by Tia Siren
“I’ve been spending a lot of big money lately, don’t you worry about that,” he said. “You’re worth the world to me, Bailey.”
“I don’t know what to say,” I said. “I feel like you’re going to propose to me or something.”
“Well, that was the plan,” said Darren.
I let go of his hands, unable to keep mine from freaking out. “What?”
“I wanted to propose to you tonight,” he said again without hesitation.
“Oh, my God, is this really happening?”
“I don’t know.” He laughed. “Is it?”
“I’m going to think about it all night. I think you better,” I said nervously.
“In that case, I guess I’ll go ahead and start talking now,” he said nervously.
“Oh, my God,” I repeated.
“Bailey.”
“Oh, my God.”
We both laughed. We knew this day was going to come, and soon, but it was still alarming to see it unfolding before me.
“Bailey, I love you more than anything else in this world,” said Darren. “I want to be with you for the rest of my life. I’ve wanted nothing more for so long. All I’ve ever wanted was you. I want to live life with you, grow old, release ten albums, have a house full of children, dogs, and cats. I’m tired of not going after what I really want. I’ve been getting better about it over the last few months, and I’m not about to slow down.”
He got out of his seat, walked over to mine, and got down on one knee.
“Bailey, as long as we have each other, we’ll be invincible,” said Darren. “I want you to be my wife, and I want to be forever and always your husband.”
He took out a small jewelry box from his back pocket, opening it up to reveal a large, stunning engagement ring. I could see my reflection in the diamond.
“Darren!”
“I love you, Bailey. I always will. Will you marry me?”
I didn’t have to think about it. “Yes! Darren, of course, I will!”
He slid the ring on my finger, one that I’d imagined receiving. I’d wanted to be Darren’s wife for years.
He leaned up, and I stood up. We wrapped each other in a warm embrace, kissing each other, as fiancés.
“Let’s get married right now,” I said half-jokingly.
“I don’t think anyone in the restaurant could officiate a wedding,” said Darren. “I could ask.”
“Nah, Leah would kill me if we eloped and she didn’t help me plan some big, extravagant wedding,” I said. “Garrett would probably be pissed too.”
“Yeah, he’d hate missing out on free or cheap booze,” he said.
“Darren, you could have proposed to me anywhere, in any way,” I told him. “You didn’t have to go to all this trouble just to propose.”
Our waiter returned, carrying a bottle of celebratory wine over to the table for us. While Darren ordered our food, I stared down at my beautiful engagement ring, imagining the day when we would be declared husband and wife.
After our waiter left, and as Darren was pouring us a nice glass of wine, I leaned on my elbows, watching him admirably.
“I’m the luckiest girl in Nashville,” I said.
“I’m the luckiest man on the whole damn planet,” said Darren, pulling me in for another kiss.
A few days later, Darren and I held a small engagement party at our apartment. We invited many, but we expected a small turnout since many of our friends and family were outside of Tennessee. Fortunately, our two closest friends were able to make it, and that’s who we wanted most of all.
Darren and Garrett were grilling food out on the balcony while Leah and I chatted in the living room. Leah constantly took my hand to praise my ring.
“I’m going to steal this whenever you take it off,” said Leah.
“Then, I’m never going to take it off!” I laughed. “Isn’t it gorgeous?”
“Too gorgeous,” she replied. “Darren probably had to get a loan to afford that.”
“He said that he got a lot more money than expected when he sold his house in Rome,” I relayed. “If I found out this ring has caused him to go broke, I’m making him take it back.”
“No!” said Leah in distress. “It’s too pretty!”
“What would you do?” I asked. “I don’t just want a fancy wedding and a glamorous ring. I want a healthy, good marriage. That won’t happen if we don’t have any money.”
“You’re still worried about money, superstar?” she went. “You guys are going to be set for life soon!”
“Let’s not jinx it or get carried away,” I said. “Just because things are going well right now doesn’t mean they’ll stay that way. I can’t be frivolous.”
“Listen to your man,” said Leah. “Enjoy yourself. Don’t fret about money. Let him show you how much he cares. It’s good that you have a man that wants to take care of you. Don’t take it for granted.”
I looked over at Darren, who was laughing and grilling vegetables with Garrett. Still, I was in disbelief at how perfect everything felt.
“Have you decided what you guys are going to do about your upcoming solo albums?” Leah wondered. “Have y’all sorted through the list of interested labels and picked one that suits you?”
“I think we’ve been doing excellently just releasing our material online by ourselves,” I said. “I can’t speak for Darren, but I don’t think I’m interested in signing with a label. I think our albums will sell great without them. Together, he and I are invincible.”
When the food was cooked, we broke out the liquor and started pouring shots for all of us. In less than an hour, we were all full of food and booze, and we had all gotten a little silly.
Toward the end of the night, we all started singing various songs together, having fun, occasionally making funny quips about our upcoming wedding and enjoying each other’s company. During a pause when we were trying to determine what song to sing next, Darren poured us all shots and raises his glass.
“To Bailey,” Darren proclaimed. “You are my muse. You inspire me in life. You make me want to be a better person, work harder, and love always. I’m thrilled that we moved to Nashville, and I’m excited for wherever our journey takes us next.”
“It’s going to be an amazing journey, baby,” I told him.
“You’ve asked me many times since we moved if I was truly okay with being here,” he continued. “I say here, now: I’m more comfortable now than I ever was in Rome, Georgia. It’s not just because I’m no longer alone; it’s because I’m with my partner. I’m here with the woman of my dreams. How could I not be overjoyed with where I get to be? I get to live in a beautiful city with the most beautiful girl doing what I’ve always wanted to do. Now, I have everything to look forward to. I can’t wait to marry you, Bailey. I love you.”
I walked up to him, hugged him and kissed his lips. We stayed connected for several seconds, uncaring of our company’s reaction.
“Get it,” laughed Garrett.
We separated, and we clumsily poured back our shots. After we finished, I started pouring more. I handed them all out and held mine up high.
“Darren, as usual your words will go unrivaled,” I said. “I can’t express my feelings remotely as good as you can.”
“It’s not a competition, baby,” said Darren.
“I have to say these last few months have been really strange,” I said, unsure of where I was going with it. “I mean, losing my dad, we both moved from our homes, and we’re doing big things together with our music. It just—I’m still waiting to wake up and realize that this is all some elaborate, crazy dream.”
“It’s all real, milady,” said Darren.
“I want to toast to the future,” I said. “To the limitless possibilities, to the goals we’ll meet, and to unions.”
“Here, here!” said Garrett.
We knocked back our shots. I snuggled up to my fiancé, squeezing his body. I looked down, spotting Bo and his adorable face.
Garrett and Leah were able to maneuver through small talk with each other. In fact, as the night evolved, they were talking more with each other than the whole group.
I wanted to imagine what it would be like if our best friends got together and were happy, but I was too busy living in my own daydream.
***
Later that night, after Garrett and Leah had passed out in the living room, I was busy plucking away on the guitar, playing sweet sounds for Darren as he drifted to sleep.
“It’s like you’re playing me a lullaby,” he said.
“That’s exactly what I’m doing.”
“How haven’t you passed out yet?” he asked.
“I’m too excited,” I replied.
“What about?”
“I get to marry my dream guy,” I explained. “How could I not be excited?”
“We’re not getting married tomorrow.” He chuckled. “Come to bed.”
I played a while longer but relented fast. I wanted to kiss and touch him; I wanted much more, but I could refrain until our company left.
“So, are we getting married by the beach, in a church, or in another country?” he asked.
“I don’t know yet,” I answered. “Where do you want to get married?”
“At the top of a mountain,” he answered jokingly. “The higher, the better.”
“What’s your second choice?” I asked.
“I do love the beach,” he commented. “I don’t know.”
“Will we play music for our guests, or will we be hiring someone?” I asked.
“Why not both?” he replied. “There are so many songs I could sing to you on our wedding day.”
“What about our wedding night?” I teased, poking his sides.
“I could still write symphonies about our nights together,” said Darren. “I’ll be dreaming about some of those nights while I sleep tonight, I’m sure.”
As I fell asleep, I found myself thinking about the same things as he was. I held onto my lover, my best friend, my man, and I knew I was right where I needed to be.
***
END OF THE SECOND STORY
Protected by My Boss
I promised to protect her.
It's a rule - I never sleep with employees.
I swore to myself I would keep Joanna out of my bed.
I was only supposed to keep her safe.
A few nights alone with her hidden away.
But I want to kiss her sweet lips.
Feel her soft curves under my body.
Make her whisper my name.
Her psycho cop ex-boyfriend wants to claim her back. Crush her.
This woman is becoming the purpose of my existence.
I'll destroy whoever dares to harm her.
Joanna baby, you'll be safe. And mine.
***
Chapter 1
Bastian
I grinned down at the iPad while I scanned the offer I’d received in my email. A young startup company had a killer app that had a lot of potential. They just needed an investor to help them get going, so they came to me. Half a million dollars was pocket change to me, but in exchange, they were willing to give me fifty percent of the company. It was a great deal and a great fucking way to start my Wednesday morning—a high-end payday with a company that was going to make me even richer.
I typed out a crisp reply to them before sending the document off again. I made a mental note to tell Roger, once he was back in after his sick days, that we needed to set up a conference call with this company. It was a pain in the ass not having my assistant here to help, but I hated the idea of someone full of shitty germs sitting at the desk right outside my door. The last thing I wanted to deal with was being sick.
I did everything possible to make sure I didn’t get sick. I took a shit-ton of Vitamin C every day. I ran every morning, even out in cold, wintry days like this one. I ran my health and life the way I ran my business—strict and orderly with little time for bullshit.
“Mr. Burke?”
I glanced over at the phone on my desk when Joanna Lind’s pleasant voice filled my office through the intercom. She had a timid voice when it came to directly dealing with me. Not that I minded her shyness. It had been a bit of a turn-on since the day I hired her to help out with the front office, but also to help Roger when he was out sick. She made a nice addition to the office. She worked hard, and everyone loved her.
And I certainly didn’t mind those killer fucking curves of hers.
“Yes,” I said coolly. “What is it?”
“Ashton Wilkes is here to see you for your ten-thirty meeting,” Joanna said. “Would you like me to send him in now?”
I was partially tempted to say no. Ashton had called two days ago with a proposition that he believed I would be interested in, but I didn’t know what exactly he wanted to get me involved in. After being friends with him for a few years, he trusted me to handle whatever he had in mind. I wasn’t even sure if billionaires like ourselves had real friends, though. When it came to money, it changed people’s moral compasses. I was guilty of it myself sometimes—not that I was proud of it.
“Let him in,” I said and turned my iPad off. “If you can move my eleven o’clock meeting to another time, that would be great, Joanna.”
“Of course, sir. Right away.”
So prompt and submissive. It made my mind wander in directions that weren’t appropriate.
The doors to my office opened a minute later. Ashton strolled in and deposited himself in the chair across from me, unbuttoning the front of his suit jacket in the process. He flashed a grin that showed just how excited he was.
“I assume there’s a reason why you needed to see me,” I said, sitting back in my chair. I arched an eyebrow at him. “Correct? I have a busy schedule to keep up with over here.”
Ashton waved his hand airily. “Of course,” he said. “I didn’t come here to see your pleasant face this morning. I have an acquisition you might be interested in.”
“What is it?” I asked, my interest piqued.
“A fashion conglomerate based right here in Salt Lake,” Ashton said. “The CEO, a woman, just upped and quit after a shitty quarter, and the company is in utter chaos right now. I’m pretty sure it can be picked up cheap.”
I caught on to the hint then. Scrubbing a hand across my stubbled jaw, I stared across my desk at Ashton with a frown. Female CEO. Fashion conglomerate. That sounded vaguely familiar to me.
“What’s the name of the business?” I asked.
“Jacob’s Fashion is the name,” Ashton said. “It’s been all over the news for the past two days since the CEO, Donna Jacobs, fled the country. Went to South America or some shit like that.” He paused to give me a long and hard look. “You seem to know her judging from that sour look on your face.”
Up until a month ago, I had known Donna Jacob’s very well inside the bedroom. The woman knew how to fuck hard. She knew the definition of being discreet, too, which was an added bonus. Her tricks in bed had grown old for me, though. The relationship, as casual as it was, fizzled out on its own. We both stopped calling each other, which was a small relief for me because I hated clinginess. Donna had her own business to run, so pining after a casual fling wasn’t high on her priority list.
I cleared my throat. “Yeah, I know her.”
“In a business sense? Or in a personal sense?”
“Both,” I replied and bit my tongue in aggravation when Ashton sighed. “Don’t even start the lecture. Donna and I had an agreement a month ago that whatever happened in the bedroom remained there. She didn’t give a flying fuck, and neither did I.”
“When is this going to stop, though?” Ashton asked. “I’ve been your friend for a long time now, Bastian. The crazy one-night stands have to stop eventually.”
“Do they?” I asked, leaning back in my chair. “I’m fine with the way things are. I’m not married anymore. I can have fun outside my work, believe it or not.”
“I don�
�t think you’re having any sort of fun. I think you’re trying to lick your wounds after what happened with Sierra.”
My ex-wife’s name awoke a tingling anger inside me. Sierra had pulled the shades down over my eyes years ago when we’d met through a mutual friend in investments. I had fallen in love with her too quickly. That had been my first critical mistake in a list of even more critical and fucked-up ones. I had let good sex blind me in other areas of my life—including my bank accounts and wallet, which Sierra gladly took advantage of until I cut her off.
“The string of broken hearts behind you is long, my friend,” Ashton said, sighing. “I admire you for what you’ve done with your life, but don’t you think it’s time to settle back down again?”
“No,” I said shortly. “I don’t think it is.”
The idea of marriage sent a cold shudder through me. I had been a romantic type of guy before Sierra. The kind of guy who believed marriage was for life. My alimony checks were living proof that marriages could turn into World War III in the blink of an eye. It was too fucking painful to even think about all of it anymore. I did my best to erase the memories by either slipping in between some woman’s legs for just a few minutes of unadulterated pleasure or having a few drinks in the privacy of my home office.
“I’ve been talking to Jennifer about a few things,” Ashton continued, playing with the wedding band on his finger. “There is a woman at her office who—”
I held up a hand to interrupt Ashton’s offer. “No offense, Ashton, but I’m not in the mood to be set up. I’m perfectly fine with how things are in my life, and a blind date sounds like absolute torture.”
Ashton’s phone chimed in his pocket. He pulled it out to glance at the number before slipping it back into his coat.
“Just an offer,” he said. “I know how bad things got with Sierra, so I just thought—”
“I’m perfectly fine with how things are in my life,” I snapped and grabbed my iPad pointedly to power it back on. “Anything else, Ashton? I have a lot of work to do.”
“Right, of course. Just consider it.” Ashton rose from the chair and strode across my office to open my office doors. “I’ll make sure to forward everything to you about the Jacob’s Fashion business. Major money. You won’t be disappointed.”
