“That doesn’t make this moment the right moment to take that risk. I’m still negotiating a settlement for the victims. You haven’t even dealt with being attacked and it will hit you. You will have to deal with it. This is not the right time, but putting that aside, you cannot question me at work, on the spot, in front of Ashley. Just as I won’t you. That belongs here or behind closed doors and not on speakerphone or you’re right. We can’t work together.”
“I know,” I say. “I regretted that the moment it happened. I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.” My hands cover his, my voice roughening with emotion. “You have done so much to support me. I just don’t want to hold you back. I feel like I’m the reason those demons are out of the box. I know I am.”
“You are not the reason. I’m the reason. I let them get the best of me, but I deal with them the same way you dealt with yours; with action. I’m taking action. I’m making people pay for what they did, for the people they hurt, including you. I’m taking this all the way to completion and when that’s done, then I’ll take a case, and I’ll win that case. You need to decide if you want to do that on the field with me or from the sidelines.” He pushes off the couch and starts walking toward the stairs.
I stare after him, stunned that he’s walked away. That’s not Cole, not with me. He stands. He fights, and now I’m standing, pacing, trying to understand what just happened. I replay the entire conversation and stop dead in my tracks. I used the worst tool possible to get to him today. I threatened to leave at least a part of our life, when losing me is what he’s battling and while I apologized I didn’t say what he needed to hear.
I race up the stairs and enter the bathroom to hear the shower running. I step into the bathroom to find Cole under the spray of water. I quickly strip and walk to the door, opening it and joining him. His hand runs over his hair, smoothing it from his face. “I shouldn’t have resigned. I don’t want to leave. I love working with you. I love every second. I was just worried about you. I was just—I need to protect you, too. Because that’s what we do. We protect each other. Cole, I—”
I never finish that sentence. He grabs me and pulls me to him, his mouth covering mine in a passionate, hungry kiss before he says, “Don’t ever say you’re leaving again. Not like that.”
“I won’t. I promise. But promise me—”
“I won’t promise not to make decisions based on you, Lori. I won’t. But I will tell you that having you in my life, worrying over you, isn’t a bad thing. It’s everything. Like you’re everything.”
His mouth closes down on mine again, and with a lick of his tongue, I’m against the wall, and he’s lifting my leg, pressing inside me. The fighting is over, and now the fucking begins. And that’s what this is. He’s driving inside me, lifting me and pumping inside me, and every angry word we’ve spoken today evaporates into passion and need. Into his mouth on my mouth, his lips on my lips, his hand on my breast, my nipple, everywhere. He is touching me everywhere, and when it’s over, we stand under the water, our foreheads pressed together in silence, that good kind of silence that says we don’t need words. We just need each other and there is a shift between us, an understanding that we can fight and we can disagree, even under terrible circumstances, but we are one, and that cannot be broken. I think in all our many separate broken pieces, we both needed to know that together, we’re whole.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Lori
It’s a long time after that shower when Cole and I sit on the living room floor with Chinese food in front of us, me in one of his T-shirts, and him in his pajama bottoms. “So, it went well with Gabe Maxwell?”
“Actually, I saw Reid, his brother.”
“Oh,” I say. “He’s the one Cat has real issues with. She says he’s a lot like her father and that’s not a compliment.”
“I don’t know the details of Cat’s relationship with her father or with Reid, but her father is, or was before his stroke, one of the best corporate financial attorneys in the business. In that light, Reid is indeed like his father.”
“He has a heart. He hides it well, but tonight, I saw a little glimpse of what’s beneath. He’ll do right by the people we want to do right by and in a big way.”
I set my fork down, seeing a chance to get him to talk about what he never talks about. “Cat and her dad, I think—well, I think they are a lot like you and your dad. He wanted her to be like him. She isn’t. She never will be. They didn’t speak for a very long time, but he had a stroke, and she started to rebuild a relationship, a fragile one, but a relationship.”
He sets his fork down. “You want to know about my father.”
“I want to know how it affects you. It’s still fresh, Cole. Less than two years. I’m wondering if that box you thought sealed only opened because his death cracked it open. You were ripe for an emotional stumble. All this has to be a trigger for you. I mean—when did you start hating him?”
He inhales and lets it out. “You’re right,” he surprises me by saying. “His death is likely a trigger. Bastard that he is, he probably did crack open the box. He made me think about his life, my life, my mother.” He moves to sit on the couch, lowering his head and running his hand over his neck.
I quickly join him, scooting close, my leg and hip pressed to his. “When my mother had her stroke right after my father died,” I say. “I had this freak-out over being alone. There’s just something about no longer having a living parent on this earth that still steals my breath just thinking about it.”
He looks over at me. “Exactly. I hated that man but somehow the world was right when he was here for me to hate, up close and personal.” He takes my hand. “As for him opening the box, how very him to try to get between us, even after his death.”
I squeeze his hand. “He’s not coming between us, Cole. One thing I can tell you about me is that despite my misgivings about my father, after his death I saw the devotion between him and my mother. They had good and bad times, and they worked through them. I’m not a fair-weather person.”
“If you were a fair-weather person, sweetheart, you wouldn’t have made the sacrifices you made for your mother. And in his own way, my father loved my mother, too. It’s just not my way.”
“And that means what to you? Because if you mean you wouldn’t have let your mother get attacked the way your father did, he couldn’t have stopped that. Not the way you’ve described it happening.”
“That’s not what I meant,” he says quickly.
“You couldn’t have stopped my attack either. Is that the problem? You’re comparing yourself to him? Us to them? Because if you are, we’re in trouble.”
“Making sure I am not like him is the opposite of trouble.”
“Not if that means you are holding yourself and us to standards we can’t possibly keep.”
“By that, you mean what?” he asks.
“The only way to stop that attack was to have never taken that case.”
“If I think a case is dangerous, I need to pass it on to someone else.”
“And think about what that might mean. Would another attorney have gotten that innocent man off? Would another attorney have gotten Royce Walker involved and linked the cases to help catch a killer? How many more would have died? My attack was nothing.”
He cups the back of my neck and drags my mouth to his. “Your attack should never have happened.”
“But it did and I’m okay because you were right there to save me.” I touch his jaw. “And we saved other lives together. I should never, never have suggested I resign. I love what we do together.”
“Me too, sweetheart. Me, too.” He brushes his lips over mine. “I told you. I’ll get by all this. Give me space without stepping away.”
“That’s a confusing statement.”
He lowers me to the couch and settles on top of me, the soft rug tickling my legs while his breath whispers against my lips. “I love you. Is that confusing?”
“No. No, it’s not.”
“Just in case I didn’t make that point clear, let me show you, not just tell you.” He drags his shirt over my body, and then his mouth comes down on mine, and he is kissing me, a gentle caress of tongue against tongue, a kiss that is a seduction. His lips part mine and drag over my cheek, down my neck, and his hands caress my nipples; his tongue follows. And when he slides between my legs, his mouth on my belly, he lingers there, tenderness in the way his lips caress the delicate skin. His mouth travels lower, but he doesn’t lick that most intimate part of me. He kisses my thighs, my knees, every part of me it seems, before yes, he licks me there, but this is not about sex. This is about making love and he doesn’t linger, doesn’t make me shatter under his mouth.
He presses inside me, kissing me, rocking with me, and we don’t rush. We just feel what it’s like to be us, to be married, to be in love. And it’s a long time later when we lay on the couch with my head on his chest, his heart thundering under my ear, when I realize why tonight was so different. He faced a demon tonight, we faced a demon tonight: His father. And that must have been the biggest, or even the entire army of demons, because his demons were not with us. I had Cole. Just Cole, the man I love.
***
The next day, Cole and I laugh as I end up in a red silk blouse under my black skirt and jacket, and he’s in a black suit with a red tie. He proclaims us a “power couple” and we head to the office in good spirits. We’ve barely settled into his office with Ashley to review a variety of agency business that Cole will be going over with Reese tonight, when Reese’s secretary, Maria, pokes her head in the door.
“Flower delivery, Ashley.”
Ashley, who is looking lovely in a floral print dress, frowns and gets up. “I have no idea who would send me flowers. We all know my love life is about as toxic as it gets. Let me just eye the card. I’ll be right back.” She stands and exits, and I look at Cole. “Is there any news on her ex?” I whisper. “So much happened, I never really got any details on that situation.”
“The FBI got involved. She was cleared. We were all pushed out.”
I glance at the door and back at him. “Cleared of what?”
“I can’t even tell you that. It was that top secret, which is why I haven’t said much. There wasn’t much to say.”
His phone rings and when he reaches for it, I decide to go see the flowers. I exit the office, glance at the stunning bouquet of at least three dozen pink roses, and then search for Ashley, who is nowhere to be seen. I eye Maria who points toward the door. Frowning, certain something is wrong, I hurry toward her. “We were in a meeting. Did she say anything?”
She leans forward a bit and whispers, “No, but I’m pretty sure she was holding back tears.”
“Okay, thanks.” I hurry out of the executive office, through the lobby and into the bathroom. One of the two stalls doors are shut. “Ashley?”
“Yes?” she calls out and she tries to hide her sob, but she fails.
I knock on the door. “Open up. Talk to me.”
Seconds tick by and she finally opens the door, her mascara streaked down her cheeks. She shoves a mini-card at me. “Read it.”
I glance down and read: Nothing was what it seems. I promise you, baby, I love you. I’ll explain. I’m coming for you just as soon as I can. All kinds of alarms are going off in my head and I glance up at her. “What’s your reaction?”
“I don’t know if I should be scared, relieved, or what, really. I loved him. The idea that he lied and never loved me still guts me. But he was involved in some big international—” She throws her hands up. “I don’t even know what. Cole couldn’t find out what.”
“Let’s go talk to Cole now.”
“I can’t. I’m a mess.”
“You could be in danger. We need to talk to Cole.”
“I need a few minutes,” she says, swiping at her cheeks.
“Okay. I’ll go talk to him. Come find us.”
She nods, and I hug her. “It’s going to be okay.”
“Thank you. Thank you, Lori. I have no one. I moved here from Houston and my family is gone and—just, thank you.”
“You have us.” I hurry out of the bathroom and run smack into Cole, his big hands catching my arms.
“I have to go to Reid’s office. Ride down with me.”
I nod and we step into the elevator where I hand him the card. “Holy hell,” he murmurs, looking at me. “I’ll make calls and find out where he is and what he is. And tell her I’m having Walker Security send someone over to look out for her for the next few days.”
“She’s pretty confused.”
“Of course she is,” he says. The elevator dings and we exit to the lobby, pausing just outside the door. “I’m going to Reese’s place after my meeting. We’re going to sit in the bar downstairs and pick through a few strategic moves, namely what to do about the Houston office. I’ll meet you at their place for dinner. Yes?”
“Yes. That works. I’ll probably head over early to visit with Cat.”
“See you there.” He pulls me to him and kisses me. “I’ll call you if I hear anything on Ashley’s situation.” And with that, he’s gone, and I punch the button for the elevator car. Time to go take care of Ashley, and tonight, I’ll finally take that pregnancy test, which I’m not going to think about. Right now is about Ashley and her man problem.
***
It’s after five when I leave the office, with no news from Cole. Smith, one of the Walker men who was at the airport the day I was attacked is now Ashley’s shadow, which is about as taken care of as that situation gets right now.
Once I’m at Cat and Reese’s apartment, my nerves over that pregnancy test have arrived, and they seem to be hopping around and doing jumping jacks in my belly. I normally would stop by the bar to say hello to Cole and Reese, but I just can’t. I need to do this test. I text Cat right before I step into the elevator: I’m on my way up. Have the test ready. I want to do it before Cole arrives.
I step into the car, and punch the button, literally pacing the small space. Cat opens the door and holds up the boxed test. “The coast is clear.”
I grab it and head for the bathroom as she yells, “I still have another box if you want to double check the results!”
“I’m going to want that test!” I reply, entering the bathroom and shutting the door, my heart thundering in my chest, my gaze locked on the words Pregnancy Test. This is it. This is when one little pink line could become life-changing.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Cole
Reese and I sit in the bar, and I happily down my second whiskey when I would normally stop at one, but it’s been a hell of a month, really six months, considering my move and my father’s death. “We look good on paper,” Reese says. “And with the high-profile cases we’ve both won the past year, we have offers coming in left and right.”
“Meanwhile the Houston location is still a problem,” I say. “We need to bring in another me over there to oversee the operation, someone we trust. Someone we make a partner. I know that’s not ideal, but there’s a lot of money to be made there.”
“Agreed. You couldn’t stay there and have us rule the world with the same vision and momentum, but with your father gone, and you shortly after, it’s a ship with holes. Anyone in Texas in mind?”
“Not on staff,” I say. “But I know someone. Alexander Montgomery. He’s on his own and kicking ass, but I think we can convince him to join forces. But he’s going to want more than we want to give.”
Reese tips back his glass. “Sounds like our man.” He sets down his glass. “Let’s talk to him.”
“I’ll make the call.”
“In the meantime, does one of us need to go to Houston?”
“Now that I’m back to work, the storm seems to have calmed,” I say. “If I have to go, I’ll go. I’d rather wrap up the details on this case I’ve been dealing with, and weed through the new offers.”<
br />
He studies me a few beats. “How are things?”
“You mean did I lose my fucking mind over Lori’s attack? Yes. Am I dealing with it? Yes.”
“Are you really? Because if Cat got attacked, I’m not sure how I’d react. It wouldn’t be good. She’d most likely be tied to the bed where I’d keep her for the rest of her life, and happily, at that.”
“I’m dealing with it, but Lori doesn’t think I am.”
“Why?” he asks.
“I turned down a case that was worth a lot of money.”
“And she thought it was because you were afraid of putting her in danger.”
“Exactly,” I say.
“So is it her or you struggling with this?”
“She’s so busy worrying about me that she can’t face the part that involves her, which is why as much as I want to take her to Houston as I suggested and get out of here, I’m not sure that’s a good idea. At some point, she’s going to need to face this.”
“She hasn’t reacted to the attack at all?”
“She’s been worried about me worrying,” I say. “It’s the damnedest thing.”
“Marriage has a way of making you see the other person before you see yourself.”
“Yes,” I say. “It does.” I narrow my eyes at him. “I just told you I turned down a case worth a shit-ton of money. You aren’t going to ask why?”
“If I have to ask, you shouldn’t be my partner, but if it was Carlson Wright, he called me next, and I turned him down, too. He’s a low-life. Not our kind of client.”
I laugh. “And that, my friend, is why I’m now in New York with my name on a wall next to yours. I need to finish wrapping up loose ends, work with the associates, and wait for a case I really want to win. That’s when I win.”
Dirty Rich Cinderella Story: Ever After: Lori & Cole Page 9
