“No. I want you to feel like you belong with us, and I won’t push you to be like me.”

  I glanced up at the last light of day before the sun set and said, “You never have, Pedar. On my birthday, I was overwhelmed.”

  “You sound more positive now.”

  “I’m feeling grounded and have a new plan.”

  “What is it you’re doing there? You’re not using your financial license.”

  Finance was why I’d taken all those business classes, but it didn’t matter anymore. “I’m working as a general contractor.”

  “You were always learning how to fix things.”

  “I was.”

  “Running a business on your own and booking without help is work. I hope you get everything done and come home.”

  There was no rule about working with someone else, but my skin prickled as if he’d called to ask about Kerry. My hair stood on end. “Talk to you later, Dad.” I hung up then put my phone back into my pocket and glanced at the bed she’d slept in. My mouth watered to join her, but I walked out.

  Near her, I could breathe. I joined her at the computer, and she pointed me to places I needed to type. I quickly read and followed the directions to add my e-signature on the mortgage stuff. “That was the first time he’s called.”

  She opened the second file for the next forms. “Consider yourself lucky. I wish my mom didn’t call.”

  My pulse zipped, and the urge to kiss her senseless hit me hard. I ignored it and signed on the screen. “She’s still giving you a hard time?”

  “It never stops.” She laughed then waved to indicate that we were done.

  I stood as she said, “She never worked a day in her life, so she thinks that’s supposed to be my life.”

  I took her hand for a moment. “And why you married a man you had nothing in common with.”

  She met my gaze with the doe-eyed look that made my body hard and ready but quickly let me go and headed into the kitchen. I followed as she said, “I wanted to move to New York and get a job like my college friends did.”

  We might have met sooner. I grabbed the onions and the carrots and began chopping. “In what?”

  She shook the bag of chicken she’d seasoned the day before then emptied it into the frying pan. “I didn’t care. I wanted time to figure it out.”

  My eyes watered from the onions. “I understand. I thought that once I proved I was capable with the stock market, I wouldn’t have to do anything else.”

  She tossed her hair behind her shoulder. “Did you lose everything, then?”

  I finished with the onion and wiped my eyes, though that didn’t help with the burning. “No. But I didn’t use my hands for anything useful.”

  She turned the water on for me to wash my hands then motioned for me to cup some water for my eyes. I followed her directions, as she’d been the one to teach me about vegetable preparation a few days before, and my eyes itched less. Then she said, “So you have money in the bank as collateral.”

  If she knew, I had to forfeit. It was why I chose to start my account at a different bank. My skin zipped as I asked, “What made you think that?”

  She shrugged. “The bank doesn’t just approve people, from what I understand, unless you have something. And the banks are really rolling the red carpet out for you to have whatever you want.”

  “You’re very observant sometimes. And if you keep making smart business decisions that help me, like finding this property or insisting on a lake, I’ll want to marry you.”

  She laughed and held her belly. “That’s all it takes for you, then?”

  I’d never broached the subject with anyone, but my tension grew as I suspected she was denying me. I lowered my head. “I guess so.”

  She put the vegetables in a different pan then added water. Once she finished, she said, “Well, if I ever do get married again, I want romance like I’ve seen my friends have. The kind of romance from movies and TV.”

  To me, romance was two people realizing how much they had in common, like Kerry and I had, and then experiencing physical intimacy, which I wanted.

  But she meant roses and being swept off her feet, I supposed, so I wrinkled my nose. “You sound like a woman.” I chuckled.

  She cupped my face. “What’s wrong with wanting romance?”

  She was so close. My lips tingled for a kiss. “It sets up unrealistic expectations when the truth is marriage is a good tax write-off.”

  She didn’t step away and kept her eyes wide open. “Maybe, but it’s what I want.”

  I brushed the soft skin on her face, and my heart sped up. I lowered my eyes. “Let’s start like this then.”

  She pushed against my chest. “Wait.”

  “You can tell me no.” I pulled back.

  She curled her fingers in my shirt and tugged me forward. “Just don’t ever ignore me, Warren. I hate that.”

  Finally. I closed my eyes. “I promise.”

  Then our lips met. She tasted better than ice cream sundaes, which had been my favorite. Her floral perfume wafted in my nose and made my mouth water for more.

  She broke the kiss and sighed. “Damn.”

  I held her tightly, as I wasn’t ready to let this moment go. “It’s only the beginning, Kerry.”

  She clung to my neck. “We’ll see.”

  “We will.” I took a second taste.

  No woman ever had set me off like Kerry, and I needed to make sure she was real. Having her forever was possible if she would let me into her heart.

  16

  The doctor was shocked when I spoke to him on the phone today. I’ll have more info for you soon. Warren Nourozi’s story is going to be delicious to spill.

  Gossip and burn the rich.

  Yours truly,

  Regina, your gossip goddess you can’t escape from.

  Warren

  My muscles were on fire. I’d completed the cabinet installation, redone the stairs, and installed eight ceiling fans in that hot house with no windows open or working air conditioning. I yawned.

  The best part of the moon rising on the day was that Kerry would be at home when I got there.

  For twenty-eight years, I had been driven home in the nicest cars to every luxury and to food prepared by renowned chefs. Still, I never had the sense of belonging I’d experienced since Kerry had come into my life.

  As I drove home, my phone rang. I saw my brother’s name and quickly answered. “Hey, Jeff. I didn’t expect you to call.”

  “I don’t know how the gossip blog has any information. I’ve kept everything I know about Kerry as private as possible.”

  I hadn’t checked it in a while, but last I’d checked, it seemed like the blog was fishing for information. If my alerts hadn’t been set to notify me whenever my name pinged, I have never read that trash gossip blog with a penchant for social warfare. I kept my gaze on the road. “I didn’t think you’d leak anything about a client and ruin your professional reputation.”

  “Exactly. Maybe an employee at my firm is causing trouble, so I’m flooding my team with different narratives, but I don’t believe this Regina—probably not her real name—is anything other than someone from the dark web spinning information.”

  No one in my family would have fed info to a blogger or written such rubbish. The words Regina used were too radical for any of us.

  I shrugged as I turned onto my street. “I’m too far from California, and I’ve been off her radar in Manhattan for a while. Either way, nothing to worry about.”

  “So you’re not stressed about today’s blog and supposedly someone talking to Kerry’s ex, Romeo?”

  I parked and glanced up. The light in our apartment was like a beacon calling me up to her. “All my energy is focused on winning and growing my business.”

  “Good luck.”

  “You too.” I hung up. My brother and the dangers of being rich and spoiled were for another day and another time.

  I raced up the steps and let myself in.

  The smell of fresh beef stew wafted in the air, combining with her sweet floral scent.

  I closed the door, and then the bedroom door opened. Kerry floated out in a yellow cotton sundress with white flowers on the hems.

  I pressed my hand to my chest. “Wow. I need a shower so I don’t ruin this.”

  She laughed as she passed me. “I left your nice white shirt on the hook in there.”

  I fought my urge to grab her and kiss her—she would probably prefer if my hands were clean. I headed into the bathroom. “Are we celebrating?” I turned on the water.

  “I found our first customer.”

  My mind raced. That made no sense. We didn’t have our presentation ready to sell to anyone, and we didn’t officially own the land yet.

  My stomach tightened as I showered. I quickly finished and dressed. I opened the door and called to the main kitchen, “Without even having a model?” I tugged my pants on and realized she had to have ironed them, as I had them rolled in my backpack. My laundry smelled clean.

  “You have the 3D model and this one. So when your brother called me…”

  I grabbed the shirt and put it on in the main room so I could see her. “Jeff?”

  Her cheeks blushed, and I buttoned my shirt faster. I didn’t want to offend her, and she avoided looking at my muscular frame. “Yes, he wanted to tell me he’d sent me e-documents to prove my marriage is over and to tell me how to get a new driver’s license with my maiden name.”

  I headed to the kitchen and found the salads she’d made then I picked them up to take to our small table. “Good.”

  She joined me with a bottle of wine. “So I mentioned the plan, and he said he knew someone who might be interested. An hour later, I was on the phone with Zara, an executive assistant.”

  I froze. My father. I narrowed my gaze. “Zara?”

  Kerry crossed her hands in front of her. “Yes. She wanted to see the plans, so I sent them. Next thing I knew, we had a buyer.”

  My shoulders tensed. If she argued, I would have had to tell her who my father was. I widened my stance. “Say no.”

  Her eyes widened. “No? I thought this was good.”

  Her words were like bullets to my armor, but she hadn’t argued. I relaxed. “My father. I don’t want my family to invest and buy a spec house. I need to prove I can do this on my own.”

  She took my hand and nodded. “I didn’t know Zara worked for your father.”

  I glanced up. Thankfully, she hadn’t demanded her financial share, as that would have put me in an awkward position. She needed to know my last name wasn’t Tate, but I wanted us both to prove to ourselves that we could conquer the world as we’d planned. I squeezed her palm a little. “Are you okay waiting to make money with our plan?”

  She motioned for us to sit, so I went behind her and pulled her chair out for her. “Yes,” she said, “and tonight can just be a date.”

  My skin jolted, and a smile grew on my face. “A date sounds even better.” I poured the wine.

  She held hers up in a toast. “Here’s to us.”

  We clinked glasses then sipped. As I set my glass down, I whispered, “Kerry, you’re the only person in the world I want at my side right now.”

  She lowered her lashes, and her cheeks pinkened. “I didn’t know what I wanted until I met you, Warren.”

  My pulse quickened, and I pressed my hands on the table to keep from grabbing hers. “What is it you want?”

  She sat back and gave me a half smile. “Guess I led you to that question.”

  Right. She hadn’t meant an invitation for sex. I would have to earn the right. I sipped my wine, settled into my seat and asked, “And now you’re avoiding it?”

  She sipped her wine and met my gaze without blinking. “I want to prove I’m capable and for us to be successful. It means I have business skills and know-how.”

  There was suddenly more to us than the partnership. I picked up my fork. “You do.”

  We both ate our salads, which didn’t take long. Once she finished, she said, “And…” then jumped to take the plates.

  I followed her. “Yeah?”

  She put them in the sink as I took the lid off the stew. I grabbed two bowls but stopped when she took a breath to speak. “You’ve shown me that my marriage was never real because with you, I’m myself and I’m happy. I didn’t know this feeling was possible.”

  I turned to her and placed my hand on her hip. “Kerry, I want more from you than just a business partnership.”

  She came closer, and the air smelled like her perfume. “What is it you want, Warren?”

  I wanted her to be mine for the rest of our lives. The thought charged through me. “I want to create our million-dollar empire. That hasn’t changed.”

  Her lips parted as she stared at mine. “Of course. We’re on the same page.”

  My entire body was hard and ready for her. I lowered my eyes. “I hope so, because I want you intimately. I need to possess you in every way and know you want me too.”

  She sighed and pressed her hands on my chest. “We should eat, then.”

  The flutter in me amplified from her touch, though clothes were in the way. I didn’t move. “I won’t push you.”

  She stayed in my arms, tracing my muscles. “I can’t… ” Her words faded away as she kissed me. She tasted sweeter than dessert, and I knew exactly what the rest of her would taste like.

  I woudn’t push, but sooner or later, she would realize that she was mine and I was hers.

  17

  Kerry

  When I awoke, my lips still tingled from his kiss. Any other guy would have wanted more from me, and if Warren had pushed, I would have given him all of me. I would have loved to have been his, but it was best to wait.

  Heat coursed through me, and I knew I’d overslept. I tossed the sheets off me and listened. Warren wasn’t there. I rubbed my eyes and headed to the bathroom to wash my face and clean up.

  It was time to start booking jobs and getting back to normal.

  Once I’d brushed my teeth, I took out my phone and dialed the only number I had memorized. My mother. She wasn’t great to talk to, but she was all I had, and I needed to get my head straight. Kissing Warren had felt right, even if I wasn’t ready for a relationship.

  She answered on the second ring. After hellos, I asked, “Mom, can I ask you a personal question?”

  “I’d love to help you.” She sounded so excited.

  I glanced out the vinyl window blinds. The truck was gone. I massaged my arms, which had goose bumps. “How did you know Dad was the one for you?”

  “Because we had all the same friends and similar interests. I knew we’d get along well when he asked.”

  Warren checked the friend box, but he was so much more. I closed my eyes. “Did his kiss ever make you forget everything?”

  She made a pfft sound. “That sounds like a high school wish. In the real world, it’s better to marry someone who can provide for you and is nice enough to be your friend.”

  She was no help. Warren wasn’t well off enough for her to ever think I’d made the right choices. If I ever ended up living with her again, it would be torture as she tried to find me a new husband with money and connections.

  If I hadn’t kissed Warren and dreamed all night of being his arms, I never would have thought about romance. I hadn’t thought it was in the cards for me.

  I swallowed. “Romeo was never my friend. He treated me like a child and insisted I was always overreacting.”

  Warren was the opposite. Even not waking me in the morning meant he’d given me space. I headed to the kitchen to make my coffee and work.

  My mom took an audible breath. “Maybe we should have looked harder for a boy your age, but it’s hard to tell who will be successful in the end right away.”

  I filled the pot with water. “Or maybe it’s better just to marry a man you love.”

  “I love your father. I thought you would love Romeo.”

  My stomach tightened. “I never cared about Romeo or he for me, and that was the root to all my unhappiness.”

  We never even spoke unless he was berating me for my wrong opinion.

  I inhaled the earthy scent of coffee and realized I needed to tell Warren that I should probably get my own place so we had some degree of separation. Work needed to come first.

  We made small talk for a few minutes just to be polite. I was sure she would let me in if I knocked on her door, but before I asked her, I would face Warren. He deserved a goodbye in person, as I wasn’t sure we could be friends anymore.

  However, if he asked me to bed or to stay, I craved him enough to agree to anything. I swallowed and walked to my work corner. As I put my cup down, I saw a note from Warren. I picked it up and read.

  Kerry,

  I’m looking forward to tonight. Maybe we can go out and do something fun.

  Warren

  My heart beat faster, and I held his note to my chest. “This is so sweet.”

  I saw a note from the realtor with more papers to sign. He’d given me access to e-sign for him, so I took care of it quickly.

  Then I glanced at the house-architecture websites Warren had been looking at last night, which meant that while I’d been dreaming of him, he was working.

  If I found my own place, maybe dating and working together could happen. We just needed a little bit of space.

  As I drank my coffee, I searched for apartments. Nicer ones were more expensive, and I would take from our resources if I moved.

  So I focused on bids and my job, and before long, the afternoon sun shone in the sky. I stood and stretched.

  It was time to face him and tell him that I needed to go. So I changed my clothes, fixed my hair, and texted him: Warren, we need to talk. I’ll meet you at your last job.

  I raised my head high. It was time to talk about what happened and what happened next. If I needed to pack, at least I didn’t have much. My heart thumped. I would be okay.

  18