“What’s going on?” Valentina appeared on the other side of the door. “Why is she here?”
Just my fucking luck. Bridget snaked her arms around my neck tighter. Jesus Christ. “Enough, Bridget.” I squeezed her wrists until she let me go. The second I released her, she went after Mom.
Valentina stepped in front of Mom to block Bridget. “You lost.” For someone with a gambling addiction, those words had to hurt. “I don’t care why you’re here. But I’m glad you are because now I can remind you that if we change our minds, you can go straight to jail.”
Out of surprise or sheer fear, Bridget shuffled back, staring at Valentina as if this were the first time she’d seen her.
“Leave now, or I will call Dom and ask him to dig up all the evidence he has on you.” Valentina held the door open.
I followed close behind Bridget to where the guards waited for me. “The next time she shows up, don’t bother calling the house. Call the police.”
“Yes, sir.” The guard ushered a very dumbfounded Bridget to the SUV.
Why did she think Mom was the reason I’d finally wised up and decided I didn’t owe her a goddamn thing? My debt to Bridget was settled when I paid off her commitment to the loan shark she got entangled with a year ago and when I chose to let her walk away free after I found out she’d embezzled money from my company.
I shut the door behind me and turned to face Valentina. “I’m sorry. Dom called to let me know she might try something like this. I didn’t have time to warn the guards.”
“I’ve never seen her like that. What was that about?”
“The usual. Money.” I rubbed the side of my face.
“Thank you.” Mom hugged her.
To my surprise, Valentina smiled at Mom. She glanced at me for a beat, then turned her attention back to Mom.
“I want Derek to hear this so there’s no more confusion. It seems since we got here, we’ve only communicated in half sentences.”
I opened my mouth to speak but said nothing. We had to stop being afraid of telling the truth. My heartbeat spiked. I could handle Bridget all day, but not Valentina telling everyone she didn’t want to be here.
“I don’t want this house. You’ve worked so hard to make it what it is. It wouldn’t be fair for me to scoop in and take it away from you.”
“Please don’t even say that. I did it with pleasure. This house belongs to you and Derek.”
Mom’s eyes welled up with tears. She was giving up the place where her children grew up, for me. To make me happy.
“I asked your mom to move in.” Valentina let out a breath. “I thought if she’s here, we could visit. For more than a month next time. And as many times as you’d like. I know you want to be here.”
“I’ll leave the two of you to have your talk.” Mom cupped Valentina’s cheek. “Thank you.”
When Mom left through the kitchen, Valentina met my gaze. “Talk to her. Then come find me in the gardens. We have a talk that’s long overdue.”
I stood there like an idiot and watched her leave. Zack bit into his sandwich and patted me on the back. “I swear this only happens to you. You just stand there with your pretty face and things magically work out for you. You lucky bastard.”
“How long have you been standing there?”
“Since Valentina stood up to Bridget. Good for her.” He bit into his sandwich, then frowned. “Why are you still here? Go talk to her. Make the sale. Or whatever you say when you’re about to win.”
“Seal the deal.”
“There you go. About time too. I was tired of seeing both your sad faces all over the grounds.”
I headed out, feeling energized, as if I’d slept a full ten hours. Valentina had a way of breathing life into me like that. Out on the patio deck, I found Mom sitting by herself. I let out a breath. This conversation was way overdue too. With one quick glance toward the gardens, I sat next to her.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
I was hoping she’d say “There’s nothing to be sorry about.” But that wasn’t the truth. “I’m sorry I’ve had my head so far up my you-know-what, I left you alone. I’ve been so focused on making money, being successful, I let my relationships fail. I miss you, Mom.”
She covered her face with her hands and sobbed. “I missed you too. I know I can be stubborn. My only fear was that you’d think it was too late to say I’m sorry. I’m sorry too.”
I reached out for her hand. “You have nothing to be sorry about.”
She nodded. “I should’ve been more supportive of your little project.”
When I’d told her about my business plan, she’d called it a ‘little project,’ something I could work on the side on weekends in her garage. Yeah, that thorn had stayed with me over the years. Proving her wrong became my main drive for everything I did, every decision, every contract.
“Your father and I fought so many times over this. I knew I was in the wrong.”
“So that’s where I get it from?” I stood.
Mom did too and wrapped her arms around me. “Possibly. I don’t know. Your dad isn’t the saint y’all think.” She hugged me tighter. “Now Valentina, she’s the real saint here. I’m sorry I was so rude to her these past two days. It’s just that after your whole debacle with Bridget, I assumed you were rushing into it again without thinking.”
I chuckled. “In my defense, I did think about what I was doing with Bridget. I have to admit my reasoning was all fucked up. I thought it made sense to have my company, my wife, all in one neat little package. We worked well together.”
“She deserved a work promotion, not a wedding ring.”
“I know that now, Mom. Things are different with Valentina. She has a way to make me find my center.”
She smiled at her hands. “I know what you mean. Your dad has always been my compass.”
“If Grams had asked you to wait to marry Dad, would you have waited?”
“Oh, hell no.” She laughed. “I wanted to marry your dad before he realized he was making a mistake.”
“I know the feeling.”
“I’m glad to have you back. Now go talk to Valentina. The engagement party is in three weeks. I’m not calling all our friends to cancel.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
She nodded and nudged me toward the stone steps that led to the gardens. My hands shook as I ventured out to look for Valentina. This buzz inside me, I only felt it with her. I turned the bend and spotted the edge of her silver dress. I adjusted my gait to catch up to her. Ana had said Valentina had taken to strolling through the woods. This place was growing on her. When she heard my steps, she turned to face me.
“You’re not leaving me?”
She exhaled and shook her head. When I moved toward her, she put up her hand. “No. No touching. I can’t think when you do that. I need to know that you understand my expectations.”
“I’ll do anything. You know that.”
“You keep saying that. But you doing what I want isn’t a marriage. I want you to be happy with me. If you just do what I say, you’ll be miserable in a month.”
“Did you mean it? What you said to Mom?” I’d been so afraid to lose her I hadn’t considered all the options. “Because I think that could work for us. I don’t know why I thought of it as an all-or-nothing kind of thing.”
“To tell you the truth, I only thought of it a few minutes ago. So simple, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s simple, but it won’t be easy. We’ll have to really work on our schedules and Max’s.” She beamed at me.
“You already made a list, didn’t you?”
“Yes.” Something inside my chest tightened when her dimple appeared on the side of her mouth. “I know you want to give the house to your mom.”
“I was going to tell you that. But then our conversation went in a different direction, and after that I saw no point in it. I thought you were…leaving me.” I sounded like an idiot every time I said th
e words.
“I want you to know I would’ve agreed to that immediately. Don’t be afraid to make me mad. You drive me insane when you do that. What’s the point?” She laughed, shoving a thick curl away from her face.
In trying to make our relationship, our lives together perfect, I’d made a real mess of things. She was right. What was the point of anything if we couldn’t be together? If we couldn’t sleep in the same bed? “No more secrets. Can I kiss you now?”
Her cheeks turned pink as she nodded. I cupped her face and kissed her hard. Jesus, being away from her was hell every goddamn time. I walked her back until I had her pinned against a tree trunk. I tangled my tongue with hers as she untucked my shirt to run her hands up my chest. Her fingers felt cool against my hot skin.
“I missed you.” She gripped my wrist and slid it down between her legs.
“Me too. I need you.” I pulled her skirt up and kneaded her mound. Wet seeped through her underwear. Jesus, she was ready for me. “Let’s go back upstairs. I need to be inside you.”
“No.” She flashed me a wicked smile.
I pressed my hips against her, scanning the area in front of me and then behind us. “Ask me,” I whispered in her ear, and she shivered, biting her bottom lip.
“I want to do it here. I don’t want to wait. If we go back to the house, someone will find a way to stop us.” She stared at me with bright eyes, waiting for me to say yes. When had I ever said no to her?
Her body trembled with raw energy while my gaze roamed all of her. Her breasts trapped under that dress, her thighs under her skirt squeezing me. Her plump outer lips gave me all kind of ideas. I reached farther down with my fingers.
“Yes.” She gripped my bicep.
“Where should I start? Here?” I kissed her neck and along the neckline of her dress. Her hips writhed against my palm. I sucked on her nipples over the fabric, while she freed my cock. Fuck. “I need to hear you say what you want,” I whispered on her lips.
“Kiss me.”
“Where?”
“Please.” She gripped my shirt with both hands and squeezed her eyes shut.
“Look at me.” I titled her chin up. Our gazes locked.
A slight breeze rushed between us before she whispered “Touch me now.”
13
Not Everything Is a Puzzle for You to Solve
Valentina
Cool droplets of water sprayed my face and streamed over my lips. The tree leaves high over our heads swayed in the wind as gray clouds swooped in to block the sun. I pressed my back against the rough bark for support and waited for Derek to give me relief. This life with him was like a drug to me. It was why I couldn’t get myself to leave last night. Why I lay in bed hoping he’d walk in through the threshold and tell me it was all a misunderstanding. That he wanted to be in Tucson always.
I had to reconcile myself to the idea that this place was his home. The people here were his family. If I wanted a life with him, I had to learn to embrace all of it. I’d been too naive before to think we could stay in our little bubble up in the mountains.
Derek pressed his face on my skirt right over my core to build my anticipation as he removed my underwear and stuffed it into the pocket of his jeans. I’d been embarrassed to tell him what I wanted from him. As usual, he liked pushing me to the limit, urging me to fight for what I wanted, letting me know I deserved all of this.
He lifted the skirt of my dress. I gripped his shoulder and met his blue gaze. He parted his lips and kissed my clit. Soft at first until I relaxed against his mouth and let go of his shirt. A year ago, if someone had told me I’d end up in Atlanta, in the middle of the woods, having sex with an incredibly gorgeous man who loved me, I would have said they were out of their minds.
“Derek.” I whispered his name over and over as my need mounted. Every pass he made along my slit with his tongue, his lips, and his finger, I inched closer to the edge.
“You can have more of that later, but right now, I need to be inside you.”
When I opened my eyes, his mouth captured mine as he gripped my hip. His tongue tangled with mine with the same rhythm he’d used on my bud. It was such a turn-on. I wrapped my leg around him, and he entered me.
“Fuck. You feel so good. I missed this. I miss waking up next to you.”
“Me too.” I ran my hands up his abs and chest. His body felt harder. “I hate being away from you.”
With a hand braced on the the tree trunk for support, he thrust into me while his arm held my waist tight. A gentle mist lingered around us and pooled on my skin. Derek licked tiny droplets off my neck and shoulder, moving the spaghetti straps of my dress out of the way as he made his way down to my breast. My nipples ached for him so badly. Somewhere far away from us, thunder rolled right before lightning cracked across the sky beyond the treetops.
“We have to go.” He panted in between breaths on my temple.
I shook my head and grabbed a fistful of his shirt. “No. I need to finish.”
“Do you think I could say no to that?”
He slid a thumb across my lips, then pumped hard, exactly where I needed him. After several beats, everything spiraled out of focus. The heat inside me spread and spread until I couldn’t hold it anymore. My orgasm rippled through me in waves, warm and so intense.
“I could watch you come all day,” he whispered in my ear. His words became a soft moan before he gripped my ass and found his own release.
I let my head fall against the tree trunk. A giggle escaped my lips as gravity grounded me again. “I’ve never that done before.”
“Rainwater tastes so good on your skin.”
The storm that had been looming over us finally moved in and dropped a torrent on our heads. With a yelp, I fixed my dress and bolted toward the house. Derek took my hand and pulled me up the stone steps and onto the patio deck. Inside the house, we were greeted by the cold chill of the air conditioner. I hugged myself and followed Derek up to our room. I sighed a sigh of relief, our room.
As soon as he closed the door, he pulled me into his arms and kissed me. The dress pooled around my feet. Derek took off his wet clothes and left them in a pile next to mine.
“We need a hot shower.” He chuckled.
My skin flushed under his gaze, and heat swirled at my core all over again. Omigod.
The master bathroom was done in gray and white tones. I shivered when my feet touched the cold marble floors. Rain pelted on the tall windows framed in wood painted a bright, cheery white. A huge canvas hung on the far end wall. It was a painting of a little boy on a tree swing. The contrast of light and dark was mesmerizing.
Derek pulled the lever next to the claw-foot bathtub. The muscles on his back dipped and strained as he added body wash and salts to the steaming water. I stood there in awe of his body, those slim hips and round butt cheeks. I joined him by the tub and ran my hands up his thighs. He stopped what he was doing and let me touch him everywhere while I kissed his back.
“Get in.” He grabbed my elbow and helped me climb in.
The hot water prickled my cool skin, but it felt good not to be cold anymore. Derek sat behind me and pulled me toward him. He was so tall he barely fit. I rested my head on his shoulder, drawing long circles on his chest and abs. If our lives could be like this every day, everything would be so easy. But when has anything worth having been easy?
“I could get used to this.”
“Me too.” He kissed my temple. “I was so afraid I’d lost you.”
“I needed time to figure things out. It hurt me to be away from you.”
“It hurt me too. I was an idiot for thinking that merging our lives would be a quick snap of the fingers. I should’ve told you how I felt from the beginning. I guess deep down I’d hoped that you’d be so impressed with this house you’d want to move here immediately. I was selfish.”
“Don’t say that. You have every right to want to be home. I’m willing to try.”
“That’s all I ask.” He ki
ssed me. “We should stay here for a few days. I’m sure everyone will understand.”
“I’d like that.” The rain stopped beating on the windows. In a matter of seconds, the room turned bright with sunrays slanting across the tile. “Oh crap.”
“What is it?” Derek peered down on me with a deep scowl between his eyebrows.
“I promised Anabelle I’d go shopping with her in the morning. She needs a dress for the engagement party.”
“No. Tell her something came up.” He cupped my breast.
“I can’t. She needs my help.”
“Oh no. You’re doing it again, aren’t you?” He sat up to properly stare me down.
“Doing what again? I’m just helping her find a dress that shows off her good features.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Yeah. Like when you drove two hours to help Dom’s girlfriend escape? And then hijacked my private plane to send her cross-country to go look for him?”
“Everything is going to sound bad when you say it in that tone. You were there. Emilia and I were perfectly safe.”
“I wasn’t there. More like I found out about what you had done, showed up at the hangar, and you had no choice but to tell me what you were planning.”
The tiny wrinkles around his eyes told me he wasn’t mad at me anymore. But he’d been worried sick for me that day. What was I supposed to do? Emilia called Derek as a last resort. She was being held against her will. Even if her mom and Dom thought it was for her own good, it hadn’t been the right thing to do. I’d do it all over again if it meant for them to find happiness together like they did.
“You weren’t going to do anything,” I said.
“That’s because Dom didn’t want me to.”
“Both of you were wrong, and you know it.”
“Yeah, okay. He was being an ass.”
I giggled. “This time it’s just shopping. I promise. Anabelle wants everyone to see her as the grown woman she is. She’s been a great friend since I got here. Don’t think your mom changed her mind about me just because. Anabelle had a long talk with her. Believe me, it wasn’t easy for her.”
Unravel You: A Hot Billionaire Romance (Cole Brothers Series Book 1) Page 12