The Ruthless Gentleman(91)
“School’s out for summer,” he said as he opened the door.
“Sure is, and I got a first for that paper I handed in last week.”
“The Piaget one?” he asked.
How he kept track with all the course-related stuff I talked about, I had no idea. He always seemed so interested in every little detail I ever told him about it.
“That’s the one.” I squeezed his hand before he released me to grab my books from the backseat.
“I have some pretty interesting news myself, actually,” he said as we wandered into the dining room. “I got a call today—Cannon is being sold.”
“Wow, are you going to buy it?” Although I’d admired the way Hayden hadn’t wanted to go after Cannon in revenge, I’d always wanted them to get their comeuppance, not just for what they’d done to my family, but also what they’d done to Hayden’s father.
He shook his head. “There’s no way he’d ever sell to me. But it was good to get the call. Apparently, they aren’t expecting any cash for it. They just want someone to take on their debt.”
I stopped walking and turned to face Hayden. “What, so it will be free as long as whoever buys it takes on their loans?”
“Exactly. I was right. They overpaid for the companies they stole from me. The man who sent my father into bankruptcy and tried to destroy us is paying the ultimate price.”
“Wow, how do you feel?” I asked as I headed inside.
“Pleased that I wasn’t the cause of their failure. I never wanted one man’s bitterness to affect the way I lived my life.”
“God, you know how hot it gets me when you’re all principled and ethical and shit.”
Hayden chuckled. “Hold that thought. My brother’s inside, talking with your dad and Michael.”
I huffed as if I’d been deprived of Hayden’s body for weeks, when in reality he’d fucked me this morning before classes.
“Hey, guys,” I called as we wandered into the kitchen.
“You really should get a games console set up in here,” Michael said. “I want to kick Landon’s ass at Sniper Elite.”
“Yeah, as if,” Landon said. “You know I was in the SAS, right?”
“As far as I can tell, you just sit behind a desk now,” Michael shot back.
I’d gotten used to Landon and Michael. They’d become firm friends and were always poking fun at each other.
“Aren’t you going back to America anytime soon?” Landon said, though he knew they lived here now.
“Landon,” Hayden called over in warning as he opened the fridge to take out some wine.
“Don’t worry, son,” my dad said, bringing up a plate and opening the dishwasher. “You’ll never get rid of us now. Can’t get enough of this beautiful weather,” he said, nodding to the windows where it had just started to pour with rain.
I laughed. “Thank God you’re handsome or I might have had to call this engagement off rather than live with the rain all year. It’s June, for Pete’s sake.”
“I thought you’d have had enough sun to last you a lifetime,” Hayden replied. “But perhaps we should charter a yacht this summer? Are you missing life on the ocean waves?”
I slipped my hands up his chest. “I don’t miss anything when I’m with you.”
“I’ll tell you what I’m missing,” my dad interrupted.
“Maybe a charter for two is a good idea,” I said, laughing.
“I’m missing a wedding and grandchildren,” my dad said. “When are you kids going to get on with it?”
“Ask your daughter, sir. I’m ready whenever she is,” Hayden replied.
“I wanna finish college, Dad. Life’s so good right now. I just want to enjoy it for a while, just as it is.”
My dad huffed and turned back to the dining area where Michael and Landon were arguing about something.
“You know, we could get married this summer,” Hayden said. “We don’t have to think about the babies thing until you graduate, but I’d like to marry you before you finish school.”
“You would?” I said, stroking his chin with my finger, and he dipped to kiss me.
“I really would.”
How was it possible I’d gotten this lucky? As much as life had turned on a dime that afternoon down by the river, it had shifted again the day I’d met Hayden Wolf. And for nothing but the better. I had him in my life forever and that gave me a certainty that no matter what was ahead of us, the future was only full of happiness.
“I’ll marry you this summer—hell, I’d marry you tomorrow. But let’s not do the babies quite yet. I want you to myself for a while longer.”
“Want to do it in Taormina? I know how much you love Italy,” he asked.
“I don’t care where we go. I just don’t want my honeymoon to be on a yacht.” It might rain a lot in England, but I’d never missed the constant sun of the Mediterranean and the Caribbean.
He pulled me closer and kissed the top of my head as we stood watching our families laugh and joke together. “No yachts, I promise. Just you and me and whoever else we want to invite, wherever you want it to be.”
“As long as I get to walk down the aisle to you, then the rest will just fall into place.” As long as I had every sunrise and sunset with him by my side, nothing else mattered.