Page 124 of Who's Your Daddy
Fuck. Roses are far more difficult to take care of than any of the other plants up here.Just as the thought crosses my mind, I realize that the dozens of them scattered around the room are already cut.
“Cal?” This time my tone is much lesswhere are youand much morewhat the actual fuck are you doing now.
Because the man is standing in the middle of the half lit room surrounded by roses with a giant cat at his feet.
Fuzzy, who’s chewing on a black cube-shaped object—a new toy, maybe?—blinks at me, but is quickly preoccupied by his find.
“Lola.” Cal stands tall, his dark hair neatly combed and his face lit up. “You mean everything to me. You and Murphy. You’re my everything.”
Closing the door behind me, I survey the space more carefully. The pomp and circumstance with which he’s greeting me puts me on alert. God, if this is his way of asking me to move in…
Not that I don’t want to, but we haven’t been dating long, and this place is already packed full.
“I know you want job security,” he says, taking a step closer. “And a future with the firm. And you know what I always say,whatever Lola wants…”
“I’m not worried about my job, Cal.” After Sloane’s argument about my work situation, I sat her down and spelled it all out for her. And I really think I got through to her.
And that gives me hope that this wild year in Jersey might actually be a success.
“Good. You shouldn’t be.” He takes my hands in his. “I know just how to ensure the firm is always yours. We’ll put your name on it, too.”
This man is so sweet, but sometimes he’s so ridiculous. “Cal,” I hedge. Fuck, I hate to crush his spirit, but if I don’t stop this now, there’s no telling how far he’ll take the idea. “That’s not how thisworks. I’m not an attorney, you can’t just list my name along with yours and Brian’s.”
His smile grows, if that’s possible. “I don’t have to add anything to make it happen. Not if your name is mine.”
And then the man drops to his knee in front of me, head tipped back, eyes dancing with excitement.
Panic grips my chest.Oh no. What is he doing?
With a tug on his hand, I inhale sharply, but before I can open my mouth to shut him down, he says, “Shhh, you’ll ruin it.”
What?I’m not the one ruining anything.
“Lola,” he says. “All I need is us. You and me and Murphy. Together. Forever. So, will you do me the biggest honor of my life and marry me?”
I stare down at him, unable to breathe.
“Fuzzy.” With one hand still holding mine, he pulls a treat out of his pocket.
Instantly, the cat is at his side, the black toy pinched between his teeth, making one side of his mouth bulge.
“Give it to her buddy.” Cal holds out the treat.
Instead of dropping what I can now see is a ring box in favor of the treat, the cat swallows it.
“No.” Cal lunges at the giant feline, but it’s too late, the box is gone. Down his throat.
“No, fuzzy,” Cal whines. “You weren’t supposed to eat her ring.”
He clutches the cat’s snout and pulls, trying to pry his jaws open. It’s no use. Fuzzy scrambles away, then snatches the treat off the floor and swallows that too.
Well shit.
I press a hand to my forehead. “That’s a sign.”
Cal glares at his pet. “A sign I shouldn’t have bought the cat.”
“No. It’s a sign that I’m going to have to spend 5k to replace it.”
