Holden Sterling: The Sterling Brothers Billionaire Saga BWWM Book 1

Episode 29: Eriola (Holden Sterling)

 I answered the phone with a smile, "Good morning, Mr. Sterling. How may I assist you on this beautiful day?" Jonathan's icy stare sends shivers down my spine, his silent disapproval barely registering in my lust-filled mind. Ignoring his muttered words, I focus on the power play unfolding before me.

The sound of Mr. Sterling's deep voice on the phone sends a wave of longing through me. "Instead of our scheduled meeting on Friday, how about we have dinner together tonight? Of course, it will be strictly business." I can hear him breathing on the other end of the line.

"Can I give you an answer by 12 pm today? I have a crucial meeting this morning, but once I'm back in my office, I'll call you back." I reply with a smile as my body fills with warmth. I raise my gaze to meet Jonathan's, and he is seething with anger.

"Um, Mr. Sterling, I need to go. I will call you back later." I hang up the phone and I feel the car stop. I take a deep breath we are at my office. We step out of the car, I close my eyes and take a deep breath, the cool breeze caressing my face.

Jonathan's grip on my arm tightens until I can feel the sharp edges of his fingers digging into my skin. His eyes burn with anger and possessiveness as he confronts me. "What the hell is going on between you and Sterling? Are you sleeping with him?" His words are laced with a dangerous edge, his voice low and threatening.

"Jonathan, your jealousy is becoming a problem. How can I trust you if you don't trust me? This is my job, my career, and I can't afford to mess it up. And to answer your question, no, I am not sleeping with Sterling. I just met him yesterday at the meeting you barged into. Now let go of me." I tug my arm away from him.

He steps back and looks at me, his expression softening. "I'm sorry, Eriola. Every time I think about another man touching you instead of me, it sets me off. I didn't mean to scare you. I would never hurt you intentionally, sweet girl. I love you." His words are pained and apologetic, and I can hear the sincerity in his voice.

I sigh, "I know you don't mean it. And I love you too. But please, don't do that again. It's not good for us." I brush off my dress and walk away from him.

He calls out after me, "Eriola, I love you! I'll make it up to you tonight, I promise." He hurries and walk behind me as we make our way to my bosses office.

After a knock on Margaret's office door, she yells for us to come in. I take the lead and open the door, gesturing for Jonathan to follow me inside. Margaret greets us with a warm smile and motions for us to sit down. As we settle into our chairs, I can see Jonathan's bodyguards standing outside the door like intimidating watchdogs.

"So, what brings you both here?" Margaret asks, her attention focused on us. I look at Jonathan and give him a nod, indicating that he should explain.

"As you may know, I am in the process of building a hotel and I require an architectural firm to help with the blueprints. I've recently purchased a new piece of land that would be perfect for the location," Jonathan states confidently as he leans back in his chair, crossing his legs. In this moment, he is all business. Despite being 45 years old, he exudes a certain level of sexiness but also has a mean streak about him.

Margaret listens intently, her sharp eyes taking in every word. "I see," she says, steeping her fingers underneath her chin. "Well, I think I can help you with that. I have just the person in mind. Eriola here is one of our best architect as you already may know, but we just took on a new project, so she's a little swamped right now. However, I'm sure we can work something out."

Margaret glances at me, and I know she's testing my limits. Jonathan flashes her one of his smiles that make even the most composed woman melt, but Margaret remains unfazed. She looks at me expectantly, waiting for my response.

I take a deep breath, "We can possibly squeeze it in, but it will be tight. We'll need to work closely together and through some late nights to get this done on time." I say, looking at both of them. Jonathan smirks as if he's won a small victory, but I won't let him get the best of me.

"Perfect!" he exclaims, standing up and extending his hand to shake on it. Margaret and I both stand up as well, and we all shake hands as a seal of our agreement. Jonathan's grip is firm, but I make sure not to flinch.

"Excellent! I'll have my people send over the paperwork and the details of the project. We can start as soon as possible," Margaret says, already sounding excited about the new venture.

"Wonderful," Jonathan responds, smirking at me over his shoulder as he leaves the office with his entourage in tow.

As soon as the door closes, Margaret turns to me, "Well played, Eriola. I am aware that you and Mr. Covington share a daughter together. Therefore, I hope this will not present a conflict of interest for you to handle both his project and Holden Sterling's project simultaneously. If necessary, we can postpone his project for six months to give you ample time to focus on the renovation for Holden Sterlings, which should not be too demanding. Do not worry, I will be there to provide assistance for both projects."

Jonathan's sole purpose for being here is to convince me to return to New York. But I am not going back. Despite his insistence that it is strictly business, I am wary of his true intentions.

"Thank you for the offer, Margaret, but I can handle both projects. Holden Sterling's renovations are a minor task compared to building an entire structure. However, he did ask to move up the meeting to tonight and invited me to dinner. What do you think? Should I go or not?" I ask, anticipating her response.

"I think it's a marvelous opportunity to win him over. Holden Sterling is notoriously reclusive and difficult to pin down. If you can win him over, it would mean a lot for our firm. Just make sure to prioritize our client's confidentiality." Margaret says, her eyes twinkling with excitement.

I reassure Margaret as I gather my things. "I'll definitely make the call," I tell her before heading out the door. As I make my way down to my office, ready to get in touch with him about dinner plans, my phone buzzes with an urgent message.

I glance at the screen, and my heart skips a beat. It's Jonathan. The text message reads, "Hey sweet girl, I made dinner reservations tonight at 8 PM for us."

Dear Readers,

Oh no! Both Holden Sterling and Jonathan want to have dinner with Eriola tonight. She's caught in a love triangle! Decisions, decisions! Jonathan's jealousy is flaring up again. How long do you think Eriola will tolerate it before she calls it quits for good? Stay tuned for Episode 30 to find out.

Happy reading!

Pagine D'Oro