King's Ransom (Oil Kings Book 2)

by Marie Johnston

  He perched on the edge in front of me.

  I stood and moved away. “The offer? Why?”

  “It’d be a stupid business decision if I didn’t.” He was frustratingly chill.

  “But I’m a thief and Adam was in jail.”

  “Petty thief. It’s a misdemeanor. I looked it up.”

  He’d been reading up on me? It was Adam mentioned in the old reports, and even then, it wasn’t much. It was nothing but a blip on Denver’s crime radar. “Okay, so?”

  “I’m sorry.”

  Two words that were loaded with emotion I couldn’t identify.

  “I miss you.” He drifted closer.

  Hold strong. I couldn’t get my stupid hopes up again. But he’d read up on me. And he missed me. No, I’d trusted him once before. “Your birthday’s in a week and you don’t want to lose the money. Decided I’m better than a Cartwright?”

  “Of course you’re better, but I don’t care about the money. I just want you.”

  My aching heart wanted to believe him. “The offer was fake then.” A part of me withered.

  “Absolutely not. With both Adam and you behind the project, I’d be a fool to sit this one out because of some prejudice that formed when I was twelve.”

  His offer was real and he wanted me back. I’d come so far since we broke up. I was making my own way and I was doing better than before. Maybe not in the pocketbook, but I was in a good place.

  A good place that was missing him.

  “I don’t want to believe you,” I whispered.

  “Eva.” He closed in, his hands on my shoulders as if he was waiting for permission to do more. Permission I wasn’t ready to give. “Guess who I signed last week?”

  He was so close. I could lay my head on his chest. “Who?” Why was he asking?

  “Dr. Herrera with Couples SOS.”

  “But it was already released.” I’d been rooting for her, but the number of reviews had been underwhelming, and a couple of weeks later, it’d gotten buried by more popular apps.

  “And I purchased it, along with a polite request that she and her son consider us for future designs.”

  This couldn’t be real. Beckett couldn’t turn that big a leaf over this quickly. “The GamesGamesGames rep said that they like to acquire the talent behind the programs. They offered Adam a job.”

  The corner of his mouth tipped up. “And you know that I prefer to let developers develop while running the front-end business. No shackling required.”

  “Why the change? You were so against people like me.”

  “Two things. I experienced firsthand that I can weather a bad publicity storm. And then you lost your job just for talking to me. My business rebounded before I could blink again, but I bet you had a hard time finding another job.”

  My nod was jerky. “If you hadn’t paid me for those two weeks, Adam and I couldn’t have afforded to go into business together.”

  “I saw how selfish and self-righteous I was. Before you, I worked. That was it. I have three brothers and I barely saw them. I hardly spoke to my dad. I almost never went home. I’d pushed them all away. Just like I ditched you the first chance I got.” He ran a thumb down my cheek. I turned into the touch. “I couldn’t stop what happened to Mama, but the little boy that found her wanted to stop it from happening to anyone else. He thought if he could keep all the bad guys away, nothing bad would ever happen to him again. Only he grew up into a guy who pushed everyone away.”

  “He grew up into a really good guy that a girl hell-bent on revenge couldn’t help but fall for.”

  His smile was slow and sexy, one I never thought I’d see again. “I’d like to hear about your business. And to meet your brother again—to apologize.”

  “He’s doing so well.” My voice was ragged. “I’m so proud of him.”

  “Eva.” His lips were at my temple. Then at my cheek. “I’m sorry. Can we try again?”

  Try again. Try again. It echoed in my head, but the only reason why we shouldn’t was because I was afraid to get hurt again. “Are you sure it’s not about the money?”

  “If it was about the money, I would be married by now. It’s about us. Wait until I tell you about how my conversation with Grams went down.”

  I couldn’t wait, but I’d been more worried about another person. “How’s your dad?”

  “He’s good. I told him everything. If anything good came of the breakup, I hope it was that I left the name Gooder behind forever.”

  “Not with your brothers.”

  “And full disclosure—I have the ring in my pocket but only because when I touch it I can still feel it on your hand.” He shifted so his mouth was at my ear. “I can see how it looked when you touched yourself.”

  A wave of heat threatened to make me swoon. I wanted to tell him to stop and I was terrified he would.

  “I won’t propose until after my birthday.” His hands were going around my waist. “But if you let me, I will make you mine again. Over.” His lips brushed my jaw. “And over again.”

  “Beckett.” I fisted the lapels of his coat. Our lips brushed. Once. Twice. And then we were lost. His tongue was against my tongue. Our coats were off and hitting the floor.

  He backed me up until my ass hit the edge of the desk and I hooked a leg around his waist. The hard ridge of him pressed into the neediest place on my body. I could’ve ripped his shirt apart and sent buttons ricocheting around the room. He released my mouth to kiss his way down my neck. When he groaned and pulled away, a cold draft blew across me.

  “I don’t want to stop.” He put his forehead to mine. “But the blinds are open and while I don’t mind everyone knowing you’re mine, I don’t want you on full display.”

  “No, I don’t want to be either.” I pushed my hair off my face and took a steadying breath. “I came here to tell you off.”

  “Then my plan worked. Seriously, talk to Adam and bring me some numbers.” He grinned and picked my coat up off the floor. “But you know how it works.”

  “I’ll make sure we evaluate all the offers and make our decision based on what company suits us best and not who’s the flashiest and offers the most money, though that’s usually you.”

  His grin widened. “I told Taylor you’d be hard to beat. He took it as a personal challenge.”

  “Is he good?”

  “I think he’s made my tablets cry a few times. But I haven’t taken him to see the stars.”

  I hadn’t stopped to look at the stars since the observatory. “The cats?”

  “Waiting for you to see them again.”

  If I’d had any concerns before, they were gone now. He’d kept the kittens. “Does Lois spoil them?”

  “Yes. My Friday nights have turned into hanging out with them on my couch while we watch a movie. Now I get more pussy than Dawson ever did.”

  My heart melted and dripped down to my toes. “I want to see them.”

  He held up my coat for me. “How about this afternoon? I could call Rick. When he sees you he might start talking to me again.”

  Rick didn’t hate me? Today really was a dream. I turned and let him help me into my coat. “I…have to tell my brother.”

  “Want me along?”

  I did, but I had to think about what was best for Adam. “Maybe not today. He was there with me through it all. I should talk to him first.”

  “Then let me—and Rick—give you a ride.”

  He put his own jacket on and twined his hand through mine. We waited for Rick. After we were in the car, I told him about how the plan for our business had come together. Hearing how hard it had been for me wasn’t easy for him, but I didn’t hold back. He talked about Xander’s visit and hiring Taylor. My apartment appeared much too quickly.

  When I got out, Rick called, “Nice to see you again, Eva.”

  I waved at him and looked at Beckett as he was crawling back in and bit back a grin. It sounded like a foolish idea, but it might go a long way toward getting a vengeful news anch
or off our backs. “Think we should give Terra the scoop that we’re back together?”

  Chapter 26

  Beckett

  The last five days had been the best ever. I rolled to my side, careful to keep from pushing Eva off the bed. I’d stayed at her place last night. Adam had taken a couple of days, but he’d warmed up to the idea of me and his sister. But only after he and Eva had turned down my proposal without giving me a chance to pitch numbers.

  There was an up-and-coming player in the market and while they weren’t big enough to be on my radar, Adam wanted to pay his good fortune forward and help them out. As long as they brought the money, Eva brought the knowledge—and I’d be on hand for some advice.

  “Mmm,” Eva groaned and snuggled into my side. “It’s weird waking up to you with clothes on.”

  Thin walls. I wasn’t about to make her come with her brother working in the kitchen. “It’s a novelty.” I rubbed my hand up and down her arm, but that was making me harder than seeing her naked. Spending a night with her and going without sex was confusing my mind and body. “I gotta quit touching you or I’m going to do something extremely inappropriate.”

  She chuckled and rolled to her back. “I like it when you’re inappropriate.”

  “Me too. But I’m not going to risk your brother’s wrath.”

  She swatted at me. “He knows I’m an adult. But thanks. It’d still be embarrassing if he heard us.”

  I gave her a quick kiss and crawled over her to get off the narrow twin bed.

  “Are you regretting sleeping over now?”

  “Nope.” She hadn’t wanted me to. I had done it to prove a point. A tiny apartment with water stains on the ceiling wasn’t going to scare me away. Neither was a creaky bed and grungy carpet. “I will sleep anywhere as long as I have you, Eva Chase.”

  I was pulling up my pants, giving her what I thought was a charming, romantic smile, but she was staring at the floor at my feet.

  “Your birthday is tomorrow,” she said.

  “Yep. What should we do? Oh, you and Adam have to work, right? Maybe supper?” I quit with the twenty questions until she looked up. “Hey, I was thinking that if you’re able to take some time off around Valentine’s Day, we should go up to the cabin. I haven’t been there this year.”

  She didn’t answer. Her brows twitched and a myriad of expressions passed over her face. “I think… I think we should get married.”

  I was in the middle of zipping my slacks and jerked. The zipper pinched the skin of my finger. “Ouch. What?” I finished zipping myself and sat on the edge of the bed.

  “We need to save that money. Your trust.”

  “I don’t need the money, Eva.”

  “Your grams—”

  “Will have to live with seeing Old Man Cartwright drive a vehicle from this century.” I stretched out in front of her, lying on my side and propping myself on my elbow. “Don’t get me wrong. You’re the one I want to spend my life with, every single day of it. You’re the one I want to talk to about my day and go back to Montana with. And we have a lot more stars to see. But I’ll make sure my next proposal is done right. Exotic location, romantic dinner, down on one knee.”

  “I liked the horseback proposal.”

  I feathered her hair behind her ear. “That wasn’t a proposal. That was a deal.”

  “Are you saying that because you think it’s what I want to hear?”

  “What do you mean?”

  Her gaze swept over my face and she put her hand on my arm. “I was ready to marry you for real two months ago. Were you?”

  “Yes.” And I ruined it. We would’ve been united right now.

  “Then do you think I want you to wait for a right time and right place?” She frowned and rubbed her thumb across my lower lip. “Are you afraid I’ll take the fifty million next year and leave?”

  “No. If you do, then it means I failed somewhere.” My true fear came pouring out. “I don’t want you to think that I’m only marrying you to secure my trust.”

  “What if I didn’t see it that way?”

  “Then I’d abscond with you to Vegas today.” Was I getting married today? To Eva? I’d been sick without her for so long, this had to be a delusion.

  Her sexy smile told me that no, this wasn’t a delusion. “I’ll tell Adam.”

  I leapt off the bed and helped her up. She might be wearing clothes, but it was just underwear and a white T-shirt that was thin enough I could see her little pink nipples. The only thing that was keeping me from tonguing them was that we weren’t alone.

  She rummaged through the storage bin that subbed for a dresser. She and Adam worked well together. How would their schedule be when she lived with me? Would she live with me?

  “You think Adam might want to move in?” I asked.

  She had dropped to her knees and her ass was swaying in the air. It was enough to keep the logistics of our nuptials from interfering with my sex drive. “Move in where?”

  What were we talking about again? I had to drag my gaze away from her round cheeks. Oh, yes. Moving. “My house. You, me, Adam, and the cats. I hardly use the office, but we could convert one of the bedrooms so you have a larger work space.”

  She peered over her shoulder. “I’ll talk to him. How many of your family can meet us in Vegas?”

  I sat on the bed and dug out my phone, keeping my eye on her butt and the sloping curve it made up to her waist, how her thigh muscles flexed as she moved. My dick wanted to take over, but I’d wait. The next time I was inside of her, we’d be married.

  The first person I called was Dad. He’d be the only one I needed to call. For this, he’d rally all three brothers while Kendall planned travel arrangements. When he answered, I didn’t bother with chitchat. “Eva wants to get married in Vegas. How soon can you and the others get there?”

  “I’ll have to play Where in the World Is Xander, but Dawson, Aiden, and I will be there. You know Grams won’t miss it. We’ll land in Denver and pick you up.”

  “That’ll be three extra passengers.” The jet would be full. I wished Xander could make it, but he wouldn’t want me holding up the ceremony for him—or being anywhere Grams could reach him for the next year.

  “Good deal.” Before I hung up, he said, “And Beckett. Congratulations. I’m happy for you. I really am.”

  Eva shimmied into jeans. When I groaned, she shot me a promising smile. “Soon.”

  “Not soon enough. Time to break the news to Adam.”

  “I do.” Eva’s smile was almost shy. Her cheeks were flushed and her heart was probably racing as fast as mine.

  I slipped her ring on her finger, a part of me breathing a sigh of relief to see it on her hand again. The official ran through the vows, but I was focused on Eva.

  On the flight, we’d found a hotel with a chapel and a clothing store. While Eva bought her wedding dress, a sexy, white, off-the-shoulder cocktail dress with a pair of short heels, I’d reserved our room and one for Adam. Xander had buzzed in an hour later, delighting us all and good-naturedly griping about missing some epic northern lights photos. He’d been in the Seattle airport when Dad had called, ready to catch his flight to Russia.

  Dawson and Aiden were standing next to me with Xander while Dad used Xander’s camera for pictures. Kendall and Kate stood with Adam next to Eva. The ink was still drying on our marriage license and Grams was getting copies of it for our lawyer.

  It was finally my turn. “I do.”

  Our family cheered and I yanked Eva in for a kiss.

  “Save it for upstairs.” Xander poked me in the ribs.

  I lifted my head. “Better take notes. You’re next. Ticktock.”

  He shuddered. “Now Beck, this is your day. Don’t go worrying about me.” He leaned close and whispered, “And if you mention it around Grams again, I’m going to tell Eva about the time you said girls should be the ones who have to do dishes.”

  “I was ten and Mama made me do dishes for a month.” I curled Eva
under my arm. “You want to make sure Adam has more fun than Aiden, but not Dawson’s type of fun?”

  “One Xander Tatum King Vegas special, coming right up.” He grinned. “Only I won’t be Xander tonight. I’m testing out my pseudonym and Vegas is the perfect place to do it. Tate Boyd.” He nodded at Eva. “Speaking of using other names, welcome to the family. Mrs. King or Mrs. Chase?”

  She tapped her chin. “I was thinking of doing the same as you. Eva Chase professionally. Eva King personally.”

  Dad broke in, his arms going around my shoulders and Xander’s, but he was beaming at Eva. “Time to go celebrate. I made a reservation at the restaurant on the top floor. My treat. Come on.”

  He left to collect everyone and I stole another kiss with my wife. Today was perfect. There was no other venue or locale that would’ve made this better. I had married the woman of my dreams, surrounded by our family.

  My big empty house was full of cats and a new brother-in-law would be moving in, armed with allergy medicine and daily housekeeping, while I honeymooned with my wife anywhere she wanted—and she wanted the cabin with the stars. We’d be together because she’d given me a second chance.

  Epilogue

  Xander

  Beckett raised his champagne flute. “And a toast to my lovely wife. One full year and she wasn’t waiting with divorce papers when we woke up.”

  Glasses clicked around the table. I joined in, finishing my drink off in one gulp, the bubbles fizzing down my chest.

  A year had gone by since the last time I’d been in Vegas—for Beck and Eva’s wedding. Today was their one-year anniversary. I sat at the far end of the table with Aiden and Kate, and as far away from Dad as possible. The steakhouse in The Venetian was one of my personal favorites. Maybe that’s why Beck had chosen it—to lure me here.

  It hadn’t been enough, not until he’d messaged and said that no one was telling Grams what the plan was and that he and Eva were covering the trip for everyone.

  That had been enough.

  I had planned to be far out of the country on my twenty-ninth birthday. The things we do for family. The things we don’t tell our family.