Blood Rose

by P. T. Michelle

  Calder shakes his head as he escorts me in the same direction. “Apparently, the I’m-ready-to-be-alone-with-my-wife look translates easily.”

  “Thank you so much for opening your home for our wedding,” I say to Talia and Sebastian once they meet us at the front door. While Sebastian claps Calder on the shoulder and they chat about a possible beach trip in mid-September, I hug Talia tight and try not to get misty-eyed. “You know how special your house is to Calder and me, so truly, thank you from the bottom of my heart.” Pulling back, I continue, “And thank you for helping me whip this wedding together in a month. I still can’t believe we got it all done. Even my custom-made train. I really sweated that it wouldn’t get done on time or not turn out the way I’d hoped.”

  “It’s freaking amazing, Cass. I guarantee it’ll be the start of a new trend in elaborate trains. Just you wait!” Talia chuckles and pushes my hair back over my shoulder as she glances down at my dress. “I love how the black pencil skirt contrasts with your white strapless top. It’s so striking.” Amusement fills her expression. “The look on Calder’s face when you pulled those hidden ribbons on either side of your waistline, then stepped right out of your massive bell skirt and train was priceless.” We laugh together and then she sobers. “And the reason it went so smoothly is because of all your check lists. You were so organized with my wedding, I just had to follow your lists and it all came together.”

  Just then Beth and Mina walk up beside Talia and I hug each of my friends. “Thank you both so much for being here today and pitching in to help with all the crazy last minute details. You made a huge difference and wonderful bridesmaids.”

  Mina tilts her blonde head and smiles. “I’ve needed the distraction. It has been my absolute pleasure to help you and Calder, Cass. You’re family and Blakes are always here for each other. May you have a wonderful next couple of days together.”

  Tugging me into a brief hug, Beth says, “I know you’ve had a lot going on with back-to-back business meetings lately, so will you go on a honeymoon later?”

  I quickly nod. “Nailing down my business plan and then meeting with clients to start compiling their ideas so I can come up with some concepts for them is one of the reasons the honeymoon will have to wait until next year. And now that the wedding isn’t taking such a large chunk of my time, I’ll be able to focus one-hundred-percent on being a wife, a mom, and building my business.”

  Beth’s eyes soften when I mention being a mom. “Rose is such a sweetheart, Cass. I knew you were playing your wedding stuff close to the chest until you were ready, but it was a shocker when you told me that you and Calder were also adopting a child.”

  For the first time while talking to Beth, I don’t feel guilty about her sister. Yes, I feel sadness for Celeste’s death, but not guilt. I know that Rose is exactly where she was meant to be. A part of me will always hope for the day that I’ll be able to tell Beth the truth, but as long as Phillip poses a threat, we won’t take the risk with little Rose’s safety. I’m honoring my promise to Celeste, so that all she did to protect Rose won’t have been in vain. “Well, Calder has always maintained that I’m the least traditional person he knows, so it shouldn’t surprise you that I bucked the norm on children.”

  “So true.” Beth laughs. “Just so you know, I’m an excellent babysitter. Any time you and Calder need a break, I’m your girl.”

  I love that Rose has captured Beth’s heart too. I smile, my eyebrows hiking. “So you’re just going to nix that business dinner to babysit?”

  “Absolutely.” Beth nods, her smile widening. “Ever since you reminded me that I’m the boss, my life has become a lot less stressful. I’m finally enjoying the work, because I don’t let it rule my every waking moment.”

  It warms my heart to see her truly smiling again. I haven’t said anything about Celeste’s lab report results, but I will the next time Beth seems overly tired. “Ha, be careful what you wish for. I’m so going to take you up on that offer.”

  Once I’ve hugged everyone one last time, Calder and I head out. The moment we slide into his car, he hands me a black sleep mask. “Put it on, gorgeous, and no peeking,” he says with a stern look.

  Intrigued, I slide the mask on. “Is this a precursor to an even more epic night with my Master Puzzler?”

  He chuckles and the engine roars to life. “What do those keys around your neck tell you?”

  Without my eyesight, Calder’s deep, sexy voice rolls over me like the beginning melody of a soulful song. I feel myself smiling as I touch the keys. “That you will always have my heart.”

  Calder captures my hand and kisses my knuckles. “You always seem to read my mind. You might want to settle into the seat and take a nap.”

  I turn toward his voice. “We’re not going that far, are we? What if Rose freaks out? I don’t want to be too far away. She’s had so much transition…I really hope she can handle waking up at my parents’ house.”

  “Rose will be fine, Cass. She’s been to your parents’ place plenty of times. Kids are resilient as long as they know they’re loved.” Calder squeezes my fingers. “And no, we’re not going to be hours away, I promise.”

  Exhaling to relieve the motherly tension in my chest, I nod. “Okay, then.”

  “Give in to all that champagne and close your eyes, wife. We’ll be there before you know it.”

  “Yes, husband,” I say, blowing him a kiss.

  He chuckles, his voice dropping to a husky purr. “I can’t wait to test the limits of this sudden obedience.”

  The elevator pings and Calder clasps my hand, leading me off. “Step right here and stay for a second.”

  I’m surprised the entryway outside our room isn’t carpeted—I can feel the hard floor underneath my heels. I smirk, thinking how quiet the hotel was when we entered downstairs. It’s probably because everyone stopped to stare at the sexy guy in a tux leading the woman in a mask upstairs. Haha, the scenarios running through their heads must be hilarious.

  I let out a surprised squeal when Calder quickly lifts me in his arms and cradles me against his chest as he walks forward. “You can take off your mask now, Raven mine.”

  When I whip off my mask, expecting an extravagant hotel room, I’m surprised at the skyline view of New York city sprawled out before me like artfully crafted Christmas tree lights.

  “What a beautiful view, Calder,” I gasp, staring at the city beyond the outdoor patio with gorgeous ferns and other plants around cushioned furniture.

  “I hope you love it,” he says, then turns fully around. “Welcome home, Mrs. Blake.”

  Shocked, I tear up at the beautifully decorated penthouse. The style is a bit more modern than the estate home, but with soft touches of textured pillows and pops of color it feels homey and inviting. The overall look is perfect for a home in the heart of the city. “This is ours?” I ask slowly.

  Calder kisses my temple. “We’ll switch out whatever you don’t like, but you said you wanted to be in the city. This place has three bedrooms, so plenty of room for our family and guests. And we’re just a few buildings down from Bash and Talia’s place.”

  I quickly glance up at him. “You’re not selling your family’s estate house, are you?”

  “Hell no.” He shakes his head. “That’s our home, Cass, but it makes sense for us to have a place closer to work for both of us. I’ll also be able to get to Gil’s easily from here, so I sold the other apartment near his gym.”

  Setting me down, he rests his hands on my shoulders. “I want you to always come home to me, no matter how long a day you’ve had.”

  I blink back my emotions. This man’s thoughtfulness is breaking me today. Truly. Pushing up on my toes, I kiss his jaw. “I love you, Calder. Thank you for being so wonderful and thinking about our family.”

  Before I can lower myself back to the wood floor, he captures my jaw and presses his lips to mine. The possessive thrust of his tongue enticing me to play sets my body on fire. Just when I place my h
ands on his lapels to yank him closer, he breaks our kiss and shakes his head, murmuring, “Whenever you get that close, I can’t help myself.” Kissing my forehead, he clasps my hand and pulls me back toward the elevator. “Come with me.”

  Intrigued, I follow him into the elevator. Calder pulls me in front of him and wraps his arms around my waist, then pushes the button for a floor below ours. As the elevator doors close, I glance over my shoulder in confusion. “Where are we going?”

  He kisses the tip of my nose. “Pay attention, Raven mine.”

  I face forward and just as the elevator doors open, soft lighting pops on, filling the empty loft style apartment.

  Calder pushes me forward until I’m standing on the polished wooden floors. “Just like on our penthouse floor above, the sunlight in this place is amazing. I didn’t think we’d get the walls knocked out in time, but we did. Welcome to your new studio, Raven.”

  I jerk my gaze up to his, my lips trembling. “Are you serious?”

  He smiles down at me, folding his arms tighter around my waist. “The title is in your name. This is my wedding gift to you.”

  “I’m just…this is too much, Calder.”

  He shakes his head. “No, it’s entirely selfish. I want you to be able to do what you love. If you’re happy, then I’m happy. It’s as simple as that.” Releasing his hold, he sets a keycard in my hand, then pushes me forward. “Go on, check out your new space.”

  As I step forward slowly, still a bit in shock, I glance back at him. “You’re not worried about security?”

  He folds his arms, his expression turning serious. “Every client you work with will be quietly vetted, Cass. That is my requirement. Even though they would need a special card and code to get up to the top floor, your clients would only know we live upstairs if you tell them. For obvious reasons, we won’t be sharing our address with anyone but close family members.”

  Nodding my agreement with his plan, I walk through the massive space, photo shoot concepts popping into my head so fast, my heart races. I move toward the bank of windows that span the entire wall and see that this apartment also has its own deck as well. “You can see forever across the city,” I say, grinning like crazy. “I imagine the light will be so amazing in this space.”

  “Check out the view now,” he says, hitting a button on his phone to turn the lights off.

  I gasp at the panoramic view the wide space allows. “It just steals your breath.”

  “She certainly does,” he says right behind me as he sweeps my hair away from my neck and presses his lips to my warm skin.

  I smile when his hands slide my skirt up my thighs and lean against him, threading my fingers in his hair. “Have you ever had sex above the city?”

  His hands halt and he rumbles in a low tone, “Have you?”

  Laughing at his possessive question, I sigh. “Not with you.”

  Before I can say another word, he spins me around and sets me against the glass. “You have no idea how much I love the fact that you’re officially off the market. You’re fucking dangerous for my health, Cass.”

  I touch his jaw and pull him close, loving that he instantly molds his hard body against mine like we’re two perfectly fit puzzle pieces. “You always make me pant, Calder. Your heat, your smell, your dominance.” I trace my finger down his chin, tugging his bowtie apart, then the top button of his shirt. I smile when his Adam’s apple moves with his swallow and kiss his neck, then whisper against his mouth, “Everything about you turns me on. And now that I have your name, what are you going to do differently to me as Mrs. Calder Blake? Hmmm?”

  He cups my ass and presses his erection against me. “Never fucking let you go, angel. Good thing you love me, because you’re mine now.”

  “I was serious about having sex above the city,” I say and pull open his belt, then his pants button.

  Gripping my wrist before I can go any further, he exhales a harsh breath, clearly trying to remain calm. “There’s nothing I want more than to fuck your beautiful body into complete exhaustion, Cass. But I want our first time as a married couple to be in our new home, not in an empty room that echoes.”

  “You really are traditional, aren’t you?” I say, with a surprised laugh.

  He snorts. “I’d rather not be reminded of that night Bash put the baby monitor up to our bedroom door. I could do without hearing us having sex in stereo.”

  My sudden laughter bounces off the bare walls like crazy, but it’s the “see what I mean” look on Calder’s face as he spreads his hands wide that makes me laugh harder. Finally calming down, I sigh my disappointment. “Fine, but the moment I get this place decorated, your ass is—”

  He captures my lips in a possessive kiss that lingers too long for a man who has no intention of having sex. I step forward, not wanting to stop kissing his mouth as he pulls away. “I’ll be all yours, ready and willing to do whatever dirty deed you want, Mrs. Blake.”

  Damn it, but I know he’s right. “Promise?”

  The carnal look he gives me sets my insides on fire. It’ll be a miracle if my delicate panties don’t melt away from the heat. In order to distract myself, I try to focus on the space once more. “Thank you for this wonderful gift, Calder. I can see us using this space for more than just my work. We’ll use the one bedroom to move my equipment out of the way when it’s not being used.”

  Moving away, I gesture to the far corner. “We’ll set up a seating area with soft cushy couches and chairs over there, and add an island and barstools in the open kitchen. Then we can use it for office parties, Blake family get togethers, ladies nights out, and birthday parties with swinging space for a piñata. I’ll be the hostess with the mostest!”

  Redoing his pants, he moves to stand beside me and smiles. “I’m glad to see you’re already off and running with ideas. We still need to have a speaker system installed in this space. Speaking of which…let’s go upstairs. I have something else to show you.”

  He clasps my hand and pulls me into the elevator. As we move up to the top floor, I ask, “Aren’t we going to get our luggage out of the car?”

  The door slides open and Calder gestures to our overnight suitcases waiting for us just inside the door. “And like that, I made them magically appear.”

  Laughing at him, I head straight for my suitcase, calling over my shoulder, “Your wedding present is in my case. Just so you know…it’s not anything extravagant like a new home.” While I turn my suitcase on its side and unzip it, I’m so nervous that his gift will seem lame that I ramble, “Whatever you’re going to show me, I hope it’s something small. I’m not sure if I can handle another big present, Calder. I think you’ve got my birthday and Christmas covered for the next…oh, thirty years or so.”

  Music starts to flow through the apartment sound system with crystal clarity just as I pull out Calder’s present. I smile at the Otis Redding song “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay” currently playing and turn to face my husband.

  He’s standing by the turntable record player, his hands held toward it, excitement in his gaze. “It’s awesome, right? One great thing about getting this place ready for us, I made sure the sound system guys set up the turntable to play through the house speakers. Now that I hear how good it sounds, I’m definitely going to have this done at our other house.”

  I smile, feeling a bit better about my gift for him. He’s so excited, he doesn’t notice what I’m holding until I’m standing right in front of him. “What do you have there, sexy?” he asks, a smile tugging on his lips.

  I hand him the gift. “Open it.”

  Once he carefully tears away the wrapping paper, I point to the album sleeve. “Do you see her signature?”

  “This is amazing, Cass. Where did you get it? My father’s signed album didn’t survive the years of use and tragically got thrown out. I’ve tried, but failed to find another signed version to replace his. Getting anything less wasn’t acceptable.”

  “So you missed out on years of listen
ing to this amazing voice in vinyl?” I tsk and shake my head. “I got this one in an auction. It was one heck of a bidding war, since there were supposedly less than a dozen of these signed, but I prevailed. I felt so lucky when I saw it up for bid. I had to get it for you, since I didn’t remember seeing it in your collection.”

  With a huge smile, Calder puts away the Otis Redding album, then sets the new record on the turntable. Carefully laying the needle on the vinyl, he takes my hand as Etta’s amazing voice pumps through the speakers, singing our wedding song.

  “At Last,” he says quietly, pulling me close.

  As we slowly spin to the song that will always remind me of our wedding day, my husband kisses me with such soft, sweet kisses, my heart is full and I feel incredibly blessed. When a tear trickles down my cheek, Calder pauses and tilts my chin. “Are you okay?”

  I nod and smile. “I’m just so happy. Today has been…magical. I never want it to end.”

  He nods toward the window and releases me. “Go open the doors and we’ll enjoy the deck for a bit before the rain comes. I’m going to put some more music on.”

  The doors leading out to the deck are actually massive windows that slide sideways, opening half the “wall” up to the deck. The moment, I open them, sounds of the city below flow into the apartment. “Wow, these windows are super sound proofed.”

  I grin back at Calder the moment I step out onto the deck and can still hear the music. “You put speakers out here too? God, I love this!” Closing my eyes, I lift my arms wide under the summer night sky and soak in the smells and sounds as the breeze of the coming storm brushes along my skin.

  Calder captures me mid-spin, his warm hands circling my waist as he pulls me close. The moment we connect, I open my eyes and smile that he has shed his jacket, tie and shirt before he turned off the inside lights, leaving us in twilight darkness. When the song he’s queued up begins to thump in a slow, erotic beat through the speakers all around us, my heart rate quickly rises in anticipation.