Page 45

HARLOW

I’m not convinced I’m emotionally stable enough after all those confessions as we walk into the grand hall, hand in hand.

“See, everyone is having a great time,” Corey whispers in my ear as I take in the guests, all laughing and joking around their tables as they wait for their dinner to be served. “So, show me everything.”

“Okay, well, there’s not all that much to see.”

I take the lead and weave through the tables and guests.

A few say hello, but thankfully no one stops me to chat.

I did the best job I could with the little equipment I had to fix my face, but I’m sure it’s still obvious that I had a breakdown not so long ago.

I considered calling Brooke up to help, but the thought of having to explain it all over again put me off.

My heart is still breaking for the man standing behind me, for everything he’s had to endure.

Losing a child is one of the worst things that can happen to anyone, and in those circumstances …

I shudder at the thought. No wonder he freaked out, and I’ve no doubt that at some point in the future he’ll do it again.

You just can’t experience that kind of loss and trauma and expect everything to be fine when memories of the past start popping up, and I’m sure my pregnancy and our baby will do just that.

No matter how much he wants us, it’s always going to be a reminder of what could have been with his daughter.

“And here are the auction lots,” I announce as we walk into the connecting room.

I watch him as he looks at everything we have to offer.

“Harlow?” he asks, pulling me back into his chest and wrapping an arm around my waist. I sigh at the contact.

“Yeah,” I breathe. As much as I want to be here right now to see everything I’ve worked so hard on, I can’t help craving to be back in that suite upstairs with him.

“How many of these did you donate yourself?” he whispers.

I stiffen at the question. “Umm …”

“Harlow?”

“A few.”

He chuckles behind me. “Just a few?”

“Okay, quite a lot.” I shrug. “Just helping the cause.”

He spins me in his arms and takes my chin in his hands. “God, I love you.” My eyes widen and my heart pounds in my chest, but I don’t get a chance to say anything because his lips land on mine for the sweetest kiss of my life.

“Ah, good,” a familiar voice says behind me. “You two have made up.”

“Brooke,” Corey greets when he lets me up for air.

“Oh my God, your chateau. I love this place,” Brooke coos as she looks at the photograph. “We should really go back there again one day. Oh no, you should take Corey. It’s so romantic.”

I bristle at her words, wishing she’d keep her voice down.

“Oh yeah?” Corey asks, pulling my ass back until his hard cock presses against it and his lips brush across my neck.

“Oh, you could take her to London, show her where you’re from, and you could travel Europe.” She gets this far-off, dreamy look in her eyes.

“Sounds incredible, B. But there’s just this little issue of us having jobs and lives, and a baby on the way.”

“Ugh, a girl can dream.” She waves it off. “Seriously, though. I’m glad you made up. Although, rumor has it that you’ve got a key to one of the best suites in this hotel, so I have no clue why the two of you are down here.” She wiggles her eyebrows at us.

“She kinda has a point. If we were alone right now, I could peel this dress from your body and do all kinds of wicked things to you,” Corey murmurs in my ear. It sends a violent shiver racing down my spine.

“I have no idea what you’re whispering right now,” Brooke admits. “But fuck, it’s turning me on.”

“And it’s time for you to walk away,” I quip, much to Corey’s amusement.

“Aw, let her have her fun. She’s only jealous. No one’s going to make her scream tonight like I will you.”

“Oh my God, stop it. Both of you.”

“Christ, I need a man—and fast. Laters.” Brooke stalks from the room, a woman on a mission.

Corey chuckles behind me, the sound making my insides clench with desire.

“Well…?”

“Well what, baby?”

“What are you waiting for? That suite is ours, right?”

“Just waiting for you to say the words.” He takes my hand and we’re out of there in a flash.

“Good morning,” Reese sings when we finally make it out of the suite the next morning and down to the great hall to help clear up. “It was such an incredible night, Harlow. It’s almost a shame you missed so much of it.” She winks, and I silently groan.

Our absence was noticed, then.

“Yeah … sorry about that.”

“No need. Everything ran like clockwork. I’m just glad to see that smile on your face once again.”

I glance up at Corey, my cheeks heating.

He stands beside me, smiling, his eyes darkening as he recalls all the ways he made me smile last night. I gently slap his chest.

“What?” he asks innocently.

“Nightmare,” I mutter.

“So, do we have a final figure yet?”

“No, but from what we worked out quickly last night, it was a huge success. Some of the bids were insane.”

“Tell me you didn’t …” Corey whispers in my ear, but I brush him off, much to his amusement.

“What needs doing?”

“Just tidying up and taking all this stuff out to the vans. My henchmen have already taken the first boxes.”

“Henchm— oh,” I say when Fletch comes walking back in the room, the rest of the team obediently trailing behind him. They’re looking much more relaxed in casual clothes compared to Corey, who’s back in his tux, albeit halfheartedly, much to my disappointment.

I, on the other hand, managed to lose my dress thanks to my best friend supplying me with a spare set of clothes that she had sent to the hotel.

“Morning, I trust you two had a good night,” Fletch rasps, a smirk firmly planted on his lips.

“Fucking hell,” I mutter, embarrassment racing through me.

“Things are good, if that’s what you mean,” Corey says, stepping up to him and clapping his hand against Fletch’s shoulder. “Thanks, man. I owe you one,” he whispers, but I catch it.

“For someone who claims not to do romance, Fletch is sure good at fixing people up,” Reese says, an amused smile on her face.

“Sometimes a few words is all it takes.”

“You two are good together. I hope this is the end of the bumps in the road for you.”

I can’t help but laugh. “Me too,” I say, thinking about the bump we’re soon going to be dealing with.

“So, where to?” Corey asks as a car pulls up to take us away a couple of hours later.

We ended up getting everything sorted and packed into the vans before we all sat down to have breakfast. I’d already thrown up the room service we’d ordered last night, and I was starved once again.

It was nice. Normal, even. And I didn’t even embarrass myself in front of Fletch, so I take that as a win.

Although, it may have something to do with the fact that I’m much less interested in him and far more captivated by the man who was sitting at my side and insisting on some kind of contact with me at all times. I sure wasn’t complaining.

The guys all happily chatted away about the upcoming season, and I allowed myself to get carried away with the excitement. It’s been too long since I’ve seen them all on the ice.

“I really need to go home. But do you mind if we take a detour first? There’s somewhere I’d like to go.”

“For you, Harlow? Anywhere.”

I nod and rattle off the new address to the driver.

As we head through town, my heart starts to beat faster, and my hands begin to tremble with anticipation.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m sorry. I’m just a little nervous.”

“Why? Where are you taking me?” His brows pull together in mock concern.

“Nowhere weird. Just somewhere I haven’t been for a really long time.”

“Okaaay.”

Sitting back, I watch the busy city disappear and the countryside become vaster as we race toward our destination.

As we approach the gates, I fight to keep my breathing steady. I don’t want to freak out before we even get there.

“Whoa, what is this place?” Corey asks as we make our way up the long driveway before the house comes into view.

The second I see it, all my panic and anxiety vanishes.

I’m home.

A smile curls at my lips as I picture myself and my sister playing out on the grass. My mom sitting in her chair on the deck, reading her book, while my dad crashes about in his shed.

Emotion clogs my throat, but it’s not the devastating grief I was expecting to feel. It’s happiness. Contentment.

“This is my home. It’s where I grew up, before …”

“Harlow, it’s … incredible.”

“Do you want to see inside?”

“Of course. If you do.”

“I think it’s time.” My fingers wrap around the handle, and I go to push the door open.

“Wait, you haven’t been back here?”

“Not since I was taken away.”

“Wow. Okay.”

We climb out of the car, and, feeling confident, I tell the driver he can leave.

Corey wraps his arm around my shoulder and pulls me into his side.

“I know you said you had money, but I think I might have underestimated the amount.”

I chuckle at him, not wanting to go into specifics. “My dad, grandfather and my great-grandfather did a fantastic job with the business.”

“So I see.”

He releases me so I can pull the key from my purse. It’s always been with my other house keys, just in case the mood ever struck me and I found myself here. Much like today.

I sill with my fingers wrapped around the doorknob.

“You don’t have to do this,” Corey says softly.

“I really do.”

I push the door open wide to reveal an entryway I remember as if I were only here yesterday.

“Wow. It’s … perfect,” Corey breathes as I step inside.

“Someone comes regularly to keep on top of things.”

“You’ve kept it going all this time?” he asks in disbelief as he follows me down to my favorite room in the house: the kitchen.

He looks around with wide eyes, taking everything in.

“I always planned to come back one day. To make this my home. To allow my kids to grow up with the same incredible memories I have.”

Dragging his eyes away from his surroundings, he turns to me.

“What are you saying, Harlow?” He closes the space between us, his hands resting on my hips as he waits for my answer.

“I’m suggesting that we make this place our home. Our family home.” Taking one of his hands, I slip it around to my belly.

He shakes his head as if he can’t believe it.

“You want us to live together … here?”

“I do. We can’t stay at mine; it comes with Brooke,” I laugh. “And your place is nice, but it’s an apartment, and don’t you think our little one deserves this?” I say, gesturing to the floor-to-ceiling windows at the other end of the kitchen that looks out over the land and ocean beyond.

“Do you know that I think?”

I shake my head shyly, not able to get a read on his expression.

“I think you are the most incredible woman I’ve ever met, and I think you’re going to be an amazing mom.”

“Yeah?” I can’t help the wide smile that spreads across my lips at the prospect.

“Yeah. You know what else?”

I shake my head.

“I meant what I said last night. I love you, Harlow. The good, the bad, the ugly … and everything in between.”

A sob erupts at his words, that he’s accepting those parts of me that I struggle to accept myself most days.

“Corey,” I sob. “I love you, too.”

He takes me in his arms and kisses me until we’re both breathless.

“I guess you’d better show me around the rest of our home, then.”

“You’re really okay with this?”

“Baby, I’d be okay anywhere. As long as you’re there.”

My heart soars at his words, but one look in his eyes and I know he means it.

Some missing part of me fell into place that night he caught me, and I’m not sure it’s a piece I could ever live without again.

Without knowing it, he’s given me the strength to really embrace who I am, who I was. And he’s allowed me to finally get over my fears and, for once, to look to the future and be excited for what’s to come.