Mom reaches over the table and squeezes my hand. “I could get used to this.”
I look around at the restaurant we’re dining in tonight. It’s fancy, even by Cole’s standards, and although he and I eat in fancy restaurants quite often, we also cook at home a lot now. Cole has turned out to be quite the promising home chef. Late-night grilled cheese is still our favorite, and we need it a lot to keep our energy up.
But tonight is a special occasion—Mom’s birthday. Cole sent his private jet to pick her up and fly her to New York for the weekend. We’re putting her up in one of Cole’s hotel suites, all expenses paid. I think we’re all grateful for that bit of privacy during her visit. Cole insists on giving me multiple orgasms every night, and he doesn’t like it when I’m quiet. I don’t think any of us want to be traumatized by my mom having to listen to that.
Speaking of Cole, I look around for him. A few minutes ago, he’d excused himself to make a call, and gone outside. I was surprised he’d left in the middle of Mom’s birthday dinner for work, but I know he wouldn’t leave for something that wasn’t important.
Across from me, Mom’s smile freezes, her gaze fixed on something over my shoulder.
I turn to look at what’s caught her attention and my heart sinks.
You have got to be kidding me.
It’s been years since I last saw my father. As far as I know, he spends most of his time in Europe with his family. So how can he possibly be here now?
I turn back to Mom. “I can’t believe it. Are you okay? Do you want to leave?”
“Just ignore him.” Mom focuses on me and shakes her head. “It’s all he deserves.”
She’s right. I smile and she returns it. She looks lovely tonight. I hope that when I’m her age, nineteen years from now, I’m as elegant and beautiful as she is.
“I have something for you when we get back to the house,” I say. “Another present.”
Her brows shoot up. “But you’ve already given me so much.”
Cole and I spoiled her because we could. Sometimes throwing money around is just as satisfying as you might think, and seeing Mom’s face light up with each gift brought me so much joy.
The sudden tightening of Mom’s expression is the only warning I have before he steps up next to our table. I look up at my father and then at Mom, who takes a determined spoonful of her dessert.
“Beth, you’re looking good,” he says, then clears his throat. “Delilah, you look lovely.”
My eyes widen. The gall of this man. He cannot seriously think this is an appropriate time and place to approach the woman he abandoned and the child he never acknowledged.
“Thank you, Ted,” Mom replies, finally deigning to look up at him. “Is there some reason you’ve come over here?” I’m so proud of her composure.
For a moment he looks uncomfortable. But only for a moment. “I saw that you’re dining with Cole King tonight,” he says, and it all becomes clear.
“Yes.” I wait for him to turn his attention to me. “Cole is my boyfriend. But I’m sure you know that already.”
He doesn’t even look ashamed. I don’t think men like him know what shame feels like. If I ever thought Cole was arrogant and entitled, I was wrong. The epitome of those two things is standing right here in front of me.
“I had heard the rumors. Congratulations. That’s quite the coup,” my father—Ted—says.
I shake my head. How do you even respond to a comment like that?
Mom puts her spoon down with a clink. “Is there something you wanted?”
“I know we haven’t always had the best relationship, Beth, and I want to apologize for that. I was under a lot of pressure back when . . . everything happened. My parents would have disowned me for getting a girl pregnant.” He looks at me again. “That wasn’t fair to you, Delilah. And I’d like to make it up to you if you’ll let me.”
“Make what up?” Cole’s voice comes from behind me, and I turn in my seat to look up at him. He’s focused on my father, though. While he looks completely calm, I can sense the cold anger rolling off him.
Oblivious, Ted extends his hand, a broad smile on his face. “Cole. Ted Barrett. CEO of Apex Industries.”
“I know who you are.” Cole doesn’t take his hand.
After a few seconds of leaving it hanging in midair, my father drops it. Undeterred, he forges right ahead. “I’ve been wanting to meet you. I have some fantastic investment opportunities I think you’ll be—”
“You don’t,” Cole says.
My father stops, obviously confused. “Sorry?”
“You don’t have any investment opportunities I’d be interested in, because you no longer own the majority share of your company. The King Group does.”
All the blood leaves my father’s face. “What?”
“Your company has been having difficulties for a while now—mismanagement, apparently. Your shares are at the lowest price they’ve been for a decade. I saw you come in, and I decided now was the right time to make the call. So no, you don’t have some investments for me. You are an investment. And unfortunately for you, as of”—Cole checks his watch—“ten minutes ago, you’re no longer CEO of Apex Industries. My brothers and I will appoint one of our own people to take over first thing tomorrow.”
My father stares at Cole with an expression I’m not sure I’ve ever seen on anyone’s face before. “Y-You can’t be serious. That’s . . . That’s preposterous—”
Cole turns his back on him. “Are we all done, ladies?”
Mom stands in one graceful movement, and I follow her lead. “Yes, thank you, Cole,” she says. “The meal was delicious.”
He gives her the smile I love to see. One filled with the easy affection that has grown between them over the eight months Cole and I have officially been together. It warms my heart to see him receive the type of maternal care he never received growing up. To be short, she mothers him and the big, bad billionaire that he is eats it up.
We make our way past Ted, who is pulling his phone out of his pocket and frantically tapping the screen. He’ll find out soon enough that Cole isn’t bluffing. When my man takes my hand in his, I look up at him, meeting his warm gaze, and mouth thank you behind my mother’s back.
He bends down and brushes his lips against mine. “Sometimes having money and power is a good thing.”
I smile and run my fingers over the five o’clock shadow on his cheeks. He just can’t help himself. As much as he wouldn’t confirm it, I still believe he was responsible for Philippa and Paul being gone from New York when I got back from my leave eight months ago. Apparently, Philippa had made a sudden decision to return to the UK, and Paul had been sent to the Hong Kong office for three years. It may not sound like a punishment, but everyone in the office knows that while he’s out of New York, his chance of promotion to partner is next to none.
Regardless of why they were gone, I can’t say I was disappointed not to have to see either of them.
We make our way out of the restaurant and into the car already waiting for us. As Jonathan pulls into traffic and heads toward the penthouse, I watch Cole and my mom chatting easily together. How did I get so lucky?
When we arrive, I get Mom settled on the couch with a glass of red, then rush to our bedroom to get her last gift. Cole follows me, and before I can pick up the rolled-up sheet of paper from where I left it on the bed, he wraps his arms around me from behind and pulls me to him.
“Have I told you tonight how damn sexy you look?” His hot breath whispers against my ear.
I laugh softly. “Just once or twice.”
“About half a dozen more times and it will almost be enough.” He brushes his lips against my jaw.
“Who knew you’d turn out to be such a charmer?”
His hand slides down my thigh and up again, bringing the hem of my dress with it. “Maybe I just want to get in your panties.”
I tip my head forward to give his mouth access to the nape of my neck. “Oh, you definitely want to get in my panties.”
“I can have you coming in two minutes.” His voice is rough with desire.
“Cole,” I gasp. I can feel him pressing hot and hard against my back, and it’s a fight to stop his hand’s journey, but even with him, I have my limits. Screwing each other’s brains out while my mother waits for us in the lounge room is a boundary I’m not willing to cross.
I turn in his arms. “We can’t. But I promise I’ll make it up to you later.”
“I’m going to hold you to that.” The rasp in his voice has heat pooling low in my core. “Because the minute your mom leaves, the only words that will be coming out of your mouth are yes, Cole. Now practice saying them for me.”
His hand roams lower and his fingers rub over me, making me moan. I give him what he wants. “Yes, Cole.”
He growls in satisfaction and releases me. I take a deep breath and try to compose myself, then pick up the gift and follow him out of the room.
When I give Mom the plans for her house, she cries happy tears. I tell her I can make any changes she wants, but she says she loves the design, that it’s perfect. Not too big and not too small. It has everything I ever remember her mentioning. A little library of her own, a beautifully fitted-out kitchen, a mudroom and a sunroom, and a covered patio where she can sit and look over her vegetable garden. And two guest rooms for visitors.
One more celebratory glass of wine later, Cole calls for Jonathan, and with promises to meet up tomorrow for breakfast, we say good night. I go down with Mom to make sure she gets into the car safely while Cole stays upstairs to tidy up.
He must have been waiting for me, because as soon as I walk back in the front door, he grabs me and spins me so my chest is pressed against the wall. His big body against mine makes my heart thunder as always, and I let out a little moan of encouragement.
“Remember what you promised me?” he asks, and it takes my mind a moment to register.
I close my eyes and smile. “Yes, Cole.”
“Good. That’s all I want to hear from you until I tell you otherwise. Okay?”
“Yes, Cole.”
“Good girl.” His voice is pitched so low, I shiver in anticipation.
His hands slide under my dress and into my panties, finding my slick core straight away. I get the feeling he’s too impatient to take this slow. He’ll make me come quick and hard so that he can drag out my next orgasm until he has me screaming his name.
With the fingers of one hand sinking into me and the other cupping my breast and pinching my nipple, he has me reaching my peak in record time.
“Let me hear you,” he says, and I give him what he wants.
“Yes, Cole. Yes, yes, yes.”
My body explodes with my climax, my ass pushing back against his rock-hard cock as I writhe on his hand. When I’m finally finished and sagging against the wall, Cole nuzzles my neck. “Stay where you are, don’t move a muscle, and remember what you promised.”
I nod, and he steps back, the air cool on my sweat-slicked back. I keep my palms and my forehead against the wall like he commanded and wait to find out what he wants from me next.
There’s a brush of knuckles down my spine, and then, “Turn around.”
I bite my lower lip in anticipation of what’s coming, and I turn, only to gasp when my eyes drop and I see him on one knee. He’s holding out a turquoise ring box, with the most beautiful diamond engagement ring shimmering against the satin material inside.
“Delilah,” he says as my heart flings itself against my rib cage. “I love you in a way I didn’t know was even possible. From the moment you sat down next to me in that bar, you’ve made me feel things I’ve never felt before. Every time I think I can’t love you more, you prove me wrong. Being with you makes me want to be a better man. The kind of man who can be a good husband and”—he takes a deep breath, his grip on the ring box tightening—“a good father.”
My heart squeezes tight at the flash of vulnerability in his eyes. For a man who had no good parental role models, the fact that he wants to try to be better for his own children—for the children we might have one day—floods my chest with indescribable warmth.
“I want to spend the rest of my life showing you how much I love you.” Cole’s voice becomes deeper, rougher. “I need to know I can make every one of your days happy. So please, kitten, marry me. Be my wife and let me show you just how incredible our lives can be together.” His brows lower, his eyes glittering with intensity. “And don’t forget what you promised.”
I can’t help it. I laugh. Because of course he would stack the deck in his favor that way. He planned it out perfectly, and god, I love him. I love him so much it hurts. I sink to my knees in front of him, gently move the hand holding the ring box out of the way, and slide into his arms. He wraps them around me, even though his brow is furrowed and he’s obviously wondering why I haven’t answered him yet. But in this moment—a moment I could never have dreamed of happening a year ago and now can’t imagine not happening—I just want to be as close to him as physically possible.
I brush my lips across his and breathe the words.
“Yes, Cole.”
