terrifying little ball of energy I’m sure you were.”
“I think I was a pretty quiet kid, actually.” But he smiles.
“Sure. You didn’t climb trees or build weapons out of cardboard boxes?”
“Well…”
“Cole, when we have kids, I’m going to plant trees and pick up bonus boxes at the grocery store for them.”
“I think a good climbing tree is more mature…”
“You’re missing the point!”
“Okay. We both deserved better parents,” he says. “At least you’ve got your siblings.”
They’re okay. But they don’t always have my back. “You’ve got Jason and Tag and Wilson.”
He nods slowly. “I do. They’re good. But they’re not you.”
“And my brother and sisters aren’t you.” I trace his lips with my index finger, loving the way his eyes darken and his cheeks flush. “You’re mine . You’re my first and last thought every day. You’re already my primary family, really. I want to run decisions past you and tell you about new knitting patterns and share all my secrets. I want to plan a future with you. I can’t share any of that with my siblings because there’s all this…other stuff that they bring to it. Worry and doubt. They’re always cautioning me, you know. Like I should be less brazen and brash. And then there’s you, wanting me to spit fire at you.”
“’Cause it makes me hot for you.”
That’s a great reason. “Speaking of which, are we going to be interrupted here?”
He shakes his head no, and I go to work at his buttons. I want this man naked. Stat.
“I forgot to tell you the other thing,” he starts to say, but I’m not listening, so he grabs my wrists and hauls my arms in the air. “Hailey!”
“What?” I blink up at him.
“Other news.”
“Pretty sure nothing is going to top that we’re getting married.” I grin up at him.
“I’m stepping back from my previous role in the firm.”
“You’re quitting?” What? That’s crazy. And maybe good. But… “Is this your decision?”
He nods, then shakes his head. I blink at him, not understanding his mixed answer. “Not quitting. I’m still a partner. But I’m only doing pro bono work. No clients. No hobnobbing.”
“And Jason is okay with that?” I can’t wrap my head around this. “This is for real?”
“Yep. I didn’t really give him much of a choice. I want to be a ghost in the background.” His gaze drops down my face, and he dusts his fingertips along my collarbone. “It’s safer that way. But we’re all in agreement. As of this week, The Horus Group’s mission and vision statement is changing.”
“Wow. What does this mean?”
“We’re still sorting that out. Tag’s taking point on the new branding. And in the meantime, that leaves me with lots of time to fuck my fiancée.”
“Really,” I murmur as his mouth follows the path his fingers had just blazed. “Tell me more about that.”
“Fuck her so hard she can’t walk straight. Make her scream so loud the neighbors blush.”
“Sounds romantic,” I say, fighting back a smile.
“Is that a challenge?”
“Damn straight. I double-dog-dare you to make me swoon with your filthy ways.”
We stay in our new condo until dusk falls, and on the way back to my place, we stop at the jewelers Cole bought the diamonds from and choose a ring setting.
It turns out, he knows me better than he thinks.
— eleven—
Cole
Three weeks later
My phone vibrates as I round the corner a block from work. I duck into a doorway and pull it out. It’s a message from Jason.
J: 911 sit at office. Shark has a new request.
We have code names for all our clients. Shark is Morgan Reid. Fuck me.
C: Thought he was out of the country .
J: Apparently not.
Thirty seconds later, I’m in the stairwell taking the steps two at a time.
“What is it?” I bark out as I storm into the boardroom.
“Mr. Parker.” Morgan stands and holds out his hand, which I ignore as I fist the front of his three thousand dollar
“I think I was a pretty quiet kid, actually.” But he smiles.
“Sure. You didn’t climb trees or build weapons out of cardboard boxes?”
“Well…”
“Cole, when we have kids, I’m going to plant trees and pick up bonus boxes at the grocery store for them.”
“I think a good climbing tree is more mature…”
“You’re missing the point!”
“Okay. We both deserved better parents,” he says. “At least you’ve got your siblings.”
They’re okay. But they don’t always have my back. “You’ve got Jason and Tag and Wilson.”
He nods slowly. “I do. They’re good. But they’re not you.”
“And my brother and sisters aren’t you.” I trace his lips with my index finger, loving the way his eyes darken and his cheeks flush. “You’re mine . You’re my first and last thought every day. You’re already my primary family, really. I want to run decisions past you and tell you about new knitting patterns and share all my secrets. I want to plan a future with you. I can’t share any of that with my siblings because there’s all this…other stuff that they bring to it. Worry and doubt. They’re always cautioning me, you know. Like I should be less brazen and brash. And then there’s you, wanting me to spit fire at you.”
“’Cause it makes me hot for you.”
That’s a great reason. “Speaking of which, are we going to be interrupted here?”
He shakes his head no, and I go to work at his buttons. I want this man naked. Stat.
“I forgot to tell you the other thing,” he starts to say, but I’m not listening, so he grabs my wrists and hauls my arms in the air. “Hailey!”
“What?” I blink up at him.
“Other news.”
“Pretty sure nothing is going to top that we’re getting married.” I grin up at him.
“I’m stepping back from my previous role in the firm.”
“You’re quitting?” What? That’s crazy. And maybe good. But… “Is this your decision?”
He nods, then shakes his head. I blink at him, not understanding his mixed answer. “Not quitting. I’m still a partner. But I’m only doing pro bono work. No clients. No hobnobbing.”
“And Jason is okay with that?” I can’t wrap my head around this. “This is for real?”
“Yep. I didn’t really give him much of a choice. I want to be a ghost in the background.” His gaze drops down my face, and he dusts his fingertips along my collarbone. “It’s safer that way. But we’re all in agreement. As of this week, The Horus Group’s mission and vision statement is changing.”
“Wow. What does this mean?”
“We’re still sorting that out. Tag’s taking point on the new branding. And in the meantime, that leaves me with lots of time to fuck my fiancée.”
“Really,” I murmur as his mouth follows the path his fingers had just blazed. “Tell me more about that.”
“Fuck her so hard she can’t walk straight. Make her scream so loud the neighbors blush.”
“Sounds romantic,” I say, fighting back a smile.
“Is that a challenge?”
“Damn straight. I double-dog-dare you to make me swoon with your filthy ways.”
We stay in our new condo until dusk falls, and on the way back to my place, we stop at the jewelers Cole bought the diamonds from and choose a ring setting.
It turns out, he knows me better than he thinks.
— eleven—
Cole
Three weeks later
My phone vibrates as I round the corner a block from work. I duck into a doorway and pull it out. It’s a message from Jason.
J: 911 sit at office. Shark has a new request.
We have code names for all our clients. Shark is Morgan Reid. Fuck me.
C: Thought he was out of the country .
J: Apparently not.
Thirty seconds later, I’m in the stairwell taking the steps two at a time.
“What is it?” I bark out as I storm into the boardroom.
“Mr. Parker.” Morgan stands and holds out his hand, which I ignore as I fist the front of his three thousand dollar
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