Oliver chuckles, and I swear he looks a little bashful. “Would you believe I intended to come by last week, but then . . . well, I got caught up in something?”
“Better be something good.” I say, putting my hands on my hips.
“Just some business stuff. I wouldn’t want to bore you with the details. I know how much you hate when I go on and on about myself and my business.”
I smile, biting my lip. “Mmmhmm. But that’s not good enough. Spill it.”
He winks, giving me that patented Oliver smirk. “Trust me, Princess. Got time for a ride?”
“When can I open my eyes?” I ask, my shoulders getting stiff. “I’m getting carsick.”
“Just a moment,” Oliver says, chuckling. He stops his car, and I hear him come around the car to open my door and help me out. Taking me by the hand, he has me walk a few steps, then stop. “Okay, open them.”
I open my eyes, and I’m totally confused. “Why’d you bring me to The Flaming Dragon? This place closed down two years ago.”
“It’s not The Flaming Dragon,” Oliver says with a laugh. “Come a little closer and you’ll see.”
Oliver takes my hand and leads me to the door, producing a key from his pocket and opening it. “Oliver, what’s going on?”
He opens the door, and I look in shock at the big letters that have been penned on the grease board next to the door. FUTURE LOCATION OF MINDY’S PLACE (Steele & Assoc. 2nd Floor).
“Welcome to the location of your new business,” Oliver says. “Ours, to be exact. If you want.”
“Huh?” I comment, reading the sign again and again. It still doesn’t make any sense. “Oliver, what—”
Shock rolls through me as my brain finally kicks into gear, and I put my hand over my mouth, speechless. Oliver leads me over to one of the stools that still line the big counter, sitting down next to me. “I’d asked my assistant to look for a few places where I could base my security business. She had this place on the list, mainly because of the location, and, well . . .”
Oliver takes a deep breath and puts the key to the place on the counter. “It’s yours. You own the place outright, Mindy. I told Martha I’m splitting my money in half. One half is to be used by her for real estate deals, other investments, whatever. She’s going to run it out of the office upstairs, close enough that I can help her out if she needs it.”
“What are you going to do?” I ask, feeling the teeth of the key. “And what about the Den? Gavin and Brianna are my friends. I can’t just abandon them.”
“Who do you think told me about the unicorn frappe?” Oliver asks quietly. “As for me, well, I don’t know a lot about running a restaurant, but I do know business, and if you don’t need a business manager . . . I can be Johnny on the spot wherever you need me, boss.”
I hold up my hand, concerned. “Oliver, before we go any further, why are you doing this?”
“Mindy, I’ve spent every minute since I walked out of the Wentworth mansion regretting one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Not being honest about how I feel about you. Sure, I started this as a way to get out of a debt, but from the moment I first saw your picture, I was drawn to you. When you challenged me—”
“I challenged you?” I ask, amused. “I seem to remember you sitting there like a living sex god, telling me that you weren’t going to do a damn thing I said. And you proceeded to do just that.”
“I think we sort of liked toying with each other,” Oliver says with a chuckle before growing serious again. “But I’m not joking now. I need you. I need you in my life, and when I told you I loved you that first time, I meant it. So I regret not staying, not doing my best to take care of you.”
I swallow, emotion choking my words for a moment before I can answer. “And if I still say I don’t want you in my life?”
“Then the building is still yours,” he says softly, “but you’d be lying. I can see it in your eyes, and well . . . let’s just say I’ve gotten a little bit of inside help.”
Gavin and Brianna. I look at the open raw emotion in his face, and I know that he’s telling the truth. There’s only one answer I can give him.
“So I get to be the boss, huh?” I ask, smiling as I look at him. “And if I tell my new bus boy to kiss me, will he do as he’s told?”
Oliver pretends to think for a minute, then he stands up, pulling me into his arms and lowering his lips to mine. “I’ll have to demand at least minimum wage,” he teases, and then he’s kissing me, his strong hands pulling me against him, our bodies hungry for each other. I moan into his mouth as his tongue finds mine, his hands stroking my hair before running down to cup my ass. Our lips part, and he looks into my eyes again, touching his forehead to mine. “I love you, Mindy.”
“I love you too,” I moan in reply. “Oliver, can we start over?”
He shakes his head, giving me a smile. “No, but we can move forward.”
“Then let’s move forward.”
Oliver smiles and picks me up, setting me on one of the empty tables, dust puffing up as he does. “Hmm, we’re going to have to clean that,” he jokes as he pulls my shirt out of the waistband of my pants. He kisses my neck until I’m trembling before kissing back to my earlobe, licking it before whispering in my ear. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” I moan in happiness as I reach for the buttons on his shirt, undoing them quickly and peeling his shirt off, swinging it around my head like a lasso for a moment before flinging it across the room. I laugh, joy in my heart. “I’ve always wanted to do that.”
“You’ll get to do anything you want from now on,” Oliver reassures me, his voice catching as I pull him close and bite his neck. Our night of rough passion has taught me a few things, and one of them is that I like it a little rougher with Oli than I did with other partners. “Mmmhmm.”
“Anything, huh?,” I growl playfully as he reaches for my pants and yanks them down along with my panties. “Well then, first things first—no more condoms.”
“That I can do,” Oliver says as he undoes his pants. His cock emerges and my mouth goes dry as I see it again in the dim, dusty light filtering through the soaped-over windows. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I say as I wrap my legs around him and pull him closer. “I’ve just missed you. And that mind-blowing cock of yours. Speaking of blowing . . .”
“Later,” Oliver says as he crushes my lips in another soul-searing kiss. I moan in agreement as I feel him line up naturally with me and slide in, stretching me open. My heart thrills as he fills me, body and soul, and I clutch at his powerful shoulders as we start moving as one, his cock sliding into me over and over. I squeeze my pussy around him as we look into each other’s eyes, opening up fully.
How did I miss this? How, when from the first time he looked in my eyes as we had sex, I saw this same gleam, the same tenderness, the love in his eyes?
It doesn’t matter now as we move, our souls joining even as his cock speeds up. Our lips meet in another kiss, and we share breath, my heart hammering in my chest as we push together. His cock lights up my body as he drives into me harder and faster. Claiming me? No, he claimed me weeks ago. Now, we’re completing each other.
“Oliver . . .” I moan as he speeds up again, his cock hammering me and his balls slapping against my ass. I claw at his neck, passion overwhelming tenderness as we kiss hard, biting his lip as he growls, his cock swelling. I feel him tremble, and with a deep groan, he comes, filling me with his warm seed.
My body reacts, and I’m coming too, squeezing and milking his cock of every last precious drop of his essence as I hold him, sobbing in joy as he stays deep inside me, holding me close as we ride out our orgasms. When I finally come down, he’s holding me tenderly, and I hear the vulnerability in his voice. “Mindy, I’m so . . .”
“I know,” I whisper in his ear, wrapping my arms around him and holding him close. “Like we said, let’s move forward.”
Now the hard work starts, but I�
�m not afraid of hard work.
Chapter 28
Mindy
I look up at the sign, pride swelling in my heart as the workers make the final adjustments to the sign. Mindy’s Corner.
“Wow, they work fast,” Brianna says, coming out of the cafe. She looks up, nodding in approval. “I’m glad you named the place after yourself.”
“Well, Oli gets to name the second floor, so I get to name the first,” I say with a smile. “And besides, I get to have the bigger sign.”
“It’s not the size of the sign that counts,” Brianna jokes. “Although it certainly doesn’t hurt.”
“We talking about signage or sausage?” I tease, and in a move that reassures me I haven’t totally lost my damn mind this past month, Brianna blushes. “Oh, come on, I’m woman enough to admit that Gavin’s probably got Oliver beat.”
“And you’re not jealous?” Brianna asks. I shake my head, and she grins. “Why’s that?”
“Simple,” I say, slinging an arm around her shoulder. “My man has a tongue that can tie and untie my apron blindfolded, and he’s definitely not lacking downstairs. Also, the fact that he can make my toes curl without making me walk like a cowboy after he takes me from behind is a plus.”
“Hey!” Brianna says, blushing. “I don’t walk like a cowboy!”
“Well, let’s just mosey on inside again then . . . cowgirl. See how the boys are doing.”
We go inside, where I see Oliver and Gavin working together on the back wall of the restaurant, and I have to laugh watching the two undeniably manly men getting salmon pink paint splattered on themselves.
“Keep that up, and I’m going to make you take off that T-shirt!” I tease Oliver, who turns and gives me a cocky grin before peeling his shirt over his head. Not to be outdone, Gavin pulls his shirt off too, and while I make Brianna a Pina colada iced frappe, we get to watch our men work. By the time the frappe’s done, I need a drink myself.
I whip myself up an iced mocha with all the shiny new equipment. Best of all is the grill downstairs. We’re going to be able to expand to a full restaurant setup when we want. In the meantime, downstairs is going to be our bakery. I’ve already taught Oliver how to make cinnamon rolls. “Hey, can I ask you a question?”
“Sure,” Brianna says, not even pausing her eye-fuck of Gavin. “If you really wanna know, yes, we did, and yes, I loved it.”
“Please,” I laugh, shaking my head before growing serious again. “Not that. Although we’re coming back to that story in a minute. Actually, I wanted to know . . . are you and Gavin really okay with my leaving the Beangal’s Den? I mean, he bought that place for me to manage.”
“Oh, don’t worry there,” Bri says, smiling. “It was really complicated, but basically, we sold the Den back to The Grand Waterways, and as payment, Gavin took an equal amount of stock value in the hotel corporation. We know you wanted your own place without worrying about complying with hotel rules.”
“Really?” I ask, and Brianna nods. “Thank you, Bri.”
“Oh, it gets better,” Oliver says, turning around. “Gavin has decided to work with me on investing. Now, he’s nowhere as rich and powerful as I am . . .”
“Unless you keep playing poker with me,” Gavin mock-growls, and I have to laugh.
Oliver laughs before turning back to me. “Anyway, Gavin’s pooling some investment money with Steele and Associates, seeing as how I know how to turn rich into super-rich. Trust me, Princess, these two are going to be sitting pretty while I’m elbow deep in flour.”
“Sounds good to me—I’ll just have to wash you up more often.”
“I knew there was a reason you decided to keep the shower in the apartment upstairs.”
Turning back to Bri with a smirk, I tell her, “Now, about that ‘yes, we did, and yes, I loved it.’ Tell me all about it.” Just as I expected, she blushes and ducks her head. Yep, still got it.
The line outside the cafe is buzzing, and I’m moved. Sure, it took a little bit of shameless self-promotion. And yes, Gavin has agreed to lend his bit of star power to the whole affair, but to see fifty people lined up when this isn’t even the official grand opening?
“Whoa,” Oliver says, looking as handsome as ever in his white dress shirt, sexy black jeans, and his apron with Mindy’s Corner stenciled over his heart. “Hope we’ve got enough cinnamon rolls.”
“I’m sure if you don’t, I’ve got something that’ll keep them entertained,” a voice from behind me says, and I turn, nearly squealing in delight as I see Roxy come up from the basement. “Hey, Sis.”
“Roxy? What the hell are you doing here?” I ask, running over and giving her a big hug. “How’d you get there?”
“Ask Mr. Sexy Pants over there,” she says, grinning. “He invited me. Said he had something I just had to see.”
I turn to Oliver, who’s grinning. “Just in time too. Where’s Brianna and Gavin?”
“Just a moment!” a muffled Bri yells from downstairs. “Dammit, you know I can’t resist these rolls, especially since I’m pregnant again!”
I chuckle, a little jealous but knowing that Bri’s earned it. Since finding out she’s pregnant again just two weeks ago, we’ve both been giddy planning for her new baby. I’m hoping for a little girl. Bri and Gavin appear a moment later up the back stairs, Gavin wearing one of his old jerseys which I’ll admit he still fills out well, while Bri’s wearing a Mindy’s Corner apron. For one day only, they’re working together again under the same roof. “Yeah, well, don’t eat all the damn profits!”
“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that,” Roxy says guiltily. “I ate one, too. Damn, if I knew you were this good, I’d never have let you leave home.”
“That was Oliver, actually,” I concede, and Roxy looks at him in amazement.
“No shit?”
“No shit,” Oliver replies. “Ruins the texture of the dough.”
“Is there anything you can’t do?”
“Well, there’s one thing,” Oliver says, “but I can fix that right now.”
I turn and my heart stops as I see Oliver get down on his knee, reaching for my hand. “Mindy, I know it’s a little fast, and it’s a hell of a lot shorter than the year you were engaged to that loser Harold, but . . . I can’t imagine a better couple of months than I’ve had right by your side, and I want to keep it going. I’ve called you Princess ever since we first met, and it was a joke at first because you acted like you were a queen. It’s not a joke anymore. Princess . . . will you let me be your prince? Will you marry me?”
He reaches into his apron pocket and pulls out the same ring that he’d given me for our fake engagement, and I gawk. “Where did you get that?”
“I had a talk with your stepfather,” Gavin says with a chuckle. “He mailed it to me. Now answer the man!”
“Yes! Of course I’m saying yes!” I gush, tears coming to my eyes as Oliver slides it back on my finger. “Oh, Oliver . . .”
Oliver stands, and I jump into his arms just as the line of people outside, attracted by what they saw through the windows, erupts into cheers. Oliver holds me tight, kissing me hard after he sets me down with a grin. “So, Princess . . .”
Roxy wipes away the tears from her eyes. “Oh, I’m so jealous of you. I mean . . . not trying to move in on yours, but I need a man!”
“It’ll happen. Probably when you least expect it,” I tell Roxy, hugging her before exchanging hugs with Bri and Gavin. “You’re going to find a man just as awesome as these two men,” I say, gesturing at Oliver and Gavin.
“Nah, luck never runs in threes. I’m gonna be lucky if I don’t end up with a loser who stalks me and tries to count my pussy hairs.”
Brianna gawks at Roxy for a second before turning to look at me. “You’re right, she is worse than you. How am I ever supposed to let my Rafe near you two?”
“Ear plugs. Good ear plugs.”
“Mom, it’s me!” Oliver hollers as we get out of his Audi. After a five-hour “sneak preview opening
,” I’m not sure if I’m ready for any more today, but I insisted on this after Oliver’s proposal. There’s no way in hell I’m meeting my soon-to-be mother-in-law at the wedding. I’m assuming I’m already going to have to meet his father that way.
“You know, she’s gonna be pissed about this,” I whisper under my breath.
“You’ll be okay,” he reassures me. “My mom is a sweetheart. Just ignore my brother and you’ll be okay.”
“You know, you didn’t have to do this,” I say as I see the front door open. “I mean, we could have taken her to dinner or something.”
“I got to meet your family right in their home. Now you get to meet mine,” Oliver says with a smirk. “Or is my princess afraid?”
“Oh, hell no,” I growl, punching him lightly in the shoulder as the screen opens and a woman who’s a little older than Mom comes out. She’s got Oliver’s hair, and while she’s not as energetic as Mom, the love in her eyes as she comes out and hugs Oliver is evident.
“Mom, you’re looking good. I’d like you to meet . . .”
The woman’s eyes go wide as she takes me in, smiling. “Is this the girl you left to go see all those weeks back?”
Oliver nods proudly, putting his arms around me. “Yes, Mom. Sorry, I know I’ve been caught up in getting the cafe open, but . . . well, Mom, this is Mindy Price. We’re getting married.”
“Oh, my God,” his mom says. “She’s beautiful. Come in, come in!”
We go inside, where I see a younger version of Oliver coming in from the back yard. “You must be Anthony.”
“Yeah,” Anthony says, looking a little shocked. “Holy shit. Oliver, you brought in a dime piece.”
“And your head is about to be a showpiece if you don’t show some respect,” Oliver growls, but before the boys can continue, their mother steps between them.
“Now, now, boys, none of that,” she says with a chuckle. “Anthony, you know better than that.”
I laugh, waving it off. “Don’t worry about me. I’ve heard far worse.”
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