Jakob nodded, his eyes looking more alive. ‘That’s good; that’s good stuff.’
‘The important thing is to do the work but don’t take the credit. Just be the investor, which you would have been if Quilla had had the chance to set this up before she was taken. Let Grady or Flori make any public announcements. Be the foundation stone but be invisible.’
‘I got it. Man, thank you, Marley…but there is one thing. I want to make sure people know that it was Quilla’s idea without me going on t.v. and gushing – she’ll see right through that. Any ideas?’
Marley gave him a smile, her expression soft. ‘Actually, I do.’
‘And you’re sure you feel up to it?’
Quilla smiled down the phone. Parker had called three times to make sure she felt okay to leave the hospital. ‘Honestly, Parker, I feel good. It’s not like I’ll be running a marathon when I get out of here. Flori has already told me she has box sets and snacks for us both.’
Parker chuckled. ‘Well, okay then. Look, Asia and I will be up to Seattle soon to see you all.’
‘Can’t wait.’
Grady and Flori were accompanied by a very excited Hayley. She hugged Quilla. ‘Marley says she’ll be over to see you later unless you’re feeling too crowded. I said you’d send her a text message.’
At Grady and Flori’s apartment, Flori showed her the guest room. ‘All new furniture and a flat-screen,’ she muttered to Quilla, ‘I still can’t get used to this ‘money is no object’ thing.’
‘Me too,’ Quilla whispered back. ‘It looks lovely in here, thank you. That bed looks bliss after that hospital one.’
Grady left the woman and went to work. Flori tucked Quilla onto their couch, and Quilla grinned, enjoying the fuss. Flori dragged over a crate. ‘Box sets, she explained, then stuck her head into the crate, ‘West Wing, Grey’s Anatomy, Grimm, Orange is the New Black, Friends…?’
‘Oh, Friends, definitely.’
‘Are you sure? You might laugh and…’ Flori put her hand on her belly and pulled a face. Quilla grinned.
‘Good thinking…but no hospital stuff….Grimm? A lot of fine looking men in that.’
‘Perv.’
‘Yep.’
They all laughed and Flori put the disc into the Blu-ray player, the familiar theme tune starting.
Sitting, watching t.v. and chatting, munching on the snacks Flori had provided, Quilla felt relaxed, her family around her. She still got fatigued quickly, but her body felt better, lighter. She couldn’t push herself too hard, but she found, she didn’t want to. She wanted this. Chilling out with much loved friends, feeling relaxed, as if she didn’t have to worry about anything. She had locked Jakob away in a corner of her heart until she was ready to deal with him. After a few episodes of the show, she felt her eyes closing.
A few hours later, she opened her eyes to find Hayley gone and Flori is moving silently around the room. Quilla sat up stiffly. ‘God, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you.’
Flori grinned. ‘Don’t worry; Hayley said she’d come back tomorrow if you want. You’re going to be tired for a while; I was, even after I came home from hospital.’
She came to sit by Quilla and the two women smiled at each other. ‘We survived,’ Quilla said to her and Flori grinned.
‘Yeah, we did. And now that asshole has gone for good, thanks to you. How do you feel about that?’
‘About killing Gregor?’
‘Yeah. I know Marley’s been worried that it would affect you, maybe even more than what he did to you.’
Quilla shook her head. ‘Honestly, I thought it would too, but I can’t feel bad. His knife was in my gut, I kicked him off, I grabbed the gun, and I shot him. If I had to do it again, I would. I don’t spare a moment’s thought for Gregor Fisk.’
Flori nodded. ‘Good. Good. That’s how I would feel. No-one knows unless it’s happened to them so don’t let anyone guilt you. Gregor made his own bed.’
Quilla hugged her. ‘Agreed. And now he’s gone, and we can get our lives back.’
Flori held onto her for a long moment. ‘Quilla? Have you thought about…?’
‘Jakob? Of course, I’m just…I haven’t got it straight in my head yet.’
‘Maybe you should talk.’
‘I’m starting to think that. I just don’t know if I’m ready yet.’
But by the end of the second week, she was ready. Not wanting to reconcile with Jakob over the phone, she asked Grady to set up a dinner for them.
Jakob was waiting for her when she entered the restaurant and for a moment, they just stared at each other.
‘Hi,’ she said in a gruff voice, her hands trembling badly. Jakob saw her shaking and stepped forward, taking her hands in his. His big dry hands felt so comforting, so familiar, she almost lost her composure and threw herself at him; only her pride and her still healing body stopped her.
‘You look beautiful, sweetheart.’ Jakob’s own voice was shaking, and she gave a half-smile.
‘I feel like we’re on our first date.’
Jakob led her to their table. ‘Well, if that’s the way this evening’s going to end…’ He grinned wickedly and she laughed, relaxing. She knew he was kidding – her body wasn’t ready for that kind of reunion, even though, when she saw him, a familiar ache started inside her. Desire.
But there was still too much to be sorted out. They ordered and made small talk before Jakob reached over to take her hand.
‘How are you, Quilla, really?’
She didn’t pull her hand away. ‘I’m okay, really. You look…well.’
He smiled. ‘Am I allowed to say that you look lovelier than ever? That you make me weak?’
Quilla grinned. ‘Seriously, dude, if you’re trying to get me to put out…’
They both laughed, and then Jakob’s smile faded. ‘Baby, I want to ask for your forgiveness. I was scared and immature, and I messed up. Big time. I couldn’t handle what Gregor had done to you, and so I freaked out. It was monumentally selfish and hurtful, and I’m so very, very sorry, baby. I love you so much.’
Quilla found her throat closing. ‘Jakob…I have to say this out loud so, please let me finish.’
He nodded, his eyes wide and scared. She drew in a deep breath. ‘I did not sleep with Gregor voluntarily. He was going to kill Hayley and me if I didn’t make it look…real. I had no idea he was taping it, that you’d ever see it, so I acted the part – overacted if you ask me – but he was convinced. I’m not going to apologize for that.’
Jakob nodded. ‘Nor should you have to, darling. Call it immaturity, call it male ego…it killed me to see that, and when I thought you were going to die, I couldn’t handle being left with that image of you – and him.’
Quilla nodded, looking down. She was knotting her napkin, twisting it around in her fingers. ‘All I could think of was you. The whole time, I kept reasonably sane by thinking of you and me and us, in our little hideaway in Venice, especially. On the island, when we got married. I built this image up of a fairytale and the crash to reality was hard. I needed time. You hurt me, Jakob more than anyone I loved ever has. Even my mom. You broke my heart.’
Jakob’s expression was soft, regretful. ‘I know, sweetheart. What can I do to make it up to you?’
Quilla smiled. ‘You’re doing it. You gave me the time; you didn’t harass or pressure me. Ran told me you’re going to N.A.’
‘Every week without fail. I might not have taken that coke but the thought that I might have scares the crap out of me.’
‘Good for you. God, I’ll always remember that first night in Venice. You stayed then, and you’re staying now. This is the way to make it up to me. Be the man I fell in love with so deeply. I’m not ready to give up on us.’
Jakob was quiet for a second, and when he spoke, his eyes were fierce with passion and his voice shook. ‘I love you so much, Quilla Chen. So God damned much. Can we start again?’
She smiled at him. ‘I would like that. Let
’s take things slowly, this time, let’s do the whole dating thing.’
‘Whatever you want, baby,’ Jakob was beside himself with joy, ‘I’ll court you good, I’ll court you like a boss.’
She burst out laughing. ‘Seriously, have you been hanging out with Hayley and Skandar too much? ‘Like a boss’? Ow, oww,’ she clutched her belly as she giggled and Jakob joined in with her laughter.
‘There’s one more thing I have to talk about with you,’ he said, and she raised her eyebrows, finally stopping her laughter. She wiped her eyes.
‘What’s that?’
‘Your foundation.’ He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sheaf of papers. ‘Everything is set up ready for you. Grady, Flori, and Hayley are all ready to go, so you just have to say the word. Any changes, anything, we’ll change it, but it’s yours, darling.’ He handed her the papers and she took them, smoothing them flat to read them.
The Quilla Chen Foundation for the Arts.
Tears pricked her eyes as she read the title and mission statement. ‘To open the world of art to everyone,’ she quoted and looked up at Jakob with shining eyes. ‘I don’t; know what to say…it was just an idea and now…wow.’ She shook her head. ‘Thank you, Jakob, for my beloved Jakob, thank you. This is…’ She couldn’t go on, the tears dropping down her cheeks. Jakob got up and moved his chair next to her so he could take her in his arms.
‘It’s just the start, Quilla. It’s just the beginning of what we could achieve together.’
He kissed her, his mouth gentle at first then as she responded, they both forget where they were. Finally breaking away, they gazed at each other for a long moment.
‘There is just one change I would like to make,’ she said softly, stroking his cheeks with her fingertips. Jakob smiled at her.
‘Name it.’
‘Could we change the name to The Quilla Chen Mallory Foundation…that is my name after all.’
Jakob grinned delightedly. ‘Yes, of course, my love, and yes it is…’
Epilogue
‘Ask her if Asia’s pushing yet? Is she pushing?’
Jakob handed a pacing Quilla his phone. ‘Hayley says ‘put the psycho on the phone.'’
Quilla, grinning, took it from him. ‘What’s happening, you little jerk?’
Hayley laughed. ‘Would you calm down, she’s not even dilated ten centimeters yet. Oh ha ha, Skandar just gagged. Every time I say ‘dilated’…yep, there it is again.’ She giggled, and Quilla heard Skandar muttering in the background. She smiled.
‘Well, no-one expected her to go into labor this soon…are Flori and Grady there?’
‘Flori – Grady's acting all ‘man of the 1950’s’about it. It’s for the best, after all, we don’t want Grady getting emotional and telling the baby ‘Dude, I tapped your mom first’.’
‘Hayley! That’s so gross,’ but Quilla giggled, rolling her eyes at Jakob.
‘How’s the move going?’
‘My slave keeps moaning about how many books I’ve got. I’m just enjoying watching using that fine body lifting my stuff.’
‘Oh, that’s right. Tonight’s the night…you get yours; I know what a horny witch you’ve been of late.’
Quilla laughed again. ‘Why do I put up with you?’
‘Because I’m your boo.’
‘Oh, that’s it,’ and Quilla was still laughing when she ended the call. Jakob, fresh from lugging another one of her book boxes down to the van, appeared, his hair disheveled.
‘Why did I marry a woman who reads?’ He moaned and then laughed. Quilla skipped over to him and threw her arms around his neck.
‘Because you’re not Joey Tribianni,’ she said, kissing him.
‘You watch too much Friends,’ he grinned down at her. Quilla tilted her head back to look at him, her eyes sleepy with desire.
‘As much as I’m looking forward to moving into our new…palace,’ she grinned, thinking of their new home on Bainbridge Island, ‘I feel we should say a proper goodbye to this place.’
She pressed her body against his, grinding her hips against his groin. A smile spread across Jakob’s face.
‘I think that’s a very, very good idea, sweetheart…’
Quilla leaped up into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist. ‘Just so happens, if Sir would like to put his hands under my skirt….’
Jakob slid his hands under her dress, and his eyes widened as they met bare flesh. ‘Commando, hey?’
‘Just for you, always for you, my man, my Jakob,’ she kissed his tenderly then looked him in the eyes, ‘Now….fuck me good, nail me to the floor, Jakob Mallory…’
And without another moment’s hesitation, he did just that...
The End
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Billionaire Romance
Montgomery Billionaire Series
Complete Series
Books 1-3
By Michelle Love
Montgomery Billionaire Series
Billionaire Romance
When He Desires
Book One
By Michelle Love
Description
Desire, Danger, Lust.
Sloan Whitlock is a busy woman. Entering her final semester of grad school, she’s completely focused on her work, but when a misunderstanding threatens her life, everything changes.
Lucas Montgomery was one of the wealthiest and most successful men in the city, and he’s not used to hearing the word no. When he catches sight of Sloan at Club 9, he knows he has to have her. She was a vision of innocence, and he’s desperate to have a taste.
She meant nothing to him until someone decided that Lucas would pay dearly for her safety. Now she has to rely on him to protect her, and attraction between them heats up. Common sense tells her to keep him at arm’s length, but her body burns for him.
Can he keep her safe and convince her to change her mind?
Chapter One
Sloan
The music pumped through the speakers, and I swayed lightly on the balls of my feet. I wasn’t much of a dancer, but it didn’t look like anyone else in the club could dance either. The floor was so packed that bodies rubbed up against each other as they jumped and gyrated. Shoved into a corner, I gripped a bottle of beer in one hand and kept a tight grip on my phone in the other.
Sweaty and more than a little drunk, my roommate Randi danced her way to me and snagged my beer. Taking a long sip, she frowned at me. “Sloan, that phone better be out because you’re collecting phone numbers from hot guys,” she yelled at me.
“I’m just checking it,” I shouted back over the base of the music. “The dress is too damn short, and I’m afraid it’s going to fall out!” Because the dress she forced me to wear didn’t have any pockets, I had my card, car key, and phone strapped in a small pouch against my thigh. It was a little uncomfortable, but I knew that I’d lose a purse if I tried to bring it.
“Girl, that dress looks sexy as hell!” She handed me back my beer and turned to smile at the man standing next to me. Randi was an exotic beauty. In a city of fake tans, her own Latin blessed skin was always dark and smooth. Her streaked dark hair fell to the middle of the back, and she had those perfectly pouty lips. Everywhere we went, she drew the attention of most of the male population.
And, if I were being honest, quite a few females as well.
I, on the other hand, was easily overlooked. No matter how hard I tried, my Irish skin refused to tan. My long auburn hair curled on a good day but usually stayed in a tangled frizzy mess. To tame it, I usually kept it pulled back either in a bun or tied at the nape of my neck. I tried to cut it once, but it was a year-long disaster. I wasn’t the kind of woman to spend any significant amount of time in front of the mirror primping and preening, so my hair was a mess that could not be tamed.
I wasn’
t a complete disaster. I do have nice green eyes, but I was already forced to wear reading glasses. As a student, my nose was usually stuck in a book, and the glasses felt like a permanent fixture on my face.
These days, looks were not all that important to me. I was one semester short of graduating with my Master’s in Childhood Education. I was a busy girl.
Tonight was Randi’s birthday, and she literally threatened me with hell and high water if I didn’t go out with her. Disgusted with most of my own clothes, she squeezed my curves into a short and slinky green halter dress. I felt completely exposed.
“You haven’t danced with a single guy since we got here,” she accused me. “We’re supposed to be having fun!”
“You’re supposed to be having fun,” I corrected her. “And from what I can tell, you’re having a ton of fun. Let me get you a drink, and you can find your next victim.”
“You’re impossible,” she growled, but she didn’t stop me as I leaned over the bar and waved down the bartender. One good thing about my outfit was that I didn’t have to wait for my drinks. My tits were practically spilling out of my top, and the bartender couldn’t stop looking at them.
“A tequila shot for my friend. No training wheel,” I ordered. He stared at my cleavage the whole time he poured.
“You should give him your number,” Randi muttered in my ear.
I just shook my head. While I was pretending to enjoy myself, the truth was that I was scrolling through the latest email from Professor Elliot. My advisor had pretty much torn my thesis idea to shreds. Of course, at the end he had written excellent start.
Evergreen: An Alpha Billionaire Romance Page 81