“I know.” I glanced over my shoulder to see Valentina making a run for it. Of course, she was going to make me chase her. “Dammit, Valentina.” I backtracked and went after her.
“Cole. What about Bridget?” Dom called after me.
“Handle it. You’re the lawyer.”
Valentina had a box in her arms, which slowed her down. Small favors.
I took longer strides to close the space between us. She was near the door when I grabbed her elbow and made her face me. She dropped the box, staring at me with wide eyes and that shapely mouth of hers slightly open. Picture frames and papers scattered across the floor, but she didn’t flinch.
“No more running, Valentina.” I cupped the nape of her neck. My heart beat fast from the run and the fear of watching her walk out on me. Again.
“Don’t do this to me, please.”
“Do what?” I met her gaze. The anger in her eyes wasn’t there anymore. Not like I’d seen on Friday night when she’d dropped to the floor. I was an asshole for not helping her up. But the pain had blinded me to anything else. “I had a nice speech prepared. I was going to be very charming and all. But now that I have you in my arms again, all I want to do is kiss you. God, I missed you.”
I looked over my shoulder to the operations gallery, where everyone stood around their cubes and gawked at us. Pulling her behind me, I walked us to the nap room next to the bathrooms. I shouldered the door open, and she let me bring her in.
“What—”
The door closed, and I leaned in to cover her mouth with mine, one hand on her waist, the other in her hair. Her lips were as sweet and soft as I remembered. Kissing her again was like a glass of water after a day in the desert with nothing to eat or drink. Heat built just below my navel when she wrapped her arms around my neck and her sweet tongue tentatively went past my lips.
Yes, sweetheart.
I nibbled her bottom lip, deepening the kiss. If I continued, things were going to get really embarrassing for me. My cock had a mind of its own whenever Valentina was around. Pressing my forehead to hers, I gripped her shoulders and pulled back.
“If you’re here to fire me, you’re too late.” she said, out of breath.
“Does it look like I’m here to fire you?” I muttered against her lips. “No. I’m here to apologize. For being the biggest idiot. I should’ve listened to you. I should’ve believed you.” Words weren’t enough to say how sorry I was. I’d behaved like a complete jerk. She hadn’t deserved any of it. “You didn’t have to leave like that.”
“You threw me out.” The pain in her eyes made me want to punch a wall. But I was here to show her I’d grown. Not show her how big of an asshole I could be.
“I never meant for you to move out of the cottage. But I can see why you’d thought that. I’m sorry.” I let out a long sigh, realizing how much I wanted to say this to her. “I love you. Come back to me. Please.”
“What about your company?”
I laughed. “I’m confessing my love to you and this is all you have to say?”
“You know how I feel about you,” she said with a two-dimple smile.
I ran the pads of my fingers over her cheek.
“Say it.” I reached for her, my thumbs rubbing her ribs just below the line of her breasts. She grinned, understanding my meaning. It’d be so easy to spend the rest of my life playing this game with her.
“I love you too.” She stepped into my arms and tunneled her fingers through my hair. “I love you, you stubborn man. Now tell me how we’re going to get your company back.”
God, she smelled good. “I like the sound of that.” I wrapped my arms around her waist and picked her up. When we reached the door, she pushed on my shoulders.
“Where are we going?” She laughed. The sweet sound sent a rush of heat to my core.
“To get our company back.”
“Put me down, then. Everyone here’s had a field day talking about us today. Let’s not give them anything else to talk about.”
I released her and took her hand in mine. “Do you care what they think?”
A dimple touched her cheek. “No.” She shook her head, as if the thought hadn’t occurred to her until now. “They don’t know us.”
“It’s just us. Nothing else matters.”
Squeezing Valentina’s hand, I opened the door to the small room and headed back to Bridget’s office. No. My office. No one bothered to look away as we went by. I kept waiting for someone to break out the popcorn. Valentina squeezed my hand, her side flush against mine. When I faced her, her gaze flitted between our hands and the floor.
I could only imagine the kind of scrutiny Bridget put her through today. That was her style. Gossip. We would’ve gotten here sooner, but Nikki took longer than she’d said to get us the document we needed. Waiting around for her all morning had been hell. Dom, on the other hand, was all for coming up with a better plan and wanted to wait a few more days. No fucking way I’d let that happen.
I put my arm around Valentina and kissed her temple. She smiled up at me, shaking her head.
“We’re gonna be okay,” I whispered. Her soft hair brushed my lips. “It feels so good to have you in my arms again.” All I wanted to do was take her home. But as Dom had said, business first, then pleasure. I was definitely planning on the pleasure part later. Four days was a long-ass time. The need to be with her was overwhelming.
Right. Let’s get the business part out of the way.
To say that we marched into the middle of a shit storm was an understatement. Bridget’s lawyer’s voice boomed over the speakerphone, asking her to calm down. The crazed look in her eyes was something I’d never seen. In fact, I didn’t think I had ever seen her lose control like this. It was safe to assume Dom had already told her about the affidavit.
When I shut the door, Dom came to stand next to me. “I don’t think she fully understands the kind of shit she’s in.”
“That’s her.” She pointed a finger at Valentina. “She’s the one who brought me the signed divorce papers. She said you had asked her to bring them to me.”
“I thought you said she asked for money in exchange for the papers.” I interrupted her ranting.
“Cole, I didn’t,” Valentina said with tears in her eyes.
Something twisted inside of me every time I saw Valentina cry. I squeezed her hand. “I know.” I kissed her lips gently, went to my desk, and sat. Being back in my chair felt like coming home. “Sit down, Bridget.”
“This is my company now. You can’t come in—”
“Sit the fuck down,” I projected my voice. She jerked in surprise, knowing very well I’d reached my limit. Her eyes went big as she eased herself into the seat across from me, her back perfectly straight. “Yes, CCI is now legally yours. But let’s talk about all the illegal things you had to do to get it.”
A click came through the speakerphone. Her lawyer had jumped ship. I turned to Dom, who simply shrugged.
“Some attorney you got there,” he said to Bridget. “But something tells me he already knows all your dirty little secrets.”
She squinted, giving me a sly smile. “I’m not giving you the company back.”
“Yes, you are.” I grinned. “By your earlier display, I’m assuming Dom already told you about the affidavit you’re going to sign where you agree to forfeit your claim on CCI. Because you can’t, in good conscious, take something your ex-husband worked so hard to build.”
She snorted. “This business thrived because of me.”
“It’s also going in the shitter because of you.” Dom dumped a stack of papers in front of her.
“CCI was well on its way to becoming what it is today when I hired you on. It wasn’t yours to take.” I shook my head. Whatever fucked-up reasoning got her thinking she could steal from me?
“You’ve been stealing from Cole for almost a year now. It didn’t take long to find the trail of money you’ve been diverting to your account in the Bahamas.” Dom threw a sheet t
hat landed gently on the desk in front of her. Her eyes widened when she looked at the list of names on it. “Money laundry? That’s so tacky. What else do I have here? Frank was so helpful this morning.”
“That blessed idiot.” She pinched her nose.
“He’s your blessed idiot.” He grinned. “With a thing for Nikki.”
She pursed her lips, gripping the armrest. I glanced at Valentina in the back of my office. Her eyes were serene, sure I’d do the right thing. I wanted to be the man Valentina thought I was. A forgiving man. Forgiving Bridget was the only way out of this mess.
Our plan had been to get a confession out of her so we could legally and efficiently conduct an audit, which would land her in jail, leaving me in charge of CCI. A simple plan of quick revenge. Bridget would get exactly what she deserved. But that wasn’t what she deserved. I’d blamed her for destroying our marriage for so long I’d convinced myself I was the victim here. She’d been a victim too. And if I deserved a second chance with Valentina, maybe I should do anything in my power to afford Bridget the same opportunity.
“I’m sorry I left you alone in all this,” I said to Bridget.
Her eyes snapped up at me.
“A halfway-decent husband would’ve seen you were struggling with a disease. I failed you as a husband and as a friend. For that, I’m sorry.”
“What are you talking about?” she asked.
“He’s talking about your gambling problem.” Dom always had a way of putting things simply. “The one that’s going to land you in jail.”
I shook my head at him. “Here’s the deal you’re going to take, Bridget. CCI will remain as is. Mine. And in return, I will not file charges for embezzlement. Also, you don’t have to pay back whatever money you’ve already taken to pay off your debt.”
She laughed, a shrill sound that made Valentina look away. Yeah, Bridget could be scary. “Just like that?” she asked. You’re going to let me walk away?”
“Yes. Everyone deserves a second chance.” I met Valentina’s eyes across the room. She rewarded my good deed with a smile. “That’s what I’m offering you.”
Bridget followed my line of sight until she was face-to-face with Valentina. Valentina shifted her weight but didn’t back down.
“I still owe them a lot of money.” Bridget slumped back in her chair.
“I know. I will settle that too. Provided you seek help and stay as far away as possible from us.” I reached for the phone and dialed the extension for the security desk.
“Now, Cole. This isn’t what we talked about,” Dom said.
“I changed my mind.” I shrugged. “Todd, how’re you doing?” I said when the security guard answered. Todd had been with me since the beginning. He was loyal to me. “Could you come to my office? Ms. Bridget is leaving and will need help with her things.”
In two minutes flat, Todd knocked at the door. Bridget looked around for something to take with her. But this was my office. Nothing here belonged to her. She had no other alternative than to accept my offer. Her eyes fell on the list of names in front of her. God only knew what that piece of paper meant to her. All Nikki could tell us was that this was our ticket out. With a sigh, she signed the affidavit Dom had put in front of her.
“Thank you.” She clenched her jaw and left with Todd without saying anything else.
As the door closed behind her, a heavy weight lifted from my chest. In forgiving her, I’d found a reason to forgive myself too. I was finally free.
“You did the right thing.” Valentina’s words brought me back.
I nodded at her smiling face. “You forgave me so easily. I realized I needed to do the same and let it go.”
“I’m Dom, by the way.” Dom offered her his hand, ruining our moment. “We weren’t introduced before.”
Valentina shook it. “I know. Nice to meet you.”
I rushed to her side. “Wipe that smile off your face. She’s taken.”
“I am?” she asked.
“Okay. I’m gonna leave you two lovebirds to figure things out.” Dom went back to my desk, grabbed the stack of papers, and shoved them in his briefcase.
“How did you find evidence so fast?” Valentina asked.
“I didn’t.” He gave her a sly look. “Nikki stole this list from Frank. The document alone is worthless to us. But we figured if we could get Bridget to believe we had Frank’s full cooperation, she’d realize she no longer had the upper hand. Owner or not, she’d still land in jail.”
“I got the impression the list was more than what Nikki said.” I tapped the piece of paper.
Dom nodded.
“What are those?” Valentina pointed at the big stack of papers.
Dom chuckled. “These are files from another case I’m working on. Telltale heart. Gets them every time.”
I let out a long breath. “God, we took a big risk here. If she had called our bluff, that would’ve been the end of it.”
“Honestly, man. I think your generous apology made her reconsider. That was very touching.” He wiped a pretend tear.
“Fuck off,” I said.
Valentina laughed. “He’s right. I don’t think she was expecting that. It confused her.”
“Ah…Dom’s right… She utters my two favorite words.” He placed a hand over his heart.
I gave him my no, really, man, fuck off look.
“Okay, I gotta run. I have to be in court in an hour. Nothing as exciting as your divorce, though.” With a wink to Valentina, he rushed out.
“That guy is trouble.” She frowned at him.
“Yes, it’d be best if you stay away from him.” I wrapped my arms around her waist.
She giggled. “I thought he was your friend.”
“Let’s go.” I couldn’t wait to get her back to my bed. “As your new boss, I’m giving you the rest of the week off.”
“You’re not my boss. I got fired today.” She gave me that look of hers. Those chocolate-brown eyes wide, soft, and wanting. Her red lips slightly parted. Yeah, that was the look. The one that said she wanted me. The one that made my blood boil.
“Is that why you had that box with you?” I asked. Bridget had fired her today, and she still thought letting Bridget go was the right thing to do. God, I was in love with her. “It’s just as well. Contracts are boring. There’s an opening in the development group. I know you’d be great there.”
“Really? I’d love that.”
“You’d have to work closely with the guy in charge there. And it’d be long hours, working ’til morning sometimes.”
“Oh yeah. This guy sounds like a real hard-ass. Who is it?”
“Me.” I winked. “We’ll talk about it later. Let’s go home,” I said in between kisses. “I need to be inside you right now.”
She blushed and let out a small whimper. When she mumbled an okay, I took her hand and strolled out of my office. Out on the floor, we were greeted by cheering and clapping.
“Welcome back, Cole,” someone shouted.
“Can you believe this lazy crew?” I turned to Valentina. “They’ll do anything to get out of doing their work. Get back to your desks,” I called out to the room in general.
Valentina’s laugh sent a surge of heat through me. I picked up the pace, in a hurry to get home.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
You Are Home
Valentina
I opened my eyes. The stark morning light came in through the open french doors. The view from Cole’s bed was spectacular, especially from my side of the bed with Cole’s beautiful profile set against the bright sunrays. I shifted to get a better look, and his grip tightened on my breast. The man wasn’t kidding when he said he wasn’t letting me go. Not even in his sleep.
He wanted me in his life. And this was certainly something I wanted to be a part of. But I wanted more from him. Even though he’d said he loved me, we hadn’t talked about what we were exactly or where we were headed.
Last night I’d had every intention of bringing
it up, but on our way home I made the fortunate mistake of pointing out how I’d never been in any other part of his house except his bedroom and the living area.
“Is that so?” he said with a half grin and a sparkle in his eye.
At the time, I had no idea what he had in mind. But the look on his face made my legs buckle a little. The minute we crossed the threshold, he kissed me, leading me to the library up in the loft.
“This is my office.” He sat me on his desk and pulled my pants off. I’d giggled and got to work on his tie, thrilled with the game.
I thought about the rest of the tour, and heat rushed to my face. Our clothes scattered all over the house. His hands and lips all over me as he took me from room to room. By the time we had found our way back into his bedroom, it was almost morning and I’d been too tired to even talk.
I moved again, peeling his fingers off my chest. This time his hand slid down my side and grabbed my butt cheek with a tight squeeze. When I looked up, Cole’s smiling blue eyes greeted me.
“You’re still here,” he said.
“No more running.” He’d made me promise last night. And for the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel the urge to get away. “But I do have to go home today.”
“Sweetheart, you are home.”
His words melted my heart. “Max is waiting. I texted Mom last night to let her know I was staying here, but I have to get back today.”
“Okay. I’ll come with you.”
“Really?” I raised an eyebrow. “If you do, you’ll have to meet my parents.”
He nodded. “I want to meet your family.” His lips brushed against my shoulder, sending goose bumps down my arm. “I’d like you to meet my parents too.”
“In Atlanta?” My stomach clenched. I wasn’t ready for that.
“Yeah.” He laughed. “Don’t look so scared. I promise they’re completely normal people. And they’re going to love you.”
“Won’t they ask what happened with Bridget?” If they were Team Bridget, our first meeting would be very awkward.
“They never really agreed with that marriage. When they found out about the divorce, they were relieved.”
Love Over Lattes Page 23
