A shiver so deep ran through me before I stuttered out, “One, no more trying to force my dreams to come true—that’s up to me. And no more playing hero, unless I’m on fire or have cake crumbs stuck down my bra.”
He nuzzled my ear, driving me wild. “I’m happy to unzip you anytime.”
I gripped his shoulders, as he was making me weak in the knees. “I’m trying to be serious,” my voice hitched.
“Believe me, I’m serious about unzipping you,” he groaned.
“Kane.” I pulled away enough to peer into his hungry eyes. “You know what I mean. No more trying to be valiant, thinking you’re doing the right thing. I’m not a naive young woman anymore, and even if I were, I know my own heart. Which brings me to point two. You don’t get to leave me unless I have a say in it too.”
“Easy. I don’t plan on ever leaving you again.” His lips brushed mine, almost making me forget we had more to talk about.
“I’m amenable to that,” I breathed out, wanting to get lost in his touch.
“You are, are you?” He picked me up, and I wrapped my legs around his body.
“It’s pretty much non-negotiable.” My fingers curled into his hair, reveling in how wonderful it felt.
“Any other rules, darlin’?” He sounded impatient to accost me.
Believe me, I was impatient too, but business first. “Who’s going to run that new forensic pathology division you plan on opening?”
“You heard about that, huh?” He was obviously pleased with his genius plan.
“Yes, which reminds me. Rule three: no gloating that you won.”
“Scarlett, this was never about trying to beat you, or steal your company. I wanted us to both come out winners.” He gave me such a tender look.
“I might be able to forgive you, if you let me be involved in the creation of the new division and let me run it after I find a new residency and do a fellowship.”
He pushed me up against the bare drywall. “Who else did you think I had in mind?”
It took a moment for me to reply. He had a knack for stealing my breath. “I just want to make sure we’re on the same page.”
“Can you forgive me?” he pleaded.
I took my time peering into his eyes, which begged me for forgiveness. I rested my hand on his stubbled cheek, my thumb gently caressing it. “My dad told me about your conversation before you left for London. Why didn’t you tell me?”
Kane let out a deep sigh. “Scarlett, I debated all that night whether I should tell you. Contemplating if I should beg you to come to London with me; but in the end, I realized how selfish that was. And your father was right, my ego could have easily swallowed you whole. I didn’t want you to—”
“End up like my mother.”
“No. Hate me.”
“I’ve never hated you. And believe me, I’ve tried.”
He chuckled. “I’m glad to hear that.” He paused. “Scarlett, I am deeply sorry for hurting you, leaving you, and stealing your job.” He smirked for a moment, before his earnest expression returned. “But most of all, I regret all the time we lost together.”
“I regret that too. And between you and me, I didn’t want the job,” I quietly admitted.
“I had a feeling. So, can you forgive me?”
“Well,” I sang, “we still have some unfinished business.”
His left brow raised. “What’s that?”
“We never finished our list, and you did say a good fight makes the making up that much sexier. We should probably do those things. I know how you love to check all the boxes,” I teased, though the words barely crossed my lips before he closed the distance between us.
He groaned as his lips landed on mine, soaking me in—not parting them, just enjoying the moment. The realness and realization that we were together came streaming down my face. Beautifully, I felt his tears mix with my own.
“Scarlett,” he whispered, “I plan to check all the boxes with you.”
“That’s excellent news. Now, I think you should kiss me. We have a lot of making up to do.”
He wasted not a second before his lips landed on mine and parted them. While his tongue tasted me, he pressed me harder against the wall, making sure there wasn’t any distance between us. My hands did their best to decimate his perfectly styled hair as I continued to gasp in utter pleasure. He tasted not only like my dreams, but my future.
“Kane, I love you,” I managed to sneak in while his lips trailed their way to my ear. It was odd how much more meaningful those words were now. There was no doubt in them, not even a shred of insecurity on my part.
He stopped and smiled. “Let me get this right this time.” He looked me in the eye, his face full of adoration. “I love you, Scarlett,” he whispered tenderly, but I could hear the exclamation point.
“Much better than last time.” I grinned.
He leaned his forehead against mine. “I apologize for screwing it up so badly the first go-around. I promise to spend the rest of our lives making it up to you.”
“I accept,” I teased.
He laughed, his beautiful, melodic, make-me-feel-all-the-feels laugh. “Let’s start with a tour of the house. There are some things I want to show you.” He sounded more excited than he did about Porsches. He must have some tour planned.
“I thought you would never ask.” I slid down his body and took his hand, anxious to see his home.
He walked us across the tarp-covered foyer to an open room that was probably a formal dining room. It was currently an empty slate with exposed drywall and wood floors covered in tarps. I loved the large window that allowed for plenty of light to stream in.
Kane pulled us into the middle of the room. An old brass chandelier hung above our heads. “I want to make this the library.” He pointed at the longest wall. “I see built-in shelves along here holding all your forensic books.”
I tilted my head. “My books?”
He cupped my face with his hand and swept my cheek with his thumb. “Yes, your books. When I bought this place, all I could see was us. You, really. That is, unless you want to pick a place together.”
I gripped his T-shirt and pulled him toward me, hardly able to keep in my emotions in check. I realized I was going to be able to fill in my missing memories of him. “How about we make this place our own?”
A grin a mile wide engulfed his beautiful face. “You tell me what you want, and we’ll make it happen.”
“For now,”—I brushed his lips—“all I want is you.”
Soon, though, I would make the rest of my dreams come true, too.
Edge of the World
I stood outside the boardroom, alone, waiting for Kane to emerge. The board had informed me only an hour earlier of their decision not to offer me the position of CEO. I thought I took it quite well, considering the grueling month I’d just had of interviews and presentations. Apparently, I really had given Kane a run for his money. The interview process wasn’t as cut-and-dry as I had expected it would be. That was satisfying to know, but the only reason I’d gone through with interviewing was so the board wouldn’t feel the need to look outside of “the family.” Besides, it had been fun keeping Kane on his toes, all while he’d curled mine with every touch and kiss.
The office was quiet this time of night. It was funny how it wasn’t claustrophobic to me anymore, even with only the artificial light illuminating the long hallway. While I paced the gleaming tile floors and admired the large plants and artwork lining the walls, I thought of how much my life had changed this past summer. Here I thought I would be doing my best to avoid Kane. Never, ever, did I think I would end up spending every moment I could with the love of my life. And while I’d thought I would be working to make my father’s dream come true, I was still astonished to find out my father’s dream all along was that I be happy. Well, I certainly was. In fact, I had happily informed the board tonight of my decision to pursue a different course outside of Armstrong Labs, for now. I was already busy with resi
dency applications and studying to pass the necessary board exams in Georgia. In between, Kane and I were checking off our summer list. We had only one more check mark left to go.
No one besides Dad and Naomi knew that Kane and I were back together. We’d thought it would be best not to advertise it until after the board made their final decision. I hadn’t minded at all. It meant that while we were in public, we kept it friendly; but then every minute we spent alone was a gift I loved to unwrap every time.
Dad came out of the boardroom first and was to me in no time. He put an arm around me in what I was sure looked like a consolation-type hug. I suppose in a way it was, just for him, not me. Sure, Dad wanted to see me pursue my dreams, but if pressed, I knew he would admit he was disappointed not to see me at the head of his empire. Honestly, he couldn’t have asked for a better captain than Kane. Deep down, he knew that.
Dad kissed my head. “You did well.”
“Thank you.” I was glad it wasn’t well enough.
“I made reservations at Bacchanalia for dinner to celebrate. Naomi”—he cleared his throat—“has agreed to meet us there.”
My brows shot up. “You invited Naomi?”
His cheeks pinked. “I thought you and Kane would want her there.”
“Right,” I said with a smile. “Kane and I definitely want her there.”
He flashed me a knowing smile.
I didn’t have a lot of hope that my parents would reunite. However, after the last few months, I believed almost anything was possible, even the impossible. I mean, who would have ever thought I would be calling my father Dad? Or that next month we would be taking a father-daughter trip to Europe? Okay, so Kane was coming too. And I had made them promise, no working while on vacation. Even though they would be in the middle of transitioning Kane in and my father out as CEO. However, my father would retain his position as chairman of the board. He wasn’t ready to fully retire, yet.
I knew this wasn’t easy for Dad. Next week the company would make the announcement that he was retiring and Kane was taking his place. It was all getting real. He had no idea what he was going to do with all his free time. He was going to have to finally stop running and hiding from his pain. I think he knew, deep down, he had to finally come to terms with Momma’s death. It was one of the reasons we were going to Europe. He and Momma had taken a second honeymoon there and he wanted to show me all the places she’d loved. Especially Salzburg, Mozart’s birthplace, as he was one of my mother’s musical heroes. I couldn’t wait.
It didn’t take long for Kane to emerge with several of the board members. I swore some of them were actually swooning over him like he was a rock star or something. I wanted to say, “He’ll be signing autographs later in the lobby,” but he caught my eye and broke away from his adoring fans to come straight to his number one fan.
I held out my hand to congratulate him, keeping up the appearance that we weren’t a couple. Though Kane was terrible at keeping his eyes to himself.
“Congratulations, Kane.”
He took my hand, drew me close to him, and whispered, for my ears only, things that made me turn as red as my namesake.
I needed to fan myself. Instead, I stepped away from him and said, “I am amenable to your proposal.”
That earned me a smile.
When we turned to face everyone, we were met with a lot of suspicious grins. They wouldn’t be suspicious for much longer, I was sure. Kane was tired of sneaking around.
It wasn’t too long before we were able to leave to meet my father and Naomi at the restaurant. On the way over, I couldn’t help but admire Kane. He was beaming.
“I’m proud of you. You made your goal of becoming CEO of a Fortune 500 well before your forty-fifth birthday. Now what will you do with your life?”
He flashed me a grin while driving insanely fast down the highway. “Believe me, darlin’. I have bigger and better plans than this.”
“And what are those?”
He wagged his brows. “You’ll see.”
With the way Kane drove, we were at the restaurant in no time. Naomi was already there, and I noticed how well dressed she was. I’m pretty sure she’d bought the lacy black dress for this occasion. She even had her hair in a fancy updo. I didn’t draw attention to it when I hugged her, other than to say, “You look beautiful.”
She kissed my cheek. “Not as beautiful as you.”
I looked down at the curve-hugging chalky-blue pantsuit that I’d worn to receive the “devastating” news I wasn’t going to be Armstrong Labs’ next CEO.
“You’re gorgeous,” Kane said before I could reply to Naomi.
When he said it, I believed it.
Dad soon arrived, looking a bit nervous as he walked up. It was kind of fun to see him behave so unlike himself. He had his hands in his pockets, trying not to seem like he was staring at Naomi, all while staring at her. It was kind of adorable.
“Augustus,” Naomi said formally.
“Naomi,” he responded with a hint of wistfulness that made Naomi smile at him briefly before she caught herself.
This was going to be a fun night, I could tell.
Kane and I made sure of it when we took seats next to each other at the table, making it so Naomi and Dad had to sit close to each other for all four courses of dinner. This restaurant didn’t mess around when it came to food. It was my kind of place. I also loved it for the entire wall made of windows and the exposed ceilings. I loved to look up.
I thought the dinner conversation would center around Kane’s promotion, but mostly it was about me. Naomi and Dad easily found themselves taking a walk down memory lane.
“Remember when Scarlett was three and would sneeze and then say, ‘I think I have the bless-yous’?” Naomi asked nostalgically.
Dad smiled and laughed. “Yes, I do.”
“Well, I was adorable,” I chimed in.
“Yes, you were.” Naomi gave me that adoring motherly look.
“She still is.” Kane kissed my cheek.
My parents also reminisced about how smart I was and how they knew I would grow up to be a genius. Kane and I mostly sat back and watched them talk.
While my parents did their thing, Kane kept staring at me with this look. I couldn’t quite place it, but I liked it, whatever it was. The look only intensified as the evening wore on, until dessert—the cranberry cheesecake—was demolished. As soon as I took my last bite, Kane unexpectedly asked, “Would you mind if Scarlett and I excused ourselves? There’s a pressing matter we need to attend to.”
There was? This late at night?
Dad smiled at Kane. “Of course not.”
Naomi looked a bit flustered at the thought of being left with my father all by herself. “I should probably get going too.”
“Please stay,” Dad was quick to say. “We could have a drink,” he offered.
Naomi bit her lip and blushed. “I suppose one,” she stuttered.
I could practically see Dad internally sighing.
Kane stood and reached for my hand to help me up.
“You kids have fun.” Dad winked, making me wonder if he knew something I didn’t.
I kissed each of my parents goodbye, hoping they would have fun, too, before Kane whisked me out of the restaurant like a man on a mission.
“Where are we going?”
Kane stopped and kissed me hard once. “Do you trust me?”
“Yes,” I said, unsure. He was acting off.
“Scarlett, do you trust me?” He was being awfully serious.
“Yes. Yes, I trust you.”
“Okay,” he said, relieved. “We need to go home and change.”
Kane said hardly a word as we rushed home to Dad’s house, where Kane was once again staying while his house was being renovated. His only instructions were for me to change into something comfortable and to wear tennis shoes.
I did as he said and met him back at his car. He was already there with a picnic basket in the back seat. “Where are w
e going?”
“You’ll see.”
On our drive to somewhere, Kane played Christopher Cross and drove like he was entering the Indy 500. It wasn’t until a half hour in that I realized where we were headed.
“I thought we were going to Edge of the World tomorrow?”
Kane glanced my way. “This can’t wait.”
“Isn’t the trail closed at night?”
“Technically.” He grinned. “You did say, though, that you trusted me.”
“I do, but couldn’t this wait until tomorrow?”
“I thought so, but no.”
“All right.”
He said not another word, though I could see the thoughts spinning in his eyes. He was planning something.
Kane parked his car and turned off the lights after we drove into the empty parking lot where the trailhead began. I should have been nervous we were breaking the law, but I knew if we got caught, Kane would be able to talk his way out of anything. He turned toward me and ran a finger down my cheek. His handsome face was illuminated by only the overhead light in the car. “Thank you for letting me have a do-over here.”
“You’re welcome.” I smiled.
“It’s more than just this place. I mean thank you for letting me correct the biggest mistake I ever made. That day eight years ago . . . it felt like my world ended.”
“Mine too,” I whispered.
“I hope you can forgive me.”
I leaned in, kissed his lips, and lingered there. With him, all felt right in the world. “I forgive you.”
“Good, because we have some unfinished business to attend to tonight.” Without another word, he hopped out and ran around to get my door. He grabbed me and the picnic basket. “Stay close to me on the trail.”
“I think I can manage that. I pray I don’t twist an ankle, though.” That would be my luck.
“If you do, I’ll carry you,” he promised. “You know, only if you want me to rescue you,” he teased.
“That kind of rescuing is acceptable.”
He laughed into the cool night air. It was finally cooling down here in Georgia, at least at night.
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