“Of course, sir.”
I pulled my phone out and sent a text message to Colleen. I needed her to wait for me. Because together, we’d tackle this day. There was too much to do to help her feel comfortable in her new life for me to be gallivanting around town looking for fucking warehouse sites.
That shit could hold off for a day or two.
I felt confident as I stepped out of the car. I walked my ass right back into the brownstone and found Colleen waiting for me at the top of the steps. I grinned as I held my hand out for her. She walked down to me, clicking in her black heels. Damn it, I loved those things on her. I needed to get her a pair in every color and with every kind of bow on the backs of them. She slipped her hand into mine before I threaded her arm with my own. And as Thoman pulled away with Declan’s driver, I walked us out to my driver. To my car.
All the way around to his driver’s side window.
“Ready to go, sir?” the driver asked.
“Actually, we’re going to be taking my car today. Take the day off,” I said.
“Wait, we are?” Colleen asked.
“Thank you, sir. Should you need me, though, I’ll have my phone on me.”
“I know you will,” I said.
I watched my driver ease away from the brownstone and head down the road. Then, I escorted Colleen over to the small detached garage this place afforded me. I typed in the keycode on the pad I had installed. And when the door started to rise, my grin spread into a smile.
“I didn’t even know you owed a car of your own,” Colleen said.
I chuckled. “It’s my pride and joy. I don’t take her out much. But when I do? It’s always a good time.”
“She got a name?”
My eyes fell onto the expanse of my blacked-out Lamborghini. Black interior, with red lights that would shine the second I cranked it up. I walked over to the hook on the side wall and plucked the keys off it. I tossed them up into the air before my eyes fell to Colleen. She had her head cocked. An odd expression on her face. And as her brow continued to furrow, it gave me pause.
“What is it?” I asked.
She shook her head. “I don’t know. You just look… different.”
“How so?”
She shrugged. “I’ve just never seen you smile. I mean, since—well—you know.”
She waved her hand around in the air and I understood what she meant.
“Today, plans have changed. There’s no work. There’s only looking toward the future.”
She walked over to the car. “Wedding planning day?”
I unlocked the car. “Nope. First, we’re going shopping for you.”
“For me?”
I opened my car door. “Mhm. You need a drug store, then a clothing store.”
“Could we go to a bookstore, too?”
Her voice was so light. So hesitant. As if she was scared I’d turn down the one thing I knew she still loved in this life.
“Sure. I’m sure you could use a few to add to your library downstairs.”
She giggled. “That sounds—wait. Library? Downstairs?”
I chuckled. “Get in, beautiful.”
She quickly opened the door. “Is that what you’ve been doing down there all this time? Hauling boxes and stuff like that?”
I cranked the beautiful engine. “I guess you’ll have to find out when we get back, won’t you?”
Her laughter filled the space between us, and it clenched my heart. It gave me hope that, maybe one day, she wouldn't see me as the monster she feared me to be. I eased Ebony out of the garage and set my sights on the nearest drug store. No more of this “borrowing my stuff” shit. She needed stuff of her own. She needed her own drawers and her own spaces for her clothes and her own personal belongings.
Because if we were going to get married, this needed to feel like a shared space. Not a space owned and dictated by me.
I wanted her happy. Not enslaved.
“So, are we going to talk while we shop?”
I followed Colleen down the aisle of shampoos and conditioners.
“We can. If there’s something on your mind.”
She plucked something off the shelf. “Have you thought about where we might live after we’re...you know.”
“Married?”
She nodded. “Yes. That.”
“I haven’t given it much thought, no. I assume that once things are stable here, I’ll head back to Ireland. Where you’ll accompany me. We can find a permanent place there.”
“Mhm. But, well. Declan’s taken the Callaghan throne, right?”
“He has.”
“So, you’ll be needed here in Chicago at least sometimes, right?”
I sighed. “Probably more than I hope to be utilized.”
“That means you’ll still need a place here. And forgive me if I’m reading into things, but it doesn’t really seem like you enjoy the brownstone all that much.”
I grinned. “Intuitive. You always were.”
She snickered. “Intuition is how I survived my father. It’s tuned very well I’d like to think.”
“I take it this is something you’ve been thinking about. So, why don’t you give me your ideas and we can go from there?”
We started down the body wash aisle. “Well, we could stay in the brownstone. That would be the most convenient. But don’t you want your own place? At least away from your family a bit? I get being clumped together for safety and business purposes. But you don’t just want your own little slice of heaven in the woods? Or the countryside? Or something?”
“Is that something you want for your future?”
“I’m just asking you. I don’t know what my future holds. That’s up for you to decide.”
“Colleen, look at me.”
Her eyes fluttered up to mine. “Yes?”
“Whether it feels like this or not, you have just as much say in your future as I do. Okay?”
She paused. “I’ll try to remember that.”
“Good. Now. If you had a choice. And be honest with me.”
She smiled. “I will. I promise.”
I grinned. “All right. A house in the woods? Or a house in the countryside?”
“Countryside, with woods around us. Without a shadow of a doubt.”
I nodded. “I’m not too familiar with the real estate landscape outside of Chicago’s city limits. But there might be some land available for sale where we could plant roots. Build our own place.”
“Wait, build our own home? Just like that?”
I shrugged. “Why not? We’ll have the land. We might as well make it a fortress to be remembered.”
She gasped. “Can we have a sauna? Oh, I love a good sauna. Wet or dry. Doesn’t matter. I can get a job to help pay for it. We can put it—”
I chuckled. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down. Let me clarify a few things first.”
“Sorry. I got ahead of myself.”
My hands fell against her shoulders. “I’m glad you’re excited about this. I just want to clear something up.”
“Okay.”
“Under no circumstances are you ever getting a job. Unless you want one. Is that clear?”
She nodded. “Crystal.”
I cupped her cheek. “Good. Now, let’s get the rest of your stuff and go check out. We still have clothes shopping to do for you.”
I found out so many things with her that day. Like the style of clothes she enjoyed wearing around the house. And the kind of dresses she enjoyed wearing. I figured out her favorite color, which was green. I figured out her bra size, which was a 32 DD. I figured out her favorite foods and her one dream place she wanted to vacation. I even figured out a fantasy of hers. A fantasy I was more than willing to fulfill.
Sex, in the back of a car.
I figured out that she really loved that.
I also figured out that she had a knack for laying out properties. We drove past the city limits and found ourselves in the wooded countryside, taking a look at all
of the land out there for sale. Farming fields that had been abandoned. Wooded acres for miles. We stumbled upon a beautiful plot of land that actually had a “for sale” sign in front of it. Twenty-two acres that boasted of legal hunting grounds, two abandoned farmhouses, and three massive fishing ponds. It was perfect. Almost too good to be true.
And as we stood there, gazing out at the overgrown field, I drank in the knowledge she had for me.
“This kind of property, with the small hills it has, would have to be leveled. Unless, of course, you wanted to put in a basement. Then, we can make one of those smaller hills work to our advantage. We’d probably be on well water all the way out here. Which probably means we’d need a septic tank instead of subscribing to city sewer. That shouldn’t be an issue, though. We’ll have to clear out some of those trees if we want the house to have any depth to it.”
I wrapped my arm around her waist. “What else do you see?”
Her smile lit up her eyes. “I see a beautiful sunroom over here. With the sun over the tops of those trees while it’s setting, it would make for a great reading space in the evening hours. The sunset would be beautiful from the comfort of a glassed encasement. Which means that over here, we could have your garage and your car. It wouldn't get a lot of the daytime sun over there, nor would it ever get the harshness of the setting sun. If you ever did leave your car out.”
“Ebony would like that.”
She snickered. “Men and their cars.”
My hand slipped to her ass. “There’s very little in this life I treasure. But my car is one of those things.”
She looked up at me. “What else do you treasure?”
I gazed into her eyes as the word sat at the tip of my tongue. Practically begging to be said.
You. I treasure you.
But I swallowed it back. “My future. Now, at least.”
She cocked her head. “What do you mean?”
I drew her closer to my side. “Because it’s looking brighter and brighter the more you talk.”
“Want to hear something crazy, then?”
“What’s that, beautiful?”
“I never dreamt of having a big wedding or anything. You know, as a little girl.”
I furrowed my brow. “Never?”
She shook her head. “Never. I mean, I never thought I’d get married. That’s how possessive my father was of me as a little girl. And, well, even with us talking about it.”
“We aren’t just talking about it. It’s going to happen.”
“Well, even with the impending wedding coming, I still don’t see it. You know, a big wedding.”
“What do you see?”
Her eyes fell back out over the land for sale. “I see a house on this land. Secluded. Secure. With a library, and a sauna, and a sunroom. With a room that has a fireplace and somewhere for us to sit close. With a kitchen that I can work in as well as the staff without judgment or command. I see a safe haven for us. Relief. That’s what I see, Gael.”
Her words had me entranced as her gaze found my stare.
“And we’re going to need money for that. Money not spent on a massive wedding.”
I chuckled. “You think I can’t afford a big wedding and building my own home?”
“It’s not about whether or not you can afford it. I just—have my priorities in other places.
“Like what?”
“Like this house. Like our future. Like our honeymoon.”
I growled softly. “I’m all ears.”
She giggled. “All of that to say, if we’re really going to do it? Why not just do it?”
I blinked. “You mean, elope.”
She shrugged. “Why not? It’s quick. It’s painless. It’s going to happen anyway. And then, we can get on to the good stuff.”
I turned fully toward her. “Colleen?”
She faced me. “Yes, Gael?”
I slid my hand through her locks of hair and fisted them softly. She gasp as I brought my lips closer, hovering them against hers. I felt her hot breath against my skin. I felt her body gravitate closer to my own. And as I held her against me, I felt our hearts beating as one.
As if we were made for one another.
“I love the way you think,” I murmured.
14
Colleen
“Mmm, hello there.”
I felt Gael’s lips against my shoulder as he kissed. And kissed. And kissed some more.
“You look so beautiful laying there.”
His hand danced around my waist before he pulled me close to him.
“So good I could practically eat you up,” he growled.
I yawned. “You forget I’m still sore from yesterday.”
I turned around in his arms and came face to face with his disheveled, tired appearance. He had a lopsided smile on his face that lit up his hazy eyes, and it made my heart skip a beat. I snaked my leg between his and scooted closer to his naked body. His lean muscles flexed against my skin as I smiled at him. Slowly drawing myself out of the deep slumber I had collapsed into last night.
After Gael thoroughly explored the depths of my body.
“What’s on your mind this morning, beautiful?”
I blushed. “Honestly?”
“Always.”
“I’d like to get a dress for the ceremony this afternoon.”
“A full wedding dress? I can make that happen.”
“I mean, not a full one. Like, not from a formal shop. But, you know, just something nice. Maybe something nice for our evening, too.”
His smile grew wolfish. “I like the sound of that.”
I giggled. “I thought you might.”
He rolled me over on top of him. “So, my wife-to-be wants to go shopping on my dime for something that’ll make her feel beautiful. Is that what I’m hearing?”
“Maybe a little bit, yes.”
“Well, how could I say ‘no’ to such an innocent proposition?”
“Oh, there will be nothing innocent about it.”
He rose to capture my lips and I melted into him. The more time we spent together, the closer I felt to him. And the more time we spent together, the more I got to know the man Gael had grown to be. I quickly found two sides of him: the side he portrayed for work, and the person he really was. I liked this Gael, too. The sweet, romantic, voracious man that slept beside me at night and wanted nothing more than to see me smile.
Then, our foreheads fell together as our lips fell apart.
“All right. Here’s the plan. You’re going to take my card as well as the car and go get yourself something nice for the ceremony. Then, I want you to go shopping for our honeymoon. I’m taking us somewhere tropical. Somewhere warm. So, get some string bikinis and heels.”
I giggled. “Say no more, handsome.”
“When you’re done shopping, let me know. Because I’ll set up a hotel suite for you to go to and get ready. I’ll send the car to pick you up there at three thirty, you’ll meet me at the courthouse, then we’ll spend our first night as husband and wife together in that suite.”
I kissed the tip of his nose. “I can’t wait.”
His hands slid to my ass cheeks. “Neither can I.”
I rolled against his hardened cock. “Of course, we’ll have to celebrate at the club once we get back from our honeymoon. You know, with the families.”
“You leave that to me, beautiful. I’ll have that taken care of.”
“You spoil me, Gael.”
“Good.”
He kissed me one last time before he hoisted both of us out of bed. I giggled as he held tightly onto me, his lips peppering kisses against my skin. I flushed at the sensation. Goosebumps fled over my body as he set me down onto my feet. With one last kiss and a playful swat to my ass, he left me to get ready. Walking downstairs completely naked, probably to make coffee.
I’m sure that’s a lovely sight to see.
I quickly cleaned myself up and got dressed. I needed to get a move-on if I needed an e
ntirely new wardrobe for this honeymoon he had planned. I rushed downstairs and saw him sitting at the kitchen table. Somewhere, he’d found a pair of pants, and they hung loosely from his hips. I wanted to stay and stare, but it was already nine in the morning. And I had no time to waste.
“I’m heading out, Gael. You need anything while I’m gone?” I asked.
“I need you to keep yourself safe. I’ll see you this afternoon.”
“See you then!”
After collecting his credit card, I rushed toward the front door. And just like he said, his driver was out there waiting for me. I slipped into the backseat with a smile stretching from ear to ear. I mean, my jaw practically ached from all the smiling I did yesterday. And last night. And just now.
Maybe this is how it’ll always be with him.
I could only hope.
I decided to shop for the warm weather gear first. Because I knew that would take the shortest amount of time. I grabbed a few summer dresses once I knew my size. I slipped a week’s worth of interchangeable bikinis into my cart. I even picked up some new heels as well as some flip flops and flats. I had my cart filled with clothing and accessories and a wide-brimmed hat before it was all said and done!
Then, it was off to find my wedding dress.
The driver and I went to store after store. I tried on everything I found that was white, champagne, eggshell, and every cream color in between. But there was always something wrong with it. A bit too big, or a touch too small. Too long, or too short. I didn’t have the luxury of getting a dress tailored, so it had to fit me just right. And as lunch time came and went, I grew worried that I wouldn't find it.
Until I slipped the last dress on.
Even the girls in the shop gasped as I came out. I slid my hands down the skin-tight bodice and took in how high the neckline was. That negated the need for a necklace. But I’d need some dangling earrings to offset things. Possibly something sparkly to go in my hair. Just to give the plain silken dress a pop of something special.
However, it fit me perfectly.
And I fell in love with it.
“This is the one,” I said.
I turned toward the women openly staring at me as I stood in front of all the mirrors.
Gael: The Callaghan Mafia Book 3 Page 10