Page 37 of Sugar Pie
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.
