Forever, Please (Please #4)

by Willow Summers

  What kind of weird rule was that? I knew what he went in there for. I was too old to believe in Santa Claus.

  “Shall we?” Hunter asked me, putting out his hand to herd me toward the car.

  “Now what?” I asked as we got to the Land Rover and Hunter opened my door.

  “Okay, I’ll talk to you later, Livy!” Kimberly waved as she stepped away. “Thanks for letting me take part, Hunter.”

  I said goodbye to Kimberly, eager to find out what was next. He let me know his intentions, he had the hardware…so would he do this now, or maybe we’d finally face his fears and tell his mom…

  Chapter Ten

  “Did you plan all this last night?” I asked Hunter as he headed toward the city.

  “We should have this conversation later.”

  I frowned at him, but his business mask was still on, not thawed from dealing with people yet. I reached out my hand. Without hesitation, he switched hands on the steering wheel and took it, letting me pull it in to my lap. His eyes softened immediately. That was all it took.

  I felt smug and figured I might as well just wait it out. He was like a steel trap. If he didn’t want to tell me what was coming next, he wouldn’t. I didn’t think so, anyway. I would have to test that theory someday.

  After a slow drive through the city and all its traffic, and followed by a faster drive across the Golden Gate Bridge, Hunter turned off and followed the road to the place where I’d first accepted his job offer.

  My heart started beating wildly.

  When he parked, and I saw Bert’s car, my breath came short. It felt like a five-hundred-pound man was sitting on my chest. And then we walked up that familiar path through the trees, hand in hand, and I saw the very picnic table we’d sat at, with the same meal laid out, tears came to my eyes. It was the first time I’d said yes to him. The first time in a long string of yeses that had led to this day. To this moment.

  “Mr. Ramous, that’ll be all,” Hunter said as we stopped beside the table.

  “Yes, sir.” Bert gave me a huge smile and a big thumbs-up before heading back toward his car.

  I turned to Hunter as if in a dream. Everything slowed down as he lowered to one knee, the little black box in his outstretched hand. His sexy gaze took me in and connected in a deep and intimate way, holding me.

  He opened the box, displaying a ring and setting I hadn’t even seen in that store. The band and diamond were classic and traditional but with an artistic flair that caught and trapped my eye. The glitter blurred as my eyes filled with tears of complete happiness.

  “Olivia, I brought you here because this is where I fell in love with you. This is where I saw a woman, naive in business, without much more than a dime to her name, turn me down. You tried to walk away because I didn’t live up to your high and exacting standards. I trapped you that day. I outmaneuvered you. And more, I bent farther than I have with anyone, and learned that compromise wouldn’t break me. Following your every whim won’t break me. Only losing you could accomplish that. Losing you would destroy me.”

  He turned my hand over and kissed my palm. “Olivia Jonston, will you do me the greatest honor and be my wife?”

  “Yes!” I said, tears dripping down my cheeks. “Yes, Hunter!”

  He stood and took the ring from the box before gently threading it onto my finger. “This diamond will have to be switched out for one with a better cut and clarity, but he couldn’t accomplish that today. I didn’t want to wait to ask you.”

  “I wouldn’t have wanted to wait either. And this one is perfect!”

  He kissed me, holding me tight. After a moment he backed away and led me to the table. “Are you hungry?”

  I blew out a breath, still crying. My makeup was probably all over my face. I wiped under my eyes and let Hunter put food on my plate.

  “This is perfect, Hunter. You couldn’t have chosen a better spot.”

  He sat opposite me, his face so different from the last time he’d sat there. So much more relaxed, his gaze more open. We’d come a long way in a short amount of time.

  “Sorry about all the driving,” he said as he spooned potato salad onto his plate. “I did organize this at the last minute. It was your comment about your mother that struck a chord. I’ve been selfishly holding off asking you to marry me because I wanted to do it differently than the last time. I wanted the events to be different.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “With Denise, I found out she was pregnant, I proposed, and then I found out everything was a sham. This time, I didn’t want to follow that same order.”

  I swallowed my bite. “You wanted to make sure it wasn’t a scam before you proposed, you mean?”

  A guilty look crossed his face. “At first, I admit that yes, that had crossed my mind. But then, after our scare, I realized that it really didn’t matter. I want you. I know you love me—you’re very open about your feelings. It was at this bench, looking at you then as I’m looking at you now, that I realized I’d do anything to get you. I’d pull any strings, I’d ruin any deal—I’d rearrange my way of doing things to secure you.

  “After that, I put it to the back of my mind until I had some other things sorted out. It took your comment last night to jog me out of my planning. You are so incredibly patient, Olivia. You trust me blindly. You stick by me through the worst of my moods, and the most arduous of my needs. You deserved more than to be kept waiting.”

  I watched my ring sparkle in the spotted light as the sun broke through the canopy. “Worth the wait.”

  “You are so worth the wait. You are worth a life of cold business until I could meet you.”

  I eyed the sparkling wine in front of me dubiously.

  “It’s sparkling apple cider. While the French partake in wine during pregnancy, I’m not sure we need to.”

  “No argument there.” I took a sip, feeling a sense of peace and happiness wash over me.

  “We could’ve taken today’s trip in a different order, but I wanted to tell your mother before I proposed,” he said before taking a bite of his sandwich.

  “You didn’t want me to think you were buying your way into her finances?” I huffed out a laugh. “Marriage is a steep price to pay for that kind of privilege.”

  “I think it was probably a good idea, in hindsight, seeing how she reacted.”

  “She probably thinks I trapped you.”

  “That’s another thing that occurred to me.” His voice took on an edge. “Kimberly mentioned how some people might view our situation. I’ve been slack about meeting your friends. I apologize for that. I’ve let my business affairs rule me recently.”

  “I can tell you’re planning something right now. You always get more eloquent and correct when you’re strategizing.”

  His eyes twinkled. “Anyway. The day isn’t over. That’s what I am getting at.”

  “You’re going to meet my friends?” I asked with an incredulous flutter to my words. “Well…the people I occasionally hang around, anyway. I really do need to get out more.”

  “After this we’ll meet them for drinks. I wanted that ring on your finger before we did. I trapped you. I want that to be common knowledge.”

  I just shook my head. He was too good for me. “I feel like I’m living in a dream.”

  “I’ve put you through enough nightmares for a lifetime.”

  He hadn’t, but I didn’t plan to say it.

  Constantly smiling and looking at my finger while trying to eat was surprisingly difficult. I made it happen, though. Like a champ.

  When we were done, and after we had taken a moment just to hold hands and be in each other’s presence, Hunter walked with me back to the car. He told Bert we’d finished, had Bert take a few pictures to mark the occasion, and then opened my door for me. As he was about to close me in, he said, “And I should warn you. I invited Jonathan. I intend to make my claim on you public.”

  A wave of shivers rolled through me. Hunter Carlisle did nothing by halves. I wo
ndered what kind of statement he intended to make, and if I should have the cops on standby.

  Chapter Eleven

  Hunter took me home to get changed for whatever finale he had planned. After letting him pick out my clothes, knowing that he had something in mind and wanting him to just take control to suit his own ends, I refreshed my makeup and curled my hair a little. The “no heels” rule was still in effect, but I did get away with wedges. Or maybe he just didn’t notice, because the dress he picked out for me showed, pretty obviously, my baby bump. Every time I was in his sight he glanced at it, and then came closer to rest his hand on my stomach.

  Around dinnertime we pulled up in front of a swanky hotel in downtown San Francisco. The name said it was French and the valet in a suit said it was ritzy. Hunter planned to splash some money around; I had no doubt. He knew what would impress these people.

  Hunter checked in with the host. “The Carlisle party.”

  The man checked his list and said, “Yes, of course. The upstairs area is ready for you. Guests have already arrived.”

  Hunter turned toward the back of the restaurant, directing me through the people and up the stairs. As we crested the floor, white-topped tables decorated with flowers greeted me. Light glowed from crystal chandeliers, cascading down onto the wood floor dotted with plush rugs. Servers wandered through the twenty or so people with hors d’oeuvres. At the far end of the room, between two pillars, stood the bar.

  People turned our way. I saw familiar faces immediately. Kimberly and Robby were there, Kimberly smiling like a child on Christmas morning, Jen and Rick, Jett with some woman I didn’t know, and, of course, Tera and Jonathan. The rest were older people; one who was a ginger just like Kimberly—her dad, probably. Most looked grim and wore ties, as if they were at a business meeting.

  “I felt you stiffen—what’s wrong?” Hunter asked, stopping. It was no secret to me that he did not generally care about other businesspeople on a personal level. He’d turn around and leave right now if I asked him. As such, he didn’t care that they were now waiting for him to enter his own party. I knew he’d make them wait as long as he wanted. I also knew no one would bat an eye.

  “It’s just—this is great,” I said in a quiet voice. “Don’t get me wrong. It’s lovely. It’s just, you didn’t want to invite Bert or Brenda or anyone?”

  He slid his hand around my waist, pulling me into him as he faced everyone again. “This is a party for the gossips and the business elite. Up until now, people have only seen you by my side as my admin. I want them to see you now as my future wife. I have a couple more months before I should be freed up significantly. I’ll take you out a lot more then. This is just to make my choice known, so to speak.” We started forward again. “With all you had to endure with Blaire, I don’t want people gossiping about you. Wondering. I want it very clear how I feel about you. I do not want you to be compared to her in any way.”

  My heart swelled.

  “Hi, Livy! Let me see.” Kimberly grabbed for my hand as soon as we were close. Jen stepped closer with her, bending over my new ring.

  “It’s beautiful.” Jen’s hand drifted toward her chest. She glanced behind her at Rick. When she turned back, she made a face. “No point showing him.”

  “Why, what happened?” Kimberly asked.

  Jen shrugged as Tera peered over Jen’s shoulder to look at the ring. “Nothing, but let’s be honest—it’s not going anywhere. We fight more than we get along.”

  Kimberly sighed, looking at the ring with longing. “Yeah. I guess there’s no point in showing Robby. I have no idea what’s taking him so long.”

  “Tell him he’d better propose or you’re going to leave him,” Jen said with heat in her voice. “You’ve been together for years. It’s time.”

  “I don’t want to.” Kimberly glanced miserably back at Robby, who was talking to the other guys. “He’s probably not ready.”

  “Or he’s just being lazy,” Tera said. “Guys don’t rush to slap a ring on it unless they have a reason. When’s the due date, Livy?”

  I felt Hunter’s arm stiffen. All three girls looked up at him, almost at the same time. They must’ve felt the shift in his presence, or maybe his stature. He’d gone from patient and content to be near to me, to dominating the space. His hard, unwavering gaze was fixed on Tera.

  Tera visually gulped. “You are pregnant, right?” she asked in a demure voice I’d never heard before. “You’ve always been in shape, and that dress just looks like—”

  “We’re expecting, yes.” Hunter placed the emphasis on we. “I should’ve asked if she wanted to get married before trying to conceive, but in my mind we were already married. I failed her in that.”

  “I’ve heard a lot of people having babies without marrying,” Jen hastened to say.

  “You were already living together,” Kimberly said.

  “No, yeah. Totally. I wasn’t saying…” Tera’s words trailed off as she withered within Hunter’s continued stare.

  “I think it’s great,” Jen said. “When are you going to get married?”

  She was looking at Hunter, but instead of answering, he looked down at me and gave a small squeeze. Apparently it was my show as far as the wedding was concerned.

  I thought about it for a second. “Probably after the baby is born. Finding a dress to fit a pregnant lady can’t be easy.”

  “I agree. Besides, you don’t want people to think it’s a shotgun wedding.” Jen gave Tera a nasty look.

  “Shall we get a drink?” Hunter asked. I smiled at the girls and let him lead me to the bar. “What can I get for you? Sparkling water, juice…”

  “Just normal water is fine.”

  “Hunter!” A graying man who hadn’t done a great job of stuffing his large belly into his suit wandered over with a glass of brandy and an important swagger. “I heard the news.” He winked and tapped the side of his nose. “Big change, huh? No one saw that coming.”

  “The news hasn’t been made public yet.” Hunter didn’t even look at the man. Instead, he ordered drinks and looked out over the crowd, many of whom were shooting glances back his way.

  “Oh come on, you didn’t think news that big would stay quiet, did you?” He laughed in obnoxious ha-ha-has. “The rumor is that you screwed the pooch with that buyout and are getting out of Dodge before the shit hits the fan.”

  Could the guy have used any more clichés?

  “Not at all. Everything is set up perfectly with the buyout. It went smoothly.” Hunter took the glasses from the bartender and handed me a water. He replaced his hand around my waist and directed us away from the man without so much as a glance.

  “What news?” I asked, ignoring how rude he was being. That man was annoying. Hunter’s cold shoulder was good enough for him.

  I got a guarded glance. “I told you—I’m making changes to be more available to you and the baby. And I’m following your lead. I’m finding something that I love, instead of worrying about being more successful than my father.”

  “The CEO position was to be better than your father?”

  Hunter stopped near a few men in suits and ties standing with women of their own age. The men stood with pushed-back shoulders and too much ego. These guys were probably VPs or CEOs of other companies.

  “In part.”

  “So what are you going to do instead?” I asked as Jonathan sauntered over. Speaking of too much ego. The guy was so impressed with himself it was absurd.

  “I’m going to build, Livy.”

  “Like…construction?”

  “Mr. Carlisle,” Jonathan said as he reached us. Rick and Robby had grins on their faces, watching Jonathan try to speak to Hunter. “I’m so glad you invited me to this event. You have a great girl.”

  Hunter looked away. “I know.”

  Jonathan smiled at me in a way that said I could’ve been anybody. As long as I was standing next to Hunter, I was worth talking to. I’d lost my identity as Olivia, and gained the identi
ty of Hunter’s fiancée. It was half great, because he wouldn’t be bothering me, but half disconcerting. The man was all about himself. He would push over the Pope if it meant he would get ahead.

  “I’m not sure if you were aware, but I graduated from Stanford University…” Jonathan gave Hunter a smug smile.

  “I’m aware. Barely a C average, correct?” Hunter asked in his business tone.

  Jonathan shifted uncomfortably. He coughed into his fist. “The schedule was pretty rigorous, yes. But since graduating I’ve made some significant advancements in the industry.”

  “You’re still in an entry-level position, isn’t that right?” Hunter gave Jonathan a disinterested glance.

  “Well…for now, yes. But I’ve been guaranteed a promotion as soon as a position becomes available.”

  “Your father arranged that, I believe…”

  Jonathan shifted again. Clearly this conversation wasn’t going as he had thought it would. “Well, that’s just it. I’d love to get out of his shadow. You know something of that. In fact, we share a lot of the same motivations. And, you know, a lot of the same likes…” The glance at me said volumes.

  And I thought I’d had a terrible interview with Hunter. Jonathan was looking to get punched.

  “I definitely think I could be an asset to you,” Jonathan hastened to say as Hunter turned to stare at him full-on. “I could be your eyes on the inside, as they say.”

  “I told you he was looking for a job,” I murmured to Hunter.

  If Jonathan heard, he gave no sign, and he certainly didn’t appear bashful, as he should have.

  An edge crept into Hunter’s voice. “I am handing over the reins. I’m sure you’ll hear all about it sometime tonight. I’ve officially resigned and a replacement has already been found.”

  “Wait, what?” I blurted. “You’re that far along in your change? How come you didn’t mention it?”

  “That is…surprising,” Jonathan said. His back straightened somewhat. “If I might ask, what comes next?”