Loving War

by C. M. Owens

  Chapter 21

  TRIA

  Nervous? No. I’m not nervous. I’m a frigging train wreck.

  I’ve changed clothes three times, and though I can’t explain how incredibly grateful I am for this opportunity, I also want to strangle him for not giving me a heads-up. I could have brought more options.

  “Tria?” Kode asks in his deep, sleepy voice that I find too sexy as I curse the next dress.

  “Sorry,” I mumble.

  “Babe, it’s six in the morning. What the hell are you doing?”

  I’ve been up since four. It’s impossible to sleep right now.

  “I’m getting ready for this meeting.”

  He laughs, that deep rumble in his chest doing wild things to my already weakened heart. He really needs to stop being so amazing before I go and tell the big jerk that I love him.

  “The place is just a block from here. Come back to bed¸” he grumbles.

  Of course he doesn’t understand how nervous I am. He has control and power no matter what room he’s in. I’m an absolute mess in front of a small department chain store manager. How in the hell can I handle talking to a room full of representatives for five of the largest cosmetic lines there are?

  Kode sighs while getting out of bed, apparently noticing my inner meltdown, and he comes over to where I’m at. Naked. Does the man always have to look like a model?

  “I’ll get on some clothes, and we’ll start working on your presentation again. Just pretend they’re me.”

  It’s amazing at how much calmer I can get the second he speaks. With a mixture of fascination and awe, I watch him pull on a pair of track pants, bypassing underwear. That has my mind going in all the wrong directions.

  “You don’t want me thinking they’re you,” I mumble, absently licking my lips.

  He arches an eyebrow, looking too damn amused. “You’re right. Pretend they’re all Brin. You talk easily and comfortably with her. Now, let’s get to work before the props get here.”

  “Props?” I ask.

  He grins while quickly punching something into his phone. Then he sets it down and ignores my question.

  For the next hour, we run through my presentation, and he absorbs it as though it’s the first time I’ve done this with him. He never once seems bored or annoyed, and it’s impossible to believe this guy is really Kode Sterling—the playground bully.

  Room service has come and gone, delivering breakfast that my stomach refuses to let me eat, so when there’s another knock on the door, I’m confused.

  Kode goes to answer it, and then he pulls out a key card to hand to a very stunning woman. What the hell?

  She thanks him, batting her lashes as she rakes her eyes over his bare chest. He hands her a bag, still not bothering to glance my way. By the time she leaves, my arms are crossed over my chest, and I’m very much glaring at him.

  “She’s a stylist. She stopped by to get the key to the suite I reserved for her and the two models I hired for your presentation.” His cheeky grin tells me he sees the unintentional jealousy I’m wearing like a glowing beacon.

  It actually takes a minute to process his words.

  “What?” I ask, confused.

  “Models, Tria. They’ll help you present your stuff with a live example. That was Sarah. She’s going to go take care of their makeup and hair. She’s only going to do their hair right now. She’ll be doing the makeup at the meeting while you’re presenting. All you do is introduce them, and make them aware that the models will be getting a makeover while you’re presenting. Believe me, a visual will do wonders.”

  And again he does something that has me wanting to drop down on one knee and propose to him. Is he trying to ruin all other men for me? Because it’s working. Which means I need to keep myself in check and not rush things, because I really don’t want to ruin this thing between us.

  “Thank you,” I croak, consumed by so much emotion that I feel foolish.

  His grin is rewarding, and he comes over to lightly brush his lips across mine, teasing me with the reverent touch.

  “What are their names?” I ask, clearing my throat as he pulls back.

  “Emma is the thirteen-year-old model who suffers from a light acne problem. Just as your line is designed for. And Lisa is the forty-year-old model that has fine lines from aging, and a few age spots, just as your line is designed for.”

  He just keeps getting better. “But I thought you wanted me to slim down the target age.”

  “For your presentation, yes. But for the visual, it’ll show them the reach your line has. You’ll get to prove your point, without voicing the numbers aloud in a way that will cause skepticism.”

  I really do love him. Damn.

  “The white dress would look the best, by the way.” He grins again when he sees me lost in his thrall, and he walks over to pick it up from the small couch off to the side.

  I almost wish I could just take him with me, because it’s amazing how much calmer I suddenly am.

  ***

  TRIA

  I can’t believe it. I really can’t.

  With shaky hands, I start to type out a quick text, only to see I have three messages.

  Leo: Let me know if I’m drinking champagne or tequila as soon as you can.

  That has me laughing as the adrenaline rush consumes me. And I send back a quick text while walking toward the hotel.

  Me: We’re drinking champagne tonight. I’ll give you all the incredible details as soon as I can do it without squealing.

  Before I can read either of my other texts, my phone chirps with an instant response from Leo’s quick messaging abilities.

  Leo: Fuck yes! I love you.

  Giggling, I respond with a quick I love you, too, and then I read the next message.

  Rain: Eleanor called. She said Edward wanted to see her for some reason. She’s going to see him. Just thought I’d let you know since you’re not home. Even though your car is there. Where are you?

  No. I’m not letting Dad ruin this day for me, so I refuse to talk to Rain about any home drama. There’s enough on my mind. Too much. There’s so many things I need to do to prepare for this new launch they want to do. It took several hours of bidding and excitement to get the best deal. It all happened so fast. I was expecting months and months of back-and-forth deals.

  If Kode hadn’t sent his lawyer, I would have been screwed. I never thought I’d be spending the day negotiating terms. And that lawyer was badass. Nothing this incredibly perfect has ever happened to me so fast.

  I’ll pick Kode’s brain apart when he has time, but I don’t want to bombard him tonight. I’m sure he doesn’t want to spend the rest of our weekend with me hounding him for his brilliance.

  The next text replaces all my thoughts, and I find myself rolling my eyes at the name on the screen.

  Your Favorite Playground Bully: I’ll be waiting for you at the room.

  I really need to break into his phone and find out what he calls me. I’ve seen Bitch Boy pop up on his phone before, and found out it was Corbin. Douche Brother is an easy one, considering he only has one brother. Evil Troll is his name for his very rude, but incredibly organized personal assistant. And there are numerous Do Not Answer phone calls he gets. Apparently he uses that name a lot for people he no longer wishes to speak to.

  He never programs anyone as their real name, so obviously I’m curious about my designated title.

  I decide not to text him back since I’m already close to walking into the hotel. I’d rather throw my arms around him and surprise him with all my gratitude, starting with a naked thank you that will have his knees caving.

  I didn’t want to ever use anyone to get ahead, but Kode sold it to me. He invested in the company, though I’m not sure how much. I’ve still got to speak with Darla and Leo about that, since he was crafty enough to go behind my back and have his lawyers contact my normal business lawyer.

  The models he hired were icing on the presentation cake. There wa
s no doubt that everyone was impressed with the live demonstration.

  As soon as I reach our room, I take a deep breath, and unlock the door with the card, ready to surprise the man who is probably anxious about what news I got. When I push through the door, my jaw drops in disbelief.

  Absently I hear the door click shut behind me, but my eyes are taking in the small room that has been lavishly decorated for a king’s queen.

  Roses are all over the place—dozens and dozens of the reddest roses I’ve ever seen. There are three silver buckets holding bottles of champagne that are tucked snugly into ice. There’s a table that wasn’t here this morning—an oversized bistro table with two matching chairs that also weren’t here this morning. Several candles are lit, creating ambience that I would usually find cheesy, but right now, it’s so surreally perfect.

  “Thought we’d celebrate,” Kode says as he steps out from the bathroom, smiling as he adjusts the towel around his waist.

  His hair is still wet from the shower, and small streams of water are licking trails down his skin, carving out a path for my tongue as my mouth waters.

  “How’d you know I got a deal?” I ask in awe, feeling the flutter of various emotions gathering deep within my core.

  He grins while pulling me to him and kisses me in a way that is quite possibly illegal in some countries. His tongue mimics the actions of what he did to me with it last night in other places, forcing my entire body to heat. How the hell does he make so many bruises look so sexy?

  “Because you’re amazing,” he says, leaving me breathless when he breaks the kiss and resumes smiling at me, bending down to where his eyes stay on mine. “All they had to do was see that.”

  Everything inside me turns to mush, and he kisses my nose before heading over to the dresser and dropping his towel.

  Yeah… frigging speechless. All I can do is stare and marvel at the man who is slowly pulling on a pair of boxer-briefs.

  He grins over his shoulder when he catches my eyes taking in the firm lines of his exquisite ass, but I barely register anything. This is like a dream—a high so unimaginable that it can’t be real.

  “You can keep staring, or you can grab a glass of champagne,” he says while grinning, moving over to the black oak table that seems much too elegant for this room. As he picks up a glass and fills it, he gives me that smirk that tells me he knows exactly what’s on my mind. “I’m good with either.”

  Swallowing hard, I stare at him. Do not say anything stupid, Tria. Don’t you dare.

  “I’ll take the champagne while I stare,” I say with a flirty grin, proud of myself for doing good.

  There’s no way he can impress me any more than he already has, so I should be okay for the rest of the night.

  “I wanted to take us out tonight, but I also knew what all would be going on in your pretty little head.”

  I highly doubt that.

  “Oh?” I muse, taking a sexy-strutted step toward him and his almost naked body. “What’s that?”

  He grins that boyish grin that doesn’t prove he’s seduced, but rather excited.

  “First, tell me how the bidding war went.”

  Tilting my head, I ask, “How’d you know—”

  “You’ve already got a deal, Tria. That means they were thoroughly impressed with you. Enough that they couldn’t risk someone else offering you a spot before you left. Considering the rejections you’ve received, they all most likely worried you’d take the first offer without holding out for a better one. Now, how many were in the bidding war, and how sweet was your deal?”

  Grinning like an idiot, I shrug, trying my best not to squeal and jump around like I want to. Unfortunately, I end up squealing and launching myself into his arms, jumping up and wrapping my legs around his waist while I giggle hysterically from the excitement.

  He laughs while holding me to him, and I rain kisses all over his face in a sloppy, jerky manner that has him laughing harder.

  “Three out of five,” I say, though the words are said through my heavy breaths and giggling, so I know they’re hard to understand. “And I’ll show you the details of the awesome deal I got. Thank you for sending your lawyer there to help me, by the way. You’re so unbelievably amazing.”

  He smiles against my lips while trying to kiss me, and I grip him tighter between my legs. We’re both smiling too big to really kiss.

  “I like seeing you this happy,” he says, drawing his face back just enough to find my eyes.

  “Well, you’re the one who made me this happy. They wouldn’t have ever met with me if it wasn’t for you.”

  He runs his nose along my jaw, and I lightly kiss his cheek, trying to get my breath back. But now the adrenaline has resurfaced, and I feel like I could dance in the streets without any shame.

  “What did you think was on my mind?” I muse, enjoying how he holds me with effortless ease, but then his bruises cross my mind, and I try to wiggle free. I feel like shit for forgetting them.

  He doesn’t let me go right away, and I seriously become curious about his pain tolerance, because he seemed to really be hurting yesterday, but he acts unaffected today.

  “Ah,” he says, still grinning as he walks over to the table and slowly puts me on my feet. He reaches down for his briefcase, and he pulls out several thick folders packed full of pages. “These are résumés.”

  I’m confused, my mind still hazy as I try to stay upright and not pass out from the excitement that is bubbling through me without mercy.

  “We’re staying in because you’ll have a ton of questions, and I’m the best person to answer them. We’ll start with assembling your team so that you aren’t overwhelmed with things to do. Everyone in these stacks is ready to start work right now; they’ve passed my screening process—which is very hard to do; and they have negotiable rates that will go with the budget you discussed with me. We’ll sort these out and find the perfect fit for you.”

  Ah, hell.

  Tears water up in my eyes, and he looks down at me with bemusement riddling his expression.

  “What’d I do wrong?”

  I grin and laugh while the tears slip out. I’m not crying sad tears, but he doesn’t understand that. I really don’t think I’ve ever cried happy tears before.

  “Nothing.” My voice is shaky, and I sniffle while he wipes a tear away from my face.

  “You want to start on this or do some celebrating first? This is your night.”

  I grab his neck to jerk him down, and the kiss I give him is searing. He grips me to him tightly when he feels my desperation to kiss him as hard as I can.

  “Take me to bed first. Before I say something stupid,” I murmur against his lips.

  ***

  TRIA

  Well, after trying to destroy the hotel room like horny teenagers or wild rockstars all night, we manage to get everything sorted out, and I have my first, second, and third picks lined up for every position.

  Kode is sleeping peacefully after being thoroughly rewarded for all of his hard work. It’s almost noon, but he deserves the rest. Especially since I’ll be keeping him up tonight again.

  I grin when I see his arm reaching out, searching for me even as he sleeps. My chest swells with emotion when he mutters my name and hugs a pillow to him, substituting it for me.

  Grinning, I pull his phone from the counter, curious as to what he calls me while I go to the abandoned room service and finally sit down to finish that piece of celebratory chocolate cake. My ass will need to be in the gym next week to make up for all the food splurges I’ve had this weekend.

  His new phone just got to us in time for our flight the other day. Apparently his tech guy had to swap over all his old information. And his phone is not liking me.

  After finally figuring it out somewhat, I check to ensure it is on vibrate, and I send him a text to see what pops up. I hold back a laugh when I see my naked selfie picture, but my heart thumps in my chest when I see my name—My Sexy Girl.

  It’s
not as creative as the names he gives himself in my phone, but it’s a claiming, warming, and endearing name that has me tearing up again. But then a new message comes through, and that brief moment of triumph is obliterated into ashes as cold heat pumps through my veins.

  My Perfect Girl: When are you coming back? I thought we’d get together. Just the two of us. It’s been a while, and I miss my best fri...

  That’s all the preview shows, and I don’t want to actually read the whole message. Kode would know I snooped, and this was an accident. A terrible, sickening, jarring accident that I wish had never happened.

  If I didn’t already know who it was, the picture would tell it all. I’ve seen his phone numerous times, but I’ve never seen a text or call from her. Dane usually messages him, even though Rain texts the others a lot. I suppose Dane has the same chip on his shoulder about them as I do.

  At least now I know why.

  Her picture isn’t a scandalous mirror selfie of her lying on a bed, looking desperate to tempt him. She’s staring innocently over her shoulder—at him most likely—and grinning as her blond hair bounces under the sun.

  Her name and image make her seem wholesome—someone that a man would dedicate his life to. My name and my image sound temporary and scandalous—like I’m the well-kept dirty secret.

  Perfect? His perfect girl?

  I can’t do this to myself. He’s here with me, and he has gone out of his way to make this weekend extraordinary. If I were temporary, he wouldn’t have invested in my company. He wouldn’t have pulled out all the stops to make this all work for me.

  She might have been his perfect idea of a woman at one time, but I’m the one he’s with now. Even if I’m merely a substitute for the girl he can’t have.

  I wish I had never been curious about the special pet name he gave me in his phone. Leave it to me to ruin a dream.