I turn trying to read his face. I roll my shoulders back and retake my seat.
“Take me to the beginning.”
“I first wanted to pitch an event planning business.” I laugh at the thought now.
“I’m not surprised.”
“Right.” We laugh. “Actually, first Daddy, I want to apologize.”
His brows pique and shock covers his face. “For what, Junior?”
“All of this.” I fling a hand around. “I don’t think I’ve ever considered what it took to build the life we have. I apologize for taking it all for granted.” I now see Ben going to work, balancing school and Zoe, and I have a new appreciation for my life. “Thank you for all your hard work and the way you take care of me and Ma. I’m truly blessed.”
“Blessed? What have you done to my child?” he jokes, but I see the tears glistening in his eyes.
“Your child is growing up. I’m a big girl now.” We laugh. “And you were right, I needed this challenge.”
“You still have to present Friday.” His stern face isn’t fooling me. My Daddy is a softy.
“I know. I wouldn’t deny myself the satisfaction of seeing you sign over my check.” I shake my shoulders to lighten the mood. “So, Ben pushed me to think about an idea worthy of your investment.”
“And you created this?”
“Yeah, it was rough around the edges, and I still have a long way to go. But the foundation is solid. I considered all the events I’ve organized and hosted and my customer. A concierge service seemed obvious.”
“What level are we talking about here?”
“High end, executive. Think Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous meets Geoffrey Butler with my personal flair.”
“I’d expect nothing less from my platinum princess.” He winks.
“That’s it.” My body stiffens.
“What’s it?” He leans forward the excitement dancing on his face is contagious.
“I needed a name. Platinum Princess.”
“That’s too limiting. You don’t want to drive off your male clientele. What type of experience do you want your clients to have?”
“I want them to feel important with an air of prominence and exclusivity. Prestigious.”
“I think you got it.”
I need to move this energy around. I pace back and forth letting the words ruminate in my mind. Platinum. Princess. Prestigious. Prominence.
“Platinum definitely. That speaks to the level of quality and care and status.”
“Keep going.”
“Platinum Prominence. Yuk. I don’t even like saying that. Sounds stuffy.” Daddy laughs, shaking his head. “Platinum Prestigious. Platinum Prestige.”
I spin around, my eyes landing on Daddy’s. “Platinum Prestige.”
“Damn, that’s sexy.”
“Well, Platinum Prestige it is.” I rush over and kiss Daddy. “Thank you!”
“It was all you, Junior. I’m pumped about your presentation Friday.”
“Me too. I’m out, I got work to do.” I leave with the sound of his boisterous laughter filling my heart with excitement and pride. I have lunch with the guys, and then I’m off to see my man.
BEN
I finalize the orders with our vendors. Dylan and Asher handle the international ales and liquor orders, I handle everything else. Glasses, juice, produce, all of it. I close my laptop, and I see my world enter S&J.
Hunter has changed over this month. Today, she’s not all decked out but in jeans and booties, sexy as ever.
“What is that smile about?”
I glance over my shoulder and back, ensuring we’re alone. “It’s about your sexy ass.”
“Mr. Abbott, you keep it up, and I might give you some.” She winks, and I laugh.
“Woman, you are a mess.”
“And you love it.” She settles in the chair beside me with her upturned lips in my direction.
“That I do.” I kiss her. My head screaming mine, mine, mine. I’m like a selfish child when it comes to my Jo. I’m whipped, sprung, her willing slave, and I don’t give a damn who knows.
“Is this why you can’t return my calls, Hunter? You kickin’ it with the help now?”
Jo pulls away turning to the leech standing in front of us.
“Lewis, what are you doing here?” She glances at him, her face etched in stone.
“I saw you drive past. It’s hard to miss a Maserati in this area. I thought I’d catch you and apologize in person.”
“For sending me a dick pic meant for someone else?” Anger lights in her eyes, and rage fills me. She told me they broke up, but not about why, and I didn’t care until now.
“Yes and for hurting you. Forgive me, Hunter.” The jerk almost looks sincere. Lewis steps forward reaching for her hands. She jerks them away. Lewis’ eyes bulging with venom. “Ah, so this is how you living now?”
“Yes, and loving it. How about you crawl back into the hole you came from?”
The hostile glare in his eyes brings me to my feet. “It’s time for you to leave.”
“You got the white boy fighting your battles now?”
“Lewis, kiss my ass,” she hisses over my shoulder, now standing at my side.
“Been there, done that, and you’ll be back.”
“In your dreams and lose my number,” she says to Lewis’ retreating back.
We are alone again, and I’m processing the scene. She’s deathly quiet, and I can’t help but wonder if this is where she wants to be. Here with me.
“Jo, baby, what are you thinking?”
“That I dodged a fucking atomic bomb.” I glance over my shoulder. This woman amazes me. “What was I thinking?”
“So you got a dick pic?”
“Yeah, he meant it for someone else. It was an invitation to lick his limp lollipop.” She stands and straddles my body, lowering to my lap. “Speaking of lollipops.” Her hot kiss leaves nothing to the imagination.
“No, ma’am. You have a presentation in two days. No loving until you complete this task.”
“Stingy. Just stingy. You get to have him all day. And when I ask, you want to keep him all to yourself.”
I’m howling. She’s talking about my dick like it’s human. “I’ll make it worth your wait, trust and believe.”
“Trust and know…why you think I’m beggin’ for the D?”
I smack her ass, and she settles back in her chair. The unease of Lewis is behind us, and the presentation for her father is before her. I can’t let her get distracted. She’s worked hard for this moment.
“I set up a mock presentation for you.” I glance at my watch. “You have ten minutes.”
“What?” She spins around.
“You can’t let Friday be the first time you run through your presentation. Grab your plan.”
I stand, taking her hand in mine. I walk her back to the VIP lounge where I have the conference room set up. I feel her fidgeting beside me.
“You got this.” I slip my hand around her waist and kiss her the side of her head. “Just speak from your heart.”
“There are so many chairs. Are you staying?”
I shake my head, the nervousness in her eyes is crushing me. She must learn that everything she needs, she has, even me. “No baby, you have to do this on your own.”
Chapter 11
Hunter
My hands are sweating a river. I rub them against my jeans beneath the table as I watch five people enter the conference room. Two are familiar, three are not. I stand as Ben shows them in.
“Hunter, you know Asher Smith and Dylan Jameson, owners of Smith & Jameson.” I nod shaking their hands. “I’d like to introduce you to Cameron Carter, Bruce Daniels, and Damian Hughes of Rockstar Entertainment.” I smile, the facts and figures in my business plan are swirling in my head. I’m in a room with some very powerful and influential men.
Don’t blow this Hunter. I force myself to settle down. It’s showtime baby.
Ben pulls me close
for a departing kiss on the cheek, whispering for my ears only, “Kill it.”
I nod, turning on the Preston charm. And in this moment I know Ben is right. I will kill it. I have my father’s blood in my veins and my ride-or-die at my back. I can’t fail.
“Gentlemen, I’d like to introduce you to Platinum Prestige.”
I start off shaky. My nerves are causing me to forget the details. Then I pretend they are potential clients. What type of services would they need to make their lives, their businesses better?
I stand, talking and walking through my presentation, making eye contact with each of them, and that’s when I notice the presentation folders in front of them. Ben thought of everything.
I’m in my zone. Who would have thought I’d be a businesswoman, a real boss? Gotdamn if cupid and fate ain’t some geniuses.
I finish strong with one person on my mind.
Ben Abbott.
BEN
An hour later, the meeting adjourns. S&J is open, and I’m handling business while my woman makes the presentation of her life.
“Thank you.”
I turn and see happiness written all over her beautiful face. “You’re welcome. How’d it go?” I’m making her a frozen strawberry-mango margarita, her favorite, and she recounts the meeting.
“They want to invest.”
“What?” I pause. “Jo, I knew you’d do it.”
“No, we did it.”
I smile at her, knowing I helped, but it’s all her. Hunter is growing before my eyes, and I’m proud of her. I pass the drink.
“Can you take a break before you head out to get Zoe?” I glance at my watch. She knows our schedule like her own.
“Yeah, let’s head back. Mario, you got it?” He nods, and I grab my lady’s hand taking her to my small office. I rarely use it. I prefer sitting at the tables in the open bar. I close the door, and her hands are unfastening my pants. “What are you doing?”
“Stop talking. We don’t have time to talk.”
I push up her skirt, brushing my fingers up her legs, looping my fingers around her thong. I snap the fabric, and her sweet sigh is all I need to drop to my knees. I nuzzle the inside of her thighs, anchoring her against the wall with her ass in my hands. The excitement from today coupled with her sweet smell has me hungry. I devour her, drowning in her taste.
“Jo, baby, you can’t scream.” I smile lashing my tongue across her clit. My Jo is loud, and I love it. And I love her. This realization has my cock ready to be inside her.
Condom on, I plunge into her wet paradise, wrapping her legs around my waist. “Fuck.”
She swallows my words. I will never get enough of her. Never. Her walls squeeze, and I know she’s about to holler and I want to hear it. The only one who matters is my Jo. So I increase the rhythm, loving the bounce of her breasts in my face. She meets me stroke for stroke. Let me see how she handles this.
I pull out, and her eyes open in rage. “What the—”
“Turn around.” I place her hands on the desk and take us home with wild fury, sending us over the edge together. The power and connection are unmatched.
She turns pulling me to her, “I love you.”
“I love you, too, Jo.”
My entire body warms. “Will you marry me?”
“Yes.” She’s panting.
“Did you hear what I said?” I laugh. I had no intentions of doing it now, but I know it’s right. Why wait? Time waits for no man or woman, and I want Jo in my life. Always.
“Yes, I heard you. Will you join Platinum Prestige?”
I shake my head. “Baby, I can’t.”
“Why?” she whines. I know I’m going to love living life with her. She’s hot as fire one minute and cold as ice another. And whining is part of her charm.
“I can’t have your father thinking I’m riding your coat tail. He won’t respect me as a man or as your husband.”
“I appreciate you caring about my father’s feelings, but this is about us. I need you. You helped me create this plan. Now I need you to help me build this business. For us. For Zoe. For our family.”
“Will I always fold like this?”
“Probably, I can be convincing.” She wiggles her eyebrows, dropping to her knees. “And there are perks.”
My head falls back. I’m a fucking goner.
Chapter 12
Hunter
Friday is here. I’m dressed in a black pants suit, a crisp white blouse and a black vest paired with black Louboutin’s on my feet. Red lipstick on my lips and platinum diamond earrings in my ears. A gift from Ben until we can share our engagement with the world.
We decided to keep it to ourselves until he can talk with my father alone, and he doesn’t want to overshadow this moment.
Ben is to my left, his dirty blonde hair pushed back, and his suit tailored to his delicious body. He’s so fine, I want a quickie to take the edge off.
“Later,” he promises, whispering in my ear.
I can’t believe how my life has changed in thirty days. I’m engaged to an amazing man. I plan to raise Zoe as my own. Now, it’s time to secure the bag.
We’re waiting in the lobby of Daddy’s building for the guys. I hear the clicks of their heels and slowly turn around. All decked out in black, like the baddies they are.
“Shit, Men In Black ain’t got nothing on us,” Charlee says stopping in front of us.
“I’d have to agree,” Harper adds.
For today’s presentation, I wanted my squad, my team, my crew, my guys—Harper, Charlee, Parker, Chase, Taylor, Payton, Alex, Ryann, and Jordan—and my man. Just like my soirees, I’m going for an effect, an experience.
“Guys, we’re up.” I face them. Ben and I met with them individually and offered them a slice of Platinum Prestige in exchange for their talents. All accepted, and now to win over Daddy.
I glance over at Ben. He mouths, Kill it.
“Damn straight.”
Epilogue
Ben
One Year Later…
“Jo, what do you have in here, a dead body?” I fold over out of breath.
“Ben, stop complaining and take the box in the house. I told you to rent a dolly, but you wanted to macho man it out. So, grab the boxes and get it poppin’.” She sticks her tongue out playfully. She is bare faced with hair pulled back. I think she gets more beautiful every day.
My non-business wife is now all business. Right now, she’s hunched over the table with Zoe at her side, probably reviewing the latest reports or a baby catalog. Mamma Bear and Zoe Bear are planning the nursery for Baby Bears 1 and 2.
We’re having twins, and every day more boxes flood into our home. I think we’re outgrowing it, but Jo is determined to make it work citing, this is the only home Zoe knows.
“Pappa look.”
I drop the box walking over to the kitchen table. I brush sweat off my brow with the sleeve of my shirt, and I see scrapbooks. I grip the back of Jo’s chair to steady myself, and she kisses my arm. This means more than I can express.
I sit next to Zoe. “Who is that Zoe Bear?”
“Mom and Dad and me.” She turns the page. “Pappa.” She kisses my nose. “Mamma Jo.” Zoe turns the pages, calling the names of all the people who love her, and Jo is a pile of mush. This is the first time I’ve heard Zoe call Jo, Mamma. I turn, pulling my weeping bride into my arms as Zoe breezes through the pages.
One year ago, I thought Zoe was all I needed. I am so thankful that I was wrong. My platinum queen has changed my life in so many ways that it will take a lifetime to count. She closed on the two million dollar investment from her father. Her client roster includes Rockstar Entertainment, Smith and Jameson, local celebrities, Texas artists, and many CEOs of major Texas organizations. And now, she’s adding mother to her ever-growing list of roles.
The guys are rallying around us as we secure the infrastructure for Platinum Prestige. Harper is heading to Dallas to handle leasing our first private jet, and Charlee is le
aving for New York to connect with a domestic distributor for high-end luxury goods. This is all so Jo can rest the last few months of her pregnancy.
Jo wiggles closer, her stomach resting against my stomach. “Little Hunter the Third.”
“No, Hunter must be for our daughter” she mumbles half asleep.
“I think Hunter, Jr, and Ben, Jr sounds cool.”
“You can’t break tradition.”
“Stop arguing with me woman and go back to sleep.” Trying to run me even in her sleep. I shake my head.
“I got a better idea.” Her hand drops lower, covering me, and I like her train of thought. “How about you put me to sleep?”
“That I can do.”
I love on my wife, being careful of our sons cradled in her womb. She did all this to secure a life for our family of three. I can only imagine what we’ll do next with this fearless woman leading her squad of guys. The world better watch out for Platinum Prestige because I intend to make sure all Hunter Preston Abbott’s dreams come true, and then some.
Thank you for reading PLATINUM LOVE. Hunter and Ben found their happily ever after. Keep reading and meet Harper and Liam in Privileged Love.
It’s St. Patrick’s Day.
The day is really not important, at least that’s what I thought. I dress to impress, ready to secure my first contract as a partner with Platinum Prestige.
Simple, right? No, I wish.
I’m Harper Price. I’ve joined my best friends in starting an elite concierge service and I’m up. My sole task is to lease an airplane from Liam.
I walk in, he proposes, I walk out.
Apparently, his billions have gone to his head and now the sexy, arrogant menace won’t leave me alone. His head is hard as a brick. (Take that any way you want.) And he refuses to accept “no” in any language. But I’m done with love.
No more.
Nada.
No mas.
Platinum Love: A BWWM Romance (Blazin' Love Book 1) Page 6
