There’s nothing he can really do to stop you from taking ownership of it, though. It’s yours. It always has been.”

Wow. So many thoughts rush through me. It’s mine. It’s always been mine. Dad can’t stop me. I’m going to make this dream a reality, in London, with Elle at my side.