The Love Triangle(40)
He growled in response, his cock straining in his pants. “I think you're right. If I touch you again, there will be no stopping.”
“All night?”
“I promise.”
Chapter 5
“I have decided that we will be married at the end of the month. Will you get all the paperwork together for me?”
“Of course. Is that a smile I see on your face?”
Dahlia tried to hide it, but it kept cropping up as she went through her day. Every time she thought of the man she was to marry, she got lost in all the silly thoughts that she would make fun of her friends about. Was this what love felt like? She felt unbridled passion and the silly notion that everything was going to work out, as long as she had Charles.
She was supposed to wait a few days and get to know him. But the truth was she didn’t need it. She had been prepared to marry a monster and who she was paired with was much better than that. He came from the same background so he understood the obligations of the money. Charles knew how to handle her. Verbally and physically, and Dahlia couldn’t wait to see if he lived up to his boasting. All night long. Why couldn’t she get that off her mind?
Realizing she was still in Alfred’s office, she straightened her face. “Perhaps, Alfred, but let’s not get too cocky. I want to know what's in his past. You have taken care of these things for me before, correct?”
He nodded and started writing a few things down. “Now about James.”
“What about my brother?”
“He has been in here three times this week. He insists that there is some way for him to get his money now. He wants a big lump sum, but I'm not authorized to give it out like that. He was ranting and raving yesterday. I had to ask him to leave.”
“Yes, well, if you feel you need to get security in here because of James, do so and then bill me for it. I would imagine that we will all be dragged to court before it's all said and done. If he got all of the money, it would be gone in a year and then we would have to deal with him begging. Stay the course, Alfred, no money unless it's what the trust calls for.”
“Of course. You have always been hard like your father in that way.”
“We weren’t both born with a silver spoon, Alfred. He sold his years ago for whatever drug he was putting in his veins at the time. Do you know I still have to employ him and he works less than a week a year, literally?”
The older man sighed, his gray brows knitting in consternation. “I know. I just thought I would let you know. Maybe you're the one that needs protection.”
She shook off the comment, “I'll be fine, really. He knows better than anyone to leave me alone. James is just upset and I hope that he can recover from this.”
“He is becoming unhinged, Dahlia. Please be careful.”
She smiled as she stood up. “This is what I'm supposed to do. Father didn’t want all those people to lose their jobs and I don’t either. We all know what James would do with the company. He will not get it and he will not win. He never does and that's why he is so mad.”
Alfred nodded his head and sighed to himself. He never quite understood the hatred between the two siblings, but even though Dahlia was the youngest child, she had always taken on the responsibilities when her mother and then her father died. It was just her nature to handle things, as it was James’ nature to mess everything up. He watched her leave and he hoped that fate had a little happiness in store for her. She was due some, he thought to himself.
He wasn’t sure if he would hire security, but he did know that he would keep his eye out for James. Alfred had a bad feeling and it wasn’t him that he was worried about. While Dahlia may be competent, she still had a tender heart for James. She didn’t like him, but she just wanted him to be okay.
***
Dahlia left the lawyer’s office and took out her phone that had been beeping the whole time. She had several missed calls, but it was the one from Charles that made her stop on the sidewalk. The smile she tried to fight was back and she called him back.
“Hey.”
“Hey, wifey. So I wanted to know if you wanted to come over for dinner tonight. I’m cooking and I thought we could get to know each other a little better.”
“Mmmhmmm. So is that with or without our clothes on?”
“Do I have an option?”
“No. Okay. What time?”
“Eight good?”
“I’ll be there.”
She wanted to say more, but she didn’t. Instead she hung up the phone and moved to her vehicle. She had real work to take care of and Black’s company reports to take a look at. Dahlia still wasn’t too sure about the merger, but she knew that unless there was something seriously wrong with the accounting, it was as good as done. The stocks had already been split and new ones made.
Dahlia tried to focus on the spreadsheets in front of her. She had found only a few issues with their year-end paperwork and it boded well for a good union . Her mind quickly went to another good union that was on her mind. How was she going to get anything done, if she was married to him? It seemed like she could spend her days picking flower petals to find out if he loved her or not. She shook her head and laughed at herself. “Get a grip, Dahlia. It’s just business.”
***
There was no mention of business when she arrived at his home. He, too, lived in the city, but instead of a house, he rented the top floor of a large building on the west side. The area was not known for the wealthy, but it afforded him a little more anonymity. Dahlia doubted that anyone even knew he lived there. It was an industrial part of town and he just got in long before it was zoned that way. What had started as his first flipping property for his sixteenth birthday, Charles had fallen in love with it and after two years of working on it every day after school, he decided to keep it, unwilling to part with it. Now it was just his home on the top floor, the other floors rented out and still making him a tidy sum.
Dahlia took her time when she got out of the car. It was the kind of place that she walked with her pepper spray in her hand, the finger on the trigger just in case. She didn’t quite understand why he lived there. She knew how much he was worth. But then she saw the interior as she got off the elevator at the top. He was considered eccentric by many and she understood that she would have thought the same thing if she hadn’t gotten to see the space above.
It was like the man, mysterious but inviting. He answered the door and the first thing he did was give her a kiss on the cheek. When she didn’t move away, Charles moved to her lips and opened her up for his tongue’s perusal. She moaned against him, her senses not ready for his onslaught. There was something hard pressing against her as he held her close. When it jerked underneath her, she gasped and pulled away.
“Good evening, Charles.”
He chuckled and moved back to the kitchen. “You're acting cool, but we both know you're wet again.”
She said nothing, neither agreeing nor denying his accusation. As she walked, she knew the truth, but refused to talk about it. There was something about Charles that drove her crazy and even she was starting to think that eloping could be the best cause of action. The paperwork didn’t say that she had to be married in a church, just legally married.
Shaking her head, she followed him into the bright room light by several tracks of light. “You seem to be overly concerned about my panties, Charles.”
“What else is a husband supposed to be concerned with?”
Dahlia shrugged, the mystifying smile back to take up permanent residence on her face. She just couldn’t stop it when he came back with such damn good answers. “Well, I will have you know that I don’t cook. Not even a sandwich, so you can be concerned with that.”
He chuckled and lifted the lid off of a simmering sauce. “I can handle that. There's wine, will you pour us some?”
Dahlia walked to where he suggested and she found a couple of wine glasses already out with the breathing bottle. It was dark red and it tasted better with the feeling of giddiness that went over her body. Why can’t they just elope? It was seemly of course, but no less than her being pregnant before the marriage was official. She tipped her glass again, watching the large man move around in the kitchen like he was used to it. There were many things that he did so well, she wondered what other talents she had to discover. She shivered as his hands on her flashed in her mind.
“So are you ready?”
“What? No. I thought we had talked about waiting until we got married.”
His look of humor made her pay attention. “I meant with dinner, but I really like where your mind is going.” Charles winked and moved a few dishes into the center of an intimate dining room table.
She took a seat where he indicated and had to admit to herself that it smelled wonderful. Dahlia was not sure what it was and she didn’t ask. “So I have a question for you.”
“Of course.”
“Why are you doing this? I mean, I know why I am, but what's being dangled over your head?”
“More obligation on my side, I’m afraid. I made a few bad deals for the company and this is my way of bringing it back. Your name alone associated with the company will bring it back up in no time.”