Enlightened End

by Audrey Carlan

It seems like I wait forever until he firms his lips and reaches his hands out. I unlock my fingers and grab for his touch as fast as I can, needing to know that I haven’t stepped over some imaginary line.

  “Luna, I will tell you about my mother. Not today though. I don’t like talking about it or her in general. You’re going to find it’s a hot-button item for me. Eventually, we’ll discuss it. I’m asking you to give me time to prepare for it and leave it alone for today. We’re having a great time. The best fucking day of my life. I do not want to ruin it with thoughts of the woman who abandoned me. Okay?”

  I nod quickly. “Okay, yes. I’m sorry.” I squeeze his hands, and he returns the gesture and smiles softly, his face turning warm once more.

  “My lamb hasn’t touched her food, and there’s one thing I know about my woman: she likes her food.”

  I laugh, lift up my sandwich, and take a huge bite. So big that bits of lettuce fall onto the plate.

  Grant cracks up and shakes his head. “I am so keeping you, Luna Marigold.”

  I finish chewing and swallowing before I respond. “Good. Because I’m keeping you too, Grant Winters.”

  Chapter Eleven

  The crown chakra can represent your attitude, beliefs, values, conscience, faith, courage, and humanitarianism.

  GRANT

  Life is good. No, it’s great. I walk into Winters Group with a swing to my step and a lightness in my heart. Clay was right. I’ll have to send the man a case of the finest whiskey. He was there when I needed a friend and gave solid advice that actually worked. Though nothing worked as well as just being honest, apologizing for the errors of my ways, and hoping she’d give me a second chance. She did. And boy, it was better than I ever could have imagined.

  Luna is light, energy, and kindness wrapped in a sinful body and a pure soul. Everything I could ever want and never hoped to find. But I have. In her.

  With thoughts of her filling my mind, I pick up the phone and call my architect.

  He picks up on the first ring. “Walters.”

  “Hey, Brando, it’s Winters.”

  “Grant, I didn’t expect to hear from your ass for another five months. What building do you want to tear down now?” He chuckles.

  His question sends a direct shot to my already tender psyche. Although, in his defense, he wouldn’t know that I’ve had an epiphany, which came at the hands of a redheaded fairy princess.

  “Brando, this time I’ve got something new to throw your way. It’s going to be challenging. Unbelievably expensive, and my board of directors is going to hate it. Which means you have to come up with something I can sell to them in order to get full approval.”

  “Shit, man, what are you planning?”

  “You know the Berkeley four we’re planning to build?”

  “Yeah, of course. Soon as the tenants move out, we flatten and rebuild the four towers. Are you telling me this plan is changing?”

  I grin and spin around in my chair to survey the San Francisco skyline. “Yeah, the plans are changing. I want you to find a way to incorporate most, if not all, of the businesses currently on the street but still find a way to build most, if not all, of the towers. Can you do that for me?”

  “Uh…are you fucking kidding?” His voice is strained—not a good sign.

  I grind my teeth, knowing this request is not only unusual but a burden to my architect and the plans we’ve already put in place. It’s a good thing I’ve used him for the past decade on all my builds, or he’d be in the poorhouse. Now he’s one of the best-known architects on the West Coast. He owes me, and he knows it.

  “Brando, are you telling me you can’t handle a challenge?”

  “No, I’m telling you we already had this laid out. For months. Materials have been commissioned, guys’ contracts set to work.”

  “And none of that should change. Just look at the street and find a way to keep the local businesses there and incorporate them into your design. Whatever you have to do. I need Lotus House, Sunflower Bakery, and Rainy Day Café to be saved.”

  “And the other side of the street? You know that’s where the major overhaul has to be done underground. And it’s a smoke shop, an antique store, and a fucking thrift store, man. Not the type of market we’re selling to. The yoga studio, the bakery, and the café fit. Hell, even the used bookstore, but the others don’t.”

  Luna hasn’t mentioned being extremely attached to those other businesses. “Look, do what you can to incorporate the studio and the bakery. My woman…” I wince, realizing my slip of lip.

  Brandon, better known as “Brando” to his old lacrosse buddies back in college, clears his throat on a cough.

  “Um, I’m sorry. Did my ears deceive me? Did you just say your woman? Since when the fuck do you have a woman, and better yet…why is she involved in this two-hundred-million-dollar build?”

  I clench my teeth and think about lying, and then the image of her innocent face, those blue eyes, red curls, and sweet, sweet lips kissing me goodbye, telling me to have a good day at work… Fuck. I can’t get her honesty out of my mind.

  “Yeah…” I sigh. “Look, this is between you and me and a twenty-one-year-old bottle of Macallan I’ll have Annette send directly to your office.”

  “Hoo-wee, looks like this ought to be good. I’m sitting down. Okay, lay it on me, Winters.”

  I let out a rumble from deep within my chest. “The owner of Lotus House Yoga is my girlfriend.”

  “I’m sorry…did you say girlfriend?” he queries.

  I suck in a harsh breath. “Quit fuckin’ around. I’m serious.”

  “So am I. I have never, not ever heard Grant Winters utter the word girlfriend, and I’ve known you more than a decade. She must be really fuckin’ special to nail down the un-nailable.”

  I furiously rub at my temples with thumb and forefinger. The bastard knows me too well. “Be that as it may, she is important to me. Very fucking important, and Lotus House is her studio. Her family legacy. Not to mention, Sunflower Bakery is owned and operated by her best friend. Who…get this…also happens to be a McKnight. As in Knight & Day Productions. I do not need shit getting out that my team and I single-handedly destroyed the flagship Sunflower Bakery.”

  “Jesus, man, when you go big, you go fucking big. Did you think it would be a good idea to start something with the woman you were kicking out of her property?” He groans. “Let me think. Fuckin’ hell. You’re rich. Just buy her and her friend another building somewhere else they can run. Problem solved.”

  “Not good enough. She’s committed to that street, not to mention she lives in the loft above the bakery.”

  Brando busts up laughing, so loud I have to hold the phone away from my ear until his chuckles fall away. “Dude, you are a piece of freakin’ work. Not only do you get hooked to a woman whose building you’re demolishing in five months, but you’re also making her homeless. You could always just ask her to move in with you…”

  He says the words, and instantly, the thought of coming home to Luna every night, to a warm house and a smile from my own personal fairy princess, pummels my chest like a barrel of bricks landing on top of me. I rub at my suddenly aching chest. The idea has some serious merit, but it’s far too soon. I haven’t hooked her deep enough yet. And even though she doesn’t know it, she’s definitely hooked me good. There is nowhere I wouldn’t go to get to her. I can’t explain or define it. I just want to be near her. Wallow in her beauty and the calm she brings to my soul.

  “Look, I’m not asking you to figure out anything but how to save those few businesses. Look at your plans, do what you can, and call me back when you have something.”

  “Even if it’s going to cost you.”

  I huff. “Brando, anything worth doing costs me. This will be worth the price. Just do it.”

  I slam my handset down on the receiver and stand up to pace the room.

  The phone on my desk buzzes, and Annette’s cold tone comes through. “You have a surprise visitor.
”

  My heart starts to pound, and I smile, imagining my lamb stopping by. But it’s strange since I just left her. “If it’s Luna, send her in.”

  “It’s not.”

  I frown. “Who is it?”

  Her voice dips low. “Strangely, it’s Honor Salerno. You would know her as Honor Carmichael.”

  “Carmichael? As in Timothy Carmichael on our board of directors and one of our top investors?”

  “His daughter, sir.” Her words are clipped. She knows a visit from a board member’s daughter is not going to make me happy or put me in a positive mood.

  “Fuck!”

  “My sentiments exactly. Should I send her in?”

  “Yes, absolutely. Send her in.” I put the phone down and sit back in my chair. Honor Carmichael, the sole heir to the Carmichael and Gannon fortunes, is mysteriously paying a visit. The Carmichaels and Gannons are old money and have a lot of it. More than even my father.

  Annette taps on my door and enters with an angelic woman. Blond hair so light it’s almost white, pale skin, and see-through gray eyes, she looks like an angel incarnate. She’s pushing a double stroller occupied by two sleeping children with dark hair who couldn’t be more than two or three.

  She’s wearing a flowing white dress with a red belt cinched at the waist. She looks like a young, vibrant mother in her twenties. Her clothes are top-of-the-line, but she’s nowhere near dressed up. Her hair is pulled back halfway so most of it falls over her shoulders and down her back, but the rest is out of her face.

  She parks the stroller off to the side so she can still see the children from my desk. As she turns around, she smiles, and it’s as if I’m being smiled upon from the heavens above.

  “Honor…”

  “Salerno, previously Carmichael.” She holds out her hand, and I shake it.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t believe we’ve met.” I scan through my memory bank.

  “No, we haven’t, though we’ve been to many of the same events.”

  “I think I would have noticed you,” I say, and even though it could come off as flirting, it’s more a compliment to her true beauty.

  Her cheeks redden, reminding me of Luna. “I was good at hiding in the background. I am here to talk about business.”

  I gesture to the chairs in front of my desk, and she takes one, sitting up straight, as prim and proper as I would expect from a woman of her upbringing.

  “How can I help you, Mrs. Salerno?”

  “My father has informed me of your plans to obliterate Lotus House Yoga and all of the businesses on that street in order to build luxury apartments.”

  I sit back in my chair and cross my ankle over my knee. “And you would like to buy an apartment?”

  She shakes her head and smiles. “No, I’d like to know how much money it will take for you to leave Lotus House Yoga alone. As you know, I’m very wealthy. Money is of no importance to me.”

  “And what is of importance to you?” I fire back, getting right to the heart of why she’s here.

  Honor glances at her children. “My husband works at Lotus House Yoga, and many of our friends do as well. The McKnights are personal friends, as are the Powers, the Foxes, and the owner, Luna Marigold.”

  “You know my Luna?” Again, I want to bite off my own fucking tongue. It seems, when it comes to my lamb, I can’t keep her to myself.

  She grins. “Your Luna?”

  I swallow and focus on her pretty face. Not as pretty as Luna’s, but if they had similar hair color, they could be sisters, with their pale skin and light eyes. “Yes, I’m in a relationship with Luna Marigold,” I admit, my chest rising with pride.

  Honor beams right before my eyes, her beauty becoming effervescent. Wow, her husband must be enchanted, because making this woman happy is a sight to behold.

  “Well, that’s magnificent! Then you’re obviously ending the plans to destroy the street.” She smiles wide.

  I lean against the desk, a moment of defeat filling my conscience. “Unfortunately, no. As your father may have told you, I’m stuck. Contracts have been signed. The board has already signed off, as have all the rest of the investors. Right now, I’m trying to figure out how to save what I can.”

  Honor glances down and away. “Well, I’m willing to help in whatever way I can.”

  “You said your husband works there?”

  “Yes, a couple times a week. Teaches aerial yoga.”

  Fucking aerial yoga. Clayton mentioned he took classes from his buddy Nick who taught aerial yoga there. Small damn world.

  Honor continues speaking. “Even though we have Sal’s Boxing Gym & Fitness Center, which keeps us hopping.”

  “You run a gym with your husband?” I’m intrigued by the fact that a socialite the likes of a Carmichael/Gannon would need to work at all.

  She nods, the light coming out of her once more at the mere mention of her work. “I bought into the business, and we’ve expanded it exponentially. We’re considering looking for another location, actually.”

  “Really? Hmm, I’ll bet an entire floor of a luxury high-rise would give you some great clientele who would pay top dollar, not to mention if you had a word with your father about the area and how you believe in keeping it quaint.”

  Her gaze flashes to mine. “My father owes me dearly.” Her gray eyes turn as cold as ice. “I will not go into details, but if you need leverage against him, I can assure you you’ll have it. Just give me a call. I’ll leave my contact information with your receptionist.”

  “That would be lovely.” I stand up and button my suit jacket, a clear sign our chat has come to its conclusion. “Thank you for stopping by, Honor. I hope to see you again sometime.”

  She grins. “Oh, I’m sure you will.” Her tone is conspiratorial. “Once my Nick finds out you’re dating Luna Marigold, you may have a face-to-face visit with a rough-around-the-edges Italian.” She runs her hands through her blond hair rather timidly. “He means well, but he’s protective of the women at Lotus House.” She shrugs. “Comes from a family with five sisters.”

  “Are you warning me that your husband is going to seek me out?” I jerk my head back and cross my arms over my chest in defense.

  Honor walks over to her children, tuts over them like any good mother would, making sure they are sleeping soundly before moving behind the stroller to push them along.

  “I’m surprised he hasn’t already. He must not know yet. Which is super fun for me.” She grins. “I never know anything first.”

  Honor Salerno is sweet but kooky. Must be the lack of sun. My Luna has the goofball gene and is as white as snow too. Lucky Nick. After yesterday, I sure as hell know exactly how lucky I am to have Luna’s beauty in bed.

  Honor pushes the stroller toward the door expertly. “Thank you for seeing me. And feel free to call if you need anything. Like I said, I want my friends’ businesses to stay. If you can find a way to make that happen, I will be grateful as well as generous with my pocketbook.”

  Of course she would. She has more money than she could ever spend in her or her children’s lifetimes. I find it interesting that she chose a boxer/yoga teacher as her mate and runs a gym alongside being a mother. Just proves money cannot buy true happiness. Happiness is found in the most peculiar places.

  “Understood. Thank you for stopping by.”

  She wiggles her fingers, and I press the button that automatically opens the door. As she leaves, I fall back into my chair.

  “What could possibly come next?”

  * * *

  When she exits the studio, I watch her lock the door and then turn on her sandaled feet until she sees me leaning against my car. Her smile could light up an entirely dark street.

  “Hey, big man. I hoped I’d be seeing you this evening.” She takes her time walking over to me. I don’t move until her body is close enough for me to reach out and grab her hips and plant them against mine before taking her mouth.

  She smells of melon and tastes of chamomil
e tea. I drink from her lips, sucking her tongue, flicking my tongue against hers until my dick starts to stir, wanting a far different taste.

  I pull back and cup her cheek.

  “I missed you today.” Her shy admission is not only lovely but gives me an incredible feeling. Her honesty fills all the holes a long day puts into me.

  I rub my nose along hers, and keeping with my goal of full disclosure, I return her gesture. “I missed you more.”

  She grins against my mouth and kisses me, this time closed-mouthed but hard.

  “You hungry?” I ask, knowing she is. The woman taught three classes today. She must be starved.

  “Yes.” She locks her arms around my neck and presses her body tighter to mine.

  “For food?” My voice is husky, deeper than usual.

  “No.” She runs a finger from my temple down to my mouth, where she presses it.

  I kiss her finger and then push her back with my hand on her belly. “Go pack a bag. I’m going to feed you, and then you’re going to stay with me at my place.”

  Her eyes widen, and she literally bounces on her feet. “Really? I can’t wait to see your place!” She flips around so fast her fruity scent accosts me as she rushes to the bakery door at a full run.

  I chuckle and pull up my phone and notice a text from Clayton.

  Did you make yourself a nuisance?

  I grin and shake my head. Who would have thought my professional trainer would become a friend? I guess he’d always thought we were friends, and perhaps we were. Until I met Luna, I think my eyes were closed off to seeing other connections with people. It’s as if she’s opened my eyes to the beauty of friendships and other types of relationships. I mean, I have Brando, an old college friend, and we meet every few months or so for a drink. However, I was never the one to seek him out. He would always contact me. Just like Clayton did now.

  The truth of the situation is that I’m not a very good friend, even though I have two men and now a woman who think of me as important…personally. Not professionally. Although, technically, I’m in business with Brando. He makes a lot of money off me, as does Clayton. Each provides a service I pay handsomely for. Yet, they are the closest things to best male friends I have.