She fingered the solitaire setting and the filigreed band. She couldn’t speak above a whisper. “What is this?”
He stood up and took a step toward her. “Happy Birthday, Eva—my Eva. This is your token of appreciation from Rockford Communications, and from me. I don’t want you to be my business partner. I want you to be my life partner. I never met or cared about anybody the way I care about you. I don’t want to lose you. I want us to be joined at the hip and at the head, and I want us to run this company as only you and I can. You showed me you can do it, and I wouldn’t have anybody else by my side.”
He dropped to one knee in front of her. He took the card out of her hands and tore out the ring. He slid it over her finger. “Accept this and make me the happiest man in the world.”
Eva did her best to blink the tears out of her eyes. She couldn’t speak through her quivering lips, but she nodded. She couldn’t stop nodding, even when he kissed her bejeweled hand.
***
THE END
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SEAL’D Sleeping Beauty
Chapter 1 (Hope)
“Two cosmopolitans,” Darla ordered our drinks before I could even tell her what I wanted.
“I don’t really want to overdo it tonight,” I said, sitting down beside her. “You know how I get when I’m tipsy.”
“Oh, I’m not looking to get you tipsy, Hope.” She grinned deviously.
“Don’t even think about it,” I warned, narrowing my eyes. “I’m not getting drunk with you again. The last time that happened, we nearly ended up in a ditch.”
“That’s not true.”
“No? Don’t kid yourself, Darla. I still have scars from that night.”
“Oh, stop being so dramatic. We got a few scratches, that’s all. Besides, we got to meet those cute police officers. Too bad we didn’t get their numbers.”
“They nearly arrested us…”
“They just wanted to see us in handcuffs.” She giggled. “Who knows, it could’ve been fun.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re nuts. Remind me why we’re friends again.”
“Because you love me and you can’t get rid of me.” She laughed, poking my arm.
The bartender returned with our drinks, smiling charmingly in Darla’s direction. She winked at the young man, leaning forward as she sipped from her glass. Doing so exposed some of her cleavage.
The man turned red in the face, adjusting the collar of his shirt. “Uh, can I get you ladies anything else?”
Darla was just about to say something when I cut her off. “No. We’re okay for now. Thank you.” I waited for him to leave before I turned to my friend. “Do you really have to flirt with every cute guy you see.”
“I don’t flirt with all of them, just the really cute ones.” She said playfully. “And that guy was a cutie.”
I looked at the bartender. Sure, he was attractive. Tall, fair skin, blue eyes, but I couldn’t see what Darla saw. “He’s okay, I guess.”
“You guess?” She waved her hand in front of my face. “You blind or something? Look at that butt.”
“Will you shut up? He’s going to hear you.”
“Maybe I want him to.” She giggled, speaking a little louder.
He glanced our way, flashing a smile before he accidentally spilled vodka all over the floor.
“Look what you did. Now he’s all flustered.”
Darla chuckled. “It’s not my fault he can’t handle looking at the girls.” She said, adjusting her bra.
“I’ve never seen a girl so infatuated with her own boobs. That can’t be healthy.”
“Hey, if you got it, flaunt it.”
“Thank you, Miss Life Coach.”
“You’re welcome. Speaking of which, did you hear back about that Interpreter position at Periodic?”
“Not yet. They’re supposed to call me tomorrow.”
“Do you think they’re going to hire you?”
“I hope so… I could use the money.” I said, running my finger along the rim of my glass, peering down at the colorful liquid.
“What are you talking about? You make rent every month and have enough left over to indulge yourself a little. What are you worried about money for?”
“I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to live in an apartment all my life. I want my own house.”
“Don’t you want a husband or something first?”
“I don’t need a guy to buy a house.”
“Hmm…” Darla took another sip of her drink. “You’ve been going on about the whole independent woman deal a lot lately. Have you given up on men or something?”
“No. It’s just that I don’t understand why some girls think they need a guy for certain things. Why can’t I buy a house first and then find a guy later?”
Darla shrugged. “I guess you have a point. Is the job you applied for really paying that much that you think you could afford a house on your own?”
“Close to six figures a year.”
“What? Seriously?”
“Yeah. With advancement opportunities too.”
“Damn. Looks like I’m working in the wrong field.”
“You could always take a training course. It’s not that hard.”
She shook her head. “I was never very good at learning other languages. I would sound like an idiot.”
“I’d teach you.”
“Forget it, I’ll stick with my secretary job. Maybe if I’m lucky, I’ll find a sugar daddy to support me.”
“I hope you’re kidding.”
“Maybe, maybe not.”
“Seriously, Darla, you don’t give yourself enough credit. You’re smart and hardworking. I’m sure you could achieve everything you want on your own if you just put in a little bit more effort.”
“Who’s the life coach now?” She taunted, her lips twitching into an amused smirk.
Our conversation died down and we both focused on our drinks. I simmered in my thoughts, picturing my dream home. It would be big, but not too big, with a little garden in the back. The garden would be overflowing with roses and daisies or any flower I want. In the winter, I would sit by the fireplace and enjoy a nice cup of hot chocolate. It would be perfect. I just needed that job to come through…
Suddenly, my thoughts were interrupted when I heard Darla gasp.
“What is it?” I asked with alarm.
“N-Nothing!” She stammered quickly.
I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. “What are you looking at?”
“Nothing!” She looked away quickly. “I just… brain freeze, you know?”
“Darla, you suck at lying. Cosmos aren’t even served with ice. Honestly.” I swiveled on the barstool, looking around.
My heart stopped when I spotted him.
Andre Moore.
Was it really him?
I blinked, half-expecting him to disappear from sight. Surely, he had to be a figment of my imagination. He hadn’t set foot in this town for nearly ten years… ever since college…
***
“Hey! Stop that!” I squealed as Andre grabbed me by the hips, holding me close to his body.
“What’s the matter, baby? Don’t like to be tickled?” His fingers ran up and down my side.
I squirmed, trying to escape his grasp. “C’mon, seriously, stop it… I can’t breathe…” I wheezed through my laughter.
Andre didn’t care.
He just kept tickling me until I was on the bed, his body hovering over mine. Before I could even catch my breath, he had my wrists pinned above my head, a fire burning in his eyes.
Slowly, he leaned down. As he did, his muscles rippled under his skin until his body was firmly pressed against my own.
I held my breath, our lips merely inches apar
t at this point. When he didn’t move, I pressed my face forward, trying to close the distance between us, desperate to have those sweet lips on mine.
He chuckled. “Have you missed me that much?” He asked, his husky whisper running through my mind, turning it to mush. With his lips already next to my ear, he took the time to nibble on my lobe, something that he knew drove me wild. His lips then traveled to the side of my neck until they lingered on my collarbone. When he finally reached my cleavage, he looked up at me with those dark eyes of his, sending a shiver through my spine.
My fingers tangled in his long, blonde hair, pulling on it slightly as I tried to get him to move even further down. All this teasing was sure to drive me insane.
He smirked. “So eager…” He nibbled on my collarbone once more, leaving behind small love bites as his fingertips danced across my skin. First, my waist, followed by my hips, and finally my thighs. His hands snuck between my legs, rubbing me gently until I found myself spreading my legs for him.
I needed him. So bad.
***
“Earth to Hope, are you still with us?” Darla waved her hand in front of my face, breaking me away from the vivid memory.
I looked at her, a little disoriented. It had felt so real… like I was back in bed with him.
But, that was impossible.
“Come on. Let’s go dance. After all, we didn’t come here to just drink all night.” She grabbed me by the wrist, hoisting me off my seat.
I nearly tumbled into her, unsteady on my high heels. She was just about to drag me into the sweaty crowd of dancers when I pulled back. “I don’t want to.”
“What do you mean, you don’t want to?” She questioned, resting her hand on her hip. “You don’t actually think I’d let you mope around and stare at your old ex all night, do you?”
“That’s not what I was going to do.” I protested, crossing my arms over my chest. “What gave you that idea?”
“The fact that you’re looking at him right now.”
Okay. She had a point. But, I just couldn’t help it. I hadn’t seen him in ten years. It was like one day he was there and the next, he had disappeared off the face of the planet. Just looking at him now felt like I was staring at a ghost.
He was dressed differently. Very differently. When we were together, his outfit of preference was a pair of fitted jeans and a comfortable black t-shirt. I swear, his wardrobe didn’t contain an ounce of color. He probably didn’t even know what a dress-shirt was.
Even now, he still wore black, but his clothes looked like they belonged to an expensive fashion brand. If I had to guess, his button-up shirt was made of silk. I bit my lip, noticing his rolled-up sleeves, exposing his chiseled forearms. Was it me or had he gotten even more muscular over the years?
“Okay, you have to stop drooling already. Or, did you forget what that jerk did to you?”
Darla was right, but it was almost as if I couldn’t look away. Everything from his high cheekbones, to his chiseled jaw and broad shoulders, and even his well-styled man bun made him look so well put-together. Like he had finally grown up and gotten his life together.
What had happened these last few years that could have changed him so much?
A part of me wanted to march up to him and demand answers, but at the same time, I knew speaking to him would only open the wound that had barely healed.
Before I could decide what to do, Darla grabbed my wrist once more, tugging me toward the dance floor. “Okay, so maybe he’s even hotter than he was before, even if that doesn’t seem humanly possible, but that doesn’t matter. Because you don’t need him. I’m going to make you have fun whether you like it or not.”
Suddenly, I was in the heart of the crowd. Sweaty bodies pressed against me whilst roaming hands occasionally wandered over my body, making me very uncomfortable.
Darla, however, seemed to be having a blast. She was cozying it up against a tall, dark-skinned individual with a striking smile. He already had his hands on her ass, cupping it in his palms as they grinded the night away.
Ugh. I couldn’t stand this. Figuring that Darla would find herself in this man’s bed by the end of the night, I didn’t feel so bad about ditching her. So, I sneaked my way through the maze of people, heading for the exit.
Once outside, I took a deep breath, refilling my lungs with fresh air.
Ah, that was better, much better.
Feeling safe under the gaze of the nearby bouncer, I fished my phone out of my purse, requesting an Uber to bring me home.
As I waited, Andre emerged from the club. He passed me by without a single glance, his stride long and confident, like he ruled the world. His expensive leather loafers thumped against the ground as he crossed the street toward the parking lot.
To my surprise, he approached a black Maserati. He paused, almost as if he knew I was staring at him. His head turned in my direction.
For a split second, our eyes locked.
And then, he got in his car, disappearing behind the dark tinted windows. I kept looking at the car as he drove away.
Chapter 2 (Andre)
It couldn’t possibly be her.
My mind was just playing tricks on me.
My fingers tightened on the wheel as I manually shifted gears. Once I was on the highway, I switched gears again, pushing my car to the limit as I weaved through late-night traffic at a breakneck speed.
I had always loved to drive fast, but whenever I was upset, I drove even faster.
Well, upset might not be the right word. More of an emotionally-heightened state. After all, I had just seen Hope, after what, ten years? It was enough to shake up a guy, even a guy like me.
Behind me, a red Ferrari was riding my tail, flashing his hazard lights at me. It was obvious he wanted to race. Funny how he thought he could beat me.
I slammed on the breaks, causing him to swerve into the neighboring lane to avoid collision. He rolled down his window. As expected, it looked like a young college kid, out on a thrill ride. The car had probably been a gift from his father.
Knowing it was pointless, I didn’t bother to roll down my window. Instead, I pressed on the gas, doing almost double the speed limit at this point. A slow car that was cruising in the fast lane threatened my victory. Glancing quickly at the side mirror, I took my chances.
I jerked on the wheel, shifting to the middle lane, narrowly cutting off the Ferrari who slammed on his brakes, nearly flipping forward. Seconds later, I heard him peel out, trying to catch up with me.
Up ahead, the highway was framed by two 18-wheelers. I’d have to shoot the middle.
Without hesitation, I shifted into 5th gear. Just as I entered the gap, one of the trucks decided to switch lanes, threatening to sandwich me between the two. I kept my cool but pressed on the gas just a little harder.
Success.
I made it out – barely – but I did.
The truck driver honked at me, flipping me off.
The Ferrari was nowhere to be seen, but I knew he’d show up sooner rather than later.
“Police reported up ahead!” My police-scanner compatible GPS warned me.
Quickly, I slipped into the slow lane, bringing my speed to an excruciatingly slow 65.
This gave the Ferrari enough time to catch up to me. He rolled his window down, looking smug as he passed me by. But, that look of smugness quickly disappeared once the police sirens sounded.
Now, it was my turn to look cocky as I drove by, ticket-free, while he was being frisked on the side of the road.
For the rest of the ride, I stayed in the slow lane, thinking that if Hope ever found out about what I had just done, she would probably kill me. She hated it when I put myself in risky situations. Nearly had a fit when I told her I was going whitewater rafting with some of my frat buddies. She claimed I would get myself killed, but hey, I’m still alive and kicking.
She always worried too much.
Maybe that’s why I never told her about my decision to join the Nav
y. She would have started ranting about how I’m an idiot for putting my life on the line for a country that would never do anything for me. She never would have understood the need I had to go. The desire to prove my worth as a man. To make my country proud.
I sighed.
But, was it all worth it?
CEO's Christmas Party: A Bad Boy Billionaire Boss Romance Page 19
