I knew she’d miss it, but figured I’d be replacing it with a sparkling, enormous engagement ring later on anyway. Calum wasn’t stirring at all but was still snoring lightly, his dark hair standing straight up on one side.
Leaning over, I kissed his forehead, and then heard the bathroom door open. Out stepped a fresh-faced Tawny, her hair combed, face washed, and teeth brushed.
I went straight for her, gathering her in my arms and rocking back and forth with her. I went in for a proper good morning kiss, and our mouths collided softly and tenderly. She tasted like the mint toothpaste she’d used, and she smelled like apricots—I assumed from whatever she’d used to wash her face with.
I rested my forehead against hers when our kiss ended. “Hi there, fiancé.”
“Hi to you, too, fiancé.” She giggled softly. “I’ve got to get Calum up and get him ready for school.”
“Have Max drive you two. I’ve got a meeting this morning and a few things to do after that.” Taking out the credit card I’d taken from my wallet for her, I slipped it into her hand. “And have Max take you to Rodeo Drive. I want you to do a bit of shopping today. That enormous closet looks a little empty right now.”
“Oh, no, August. I can’t…” she tried to protest.
But I kissed her again, putting an end to her protests. “You can, and you will. And buy Calum a bunch of new clothes, too. And don’t skimp at all. I want my family looking sharp. When I come home, I’m going to inspect the closets, and I better see them close to bursting. I do realize you can only do so much shopping in a day, but I want to see a lot more in there, including shoes and underclothes, too. Buy yourself some sexy underwear and bras, too—don’t forget about those.”
She shook her head as she looked at me. “August, that’s just not me.”
“Fine, I’ll have a personal shopper do that then if you’re going to refuse.” I would get my way, one way or another.
“Fine,” she admitted with a sigh of defeat. “I’ll do it.”
“You know, Tawny, most women would be over the moon if a billionaire handed them a credit card—one that has no limit by the way—and told them to go crazy.” I kissed the tip of her little turned up nose, ending my lecture.
“I know. Thank you,” she conceded. “I’ll try to get used to being spoiled rotten.”
“Yes, you will, because I aim to spoil both of you rotten, and when our next one comes along, they’ll get the same treatment.” Moving one hand down between us, I ran it over her flat stomach. “You can ditch the birth control pills now.”
She blinked at me. “Are you sure, August? I mean, you want to get married, and that’s going to be a lot on its own. You sure about bringing a baby into this so quickly?”
“We already have one kid, so why wait?” I couldn’t say I liked her line of questioning. Why should we wait? What did it matter?
“Well, okay then. I’ll stop taking my pills. But it’ll take a little while for them to get completely out of my system, months actually.” She ran her hands up and down my arms as she looked at me. “So, don’t get upset when it doesn’t happen right away, okay?”
“Okay,” I said, then pecked her cheek. “I’ve got to run. I’ll be back by dinner time tonight. You have a great day shopping, and don’t you dare forget to eat some lunch. Hell, call a girlfriend to go with you—treat her to a day out, too.”
“August, I don’t have any friends here yet. I haven’t started working, so I haven’t had many opportunities to make friends since I moved here.” She looked down but then looked back at me. “Hey, do you think Leila would like to join me?”
“I know she would. Give her a call after you drop Calum off at school, and see if she’s free.” With one more kiss, I left her and headed off to my meeting.
Gannon and Nixon were already at the King’s Road Café when I got there, though our foreman had yet to show. Scones and coffee had already been served, so I took a seat and helped myself. “How are you gentlemen doing this fine morning?”
Gannon’s eyes were bright. “I’m doing pretty damn good, considering all the shit that’s come my way lately.”
Nixon chuckled as he sipped his steaming hot coffee. “Would that little blonde babysitter have anything to do with that?”
“She might,” Gannon said as he winked at our other business partner. Then his eyes fell on me. “And you look like you’ve got extra pep in your step as well, August. Any particular reason for that?”
“Well, I found out yesterday that I’m a father to a six-year-old boy. His mother and I had one night of mind-blowing sex the night before I left for boot camp, producing a child that she’s just confessed is mine.” The waiter came up, interrupting my news. He stood, poised for my drink order without saying a thing. “Espresso macchiato, please.” He hurried off to get my drink, and I turned my attention back to my friends.
“And you’re happy about it, so that means it’s with a woman you like,” Nixon said. “So, both you guys are fathers. Well, now I feel left out—not that I wish some random woman would show up and tell me I’ve fathered a child.”
I nodded. “The mother of my child isn’t some random woman. She and I were neighbors back home—I’ve known her as long as I can remember. I’ve already asked Tawny to marry me. That’s her name, by the way, and my son’s name is Calum.”
Nixon smiled. “Way to go. I’m glad you’ve found someone. I’m actually a little jealous—to tell you the truth, I can’t get this one girl off my mind. We had one crazy Halloween night, and she’s been stuck in my head ever since. But that wasn’t that long ago, so maybe this feeling will fade, who knows?”
Gannon laughed. “I’m asking Brooke to marry me on Thanksgiving at her family’s get-together. Wish me luck, guys. Her brother Brad is my best friend, and I’ve been told to keep my hands off his baby sister. As if I could help that. She’s the most lovable woman I’ve ever met. So, I’ll face Brad and the rest of her family’s wrath if I must to make her mine in every way possible.”
I didn’t envy Gannon with that mess. “At least I don’t have to worry about Tawny’s family. She’s an only child, so there’re no siblings to deal with there. And her parents don’t seem to interfere too much in her life. I think Tawny and I have found what everyone looks for. True love.” I looked at the waiter as he brought the drink to me, placing it in front of me on the table.
“Are you three ready to order?” he asked us.
“Not yet,” Gannon informed him. “We have one more coming.”
With a nod the waiter left us, and we got back to our conversation. Nixon mused, “So, this grand opening we’re having won’t be at all like we initially envisioned. For you guys, anyway. I’m still a free man. Hey, maybe Katana will call me, and I can invite her to be my date for that night!”
Gannon looked at Nixon with wide eyes. “You don’t have her number?”
“Nah, it was a one-night thing, but I gave her mine just in case.” Nixon looked hopeful. “Maybe she’ll call. I hope she calls.”
I laughed. “You sound like you really like this girl, Nixon.”
He nodded, and then took a sip of his coffee. “When we came up with this grand idea to open a nightclub for the uber-wealthy, part of the plan was for us to score hot chicks. Now that’s not even on the agenda for any of us, really.”
“Who knew?” Gannon added.
There we sat, three friends who’d gone into a business venture together with the grand fantasies of single men. Only now we all seemed to be preoccupied with special women. It seemed we’d never get to have even one night of unadulterated philandering.
But they’d both had years of living that kind of life, and I’d had my fair share as well. How funny that things change so quickly.
Things were going much better than I had ever expected, and my life was changing for the better with each passing moment. Things could only get better from here.
Chapter 21
Tawny
When I realized my sapphi
re ring was missing, I had a pretty good idea where it had gone. August had to have taken it to use it to buy me an engagement ring. That didn’t surprise me one bit.
I’d spent the day shopping with Leila, and we had a very nice time. With her help, I actually made a lot of purchases and was waiting patiently for August to come home so I could show him just how much I’d added to Calum’s closet as well as mine.
But the hours ticked by and finally, at seven in the evening, he graced us with his presence. We’d been waiting in the main living area which was right behind the foyer. I thought that would be the best place if we wanted to see him when he first arrived home.
Calum ran to August as he came through the doorway. “Dad!”
“Calum!” August shouted right back at him. Picking him up, I noticed him whispering something to our son, and Calum’s little head nodded in a fast motion. “Good, glad you agree.”
August was up to something, and I sidled up to him, my arms open wide. “Good evening.”
“Ah, did you miss me?” he asked as he put Calum down, so I could hug him.
“A little,” I said as he moved into my arms. The way his body wrapped around me made my heart skip a beat. I loved being in his arms.
When our hug ended, August got down on one knee and looked up at me, still holding my left hand. “Tawny Susan Matthews, would you do me the great honor of becoming my lawfully wedded wife?”
“Um, yeah,” I said as I rolled my eyes. “I told you yes last night.”
Narrowing his eyes at me, he whispered, “I’m doing this for him.”
Oh! For Calum!
“Oh, then my answer is yes. Yes, my one and only true love, I will marry you.”
He pulled something out of his pocket and flipped the lid of a small black box. Inside was a sparkling solitaire that looked like it cost a small fortune. Now I was surprised, and my free hand flew to cover my gaping jaw. “August!”
“Ah, now that’s the reaction I was looking for.” He slipped the ring on my finger, and Calum came to look at it.
“Man, that’s big, Momma.” Calum took my hand to get a closer look at the ring. “So, my dad will be your husband, just like in real families. This is great!”
Rising from his position on the floor, August placed his hands on my hips then kissed my lips. “Thank you, baby.”
I looked at the ring then back at him. “Thank you, too.”
August turned away, picking up Calum and then taking my hand. He took us to sit on one of the sofas, placing Calum on his knee. “We’d like to talk to you about something, Calum.”
I looked at August with a questioning expression. “Oh, we would?”
August nodded then pointed at my tummy. “Yeah, we would.”
Now I understood, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to talk to my six-year-old about a thing like that. “August, maybe it’s a bit too soon. And he’s already had one big shot of news today with the marriage.”
“Well, I think he should know,” August argued.
Huffing with resolve, I nodded. I knew August’s tenacity would win out in the end anyway. “Proceed.”
Calum looked back and forth at us. “What’s up?”
August took the lead. “Calum, what do you think about becoming a big brother?”
Calum looked at me. “Are you gonna have a baby, Momma?”
“No, there’s not one in my tummy yet. But your daddy and I would like to have one. Is that something you’d be okay with?” I asked my son.
Calum looked at August with a thoughtful expression. “But I just got you, and if you have a baby then I’ll have to share you.”
“Calum, you’re my oldest son. My very first child. You’ll always have a place in my heart that no one else will ever have.” August ran his hand over Calum’s head. “I promise that you and I will spend tons of time together, no matter who or what comes along. And you’d get to help a lot with the baby too, you know. You’d get to be a big brother—the oldest of the family your mom and I would like to have.”
“That might be fun,” Calum said as he looked up at the ceiling, thinking.
“I’d like to have a big family, Calum. That would mean you’d have lots of kids—brothers and sisters—to play with. You’d never be lonely.” August took him by the chin. “You’ll never be alone.”
“Well, I think it’ll be okay then,” Calum said. “So, go ahead, have a baby if you want to.”
“Glad to have your blessing, son,” August said then kissed him on the forehead. “Now, I’ve got one more thing I want to talk to you about.”
“What else could there possibly be, August?” I asked him, as I thought Calum already had too much on his plate as it was.
“The sleeping situation,” he informed me. “I want you to sleep in my room with me.”
Sucking in air, I couldn’t believe what he’d blurted out. “August!”
Calum was the one to say something first. “Don’t mommies and daddies sleep in the same room, Momma?”
August answered him, “Yes, they do, Calum. But you seem to have a little habit of getting into your momma’s bed in the middle of the night, and that might be a problem.”
“Why?” Calum asked as he looked at August. “I can just come to your bed and climb in.”
My brows rose as I looked at my fiancé, who seemed to think he knew more than I did where Calum was concerned. “Now, how do you plan to explain that, August Harlow?”
“Easy,” he said with a wink. “Well, you could do that, Calum. But I was thinking you could get used to sleeping the whole night in your own bed. You see, that way you’ll be a good influence on your younger brothers and sisters when they come along and face the same problem you’re having.”
“Oh, I don’t think it’s a problem,” Calum said as he shook his head. “I just like snuggling with Momma is all.”
“Me, too,” August said, making me blush.
Calum nodded. “She’s very cozy.”
“I agree,” August added. “Maybe we can come up with a deal, so she doesn’t get sick of us snuggling her all the time. I get her at night, and you get her all day.”
Calum chewed his lower lip as he thought about that. “Well, maybe that might be okay. But how ’bout this idea. If I wake up, and I’m feeling scared, can Momma come sleep with me then?”
August smiled, and he reached out to shake our son’s little hand. “That’s a deal, son.”
As they shook hands, I sighed, knowing my life really was changing—and fast.
After we ate dinner and gave Calum a bath, we tucked him in, August reading him a book while I sat on the other side of our son, stroking his hair. The way Calum looked at us both made my heart swell with joy.
My little boy was finally getting to feel what his friends had felt their whole lives, the love of a mother and father who adored him.
We stayed with him until he’d fallen asleep. True to what his father had told him just after dinner, there was a baby monitor placed on the nightstand next to his bed. All he had to do if he woke up and was afraid was call out to me, and I’d come running. August had placed the receiving monitor on the nightstand on the right side of his bed, which he told me was mine now.
August was trying hard to make things work perfectly. And so far, everything was going the way he wanted—and I loved it all, too.
Somehow August made Calum do things I couldn’t. And he did so without hurting our son. More love built up in my heart for the man with each passing day.
When we climbed into bed that first night, I felt a sense of relief. No longer did I have to carry all the responsibility of raising our son on my shoulders alone. Now there was a father to share that with. And soon he’d be my husband, and we’d grow our family together.
In my wildest dreams, I had never imagined my life turning out like this.
We made love that night, soft and sweet. Our bodies moved together like they’d been built just for each other. He moved with soft thrusts, and I arched up to meet e
ach one. Our love filled the entire room as we simultaneously climaxed.
He brushed my hair back as he looked into my eyes. “I love you more than you can even understand, baby.”
“I understand perfectly because I love you that much too.” I kissed his bearded cheek and ran my hand over the tattoo on his left pec. Semper Fi was written in text, surrounded by guns, an eagle, and a chopper. Quite the work of art, and I loved the way it looked on him.
My marine was one rugged man. He would always be my hero.
Falling asleep in his arms was like heaven to me. Though I was a little annoyed when he’d brought it up, I couldn’t be happier that he’d made our son feel comfortable with us being able to do this.
Life would be fantastic with August by my side.
Hours had passed when my eyes suddenly flew open, my sleep disturbed by August as he tossed and turned beside me. Some mumbled words came from him, and I reached over to shake him awake. “August, wake up, you’re having a bad dream.”
His left arm flew back, smacking me in the face. I tasted blood right away, my lip busted from the blow. “August!” I shouted and moved back.
Blood was rolling down my arm as my hand covered my mouth. I rolled over and over until I got to the edge of the huge bed. Grabbing some tissue off the nightstand, I held it to my lip and went to the bathroom as August continued to move around, mumbling indiscernible things in his sleep.
The bathroom light turned on remotely as I entered the room, the way all the lights in the house did. I found my lower lip had been split pretty good, but it wouldn’t need stitches. Wetting a cloth, I held it to my lip until the bleeding stopped, then headed back into the bedroom to try to wake August without getting hit this time.
The blankets were a mess as he tossed back and forth before sitting up abruptly, his eyes open and scanning the room.
“August,” I said in a calm voice. “Are you awake?”
Nightclub Sins: A Billionaire Romance Series Page 42
