by Cameron Hart
It finally dawns on me why she was so livid about the article.
“And I fucked it all up with that article, didn’t I?”
Sienna stiffens in my arms and pulls away from me. I feel the loss of her immediately, but I give her this space if she needs it. She wipes of her face, still trying to hide from me behind a curtain of her hair.
“It had my name and location, and, well, it’s no coincidence that my childhood stuffed toy ended up being sent to me a few days later.”
“Sienna…” I choke back the swell of regret threatening to make me cry or puke or punch a damn wall. I hate myself so much in this moment. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know, I… But that’s no excuse. I didn’t listen when you said you didn’t want me to market your business, and I should have respected that regardless of your reasons. Fuck, baby, I’m so sorry.”
She tucks her knees up to her chest and wraps her arms around them, making herself as small as possible. I can just picture her doing that in her childhood room, trying to disappear while her mom got high. I hate that I’m the one who did that to her.
“It’s ok, Cooper. I forgave you, which is not something I usually do. Ever. But I stick by it. I don’t say shit I don’t mean.”
Despite the guilt and anger and hurt rushing through my body, I smile at her words. She’s too fucking perfect and she’s letting me in. Finally.
“It’s not ok, kitten, but I’m going to fix it, I promise.”
“You don’t have to do anything, Cooper. It’s not your mess.”
“It is my mess. I literally delivered you right into a harmful situation, but baby, even if it wasn’t my fault, it’d still be my mess because it’s you who is in trouble. Your problems are my problems. Your struggles are my struggles. Just like your victories are my victories. I want to support you in every way, and right now that means protecting you. I know you don’t trust easily, but I’m asking you to trust me. Let me take care of you, Sienna. Let me in, baby, let me protect you.”
“Cooper, I…”
“Please? Let me show you how much you mean to me, how serious I am about us.”
I can practically see her thoughts as she battles them out in her mind. There’s nothing more I can say right now, and I know it. She’ll just have to see that my actions back up my words, but first she has to give herself to me, to my protection.
Only a few moments have passed, but it feels like an eternity while she fights her demons behind closed eyes. Sienna shocks the hell out of me by launching into my arms. I catch her and hold her close while she straddles me and buries her face in my neck.
“Don’t hurt me,” she pleads, her voice soft and broken.
“Never, sweetness. Never again,” I vow.
Sienna places a sweet kiss on the side of my neck that has me feeling all sorts of things. I cup the back of her neck and draw her head up so I can look into her beautiful hazel eyes and make her believe me.
God, I want to say so many things but she’s not ready to hear any of them. I love you, you’re mine, we’re never going to be apart from this moment forward.
Looking at her now, though, I know she understands. Just like I can see to the very depths of her being and know she is handing me all of her brokenness, her heartache, her pain. She’s also giving me her hopes, her happiness, her future.
I cup her face with one hand and stroke her cheek with my thumb. She leans into my touch and parts her sweet lips. I take a minute to savor this connection, to feel the weight of what’s happening between us. Once I taste her, there will be no going back for me, not ever.
She closes the distance between us, kissing me first. It’s every-fucking-thing that she wants this too. I sip at her soft lips, taking first her top lip into my mouth, and then her bottom lip, switching back and forth until she opens up for me and allows me to slip my tongue inside of her sweet, inviting mouth. I explore her depths in long, languid strokes, loving the way she relaxes into me and caresses her tongue against mine.
I angle her head and deepen our kiss, unable to get enough of her. My hand slides to the back of her neck as I tangle my fingers in her hair and pull her closer to me. My other hand slides up her thigh, her hip, and rests on her lower back, keeping her soft curves pressed against me.
Sienna starts rocking against my hardening cock, making me groan into her sexy little mouth. Her hands explore my body, squeezing my shoulders, my biceps, and drifting down to the hem of my shirt. The sweetest of sighs escapes her lips and her hands slip under my shirt to rest against my ribs. I feel each finger uncurl and clench into my skin. Her nails bite into my flesh almost to the point of pain, which only fuels my desire for her.
I break our kiss and drag air into my lungs while still nipping and kissing down her jaw and neck. Sienna tilts her head to the side to give me better access. I groan in approval and continue to devour her sensitive skin, loving the taste of her on my tongue. She’s all sugar and spice, just like I thought.
Making my way back up her neck and jaw, I take her lips again in a punishing kiss, claiming her and showing her who she belongs to whether she’s ready to admit it or not. When we break apart, I rest my forehead on hers, my hand still at the back of her neck keeping her close to me.
Fuck, this woman is ruining me in the best way possible.
“Do you trust me?” I whisper.
She nods against my forehead.
“Need your words, kitten.”
“I… trust you, Cooper.”
I breathe a sigh of relief and press a soft kiss on her lips.
“I want you to stay with me. It’s not safe for you here. You can have your own room, your own bathroom. There’s plenty of space for the two of us. I don’t want you here, sweetness. That means the bakery, too. I can’t stand the thought of you being here all alone when there’s a threat to your safety.”
I expect her to push back or make excuses for why she can’t. Instead, Sienna’s eyes well up with tears and she nods in agreement. “Ok,” she breathes out. “I don’t want to be alone anymore.”
“Never again, baby. I’m here now,” I promise.
We stay like that for a long time, me holding her close while she rests her head on my shoulder. Eventually, we get up and I help her pack a few things before heading out to my car. She doesn’t say anything as we pass through the bakery, but I can feel her thinking and worrying about what’s going to become of the business she’s built. I don’t have the answers yet, but I’ll come up with something. She’ll have everything she’s ever wanted and more.
✽✽✽
Sienna crashed as soon as I showed her to the guest bedroom. I want her in my bed, our bed, but it’s too soon, I know. I left her to get settled in and she was all curled up in a ball, fast asleep when I went and checked on her. I wanted nothing more than to curl up around her and shield her from the world, but I had work to do.
I called Declan, and yes, even Asher to discuss some options on what to do with the bakery. Shutting down would certainly ruin her business, especially after she’s been getting more custom orders. Part of me wants to lock her away and tell her I’ll build her a new bakery anywhere she wants with a top of the line kitchen and anything else she can dream up as soon as all of this shit with her mom blows over. But I know that’s not the solution.
It took some convincing, but Ash finally agreed to my plan and Declan drew up the documents and emailed them to me. It’s been a few hours, and hopefully Sienna will be up sooner rather than later. I decide to make dinner for us in the meantime.
As if summoned by the smell of steak and potatoes, Sienna appears in the doorway of the kitchen, looking all adorable and sleepy in her yoga pants and baggy sweatshirt. Her hands play at the hem of her shirt and she chews on her bottom lip in a nervous gesture.
I’m sitting at the table after just plating our food in hopes she’d join me soon.
“Come here, sweetness,” I say, giving her a warm smile to ease her discomfort.
She pads her cute little
feet over to me and starts to sit down on the seat next to me. I reach out and grab her hips, directing her to sit on my lap instead. Sienna plops down and looks at me over her shoulder, one eyebrow raised.
I kiss the tender spot below her ear, making her sigh.
“Let’s eat. Then we can talk about the next steps, ok?”
“I am perfectly capable of eating on my own, you know,” she says with a little bit of attitude.
I just wrap my arms around her waist and nip her earlobe. “I know, baby. But you’re in my care now, remember?”
I can’t see her face since she’s turned away from me, but I swear I can hear her rolling her eyes. I think she likes me taking charge, taking care of her, but she can’t quite admit it yet. After all, she has yet to make a move to get out of my lap. I reach around her and cut up a piece of steak.
“You’re bossy,” she says, though there’s no venom in her words.
“You’ll get used to it,” I tease, lifting the steak up to her luscious lips.
She sighs in exasperation but accepts the food.
Sienna lets me feed her the entire plate of food, and only then do I grab the other plate and eat dinner myself while she leans back on my chest. When I’m done, I scoop her up in my arms, making her squeal in surprise. I sit on the couch with her still in my arms. I can’t explain it, I just need to have her with me, on me, touching me all the fucking time. She doesn’t seem to mind.
“So… What do we do now?” She asks after a few minutes of me just holding her and feeling her heart beat against mine.
“Hear me out, ok? We can discuss the details, but I want to get all of this out there before you freak out.”
“You know that’s like… The worst way to start off a conversation, right?” Sienna grins, making me grin as well.
“My bad. What I meant to say was, I have an exciting business opportunity for you, if I could get just a few minutes of your time.”
“Mmhm…” she eyes me skeptically, but there’s a hint of a grin still on her lips.
“I talked to my brothers and we want to temporarily purchase Mad Batter Bakery from you.” She opens her mouth to protest, but I cut her off. “Hear me out, remember?” Sienna pouts and I can’t help but kiss her cute little lips. “I have the paper work printed off, right here with me. You can look it over. The contract explicitly states that you maintain complete creative control, every decision is still yours, and you can buy it back from us at any time for half of what we initially offer, which by the way, is three-hundred thousand.”
“So, wait. You’re essentially buying my bakery in name only, and I can still run everything the way I want?” I nod. “And then I can buy it back and still keep one-hundred and fifty thousand dollars?”
“Exactly.”
“But… why?”
“Two reasons. First of all, we can safely assume from the events that unfolded today, your mom and Derek are after you. Selling the business and moving in with me gives the appearance of you going on the run. It may deter them just enough if they show up and see the place is under new ownership. You know, get them off your trail and all that until I can deal with them in a more permanent manor.”
Sienna looks like she’s going to protest again, but I cut her off with another chaste kiss before continuing. “And second of all, I heard you when you said you don’t want to be a kept woman. This is the only thing I could think of that would keep you safe and keep your business going without you taking a hit. You can bake everything here and we’ll deliver stuff in the mornings. You can do your custom orders here and everything. God knows I paid enough for this huge kitchen that I don’t use nearly often enough. Plus, when all is said and done, you’ll have a nest egg that’s all yours and no one, not me, not my brothers, not your mom, absolutely no one can touch except for you. And you’ll have your bakery.”
Sienna takes it all in, the wheels clearly turning in her head. It’s a big ask of her, I know. Not only is she trusting me with her safety, but her livelihood as well. Plus, she’ll be accepting a large sum of money at the end, which I know goes against every bone in her body.
She looks down at her lap, her hands twisting and untwisting as she gets lost in thought. I cover her small hands with mine, causing her to look up at me.
“When all is said and done?” She asks in a whisper.
“Yeah. My brothers and I have a certain pull within powerful circles, and I have no doubts we will be able to track down your mom and her low-life boyfriend. Once the threat is over, you’ll have your business back and you’ll have the money.”
“Will I have you?”
God, her tentative voice and doubts break me apart. At the same time though, it gives me overwhelming hope that she wants to keep me at the end of all of this. I’m not just a white knight, so to speak, riding in to save the day.
“Of course, kitten. I’m yours. I told you I’m not going anywhere, and I meant it.”
She nuzzles into the side of my neck and sighs.
“Okay,” she breathes out.
“Thank fuck,” I say, resting my head on hers. “Thank you for trusting me with this. I promise we’ll get through everything, ok?”
Sienna nods and I wrap her up in my arms. I can’t believe the difference between the hostile woman who lashed out at me this morning and the vulnerable woman resting peacefully in my arms right now. I have no idea what I did to deserve her in my life, but one thing is for certain. I’m never letting her go now that she’s here.
Chapter 7
Sienna
I spent the night in Cooper’s guest room last night, though a part of me wanted nothing more than to crawl into his king-sized bed and have him hold me all night long. I spent so much time in his arms yesterday, but it didn’t bother me. In fact, it only made me want more of it. More of him. It’s been so long since anyone treated me with such kindness, probably since my Grams. And even then, Cooper’s touch is more than just caring and gentle. It’s reverent and calming and everything I’ve been missing in my life.
And don’t even get me started on that kiss yesterday. It was… sweet and full of emotion, but also hot and dirty and made my pussy ache to be filled for the first time. Cooper is this intoxicating mix of sexy Greek god and tender lover, and the effect on me is devastating to my lady parts.
I have no doubts that Cooper will be my first, well, everything. But I felt totally wrung out after the impossible day I had yesterday. The range of emotions from anger to fear and finally unexpected peace, not to mention the panic attack and the whole agreeing to sign over of my business thing… I was in no state of mind or body to be giving myself over to lust, even in Cooper’s capable hands.
We’re headed to the notary right now in Cooper’s ridiculous sports car. I already gave him a hard time about it, but he took everything in stride. We park and head up to the office, hand in hand.
Cooper signs and initials, and then hands me the pen. I don’t realize my nerves until I’m putting the pen to paper with a shaky hand. He pulls my hand away and covers it with both of his.
“Look at me, kitten,” he whispers. I’m sure the lady watching us sign can hear him, but fuck if I care. I need to hear whatever words of affirmation I just know he’s going to say. “I promise to always take care of you. This is only temporary, remember? You have all the power here, I’m just doing what I can to support you.”
I nod and take a deep breath, even managing to give him a small smile. He lets my hand go, though he keeps his hand on my knee while I turn back to the paper. I sign and initial and then the lady signs as our witness and makes the contract official.
“Let’s go to lunch, sweetness. Declan and Luna invited us to one of their favorite places,” Cooper says once we get back to the car.
“They know about us?”
Cooper looks at me with a sheepish smile. It’s kind of adorable.
“Yeah… I may have told them I met the woman of my dreams right after you slapped me and left.”
�
��Oh yeah?” I can’t help but smirk at him, one eyebrow raised. “You may have?”
He grabs me and pulls me in for a passionate kiss. “I definitely told them that. There’s no hiding how I feel about you, kitten,” he says once we break for air.
“Well, in that case, I guess we shouldn’t keep them waiting,” I smile up at him.
He lingers for a moment more, his arms circled around my waist, looking me up and down. It sets my body on fire, enough to melt my heart. And my panties. I’m tired of fighting it. I want this man like nothing else. I want to give him everything – my body, my heart, my fucking soul. It should be terrifying, especially after a lifetime of keeping those parts of me protected, but Cooper just… He just snuck right in and set up camp in the very depths of my soul. I felt it that very first day I met him. And he hasn’t left me since.
As if sensing the seismic shift in my heart, Cooper looks over at me and gives me one of his soft smiles meant just for me. He gathers my hand up in his, lacing our fingers together and setting them on his lap while he drives to lunch.
When we arrive, I immediately feel out of my depth. And not in a good way. For starters, there’s a valet. We are greeted at the door by a beautiful, leggy blonde who takes one look at me and turns her nose up in the air. Fair enough. I’m in jeans and plain v-neck t shirt. Cooper is dressed similarly in dark, form-fitting jeans and a Henley complete with a leather jacket, but his clothes look like he spent a couple thousand dollars on them, whereas mine look like… well, they look like I got them at Goodwill a few years ago. Which I did. The jeans have holes in them, but not the purposeful kind. And my shoes… still the ratty Vans.
The rational part of my brain knows that no one is probably looking at me. But the other part of my brain, the one currently in control, is acutely aware of the wingtip shoes, the Hermès bags, the designer dresses, and the five-hundred-dollar haircuts. I can’t remember the last time I got my hair cut. Certainly not since I’ve been in New York, that’s for sure.
