by SJ McCoy
She nodded, but her eyes were troubled. “But I don't want you to make any sacrifices to be with me.”
“Like I said. If we're in it together, it's no sacrifice. It's what I want, so I'm not giving anything up. I'm gaining everything. I just need to know I'm important to you. With everything that happened, I ended up feeling like I wasn't important to anyone. I wasn't important to Anabel. She didn't want me, she wanted the package, the status, the influence that would come from our being together. When it all went to shit, I felt like my family didn't want me, that they had only wanted the son who would help make Hamilton Groves a reality and who....”
“What did you just say?”
“I felt like they didn't really want...Laura, what...?”
Her face had gone pale. “You said Hamilton Groves? Meaning wine? Meaning one of the largest producers and distributors in the country?
Oh, shit! He'd done more talking these last few weeks about his past and his background than he had done in years. He was getting used to the idea that he didn't need to hide who he was. What he'd forgotten was that he hadn't told Laura yet. He'd told Ben, but not Laura. “Yeah.” He hugged her to him. “I told you I came from money? I told you I grew up in Napa? I didn't think the particular family made much difference.” Apparently it did.
She was staring at him. “Anabel Groves?”
He nodded. “You know her?”
“I made her engagement ring.”
He couldn't help the bitter laugh. “She's found another poor sucker then? I wonder if she told him she's pregnant.”
Laura's eyes were huge now. “Is that what she did to you?”
He nodded. “It was a lie, though.”
“Was everything else lies, too?”
“I don't know. What everything else are you talking about?”
“She told me that she'd been engaged once, a long time ago. That her fiancé had hit her for talking to another guy. That he'd beat the guy up and put him in hospital. That he made his family threaten to ruin her family if she went public with the truth. That her fiancé had gone to jail for what he did, but his family said he was in rehab. I just never made the connection that you were that Hamilton.”
Jesus! Anabel was still telling people that? He looked at Laura—and she believed it? His heart refused to beat, if she could believe that of him, what was the point? “You tell me, Laura. Do you think that's the truth?”
She shook her head. “Not of the man I know. I can see you beating the guy up if they were sleeping together. But, you? Smoke—and certainly not the Cole I've seen, hit a woman? Never. I don't know who you used to be and I don't know about your family, but I do know you. You're not capable of that.”
His heart restarted with a loud thud. He blew out a big sigh of relief. “Thank you. You're right. I did beat the crap out of the guy, and I'm not proud of that. I guess that fueled my jealous, possessive streak. I was sacrificing so much to try to make that woman happy, and she was using him to taunt me that I just wasn't good enough.”
Laura wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. “I'm sorry. It just shocked me. I had no idea. Is that why it was such a big deal when you told me your name?”
He nodded. “Kind of. I figured if you knew the name we could talk about it. But it was more important than that. Smoke is the part of me that the world sees.” He gave her an apologetic smile, but he needed to say it. “The guy that women want to sleep with. Before I made love to you I needed you to know....I'm not going to say ‘the real me,’ cos Smoke is real. I needed you to know the rest of me. Cole is the part of me who felt rejected and betrayed, the part of me that, as a result, trusts no-one and stays hidden, stays safe. Telling you my name was my way of letting you in. My way of letting you know that I trust you.”
She hugged him even tighter. “Thank you. That means the world to me.”
He hugged her back. “You mean the world to me, lady. It's good to do this, to get it all out. We need to. So what else?”
“You don't have to go there if you don't want to, but...well, since we're being honest. This one is kind of huge for me. What's the deal with your family? You know my story with Dale. The thought of your family just being who they are terrifies me. Then the whole business with Anabel? What was the real story?”
Smoke didn't want to talk about it. It was too painful, but he understood why she needed to hear it. “My parents are good people. I didn't believe that for a long time, but they did what they did because they loved me, and they thought they knew what was best for me. They made some choices that they now acknowledge were poor ones. They took their business where they wanted it to go—and lost their son in the process. We're getting closer again now. In fact...how would you feel about going with me to see them?”
She looked terrified.
“I'd like you to meet them, Laura, but no pressure. We could do a real quick visit next weekend, on the way to the fundraiser? Real quick, like half an hour. I'll pick you up in Papa Charlie, we'll stop at their house and then go on to LA. What do you say?”
“I don't know, Smoke. There's no hurry, is there? I'd like some time to think about it.”
“If you don't want to, we don't have to. But the more you think about it, the more scary it will be. You'll blow it up in your mind and relate it back to your ex's family. That's why I want to do it so soon. Get it over with, and do it in one quick visit.”
She smiled at him. “You're right.”
He grinned at her and swaggered his shoulders. “Of course I am! When have I ever been wrong?”
She laughed. “There goes that ego again.”
“And why wouldn't it? The most gorgeous lady in the world just told me that she loves me. This ego is going to be flying high on that one for a long time.”
***
Laura touched the flowers that sat on her desk and smiled. She re-read the note that had been delivered with them.
Birds of Paradise.
They remind me of you.
I love you, lady.
Cole xxx
Once he'd finally managed to say those three little words, it seemed like the floodgates had opened. These flowers had been waiting for her at the store this morning. Yesterday it had been a bunch of balloons at her apartment, a dozen airplanes and a dozen hearts with I love you written on them.
He'd brought her back to San Francisco on Monday morning so that she could start getting everything ready to sell the store. He had a busy week himself, flying Jack and Pete to some big meeting down in San Diego. He was hoping to be back by Friday night and come stay with her. Then they would go to the fundraiser on Saturday night—after stopping in to meet his parents. She shuddered at the thought. For all his reassurance that it would be a quick—literally a flying visit—and that his parents were good people, she was nervous about it. Dale's family had been good people too, but she hadn't been able to survive them, she'd had to escape. She had often wondered if they would still be together if it weren't for the pressure that came with his name. She was glad they weren't, or she would never have met Smoke. But now it seemed he came from a family that might bring even more pressure.
Her phone rang, startling her from her thoughts.
“Laura Benson.”
“Good afternoon, Laura, or sorry, it will be morning with you, won't it?”
“Oh, hi Colin, yes. Good morning. How are you?”
“I'm very well indeed, thank you. I'm rather excited to tell you that we've had our first inquiry about your designs.”
“You have?” Wow! She didn't even think they'd made it public yet. “Who from? What are they looking for?”
“It's a gentleman looking for an engagement ring. I thought you'd be pleased about that, as they seem to be your signature piece.”
“Yeah, they do.” She felt a little deflated. She'd hoped to start out with something else. She didn't want to become known for only doing engagement rings. She'd been hoping this line might help broaden her appeal, not lock her down.
&nbs
p; “Father would like you to come here to work on it. I'm sure it won't give you enough time to make the move, but you can start looking at housing whilst you're here.” She frowned. “What won't give me enough time? When are you talking about me being there?”
“The fifteenth. All of our designers come together for a monthly meet up. You can meet everyone and get down to work on your first Levy exclusive. What do you think?”
“The fifteenth is next Saturday?”
“Yes, that's right. We like to do it on the weekend. Keep it relaxed and informal, so that all you creative types can flow and not feel inhibited.”
Laura bit her lip. “Okay, I'll be there. I'm really not sure about making the move though, Colin. Not to live there.”
“Let's call this another reconnaissance visit then, shall we? I know it's short notice, but I'm sure once you meet everyone, we’ll be able to persuade you.”
Laura was pretty sure that they wouldn't. She was happy to fly back and forth as much as she needed to, but she wanted to spend as much time as she could in Summer Lake—with Smoke. “Do you see a move as necessary?” she asked.
“No, no, no! Not necessary, simply desirable. And there's no need to decide now. We can discuss it further next week. I'll have Ava call you to make travel arrangements.”
“Thanks, Colin. I'll see you next week, then.”
“And I shall very much look forward to it, Laura. Bye.”
She hung up and stared out of the window. It could work, she knew it could. She didn't want to be greedy—but she wanted it all. She wanted her work, wanted to travel, wanted to be respected for her skills, and most of all she wanted Smoke.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Smoke's throat felt like it was lined with sandpaper as he took in the silky turquoise, full length evening gown. Laura’s long dark hair fell soft and silky around her shoulders. She was almost eye-to-eye with him in another pair of sexy heels. Maybe later he'd have her leave them on, when he took everything else off her. He'd hated not being able to get back ’til this afternoon and having to ask her to meet him at the airport and be ready to go straight to the fundraiser dinner. Seeing her at the FBO looking like this made it worth it, though.
“Hey, gorgeous!” He meant it more than ever. Abso-fucking-lutely gorgeous, didn't even come close to describing way she looked.
“Who are you calling gorgeous, gorgeous?” Her eyes where shining with laughter, and something that looked a lot like lust.
“You,” he said as his arm snaked around her waist and drew her to him. “The most gorgeous lady in the world.” He brushed his lips over hers gently, Not wanting to mess up the juicy red gloss that was giving him all kinds of ideas about where he would like lipstick stains.
She cupped her hands around the back of his neck, his own hands instinctively closed around her waist.
“Why thank you, Captain Hamilton. I have to say that you are the most gorgeous guy in the world. I need to get you into a tux more often.”
He rubbed his hips against her with his most wicked smile. “It's you getting me out of the tux that I'm looking forward to, lady.”
He felt her body soften against him, her hands tighten on the back of his neck. Damn! “If we don't go now, we're not going to make it.”
“I thought we had plenty time of time?”
“I'm not talking about time, I'm talking about need. You look so hot in that dress, I need to get you out of it. You are making me so damned hard, that I may not be able to fly the plane. And,” he cupped her ass and pressed himself against her, “your knees are going weak...aren't they?” He loved the little pink stains on her cheeks as she clung to him.
“Yes, they are. We could always skip visiting your parents? I'm sure they'd understand, since you only just got back from San Diego. Then we can go straight to LA. Check in to our room early?”
Now that was tempting, but no. “If we go now can we still do both.”
He didn't miss the disappointment in her eyes. “I really want you to meet them, Laura. We'll make it real quick. And then we'll go check in.” He held her gaze. “Make sure they gave us a good bed before we go down to the dinner. No one will care if we arrive a little late.” The things she was doing to him. Had he really just said it was okay if they arrived late? He didn't do late. For anything. He'd be quite happy to tonight though.
She bit her shiny, bright red lip. If she didn't stop doing that they wouldn't make it past the back of the plane! He took her hand. “Come on. Let's go do this.”
***
He looked across at her as he taxied off the runway. She looked terrified again.
“You have a runway in your back yard?”
He nodded. “They have the space. It makes sense, with the business, for them to be able to come and go from here.”
She nodded but said nothing.
“It'll be okay, lady.” He reached across and squeezed her hand. “You'll like them.”
“But what if they don't like me, Smoke?”
“They will adore you! How could they not?”
“I don't know, but what if they hate me?”
He'd pulled the plane around onto the ramp and shut the engines down. “They couldn't hate you. And if they did, then we'd leave and never come back. You are more important to me than they are!”
“Smoke, you mustn't say that!”
“It's true, Laura. You are. Yes, I love them, they're my parents. But you are the woman I love. In the short time I've known you, you have shown me the love, respect and trust that they didn't. If it ever came to making a choice, I'd choose you. But it won't, because they will love you.”
Before he unlocked the door, he turned back to her. “Are you ready for this, lady?” He loved that she gave him a brave smile even though she was obviously terrified. He let the steps down and stood beside her. “Don't worry, I'll hold your hand the whole time.”
***
Laura smiled as she shook hands with Mr. Hamilton.
“You have no idea what a pleasure it is to meet you, young lady.”
“Thank you. You too.” He seemed nice enough, and genuinely pleased to meet her. She would never have guessed he was Smoke's father. He had sandy hair, was dressed very formally for a Saturday afternoon, and had a very stiff air about him, but he had kind eyes.
She turned to Mrs. Hamilton, who was smiling at her warmly. “Thank you so much for coming, Laura. It means so much to us.” Laura liked her immediately. There was no mistaking where Smoke got his looks from; he was his mother's son. Her gray eyes twinkled as she smiled. Her hair was black, with deep streaks of gray. “I know you can't stay long, but I wondered if I could borrow you for just a few minutes?”
Smoke squeezed her hand which, true to his word, he hadn't let go of yet. She looked up at him and loved him even more. He was letting her know she didn't have to if she didn't want to. She gave him a tiny nod and let go of his hand. “Of course.”
Mrs. Hamilton took her arm and led her away. “I won't keep you, darling. I just had to get you alone for a little girl talk.”
Laura looked at her, wondering what was coming. In Dale's family the women had 'girl talks' to strategize and scheme about how to advance their husband's careers and social standing. Her stomach tied itself in a knot. She couldn't stand any more of that. “What kind of girl talk, Mrs. Hamilton?”
They were walking into a formal flower garden behind the house. Although house was far too small a word for the grand Hamilton residence. Laura looked back to where Smoke and his father still stood, talking next to the plane. His stance said he was ready to come rescue her as soon as she gave the signal. She gave him a reassuring smile. She could handle this.
“Do call me Madeleine.” The older woman smiled. “And don't worry, I'm not an interfering old witch, at least not any more. I learned that lesson the hard way. I simply want you to know that whatever happened in the past, whatever mistakes we made as parents, we love Cole. We only want him to be happy. It seems that you make him happy.
I wanted you to know that you have our support. I don't imagine he will want us to be a very big part of your lives, and while that saddens me, I do understand. Please know though, that if ever you want us, or need us for anything, we'll be here for you.” She handed Laura her card. “Please know you can call me if ever you want to.”
“Thank you.” Laura wasn't sure what to say. That was an awful lot to take in for a first conversation. Madeleine was laying it all on the line. Laura decided to do the same. “I know he does love you. And I know he's making some changes right now. He's told me that he's getting closer to you again and that he likes it.”
Madeleine's eyes filled with tears. She wrapped her arms around Laura. “Thank you. Thank you so much. I wasn't fishing for information, I hope you know that. But you've made me so happy by confirming what I'd hoped was happening.”
“You're welcome. Smoke...Cole and I haven't been together long. But I do know he loves you. I don't know everything that happened in the past, but do I know he wants to leave it all behind.”
Little furrows appeared on Madeleine's brow, just like her son's. “You don't know the whole story?”
“No. We've talked as much as we need to.” Laura didn't like how worried Madeleine looked.
“I hope you don't hate us when you do.”
“Cole doesn't hate you. I don't see why I would. We've all made mistakes in life. What matters is what we learn, and who we become from them.”
Madeleine smiled. “I can see why he loves you. Can I offer you one piece of advice?”
Laura nodded.
“Always let him know that you trust him. Of all the damage we did to him, making him feel that we didn't trust him was what hurt him the most.” She shook her head sadly. “Because we didn't, and we should have. I've noticed when he's visited these last few months, he's always testing out whether we trust him. It's still an issue for him. He doesn't trust many people himself. He doesn't trust us yet, understandably, but I can see that he trusts you. Please, don't ever break that trust?”