"Well, Hector is ignoring my calls and hasn't spoken to me in a couple of weeks. It hurt when he cut all communication and it just didn't make sense. Then you were... uh..." She blubbered as she glanced at Virgil. "You had him around you all the time. I guess I started to wonder if something bad happened. If you were in some kind of danger. I was scared to say anything, but I was feeling guilty. I told Russel everything a couple of days ago, and he convinced me to tell you everything. I just hope nothing I've done caused you any trouble.""Willis was playing you," Virgil said. "And your actions resulted in a lot of problems for many people." I cringed a little at how unsympathetic he was. But he was correct. "I'm sorry," she cried.Russel put his arm around her shoulders, and I sighed. It wasn't going to do any good to continue berating her. I frowned at Virgil and he rolled his eyes in response."There may be something you can do to make up for it though," Virgil finally conceded.
I stared at him. "You’d have been ashamed in front of your parents because I would jump you on top of the table." "At least my parents would get a show with their dinner," he joked. We were both laughing when John returned. He let us know that Nicholas’ parents were already seated.I smoothed down my clothes and hair as much as possible without a mirror. I took Nicholas’ hand as we strolled inside and were led to our tables. Our tryst in the car almost made me forget the reason why we were meeting his parents.But as I neared the private room, it shot back to the front of my mind. Baby Rowe was about to be announced.Jefferson stood up when we got there, distinguished as always, waiting for me to be seated before sitting back down himself. Brief nods were exchanged between him and Nicholas, while Clara greeted us both warmly with smiles and hellos. The difference in reception was evident.I wanted to blurt out the news as soon as we sat down, but I kept my excitement at bay until Ni
A thousand thoughts and questions swirled in my head. How could Jefferson do this? Was it really possible for Nicholas to lose everything? What would that mean for us?The money meant nothing to me, as long as I had Nicholas. Did he feel the same? Was I selfish to want him to pick me over everything else in his life? Could I do that to him? I was angry, anxious, and nervous to the point of being sick as the seconds ticked away. Somebody needed to say something—anything—just to end the awful silence which had fallen over the table. Nicholas snapped out of it first, lifting his head and staring at his father. "Quit being so fucking melodramatic. You're scaring her." Was he talking about me or Clara? Could he feel my anxiety through our linked hands? Before I could think any more, he turned to face me, letting go of my hand and placing both of his on my cheeks. He leaned in close, almost touching my nose with his. I sighed and closed my eyes when his familiar, warm breath washed over
I laughed a little, getting out of my chair to walk over and give her a hug. She meant well, even if I didn't give a flip about any baby shower. In fact, she was the only one—aside from our friends—who had been on our side from the start. "You put the reception together despite all this," I said, watching her eyes. She lifted her chin. "Yes. The fight I got from wanting to celebrate your marriage was the reason I ended up forcing Jefferson to tell me what was going on. I'm only sorry any of the Hewitts were there at all." She blew out an angry breath, seething in her chair. "It took me awhile after that before I could even look at Jefferson, but I love him. He made a terrible mistake, but he takes up too much space in my heart not to forgive him." I nodded. "I understand."She placed her hands around mine. "We'll get this fixed. Nicholas will know what to do." After getting her calmed down and taking my seat again, I decided to ask what had been in the back of my mind for a while.
"I know you said it couldn't happen, but if they were somehow able to take your company away because of what your father did, I'd let you go." He pulled back, his eyebrows furrowed as he stared at me. "What do you mean?""I don’t want to be the reason you lose everything. If my being away from you keeps you out of trouble, I won’t mind it. I would let you go to Rosemary to keep Simon quiet. Of course, until we figure out what to do." There was no way I would allow it permanently. He shook his head. "I'd rather have you and nothing else than have all of this without you." With one sentence from him, it no longer mattered who was trying to take us down. Whether it was Hector, Rosemary, or Simon, it didn’t matter what else happened because I knew Nicholas prioritized me and the baby over money and power. He loved me as much as I loved him. I kissed him until he was groaning in my mouth and tugging my panties down. We made love with the sound of the pounding rain accompanying our whis
"I am not letting him off. Once I get what I need from him, I will give him the final blow. He might think he is getting ahead because of the promises of promotions and money, but that won’t happen. He is so greedy that he won’t even see it coming. I will never forget how much shit he has made me go through.”"Won’t he know you are bullshitting him?" Hector didn't seem stupid to me. Arrogant and evil, yes. Stupid, not really.Nicholas placed my head on his shoulder. “We were friends for a long time. He knows my weakness, but I also know his. I know how he functions and what makes him drool. Willow, believe me. I have my ass covered even if Hector finds out I am screwing him over.” I relaxed against him. He sounded so confident, and I knew when he put his mind to something, he always got it. I was just going to chill out and trust him. "Did your father call you today?" I felt his smile against my neck. "Yes. He gave me everything I asked for." That warmed me inside. If nothing else
I couldn't believe she came right out and accused Nicholas of buying me. My eyes flitted to the friends beside her, but they didn't really seem to be paying much attention or care about what she was saying. Clara grabbed my hand and held it in a vice grip. "I'm sure Nicholas will throw you out, just as he has for the last many years." Clara picked up a plastic ball and tossed it in her hand. "Are you here for some ball bobbing? I hear you're a champion at it." Rosemary's eyes narrowed, the facade she put on for the public crumbling right before our eyes. She glanced from Clara to me and back again. "Is there a particular reason you're being so rude?" Clara chuckled darkly. Actually, it was almost a cackle, which would have fit perfectly with her outfit. I bit my lip to keep from smiling. "There are many reasons," she said, lowering her voice. "But mostly I just don't care for insufferable bitches. You can move along now. You're in the way and we're here to raise money." I stood
He turned to look at me. "Why are you laughing?" "No reason." I walked over and hugged him. "I just love you." He squeezed me in return, leaning down to kiss me. It felt good, but I had to take care of more important things. I pulled away and tugged on his arm. "Come on. Have some ice cream with me."He laughed and joined me in the kitchen, taking a stool while I grabbed two pints from the freezer. "Guess what?" he asked after I handed him a spoon. "What?" His eyes were dancing as he bounced around. What in the world was he so giddy about? "You're never going to believe it." "What? Tell me." He started laughing again, and I scooped ice cream into my mouth, waiting for him to get the words out. He twirled his spoon through his fingers. "There are two pieces of good news actually. One, Hector held up his end of the bargain. He made the tape and signed the documents, just like I said he would." He wagged his eyebrows and grinned. "And two..." He broke off, laughing again. "I finali