Chapter 18
eighteen
Christian.
"Should I be worried?"
Scotlyn looked up at me after I opened the passenger door and extended a hand to help her out of my car.
"No, why would you think you need to worry?"
She accepted my hand, and once she was on her feet, I had her body flush against mine.
I brushed my lips over hers and delivered a soft kiss before I step back to admire how sexy she looked.
The dress she chose for tonight was white, strapless around her chest, aside from the knot between them where two thin pieces of satin material looped her neck and tied at the nape.
Scotlyn was effortlessly beautiful in anything she wore but something about this woman in white landed differently for me. I dropped a kiss to her shoulder and let my lips linger longer than necessary.
"You said we're having dinner and brought me to an empty construction site. That screams be worried, Christian."
I grinned and moved us out of the way so I could shut my car door. "We're here for dinner."
"But there's nothing out here." She swung her eyes around the darkness surrounding us before they landed on me again. The only thing seen from our vantage point was a blanket of darkness covering the property that was officially hers. Another reason why we were here.
"Part of our arrangement means you trust me with your safety and wellbeing."
"In regards to making sure I don't OD on orgasms, and honestly, I'm not sure you're holding up your end with that.
I've been close to death by way of pleasure in the past couple days but this feels more like you decided you want to renege on our deal and we're here as an easy way for you to get rid of the body.
You could make me disappear and build a cute little tapas restaurant over my shallow grave. "
I chuckled and reached for her hand instead of grabbing my dick which jolted to attention at the mention of orgasms. She accepted and I linked our fingers.
"I don't know what the hell you think of me but that is something I would never do.
Also, I'm pretty sure you can't OD on orgasms, but if you would like to do some research later, I'm game. "
"No, I would not." She narrowed her eyes at me while we moved to the opening where the property line was roped off.
"I'm a man of my word, Angel. You're holding up your end of the deal and so am I. We're here for dinner." I motioned to the shore line which came into view after we made it to the temporary pathway I paid to have created earlier to ensure we safely arrived at our destination.
"Dinner on the beach?" She grinned, leaning in closer to me.
"Yes."
She granted temporary trust and we made our way to the spot where my team set up a platform that held a rectangular gazebo divided into two sections. One side held a table set for two and the other a lounge area with oversized cushions and a thick, padded blanket. Once again she had her eyes on me.
"This is dinner?"
"It doesn't have to be, if you would prefer to do something else."
She smiled softly. "No, this is perfect."
I nodded and we traveled the rest of the way to the gazebo where I pulled out her chair and she took a seat before I filled the spot across from her.
"When did you set this up?"
"Earlier today while you were making contractors cry."
She grinned and rolled her eyes. "If a grown man cries because I'm making him adhere to his contractual agreements then he doesn't need to be doing business. At least not with me."
"I can't argue with that."
"So all this in a few hours."
"It's not a lot."
She looked past me toward the manufactured pathway we took to get down here. "You had them build a walkway, gazebo, and lounge area on the beach. That's a lot. I guess this is how things in your world work. When Christian snaps, they jump."
I reached for the wine chilling in a stainless ice bucket and tugged at the cork which had already been removed but was replaced to keep the bottle closed until our arrival.
After our glasses were filled, I extended one to Scotlyn. "I can't argue that but it doesn't negate the fact that you're on your shit and respected. I'm willing to bet whoever the guy was shed a few tears after that call."
She lifted her glass and enjoyed the first sip, frowning a little. "This is the special blend I fell in love with when I had lunch with Niama. It's not even out yet."
"I called and asked which you liked best."
"Definitely a 'Christian makes shit happen' thing."
I chuckled and nodded. "You could make shit happen just as easily as I can. You just choose not to."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You're wealthy, Scot. Your name is very relevant and can pretty much secure you any privilege your heart desires but…" I lifted my glass. "You choose to fly under the radar."
"I choose to let my character speak for me and not my father's name."
I grinned. "That right there is exactly what I mean, but it's not just his name. You're a Whitney whether you like it or not. You can't deny who you are and you shouldn't."
"I'm not denying that I'm a Whitney. I just don't want people to mistake what's given with what's earned. The development division of Whitney International is all mine. It's a reflection of my hard work and my vision. I've spent the last twenty-two years proving that."
"You damn sure have. You've earned the respect and the name. You can't make people feel or believe what they choose not to, so fuck their opinions. Embrace the name."
"Is that your mindset?"
"Now, yes. It hasn't always been though.
My family is connected to things that are respected but not always by respectable people.
There was a time when I did everything in my power to prove I was more than the legacy my father created.
But now I just don't give a fuck. The Devereaux name is what I make it.
It's the legacy I create. I am not my father but there are some people who will only ever accept me as his son. "
Her eyes narrowed a little then she smiled. "Sounds like you're encouraging me to lean into my privilege as a Whitney."
"I am."
Her smile expanded. "I'll keep that in mind when I'm negotiating with you about your Aston Martin."
I laughed and shook my head. "Nah, fuck that. My car is not up for negotiation."
"I'm a Whitney and we get what we want."
"With everything but my damn car."
I looked up and noticed my team moving down the platform with a cart which held our dinner. As soon as they reached us, I was handed an envelope, which I extended to Scotlyn.
"What's this?"
"You asked why we were having dinner out here. The answer is in there." I motioned to the legal sized envelope in her hands and watched while she opened it and removed the documents.
She flipped through them, frowned, then her eyes landed hard on me. "This is the deed to the property I purchased."
"It is." I kept my eyes on her while hers narrowed more.
"You agreed to stay out of the way."
"Look at the name on the paperwork, Scot. It's yours, not mine. You own this." I lifted my hand and circled a finger in the air. She dropped her eyes to the paperwork and flipped through the pages again, examining them more thoroughly.
"Then I'm confused on how and why you have this?"
"You're facing off with your father tomorrow.
That finalizes the deal. This waterfront property is officially yours.
The permits in there give you a green light to start construction immediately.
There's not a damn thing he can do to get in your way outside of changing the branding.
Whether or not it needs to fall under Whitney International, even if that's the case, you own it, clean and free of his reach. "
"But how did you get this? It takes at least thirty days but more like sixty considering all the permits required to have access to the water."
I smiled arrogantly. "List it under the Christian makes shit happen thing. We're having dinner tonight to celebrate this milestone for you. I figured there was no better place to celebrate than the location of the actual milestone."
She stared at me for another moment then grinned. "I still have to deal with the board."
"You've got that shit covered. Consider it done.
So tonight, we're celebrating." I lifted my glass, extended it in the air, and motioned to hers.
She lifted it as well and we met in the middle of the table over the food my staff was setting up.
"Congratulations on your first solo development, Scotlyn. "
"Thank you." We touched glasses then drank.
"We're going to have dinner then I'm going to see how many times I can make you cum before the sun comes up."
"Christian." She choked on her wine and her eyes darted to the woman removing our dinner from the cart, placing it on the table. She ducked her head but grinned and Scotlyn looked mortified.
"I pay very well for discretion. She didn't hear anything."
She narrowed her eyes and I chuckled and waited for them to leave before I continued.
"Do you have a problem with my plans for tonight?"
Her eyes darted to the path to make sure we were alone again then she shook her head. "Not really a problem, but this feels like a date."
"Do you have a problem dating me?"
"That's not what we are. Our arrangement?—"
"Is whatever we want it to be. No one knows the details except us. So again, do you have a problem dating me?"
"I don't want people to misinterpret what this is."
"Which means…"
"Me dating a man who posed a conflict with a business opportunity I was interested in."
"You don't want them to assume you traded pussy for property."
Her mouth dropped open and I angled my head to the side. "No sense in being offended. That's exactly what you were implying, am I right?"
She sighed and nodded. "Yes, but I wouldn't have presented it that way."