Page 87 of Cruel Fate

“I want what Ash has.” I turn her head to make her look at me. “One day. With you.”

Her eyes widen and fill with tears.

“We don’t have that history, so we need to go slowly, but I wanted to let you know where my thoughts are heading. You can tell me if maybe you feel the same or if you think we’re going too fast.”

She starts to cry, and I hold her close, a hand to the back of her head.

The penthouse is silent, and the lights of the city splay beneath us.

The world at our feet.

I am the heir to the throne of King’s Crossing, and I just asked Stella to be my queen. When the time is right, we’ll rule this city.

“I hope that’s a yes,” I murmur against her hair.

She lifts her head and wipes her cheeks. “Yeah, it is.”

I blow out a sigh. “Good. I won’t rush you, I promise, but I need you by my side more than you can possibly imagine. You have to promise you’ll never leave me.”

Launching herself against my chest, she whispers, “I promise. I love you so much.”

“I’ll try to respect your space, but it hurts to be away from you.”

“I know what you mean, but—”

“It’s good for us. I know. I need to learn to be comfortable alone. Zarah moved in with Ash, and my parents haven’t been gone a year. I have some adjusting to do.”

She rubs her lips over mine. “I’ll keep a toothbrush here. Someone told me it doesn’t take long to get to work.”

“The commute is a snap.” Pleased she gave in, even if it was only halfway, I’m cheesy and snap my fingers.

She laughs.

“Come on. You better get home.” Reluctantly, I help her dress, and holding her hand, I go down to the lobby with her. I nod at the lone security guard who’s sitting on a stool reading the paper and nudge her through the revolving doors first. Douglas is standing by a car that’s parked at the curb. Traffic fills the street, and music carries to us from an open window blocks away. “Ask Douglas if you want a ride in the morning. I don’t want to force you to take anything I have, but Idowant your life to be easier because I love you. Okay?”

The late evening breeze blows gently through her hair. She reaches to her tiptoes and kisses my cheek. It rattles me just as much as if she would have given me a big French kiss. “Okay. Thank you. Goodnight, Zane.”

I help her down the concrete stairs and hand her off to Douglas. He opens the door for her. “Be careful, Stella. You carry my heart. Let me know she’s home safely,” I ask him.

He nods.

I stay on sidewalk until I can’t see the car’s taillights anymore.

Upstairs, I grab a beer and finish watching our stupid movie.

Holding the blanket up to my nose, I breathe in the scent of our lovemaking.

I go to bed hard, but the ache in my chest is gone.

Denton and Cramer ease up on me, and by Friday, my only worry is the speech I’m going to give at the press conference.Zarah, bless her, contacted the writer my dad used, and Stella announces his arrival at two in the afternoon.

If I had bothered to check my schedule, I would have seen Stella blocked off the rest of the day for this, and I’m once again in her debt for knowing what I need. Zarah arranged an intimate dinner tonight inviting close friends of our parents we haven’t seen since the funeral, and drudging up the energy and courage to go will be just as difficult as seeing them again. A couple of hours to myself will be a godsend.

Nigel and his wife will fly in late tonight. He said he would be at the press conference tomorrow afternoon, and his presence, along with the stellar speech, makes me feel, well, at least I no longer feel like my life is unraveling at the seams.

The writer did a phenomenal job, and I’m pleased. I shake his hand and show him out while he congratulates me. To me, it’s not a celebration as much as it feels like I’m facing my execution, but I can’t think of it that way. I’m finally accepting my father’s legacy, and I want to turn the dreams he had for our company into a reality.

Stella’s gone. She and Zarah are at the Lyndhurst checking that things are going as well as they should be, and the office exudes an emptiness I don’t like. Our talk put us on a new playing field, and I feel extremely close to her. I know she’ll have my back. I saw it in my parents, in the way my mother supported my dad, and I believe Stella will be the kind of woman I need, too. Behind every strong man is a stronger woman.

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