“Gabriel, all this money...” I sighed. “I don’t know how I feel about it.”
“Money can be here one moment and gone the next, princess. I’m merely using it while I have it to support people with their dreams. Your friends and family deserve it.”
I hated the thought of all the money he had, but instead of throwing it on lavish vacations and expensive cars, this man had never used it for himself. I’d only see him use it for others. I had to commend him; he wasn’t like every other millionaire. He actually used his money for others.
“As happy as I am that you’re making my family's and friend's dreams come true, I can’t go back, Gabriel.”
“Actually, you can.”
I didn’t like the sound of this.
“There’s a job waiting for you in New York.”
My eyes widened; was he suggesting I work for him again? I wouldn’t do it.
“Gabriel, I already told you I don’t want to work for you. I’d feel like a damn whore.”
He growled at my statement.
“For the love of god, if you say that again, I’ll take you over my damn knee,” he said seriously. “I don’t want you in my office, princess. I want you in your own. Black Enterprises owns the entire corporate building it resides in. There was a floor used as temporary storage which has now been turned into another business.” He paused. “Your business.”
“What the hell have you done, Gabriel?” I whispered, completely shocked.
“You are now the CEO of Black Enterprises PR, handling PR exclusively for Black Enterprises and its partners. Kylie will be your business manager and Kylie’s boss, Phil, has agreed to start employment with you if you accept the position.”
Oh my god.
I was going to kill him. I was going to strangle him. I was going to… kiss him. Damn it. He’d done exactly what he said he would. Make people's dreams come true. Owning my own PR company was something I’d only dreamed of, it was what I wanted. But did I want it on the sole financial backing of Gabriel Black?
“I can’t even form words, Gabriel,” I whispered. “I can’t believe you’ve done this.”
“Princess, this isn’t about money. This is about you having what you’ve dreamed of, with my full support. You’re a damn good PR manager, Kate was just blinded by hatred towards me to actually see it.”
“I can’t take your money, Gabriel. You know how I feel about it,” I protested, moving from his embrace. “This is too much.”
“Damn it, you’re so stubborn.” He laughed. “One of the many things I love about you, but please, stop thinking about others and start thinking about yourself. You need a job, you have one. You need a place to live? I’ll buy you a fucking apartment so you’re secure. Want to visit your parents? There’s a company jet at your disposal. Want to fuck me until you see stars? I’m right here. You need to understand that I’m not going anywhere, princess. You can tell me fairy tales are for morons until the damn cows come home but we both know it's another one of your dreams. You want the fairy tale romance, the love and support of a man who really understands you. Damn it, Payton, I want to be your god damn fairy tale!”
I gasped. The passion that emanated from his voice was captivating. This was the man who’d fixed my heart when I thought it was unfixable, this was the man who’d loved me despite everything, and the man whom I’d fallen in love with. This was the man who’d ultimately crushed me with a single lie, but this was the man who I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.
“Sometimes, in the middle of every day life, a fairy tale appears. This is yours, princess. I’m your fairy tale. Stop looking for happily ever after and start looking at once upon a time.” He growled, stepping towards me. We were nose to nose, so close yet so damn far. “Marry me, princess, be my queen in our kingdom and let me show you want a real fairy tale is.”
“I… I…” I stuttered but was cut off the moment he crashed his lips to mine. A moan escaped me as a growl rumbled from within his chest.
“I’m not the villain, princess,” he said, groaning against my lips. “I love you.”
With that, he dragged his tongue along the seam of my lips and I opened for him, wanting to taste him again. Our tongues met as he caressed me with softness. The hard persona he usually wore was stripped bare. He’d exposed every side of himself to me, allowing me to see the man behind the money, the power and the dominance. The man whom I’d fallen in love with. The man who’d put every broken piece of me back together without even knowing it.
“I love you too,” I whispered against his lips, pulling back. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
A smile broke across his face, one I’d never seen before. It lit up his entire face and before I knew it, he’d grabbed me around the waist and twirled me around on the spot before kissing me fiercely.
“I love you, Mr. Black,” I whispered against him. “Don’t break my heart. It’s yours.”
“I love you too, Mrs. Black.” He smiled. “Don’t break mine. It’s yours.”
With a smirk, Gabriel released me and knelt down beside my bed, pulling a box out from underneath. I looked at him quizzically as he opened the box and tears filled my eyes as I noticed what was in there. The crystal-encrusted Louboutins I’d left behind at Alpha.
While still on one knee, he tapped my foot and pulled off the cowboy boots, replacing them both with the heels.
“How’s that for a fairy tale ending, Mrs. Black?”
I smiled, a tear falling down my cheek. “Oh, Mr. Black, it’s merely the beginning.”
“You did what?!” Quinn shrieked into the phone a couple of hours later.
Gabriel and I had celebrated our engagement by going into the living room of my parents' house to break the news to everyone. My mother burst into tears, hugging the life out of Gabriel. My father smiled and offered him whiskey and me a kiss. Kylie? Kylie bawled her damn eyes out. Of course, later that night, I had to explain Gabriel wasn’t married, he was a widower and Kate was his sister-in-law. She sent Kate an email minutes later to tell her where to stick her job.
“I said yes.” I laughed, listening to Quinn almost having a heart attack on the phone. “I also have something else to tell you.”
“If you tell me you’re pregnant, I might actually die.”
“What?! No, no, I’m not pregnant. Jesus, Quinn!”
“Then what else could there possibly be?” he asked, sounding a little confused.
“Well, maybe Gabriel should tell you,” I said, handing the phone to my future husband. Wow. Husband, so weird.
“Hey Quinn,” Gabriel spoke. “No, she’s really not pregnant.” He laughed. “But I don’t think it’ll be long until she is.” He winked at me. I smacked him in the arm.
“Anyway, the other news. You start working full-time as a hair and makeup artist at Vogue on Monday. The editor in chief’s PA will call you tomorrow for final confirmation and details.”
Gabriel’s eyes widened as he pulled the phone away from his ear, chuckling as he did. We could all hear the screams coming from the phone. Quinn was hysterical.
“I think he’s a little excited.” Gabriel chuckled, handing me the phone.
“Quinn, should I call 911?” I laughed, listening to him pretty much crying with excitement.
“Hooker, you better snag me some good products!” Kylie shouted at the phone at him, earning a look from my mother and a chuckle from my father. “Oops, sorry.”
“When are you coming home? We need to celebrate with cocktails and cheesecake!” Quinn said and I shook my head.
“We’ll be back on Monday. I’ll text you when we land.”
“Okay, honey. Love you guys!” Quinn sang.
“Love you too, sweetie.” I smiled, ending the call.
I looked around the home I’d grown up in, the one where my life was literally sitting, all except Quinn.
“You’re missing him,” Gabriel whispered into my ear.
“Yeah, I just hate that he’s not here to celebra
te with us.” I frowned, staring at my hands. It wasn’t hard to see I missed him, even though we’d only been a part for a day or so. We’d never spent that much time apart before.
“It’s a good job I flew him in when you said yes.” Gabriel chuckled as my eyes widened.
“You did what?” I shrieked, grabbing the attention of everyone in the room.
“What did he do now?” Kylie asked, a glare forming towards Gabriel.
He threw his hands up in mock surrender and chuckled.
“I just told my soon-to-be-wife that your best friend flew in this morning and is just pulling up to the house.”
For the first time, Kylie and I both squealed like girls together. Jumping from the sofa, I ran towards the front door, Kylie swiftly behind me. Opening the door, sure enough, I spotted Quinn stepping out of a lavish black Mercedes, Leo driving.
“Why is there dirt everywhere?” Quinn laughed as Leo stepped out of the car to remove his suitcase from the trunk before speeding off with a wave, kicking up some dirt from the road.
“Welcome to the South.” Kylie groaned, stepping onto the porch and embracing Quinn.
Once Kylie and I had squeezed the life out him, he clapped his hands and rubbed them together. I didn’t like the look of that.
“So we’ve got a wedding to plan! I work for Vogue now, girls, it’s time to start planning!” he squealed.
“I’m so going to regret this.” I groaned, hiding my face in my hands.
“Hey, why isn’t there a huge rock on your finger?” Quinn asked.
“I wanted Payton to pick the ring. You know as well as I do if I bought her a huge rock she’d probably kill me.” Gabriel laughed as he stepped up behind me and snaked his arms around my waist while resting his head on mine.
“Good point.”
“You know her so well,” Quinn added.
“I’m standing right here, people!” I laughed.
Four hours later and my father was sent to bed after drinking too much bourbon. Thankfully, my mother had stopped him before he started singing the Star Spangled Banner backwards, much to everyone's disappointment. We’d all decided to camp out in the living room for the night instead of going back to the hotel. I wanted to spend some more time with my parents and staying in the house sounded better than driving back to the hotel.
The building contractors had been and gone. Thankfully, they understood my parents' tastes and wanted to keep the house small but add an extra bedroom. “For the grandbabies,” my mom said. I rolled my eyes at her, Gabriel just laughed.
As most of us settled in for the night, I turned to Gabriel, who was lying down beside me on a makeshift bed on the floor.
“I can’t believe we’re going to get married,” I whispered, although whispering wasn’t really necessary considering Kylie and Quinn were passed out and snoring quite loudly on the sofas.
“Are you happy, princess?” he asked, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear.
“With you? Always.” I smiled as he kissed me gently before wrapping his arms around me as we fell asleep in a small house in a small town in the middle of Kentucky.
12 MONTHS LATER
“WELL, I DIDN’T DO IT!” Kylie yelled as she stared at the thirty vases of red roses now scattered within my office.
“Then why are you laughing?” I asked, raising my brow.
“Because whoever did is a freaking genius.” She laughed.
“We both know who’s done it, Kylie. Read the note,” I said, pushing the note which came with the delivery towards her.
She scanned the note and cringed.
“I really didn’t need to know that.”
Princess,
Thirty vases for the amount of times I’ve thought about taking you on my desk today.
I love you,
Prince G
“No one needs to know that information.” She rolled her eyes.
“You asked!” I fired back. “Anyway, do we have the mock up for the La Norte hotel opening in June?”
“Phil is just finishing up some last minute legal alterations and it’ll be ready for the hubby’s signature.” She winked.
“I wish you’d stop calling him that.” I groaned, shaking my head at my best friend.
“Stop it. You love it. Anyway, Quinn called. He’s just landed at JFK, he said he’s in need of a massage and cocktails,” she announced dramatically.
I rolled my eyes and pointed to my ever-bulging stomach. “He is fully aware that my cocktails are of the non-alcoholic kind, right?”
“I think he was thinking more towards COCKtails.” She laughed.
“Well that’s me out then.” I smirked. “I’ve got all the COCKtails I need at home, thank you very much.”
Quinn had been insisting on getting Kylie back in the game ever since Luca. Once she found out Luca knew about Gabriel’s wife, she went off the deep end and told him if he ever stepped foot within the US she’d know about it. She’d only seen him once since and I knew she missed him. They may have only been casually sleeping together but we both knew Kylie didn’t function that way: she was a happily ever after kind of girl.
“Have you heard from him?” I asked.
“Who?” she asked nonchalantly before turning on her heels and leaving my office.
She’d been hiding any remote feeling that she'd been hurt by him, but the moment his name was brought up in any conversation, she’d either steer it in another direction or leave the room.
They’d had an altercation at the wedding. Of course, Gabriel picked his brother as his best man and not long after we moved on to the reception for the party and toasts, Luca announced just how much he loved being single and able to fuck whomever he wanted. He was drunk, of course, but Kylie was hurt and Gabriel was pissed at his brother for doing it.
It was fact that Kylie and Luca were… complicated.
Quinn on the other hand, was a bubbly and fabulous as ever. In the year since he’d started working at Vogue, he’d earned a name for himself as being one of the best hair and makeup stylists within the industry, alongside some of the greats. He’d had his relationships over the last twelve months but none really stuck. Quinn was… an acquired taste.
Me? Well, twelve months on and Gabriel and I were as happy as ever. We’d married only three months after he’d proposed in my childhood bedroom at my parents' house. Quinn and Kylie had both spotted my lack of rock on my finger but when we’d gotten back to New York a couple of days later he surprised me with a shopping trip to get a ring. I sighed at the memory. He’d woken up early that morning and left a note on his pillow for when I’d woken. It said there were some clothes laid out for me and to be ready for 11am. When 11am rolled around, we were on our way to Tiffany’s and Co. to choose a ring.
I gazed at my engagement ring. It was stunning and understated. A single diamond surrounded by five smaller stones. The five stones represented the most important people in my life: my mother and father, Kylie, Quinn and, of course, Gabriel. Now twelve months on, we'd be adding another diamond for our baby girl, who would be arriving any day now.
I was just as surprised as anyone else when we found out I was pregnant. It turned out that we’d conceived on our wedding night. Gabriel’s excited and, of course, over-the-top protective but we were happy.
Black Enterprises PR was taking off. I had forty employees who were absolutely amazing at what they do. I had to learn everything there was about running a business, especially one that did exclusive PR to the multimillion dollar enterprise but Gabriel helped me every step of the way.
My office phone rang, bringing me out of my daydream, and I recognized the internal number instantly.
“Mrs. Black.”
“Fuck, that makes me hard every time,” Gabriel groaned into the phone.
“Mr. Black, you’re aware that all internal calls are logged and some are even recorded?” I laughed.
“I’m fully aware, Mrs. Black. In fact, ours are recorded just so I can torture mysel
f on a daily basis when I can’t get my hands on you.”
“Mr. Black, I do believe you will be able to put your hands on me in a couple of minutes. Patience.”
“I don’t know what patience is when it comes to you.” He paused as I laughed. “How are my girls?”
“We’re good. She’s been kicking the crap out of my bladder today, she’s feisty.” I smiled.
“I’m going to have a stroke before I’m forty. I can see it. She’s already just like you.” He groaned.
“You’re so dramatic. I think Kylie’s rubbing off on you.”
“I don’t know whether to be flattered or offended. Get your fine ass in my office, princess.”
“Yes, Mr. Black.”
“Pay, I have the final mock up for La Norte,” Kylie announced as she stepped into my office. “Want me to take it up?”
“It’s okay, sweetie. I’ll take it up, I have a meeting with Gabriel in a couple of minutes anyway.” I smiled.
“Oh, one of those meetings.”Kylie wiggled her eyebrows.
“Shut up.” I laughed.
I took my time as I made my way up to Gabriel’s office, waddling was now out in full force with the huge weight of my baby girl on my bladder. Ten minutes later, I was walking into the foyer of Gabriel’s office. Rebecca, his secretary, greeted me before opening Gabriel’s office door for me.
“Thank you, Rebecca.” I smiled.
“You’re welcome, Mrs. Black.”
I stepped into Gabriel’s office to find him with his head in his laptop and his hands-free in his ear. I stopped in the threshold, watching my husband doing what he did best. It was sexy and I was now the one becoming impatient to get my hands on him.
The moment the door closed behind me, his head snapped up in my direction and a sinful smirk spread across his face.
“John, I’ll have to call you back.” He smiled as he spoke to my father. It seemed they got on like a house on fire. “Yeah, I’ll let you know if anything happens. Okay, bye.”
Once Upon A Time Page 23