Page 13

WINTER

Deacon’s outburst makes everyone conclude that the meeting is over. After Deacon leaves, everyone else streams out of the boardroom one by one, and I stay back for a few minutes before gathering my things. The thought of going back to Deacon’s office makes my skin break into hives. It’s bad enough I was distracted yesternight, so much so that my boys noticed, and it’s bad enough that I couldn’t sleep a wink remembering every single second Deacon touched me, but to actually sit in that office again pretending that him fucking me in the elevator was nothing is a bigger problem than I could have foreseen.

Once everyone leaves, and I fall under the assumption that I’m the only one left in the room, I’m barely off my seat when the musky cologne of sandalwood and patchouli hogs my nostrils.

It doesn’t take me turning around to know the man standing behind me is Alpha Kieran Vega. I mean, he’s the only man who smells like he bathes in luxury colognes in his free time.

Caging me with his hand and standing behind my chair in a way I can’t move unless I shove him or request him to move, the man with the golden eyes I’ve gotten used to whispers in my ear.

“Don’t tell me you are leaving so soon, sweetheart. We barely had time to catch up since the last time we saw each other,” Alpha Kieran’s velvety voice streams into my ears, and given the time and my mood, it sounds more annoying than usual.

“I believe the last time we saw each other, you were threatening Mr. Wilfred of how you would bring this company down,” cocking my head to give him my answer turns out to be a big mistake because that only leaves my face mere inches from his.

From the eyes of another woman, Alpha Kieran Vega was everything one would want in a mate. He was rich enough to buy Bracken City, he was a ruthless businessman who never gave up on what he wanted, and as for his looks, he wasn’t too lacking in that department either.

With a six-foot-two height, a charismatic attitude that all Alphas carried, and eyes that could lull even the most loyal Lunas, Alpha Kieran was temptation wrapped in a nice red bow. Too bad the effect he had on other women never rubbed off on me.

“You are still sour about that?” Kieran asks.

“You were going to bring the company down and everyone who worked here down with it. But it doesn’t matter now. I’ve got somewhere to be, so if you could please step aside and give me room, I’d appreciate that.”

I expect Kieran to be as stubborn as always, but it’s a surprise when his scent fades from my nostrils, and he steps back, giving me room to push my chair back and stand up.

“Whatever this new guy is offering you, I could pay you double the amount, Winter. You know I’d do anything for you,” Kieran delivers the line with a smile. Almost as if he’s being sarcastic and serious at the same time.

“Are you offering to buy me as your assistant, Alpha Kieran? Because that actually makes me feel cheap.”

With that lazy smile plastered on his face, Kieran steps forward. Enough to be in my breathing space but not enough to cross any boundaries.

“Having you as my assistant is the last thing on my mind, Winter. I’d pay to see you in my kitchen cooking for me, in my room, on my bed, hell doing anything you want in my house. You’d never have to work a single day in your life.”

Laughter snorts from my throat as I reply back with, “Goodbye, Alpha Kieran. Some of us have actual work to be done.”

Holding the blue files against my chest tighter, I’m almost to the door when Kieran’s words hit me from behind.

“I’m still waiting for the day you actually say yes to my dinner proposal, sweetheart. You have my number in case you ever change your mind.”

“I’ll never change my mind” is what I want to say, but instead, I step out of the boardroom, closing the door on Kieran’s smirking face.

Getting to Deacon’s office takes a lot of pep-talking and trying to push away my wolf, who buzzes with excitement at the prospect of seeing Deacon again. Ever since I slept with Deacon, somehow, my wolf has started to get attached, and I fear for both of us because getting too attached will lead to the same heartbreak we tried to cure for years.

“We can tell Deacon we don’t regret a second of what happened last night,” my wolf reminds me.

Pushing the double-edged doors to Deacon’s office ends up as a relief, and somehow as a crushing disappointment when Simon tells me the boss left and he actually said I could leave work early today.

I guess I never stopped to think that Deacon has a life outside work just like I do, and seeing as how it’s already Friday, that means I will not see Deacon till Monday.

***

“Uncle Luka! Uncle Luka! Look at me. I can fly,” Adrian squeals from the swings. I’d be worried about those swings if it weren’t for the fact that my baby is barely two feet off the ground.

“I see you, Addie. Wow. Are you planning on being a superhero?” Luka shouts back.

Ash, who is scooping sand near the sand pit, stands with a plastic shovel, staring at Luka a tad bit too aggressively.

“I want to be a superhero too, Uncle Luka!” Asher whines.

“Babies, you can all be superheroes with those faces,” Julie chimes in, and that seems to calm the boys, who are doing two different things on opposite sides of the park.

Biting a chunk of my pretzel, the warmth of the sun on my skin reminds me why I love the park. I break the monotonous silence between me and my friends.

“Any reason why both of you decided to ambush me in the park?” I ask.

Julie is the first to break. “We didn’t ambush you. We were dying to see our nephews.”

She’s always been a bad liar—almost as bad as me.

“While I agree with Julie that we wanted to see your boys, and I actually missed these little munchkins, this is the only way we could get you to talk without you giving us excuses,” Luka says.

My salty pretzel almost chokes my throat as my spine stands ramrod straight. Oh Goddess, did they find out about what happened between Deacon and me in that elevator?

“Winter, we know there’s something going on between you and the boss,” Julie holds my hand as she delivers her statement.

“Either that or the boss might be a bit possessive over you.” Whatever Luka says has me confused as ever.

“What do you mean?”

Please. Please. Let it not be that everyone saw the footage from the elevator. I mean, Howard said he’d delete it, but what if he didn’t?

“He sent every guy an email. The email it clearly states that if any guy is seen talking to you, laughing with you, or getting remotely close to you, he’ll get fired. Hell, I’m risking my job talking to you right now, Winter.”

Color immediately drains from my face.

No, he didn’t. Deacon wouldn’t…

Shit. He did it.

That bastard sent every guy in the company an email with the subject being “Winter Cavanaugh is off-limits” in bold letters. Going to the company message thread has the little food in my stomach sloshing dangerously.

I think I might throw up.

Malicious rumors pile up in the texts, and there’s no stopping them from running wild.

I can see where this is headed.

Julie and Luca know about my boys because they are practically my best friends. Most of the people I work with in Bracken Holdings know I live alone in a sad, dingy apartment downtown. But then there are the others.

A year ago, I ran into a couple of guys from the marketing department while I was out in the park with my boys. I had to lie to them that Ash and Addie were my nephews.

Looking back now, what if the same guys add the little information about me having nephews to the rumor mill?

What if Deacon hears about my supposed nephews and puts two and two together about Asher and Adrian being my sons and he being the father?

“You didn’t know about the email?” Luka asks in realization.

“No, I didn’t. I have to stop the rumors before they reach Deacon.”

“Winter…”

“The boss can’t find out I have kids, Luka.”

Maybe it’s the fear written all over my face, or maybe it’s the way my voice wobbles, either way, silence falls between us before Julie’s face turns a shade pale, her eyes going wide as well. “Deacon Cross is your ex. He’s Asher’s and Adrian’s father, isn’t he?”

I nod. I’m too tired of keeping this from them.

“Wait, wait. I thought you said Ash and Addie’s dad died and abandoned you.”

I fumble for the right words, and all that comes up is,” He isn’t dead, but the abandoned part was true about him. He rejected me before he knew I was pregnant. If he finds out about my boys, he could take them away from me, or my boys’ hearts could get crushed if they know they have a father who doesn’t want anything to do with them.”

Surprised faces and judgy eyes—my friendship with them hangs in the balance, that is, until Luka speaks up.

“We have to stop the rumors. Ashley and a few women in the office are digging about your past due to jealousy, and soon enough, they’ll be telling your ex… I mean our douchebag of a boss, everything about you so he can fall out of love with you.”

Deacon is not in love with me. I don’t think he’d understand the meaning of love if it slapped him in the face.

“You have to start dating, Winter, or I don’t know, start seeing a guy in public so the rumors about you and the boss can die down.”

Wait? What? I haven’t gone out on a date in forever. Actually, I’ve never been on a date.

“What about Alpha Kieran Vega? He’s asked you out countless times, right? Call him today, accept his offer on a date, and dine somewhere in public where people are bound to take pictures of both of you.”

Julie sounds almost as crazy as Luka.

I want to turn down her idea, but my eyes roam to where my sons are, and I make a decision right there and then.

It’s either this date with Kieran or me losing my babies, and I'll always choose my babies every time.

***

The sleeveless spaghetti strap mini-dress hugs my curves and makes me feel prettier than I’ve felt in a long time. The red satin fabric of the dress compliments the blush on my cheeks, completely blending in with my entire look.

Leaving Adrian and Asher on a Sunday night with Isabel feels like I’m betraying our personal bonding time, but my boys seem way more excited about this date than I am.

“Pretty. Mommy,” Adrian claps his tiny hands, the amazed look in his eyes almost bringing tears to my eyes.

“Like a princess,” Ash adds, just as mesmerized as his brother. I can almost see the word “wow” written all over his cute face.

“The dress suits you,” Isabel compliments before she adds sweetly, “Your date won’t know what hit him when he sees you.”

I don’t expect my kids to understand what Isabel means mostly because I don't know how they’ll take the news of seeing their mommy go on a date with a man when she’s never done so before.

And yet, it comes as a shock when Adrian tugs at my dress and asks accusingly, “Are you bringing us a new daddy, Mommy?”

Goddess.

Asher’s eyes meet mine in the reflection, and he gives me a grin.

“I want a new daddy too, Mommy! We asked Daddy in heaven if it was okay to get a new daddy, so please, please, can we have a new daddy?”

I’m saved from the interrogation when the loud beeping of a car comes from outside our house, indicating my ride's here, and Isabel declares, “Mommy’s got to go, and it’s almost past your bedtime, boys.”

The boys begrudgingly kiss me goodnight, having more questions than I can possibly answer. All I can promise them is that I’ll try my best to have fun tonight.

Kieran, who’d said yes to dinner with me tonight, sent a fancy slick Lambo to pick me up from outside my home.

I’m not all concerned about fancy things like cars, but I have to admit, everything about the car blows my mind away.

The driver’s almost to the restaurant when my phone rings in my purse. Alpha Kieran’s number dots on my screen the minute I take my phone out, and I take the call.

“Good evening, sweetheart. Liked your surprise?”

“You mean the fact that you sent a car to my home when I never gave you my address in the first place?”

“I liked you from the moment I saw you, Winter Cavanaugh. Of course, I stalked you and found out your home address.”

My shoulders tense. How much did he stalk me?

“I don’t know whether to be creeped out or flattered by that, Alpha Kieran.” Because really, I don’t.

“Kieran. Call me ‘Kieran’. Come on, you finally said yes to me, sweetheart. The least you could do is drop the formality and call me by my first name.”

The only Alpha I call by his first name is Deacon, and that’s not because he’s my ex-mate but because calling him that reminds me, he’s not some big bad Alpha I have to obey.

“Any more surprises you’ve got in store for me, Kieran?”

The car comes to a halt, and I stare out the window, my eyes meeting the man standing outside with a bouquet of flowers in his hand and a cocky smile that’d make most ladies want to drop their panties for him.

“Only one, sweetheart,” he says through the phone, and I cut the call.

Like a true gentleman, Kieran opens the door for me, and I take his hand, returning an appreciative smile.

The car leaves a second later, and my heart deflates in disappointment when our hands touch. There’s not even a tiny spark coursing through my body. I don’t feel my wolf getting excited from the scent coming off of Kieran, either.

When Kieran hands me the huge bouquet of white lilies, my heart doesn’t pound harshly against my chest from the sentiment, nor do I feel any throbbing between my legs. Not like I did with…

“The flowers are almost the final part of the surprise. I didn’t know what to get you so I went with what you smell like. Lilies.”

Bringing the flowers to my nose, I sniff them, loving how they smell and just how beautiful they glint against the moon’s light.

“Kieran, I think the flowers are—.”

My words are cut off by an animalistic growl that rumbles from behind me.

By the time I’m caught in the loop with who’s standing behind me and what’s happening, Deacon leaps from behind me like an unleashed puma, punches Kieran right in the jaw, and knocks him to the ground.