“Alayna?” I hear Brandon call from the living room.
Lydia didn’t come this morning, so I had to prepare a very late breakfast because I chose not to waste any possible time with him alone.
“Darling?” Brandon appears in the kitchen, looking as delicious as ever in his casual white shirt and khaki shorts.
“Yes?” I pause a little. My hand is still covered with flour.
He crosses his arms. “Your parcels are here.”
My eyes widen, remembering they should be delivering my ring—I mean his“Where?” I ask.
He points out the living room. “I signed it for you. You’ve just emptied that store, didn’t you?” he teases, smiling charmingly, but I don’t answer. I wash my hands and rush out of the kitchen.
The ring should be in small packaging or may be secured in a gift box. The other packages are in individual paper bags, covered in a stylish wrapping with ribbons. One by one, I search for each parcel.
Brandon follows from behind, then curiously watches me. “What exactly are these?”
“Just some mementos for everyone. I’ll see if they delivered everything,” I say just to make sure, so he won’t notice I’m looking for something special and start opening each paper bag.
His brows knit together, but his lips curl in amusement. “You call this a few? What about me?”
I sigh, looking up at him. “Don’t worry, I got something for you, but I’m not telling you yet, so don’t ask me now.”
“Really.” He laughs, and I love seeing him this way. So carefree and so happy. This feels normal.
“Yes, so don’t you dare look for it.” I continue digging into the paper bags.
“I don’t even know what it is.” He moves closer to peek inside the packages, and shrugs, as he picks one—a snow globe.
“That’s for me,” I tell him. “And don’t just grab things.”
“My birthday is still a few months away. When do you plan on giving it?” he asks calmly, then perches on the sofa as he watches me. I stop looking at the souvenirs and gaze up at him instead.
“Brandon.”
“Yes?”
“Did you look into my package?”
He presses his mouth but then grins mischievously at me.
“Did you open it or not?” I repeat.
He raises his body to the side, then slips his hand into his khaki shorts. He then draws a small navy blue velvet box from his pocket. “What is this exactly?” He frowns at the box while playing with it with his fingers. “The delivery guy gave it to me separately.”
I feel the blood on my cheeks increase. “Give me that.” I haste toward him to get the box back, but he swings his arm away.
“Uh-huh. Nope. Is this it? Your gift?”
“You opened it!” I grumble. “What’s the point of asking?”
He laughs breathily. I enjoy the sound of his pleasant voice, and it makes me want to laugh as well.
He raises his hand in surrender. “But I didn’t.”
“Really?”
“Really, really. Come here.” He pulls my hand and brings me close to him. My buttocks fall flat on his lap, and I wrap my arms around his neck.
I pout. “My gift is supposed to be a surprise. It’ll be less romantic if I give it now, so….”
“So, here.” He offers the box back to me.
Smiling, I take it back, tempted to open it too, but I prevent myself. “Are you sure you didn’t open this?”
“What, you don’t believe me?”
“I do.” I kiss his cheek, giggling, then I jump off his lap. “I have to finish cooking. And don’t mess with the packages. They’re not for you!”
“Wait.” He springs up, pulls my waist, and pins me against him to kiss me passionately. His tongue in my mouth, my breasts against his chest, and with his hands possessively clasping my waist. He releases me fleetingly, leaving my head whirling in giddiness as though I drank a pool of luscious liquor.
“Badman,” I whisper, and he beams.
“I’m just going to make a call,” he says softly. “I’ll join you after.”
I play with his stubble with my fingertips. I always want to do that, like my new favorite thing. “I’ll call you when the food is ready.”
“Yep.” He pinches my chin tenderly before heading upstairs.
I head back to the kitchen to finish cooking, and I’ll be serving Brandon the usual Greek dishes I used to cook in the mansion. Satisfied with my masterpiece, I start arranging the table when my phone suddenly rings. I pull it up from my pocket and see Jason’s name on my screen.
“Jason,” I answer right away.
“It’s me.” It’s Chris who responds.
“Chris, hi. What’s up?”
“I was going to ask you when you were planning on coming back?”
“Oh, I’m coming back tomorrow. I’m sorry, C. I owe everyone one dinner, but something came up.”
“I know, and it’s okay.” He chortles. “How are you?”
I smile. “Better.”
“Is he being good to you?”
I press my lips together. “Mm. Very.”
“But does he know?”
“About—” I pause, unsure of what he means, but the notion pops up. He might be referring to him or Drake, but regardless, Brandon knows everything about me now. “Oh right, of course, so don’t worry about me.”
“Then that’s good enough for me. As long as you’re happy.”
“Thanks, C. I know we’ve been apart for a long time, J and A too, but Brandon and I, we… We’ve been through a lot before getting here, so I’m just living the moment.”
I sense his smile. “It seems we have a lot to talk about.”
“Oh no. I don’t know what to say, but soon, maybe… Hey, why did you call?”
“Ah, that. It’s to tell you I’ll be leaving tomorrow night.”
I frown. “What happened? I thought you weren’t leaving until the weekend?”
He grunts. “I have an emergency meeting in Glasgow in two days, but I’ll be waiting for your arrival. Won’t we have any plans by then?”
“I’m not sure,” I say, remembering Brandon’s plans about our formal engagement announcement. I realize we haven’t talked about the date yet. “But please call me when you’re coming back, okay?”
“I’ll call you, but see you tomorrow, Laynie.”
I chuckle. “See you, C.” I end the call.
“Having fun?” Brandon startles me with his voice. He turns behind me to pull a chair by the table.
“Chris called.”
“Why is he calling you?”
“He’s, um, leaving tomorrow, so he just wants to know I’ll make it there before he leaves,” I say truthfully, never minding what else he might think. We already spoke about being one hundred percent transparent to each other. So, talking to exes is a part of it.
His brows furrow. “Ah, I see. He just can’t wait, can he?”
“Why? Bothered?” I tease, smiling.
“Come on. I’m not.” He smirks grimly.
“Really?”
“Okay, I am.”
“Why?”
“Because I feel he’s still expecting something from you.”
I think for a moment, and I can’t really see it that way. Chris has always been kind to me. “Technically speaking, C is my family, too. It’s just the way he is.”
“I am certain he doesn’t think that way.” Brandon picks up a knife and fork and starts putting food on his plate.
“Whether we like it or not, he’s J and A’s brother. He’s a part of our“I don’t like how your pasts are bothering us,” he says straightforwardly.
“Pasts. As in plural. I thought it was only that devil bothering us.” I move over to the table and perch on the chair beside him. “And C isn’t like that. I’ll introduce you to him tomorrow. What happened between him and me was not a bad memory, and I already told you about that.”
He nods, so I’m sure he’s trying to understand. But his jealousy, I admit, is adorable.
“Transparency, huh?” He raises an eyebrow. “I have an emergency meeting with my directors this weekend, but it’s only going to be online—for me, at least. Oliver should be present, so he’ll be flying to New York with his fiancée on Friday.”
“It’s work.” I smile. “I guess I like hearing those kinds of stuff too.”
“And Pauline’s father is joining Oliver, so he’s coming to the states too. So I thought you should know rather than hearing about it from someone else.”
I touch his knee. “Because that’s how it’s supposed to be. You know, I wouldn’t meddle in any of your business affairs because I have no right—”
“But you do,” he interjects.
“What?”
“All I have and everything I own, it’s going to be yours too, so you have the right,” he points out.
“But it’s work, and it’s not ethical. I know nothing about your field, and I know you can’t possibly do that too because you have a deal with them. So there might be legal consequences.”
“But you do understand up to that point, so I’m in good hands,” he says simply.
I gape at his declaration. “Do you really mean that? I’m a chef, Brandon. What do I know about business?”
“Technically, you are a businesswoman too. A restaurant is still a business.” He grins sweetly at me.
“But Oliver does the business stuff for the restaurant,” I argue.
“I guess it’s still early to say this, but when you become my wife, you will understand how these things work. It’s unnecessary, but some people might take advantage of you because you’re an easy target,” he explains.
That doesn’t sound right. “What do you mean?”
“Small businesses tend to chase companies like mine. I’m a benefactor to hundreds of thriving companies,” he goes on informatively. “But I’m not some charity or a hero that would sponsor anyone who wants to start their own business without proper screening, so I only select those who are deserving. Some had deceived me before I wasn’t careful, and I lost millions. I learned how to have iron hands.”
“And you think they’ll try to approach me too because I’ll marry a businessman?”
“Oh please, don’t get it wrong. It isn’t just because of me. You and Oliver own a restaurant. You are partners, so I’m sure some people would naturally think you run in the same circle,” he says pointedly. “That reason is enough to persuade entrepreneurs to contact you. Oliver’s name is also quite influential.” Then, as his usual courteous gesture, he gives me his plate full of Greek breakfast. “Now eat.”
I stare at the food. I’m hungry, but my mind is suddenly elsewhere. I realize marrying Brandon isn’t just marrying the man alone. I haven’t considered those possibilities yet that I will be wholly involved in everything he does. Being Brandon’s other half comes in a package. I’d be sharing everything with him—his career, publicity, wealth, and becoming a part of a powerful family—which is a little scary. My stomach twists in unidentified feelings, but I know it’s not something terrible. My life is about to change into something greater, or maybe something unknown.
“What are you thinking?” he asks after he starts eating.
“Everything you said. It’s all so new, and I’m not used to it. It’s a big world. You’re in a big world.”
Brandon leans over and kisses my temple. “I’m sorry if I overwhelmed you.”
“I’d be lying if I say no. But maybe I am, yes.” I chortle nervously. Pauline was entirely correct when she told me what she had said before. They were a good match because they grew up in the same circle. Pauline would understand him because she had all the education and knowledge to support him. Brandon would thrive.
Can I really do this?
Am I going to be enough“Let me say something to you to ease your mind,” Brandon says.
I look at him, and he meets my gaze.
“Sometimes, I’m afraid too,” he states.
“About what?” I ask inaudibly.
“That I’ll lose you.”
Completely stunned by his words, oxygen abandons my lungs. “Why would you lose me?”
“Alayna, you’re still an unknown force to me. You’re a puzzle I cannot solve unless you give me the missing piece. With that unpredictable mind of yours, anything can happen.”
“Like what? Like leaving you? How is that going to ease my mind?”
“No, but in any way possible. Look.” He shifts his body to my side. “I am only saying this because I know you’re concerned about our future, and you have every right to worry. We didn’t have the chance to properly learn about each other and let this be the start. I only recently found out you like spicy food and ice cream. You like walking in the streets on dates, and you haven’t been in a boat before. You loved giving your friends mementos, and simple things like snow globes make you happy.” He cups my face, affectionately brushing his thumb on my cheek. “I know there’s a lot more to know about you, and I would love to explore everything with you if you let me try.”
“You hate spicy food, but you like Chinese food. You don’t like sweets, but you can eat ice cream, and vanilla is your only flavor. You own and can sail a yacht. We’re both jealous of people from our pasts, but I understand that we only need to be more understanding that they’re just people who were once part of our lives. Unless your ex-girlfriend tries to take you away from me, I won’t back down.”
He laughs. “I can say the same. What else?”
“You are obsessed with my safety, and you’re overprotective, which sometimes scares me, but it’s not a bad thing.”
His eyes squint, and one side of his mouth curls playfully. “And what else am I obsessed with?”
I feel my cheeks warm from my blush. I remember he told me those words last night when we made love.
“What are you thinking?” he teases.
“I am thinking about myself, “You’re not wrong either, but other than that—” He leans close and murmurs close to my ears“—I love the expressions you make whenever I make you come. I’m obsessed with that.”
My eyes widen. “Brandon!”
He laughs deliciously. “Now, why don’t you eat your breakfast so we can continue where we left off last night, mm?”
I squirm against my thighs. “Fine, fine.” I pick up my fork and start touching my food, but I want to say something more. “Brandon, you won’t lose me. The only possible reason you’d lose me is if I die, and I won’t because you’ll protect me.”
He kisses my temple again and answers in a low voice. “You won’t.”