Forever (The Forever series Book One) (7 page)

“Esther, will be waiting for us,” I add.

“And who is Esther?” he asks.

“My Estates Manager.”

He cocks an eyebrow at me but I don’t elaborate. Yes, I have
a staff of fifteen. From housekeepers to grounds men, pool keepers, drivers,
etc., and Esther manages them all. I don’t like to brag, well no more than the
next girl, anyway.

Making our way downstairs, I can see Cole having a good look
around again.  I like watching him looking at my house, which I designed and
decorated.

“Do you like it?” I ask quietly, almost shyly.

Bringing his attention back to me he smiles, “Very much so.”
And I am pleased he likes it. Normally I don’t give a flying fuck what anyone
thinks but his opinion seems to matter to me.

“I’ll give you a tour after breakfast, if you like. I want
you to be comfortable here, know where everything is...” I trail off wondering
why these words are coming out of my runaway mouth.

“Like the kitchen?” he asks.

I relax slightly, “Yes, exactly.”

We reach the bottom of the stairs and are standing once
again in the foyer. Eyes wide, Cole takes it all in. Taking his hand I pull him
to the left to the den area, which leads out onto the terrace that overlooks
the main gardens and swimming pool. A tingle goes down the back of my neck,
which signifies Devon’s presence, still outside. A pang of nerves goes through
me, I am anxious to get this introduction over.

Sensing me too before he sees us, Devon looks up from his
newspaper,
Financial Times
, as usual, I note fondly. Carefully,
deliberately, he places the paper on the table and stands.

“Morning Kitten,” he smirks at me as if this is the first
time I have seen him this morning, and stalks (stalks!) over to me and plants a
whopping big kiss right on my mouth. I want to punch him in his smug face.
Pulling back sharply with a furious glare and a quick shove on his chest, I
turn back to Cole, who is watching this exchange with, thank the old gods,
amusement. He can see what’s going on here.

“Cole, this hilarious moron is Devon. Devon this is Cole,” I
say looking back at Devon.

They shake hands and size each other up.

“Nice to meet you,” Devon says pleasantly. “Been a while
since Liv had someone stay over.” I glare at him and he smiles innocently back.
Fucker, I
will
stake you later.

“Nice to know I’m special then,” Cole replies smoothly and
leans down to give me a lingering kiss.

“Please, have a seat. Esther will be along in a minute,” I
say when he pulls away with a sly grin on his face.

As he does so, Devon resumes his seat and turns on the old
Devon charm. I roll my eyes at him as he engages Cole in a conversation about
sport of some kind. I like sports; I am an avid English football fan and also
have investment interests in my true passion of Formula 1 racing, hence my
annual trip to Monaco.

Esther arrives and we order. I know it sounds awfully formal
but it really isn’t. It just... is.

Cole asks for black coffee, bacon and eggs after Devon asks
for the same thing. Pretty slick move. I have my usual green tea and fruit.

The topic of conversation switches to the gym. Devon asks
Cole if he works out, Cole replies yes and Devon offers him the use of ours.

“We, also have a separate area for sparring,” he says,
emphasis on the
we
. “If you’re up for taking on Liv?” He looks at me
with a wicked glint in those gorgeous eyes.

“Devon!” I snap.

“What?” he asks innocently. “I’m sure he would love to see
you in action. She’s a seventh level master in four different martial arts,” he
adds to Cole. Shithead! I am going to smack that boy down as soon as I get the
chance.

Cole’s eyebrows shoot up and he stares at me in wonder, “Are
you serious?” he asks.

“Erm, yes,” I admit.

“Wow, that’s some achievement. You really are a woman of
many talents, aren’t you?” A statement as opposed to a question. I can see the
query in his eyes as he processes everything I have done by the ripe old age of
twenty-six.

Mercifully, Esther arrives with breakfast and the
conversation shifts again to the news of the day. I tune out. Now that the
pissing contest seems to be over they are getting on like a house on fire.
Well, seemingly anyway. God help us all if it turns out I have to introduce him
to CK. I brush that unpleasant thought under the mental mat.

After Esther has Sophia clear the table, Devon heads off to
do whatever it is he’s going to do, leaving us alone.

“Well that went better than I expected,” I comment dryly and
Cole laughs.

“Hey, I’m a charming guy.”

Mm, I’ve noticed.

He takes my hand and asks, “What are your plans today?”

Being a Saturday I’d either have a lazy day by the pool or
head to the office if I had loads of work to do. “I don’t have anything
specific to do today. What about you?”

“Spending it with you, if you want to.” He smiles shyly.

Oh god yes.

“That would be nice. Although I am thinking we need to get
you a change of clothes,” I say, eyeing his smart casual from the night before.
“I can drive you home and you can change?”

His hand tightens on mine. “I’d like that, very much.”

“Okay then, I’ll even let you pick the car,” I say on
impulse, having found out last night that he, like me, is a sports car buff.

“You’ve more than one?” he asks jokingly.

Oh please, you don’t know the half of it.

Excited to show him my impressive, yet over the top
collection, I drag him to his feet. “Follow me,” and I half run across the
foyer to the other side and the door leading to the twenty-car garage. I open
the door with a flourish and flip on the light. The fluorescent lights flicker
on showing my beauties off in all their glory.

“Fuck me,” Cole says stepping past me and staring in
disbelief.

I am beaming as I follow him. There is nothing more
rewarding than having your collection admired by someone whose opinion matters
to you. Each car has its own parking space with room in between to drive them
in and out with ease.

“Well, which one do you fancy?”

He stares back at me open-mouthed.

“Well?” I prompt when he doesn’t say anything, gesturing in
showroom style at the array in front of us.

He snaps out of his awe and with a look of delight, he says
straight away, “The Veyron convertible!”

Ah, my favorite!

I walk over to the key cabinet and select said key. Turning
back to him I say, “You drive!” and throw him the key.

He catches it with impressive reflexes and grins as he asks
“Are you serious?”

I nod, happy that he is happy and run over to him. He kisses
me quickly and heads straight for my pride and joy.

“You sure?” he asks again before he gets in.

“Well I don’t know where you live so it’s probably for the
best, really,” I say and with a whoop, he leaps, Magnum, P.I. style, into the
car, leaving me to embark more gracefully, by actually opening the door. I open
the garage door with the remote I pull from the glove box.

“Lead the way.” I smile as I use his words with him and he
starts up the engine in glee. Pulling out of the driveway, I don my Ray-Bans.
There is a pair in every car as my Vampire eyes are still sensitive to the sun.

My thoughts drift slightly to yesterday evening’s drive home
with Devon in this very car and I feel a heat surge through me. I push it away
and concentrate on Cole. He is enjoying the drive and I am enjoying being
driven by him. No pun intended, of course. His house is situated in Beverly
Hills, he informs me, so I sit back and enjoy the sun and the man I love... geez...
love, being happy.

“Liv? We’re here,” Cole’s voice interrupts my reminiscing.

I look up and realize we are parked in front of a fantastic
house.

“Let’s go in, I’ll give you a tour,” he winks.

Smiling, I alight from the car with ease and he grabs my
hand as we stroll up to the front door.  A simple gesture but one so “normal”
it makes my heart ache. Unlocking the door and opening it he leads me inside.
It’s very minimalist and masculine inside. Just what I imagined it would be
like.

“How about we start with the bedroom?” he says slyly.

“You read my mind,” I answer with a sultry look.

Up a flight of stairs to the second floor, we stop at a door
at the end of the hallway. All white carpet and walls, glass and chrome. It’s
very “him” I think. He opens the door and ushers me in first with a hand at the
small of my back. Wow it’s quite lovely. Sticking with the minimalist look,
there is a plush white carpet across the massive room, a white chaise longue in
the corner with a 60” plasma on the wall above the marble fireplace (Snap!). A
balcony with top to bottom glass doors runs the length of the room with a
stunning view of perfectly manicured lawns and swimming pool. Turning finally
to the bed, a king-size chrome framed bed covered in a white coverlet with
loads of pillows and cushions. He’s watching me take it all in, anxious, as if
looking for approval.

“It’s absolutely beautiful,” I beam at him, “very you.” I
add, my thought from earlier.

He looks relieved. “I’m glad you like it. It’s got nothing
on your place but I like it," he says mildly.

After getting changed and a tour of his lovely house, Cole
declares he would like to take me to lunch. We get back in the Veyron and Cole
heads towards a cute little eatery. I haven’t been here before but Cole says
it’s great so here we are. He pulls my chair out for me and I grin and sit.
Instead of sitting across from me, he pulls the chair to my left corner and
sits. He takes my hand and smiles that gorgeous half smile I love. His eyes are
a beautiful dark blue to match his dark blue t-shirt.

“Liv,” he starts. Looking away he clears his throat. I remain
quiet, wondering where this is going.

“Liv,” he says again and I raise an eyebrow, spit it out
already, I think. “We’ve known each other a week now, if you can call it that.”
The waiter interrupts us with menus and a wine list. Impatient, I glare at him
and he backs off leaving us alone again. Cole closes his eyes and takes a deep
breath. Opening them again he focuses on my glaring green gaze and steels
himself. “I am so in love with you, Liv. What you do to me,” he says in wonder.

“Back at you. More than you could possibly know,” I add
heavily

“I don’t know how or why I feel this way about you so
quickly. We’ve had one date. One date! It makes no sense and has taken me
completely by surprise. I said earlier that I love you but the truth is Liv, I
have fallen completely, deeply in love with you.” He stares at me waiting for
my response.

I open my mouth to respond but he stops me suddenly. “Don’t
say anything. You don’t have to say anything. I know it’s crazy and even
crazier to be telling you, but I need you to know how I feel. It seems
important to me that you know. I don’t know why, maybe it’s destiny. You have
turned my head. You are sexy and beautiful and alluring and mysterious and so
accomplished and intelligent and sophisticated and worldly for someone your
age. You have bewitched me.” He stops, looking at me helplessly.

“Cole, I love you too,” I say to him quietly, “I think I
loved you the minute I set eyes on you. It is crazy and completely illogical.
But I love you, completely. Maybe it
is
destiny.”

His eyes light up as I finish my words and he pulls me to
him for a kiss.

“I love you,” he murmurs against my smiling lips.

“I love you,” I murmur back and we both grin at each other.

The waiter returns for our order and then leaves us alone in
our little happy bubble, which soon bursts when Cole says slyly, “Someday you
are going to have to fill me in, you know.”

“About what?” I ask innocently.

“You. Your life and achievements, it’s quite extraordinary.”

I mentally sigh and shake my head at myself. “One day,” I
say noncommittally and he frowns at my evasiveness.

He focuses on my fingers. I am fiddling with my Faerie ring
that is on my left thumb and can never be taken off. “This is very unusual,” he
says, peering at it closely.

Hm, it’s over a thousand years old and enchanted Celtic
Faerie silver. Damn straight it’s unusual.

Fiddling with it he pulls on it as if to take it off.

Holy cow, I’d burst into flames and fall at his feet in a
pile of ash. I snatch my hand away quickly and try thinking up an excuse. “Err,
it’s a family heirloom, I don’t ever take it off… you know superstitious…” I
trail off but fortunately for me he buys it and thankfully the drinks arrive
and breaks the tension.

I suddenly need to know how open he would be to my secret.
“Cole, can I ask you something?”

“Of course, baby. What is it?”

“Do you believe in… um… other life forms?” Surprised by the
question he frowns. “What, like aliens?”

I shrug. “Sure, or Faeries, witches, things like that,” I
say, trying to be casual.

“Yeah I guess so. I dunno. Never really thought about it. Do
you?” he asks, interested and thankfully not looking at me like I belong in the
loony bin.

Again I shrug. “I like to think I have an open mind.”

“Yeah, me too. I mean who knows. Who’s to say that there
aren’t some Faeries among us right now?” There’s a twinkle in his eye as he
teases but he’s sincere about the open mind. He may just accept me.

We spend the next hour talking, about everything and
anything. We have so much in common in spite of our massive differences. I
really feel connected to him, that I have known him forever. It must mean
something, I think, fingering my ring pensively as we walk back to the car. He
will accept me, he has to, he loves me.

“Cole,” I say suddenly before I step into the car.

He looks at me in surprise, “Yes?”

“Stay again tonight. At my house? I’d like that,” I say
quietly.

He looks surprised but happy, “I’d love that too.” And I
beam at him. “Had we better go back to mine for more things?” he inquires.

“No, Esther can arrange for anything you need. Just come
home with me.”

He smiles a brilliant smile at me, “It would be my
pleasure.”

That’s it. I am going to tell him, tonight. I grab my phone
and message CK that I’ll be telling him later.

My phone buzzes almost immediately:

“If that is your wish, then so be it. Xoxo”

I frown at the screen but I suppose I shouldn’t have
expected anything else.

I dress for dinner quietly and quickly. Cole decided to go
back home to change and is meeting me here to take us back to dinner 8 PM, and
time is running out. My nerves are shot and I jump a mile when Devon walks in.
We have an open door policy, when it’s just the two of us of course.

“Christ Devon! You scared the crap out of me,” I snap.

My tone causes him to raise his eyebrows. “Jumpy, aren’t
you? It’s interesting,” he adds almost to himself.

“What’s interesting?”

“Seeing you this way. Nervous. I don’t think I ever have,”
he says, slightly bewildered.

I smile a wistful smile. “No, I don’t suppose you have. It
was the same with Fraser, even though I ended up having to blurt it out, but
you weren’t with me then.” My heart clenches at the memory of Devon’s Rebellion
during my time in the Scottish Rebellion. When I needed him most, he wasn’t there.
He had left me in a fit of temper and I didn’t see him again for fifty years.

He looks away and I feel terrible for making him remember
that too.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper. I walk over to hug him, remembering
how I feel with CK. Comforted.

“Don’t apologize,” he murmurs. “I wasn’t there and I should
have been.” He holds me to him like a lifeline. He pulls away first with a
smile, “Okay, I’m going. Call me if you need me,” he says seriously, squeezing
my hands.

I nod at him and say, “I will.” And he nods and leaves me
alone.

I turn to the mirror and appraise myself. Black dress (of
course), clingy in all the right places, and falling just above my knees. It’s
the most demure thing I own. Nice and low key.

Cole turns up right on time just as I am finishing up my
make-up. My eyes light up when I see him in the mirror, looking sexy as hell in
a navy blue suit and white shirt open at the collar. I whistle and say, “Wow,
check you out.”

He smiles that half smile, “What? This old thing?”

Turning towards him, he glances appreciatively at me. “You
look beautiful,” he says and kisses me chastely. “Do you mind if I drive us to
dinner?” he asks.

“No, of course not. Any particular reason why?” I ask, and
then the penny drops. “You want to take the Veyron?”

He grins. “I do, is that okay?”

“Of course, baby. What’s mine is yours,” I add and then
realize that might be a bit heavy on the commitment, but he doesn’t seem fazed.

I take his hand and we head out to the garage. He opens my
door with a flourish and I step in gracefully – not easy in 6-inch heels to the
low bucket seats, I might add.

Cole gets in and while grinning at me fires up the engine. I
shake my head at him with a smile.

The drive is quiet. I’m preoccupied with how and when to
broach this subject and Cole is absorbed in the car.  We pull up to the
restaurant and Cole parks the car round the back and we get out. Even harder to
do gracefully in 6-inch heels but Cole is there to help me and I love him for
it.

We are ushered to our booth in the back and I am still quiet
in my reflections.

“Hey,” Cole says taking my hand across the table,
“everything okay?”

I smile the best one I can muster and nod. “I’m fine.”
Thankfully the waiter sidles over for our drink order.

“Sauvignon Blanc, please,” I order and Cole orders a beer.

My Blackberry buzzes on the table and a quick glance down
shows me it’s the offices in China. Great, I sigh, just what I need right now.
“Sorry, my love, I have to take this,” and I answer the phone in fluent
Mandarin.

Cole’s eyebrows go skyward, as I knew they would, as I carry
on the conversation.

Hanging up minutes later I cast a glance at him. He looks
quite serious, “So that’s French, Italian, and Chinese.” He counts them off his
fingers.

“Mandarin,” I say automatically.

“Mandarin,” he repeats. “How many more?”

Well this is the moment. I take a deep breath, “Nineteen,” I
say quickly, adding, “Russian, Polish, Spanish, Portuguese, Cantonese,
Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, German, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Gaelic,
Dutch, Afrikaans, Zulu, Arabic, Latin, and Sumerian. And various dialects of
French, Spanish, and Portuguese,” I end abruptly.

He’s staring at me as if I just grew nineteen heads and I
shrug and take a glug of the wine that has thankfully appeared in front of me.

“What the fuck?” he says and starts laughing.

Laughing? Hm, not what I was expecting.

“Seriously, Liv. That’s pretty funny. You just mentioned
most of the world’s major languages and two dead ones! How many, really?”

I stare impassively at him not quite knowing what to say. He
sobers quickly.

“You are being serious, aren’t you?”

Again I don’t say anything, trying to gauge his true
reaction. I purse my lips and he runs a hand through his hair and lets his hand
drop heavily to the table.

“How? How is that possible? In fact, now that I mention it,
how is any of it possible? You are twenty-six years old, a multimillionaire
head of a global empire, with fingers in a whole bakery of pies. You have this
authority about you that tolerates no insubordination and a manner that
tolerates no fools. Your sophistication astounds me for one supposedly so
young. You’re a seventh level master in four different martial arts. You have
an MBA from Harvard. You speak
twenty-two
different languages. You’re
intelligent and wise beyond your years. Your mind is like a steel trap, nothing
gets past you. You have this incredible attitude towards sex that even most men
don’t have. I look into your eyes and I see… everything. Have you seen
everything, Liv? The depth of your emotions scares me. It’s all there for me to
see. Pain, suffering, love, desire, knowledge, passion. I look at you and I see
a century’s worth of accomplishments and achievements, perception, and wisdom.”
He halts, looking perplexed, frustrated and angry. “And seriously, what is it
with that batshit crazy possessive relationship with your ‘friend’ and the
terrifying mentor in Italy? Your whole body is coiled so tight and your senses
are on hyperdrive.” In a moment of impulse, he throws his knife at me across
the table and I reach out in an instant instinctively to catch it.  “I prove my
point. Something doesn’t add up here, Liv, and you need to tell me.”

He searches my eyes but I can’t speak. He looks away first
with a big sigh. “You either tell me or I’ll walk away,” he says, almost
imperceptibly.

I’m frozen and I can’t move. My brain has gone numb.

“Fine, if that’s the way this is going to go, have it your
way.” He scoots to the end of the booth to leave and I snap into action and
clap my hand down on his.

“I love you, Liv, there isn’t anything you can’t tell me
that I won’t understand or try to understand. It just doesn’t add up, but I
can’t think why you would lie about any of this stuff.”

Lie? Lie? If he could have said anything to make me spill
the Vampire beans, that was it.

I shake my head. “No lies. All truth. Quite an impressive
and fairly accurate, albeit incomplete, résumé you have on me.”