32. Laburnum – Meaning Forsaken Pensive beauty
32
LABURNUM
(GOLDEN CHAIN, GOLDEN RAIN)
MEANING: FORSAKEN; PENSIVE BEAUTY
OCEAN
________
M y heart was in my throat as the car pulled up to the Caldwell mansion. My home. Or it used to be. Even when the estate fully passed to me, I wasn’t sure I would want to come back and live here.
Yes, there were good memories of me and Mom, and a few of Dad, but there were more bad ones. Even pulling up felt like the world was darkening, even though the sky was crystal clear and blue.
My husbands had been so busy I’d barely seen them, getting ready to take time off for the honeymoon. There was a product launch soon, so they were putting things in place to run smoothly.
I told them we didn’t have to go if it meant they had to work so hard, but they insisted. The downside was they hadn’t fucked me since that night in the nest porch.
They’d been getting home late, usually after I’d already gone to bed. And yes, the blankets were the same as the ones on Cameron’s bed, and I couldn’t get enough.
I might have gone to sleep by myself, but I didn’t wake up that way. Each morning I woke up with an Alpha wrapped around me, and each morning they purred and held me until we were both ready to leave the bed.
“I cannot wait until we get you out of here,” Micah had whispered this morning. “Haven’t had enough of you.”
I smiled. “I’m right here.”
“I know.” He groaned. “And the truth is, if any of us let go, we won’t leave the house. We won’t leave for the honeymoon. We’ll just be here, naked, the whole time.”
“I’ll be honest, that doesn’t sound like a bad thing.”
“Only a few more hours,” he whispered into my neck. “Just a few, and then we’re off.”
“To Grecia?”
They’d been cagey and mysterious about where we were going. Not that I minded. I hadn’t really gone anywhere, and wherever they wanted was fine with me.
Micah narrowed his eyes, but he grinned. “Yes. Not at first, though. We have a couple of other stops.”
“That’s fine.”
“I hope you don’t mind. There will be a couple of work related things on the trip, but I promise they’ll be fun.”
I laughed. “You’re the owners of one of the world’s biggest clothing companies. I didn’t think you could just disappear for a few days with no consequences, even if you guys are working yourselves to the bone.”
“The only bone I want to be working is the one in my pants,” he said. “And I will. Later.” Reluctantly, he sat up.
“Tell me another favorite,” I said suddenly. I still didn’t know enough about them, and I wanted to know everything. “Other than blueberry muffins.”
“And you?”
My cheeks flushed. “Yeah.”
“My favorite color is green. A rich, dark green that would look fucking stunning on you, princess. Like that nightgown the other day.” He came around and sat on the bed next to me, taking one of my hands.
I loved the tattoos on his forearms. One side had a map, topical lines that outlined the forest where he and his brothers used to play, it morphed into other things that were personal to him. A line of braided ribbons for one of his mothers, line art of an open book, and other hidden secrets. The other side was more colorful, realistic swirls of paint that seemed almost three dimensional. Like chunky oil paint, which I learned was his chosen medium for his own art.
“Anything else you want to know?” He asked.
“Everything.”
“Everything, huh?” His smile was soft. “You already know I have brothers. A family that’s almost too big, actually. I’m glad that Everett handles the business side of things because I’d much rather hide in my designs than look at a sheet of numbers. Classical music is my favorite. Old movies too. I love living at the beach but visiting the mountains, and muffins are pretty much the only blueberry thing I like. How’s that?”
“It’s a good start.”
Micah leaned down and brushed his lips over mine. “I’ll think of more, but I want those same answers in return.”
“Okay.” I sat up with him. “I’m going over to the Caldwell mansion today, just for a bit. I want to check on the rest of my flowers before I leave. Sally’s been doing it, but I’ll feel better if I see them myself.”
His face darkened. “You’ll take a driver?”
“Yeah.”
“Good.” He sighed. “I’d rather you not go over there alone.”
I slipped off the bed and headed to the closet. “I’ll be fine. Promise. If I’m lucky they won’t even know I’m there. In and out. Like a fat ninja.” Following me, he growled low. I raised an eyebrow. “What?”
Micah studied me, assessing. “Just checking.”
“For?”
“Whether my wife is talking down about herself. Which isn’t allowed.”
My smile was real this time. “I wasn’t.”
“And that’s the only reason I’m not spanking you.”
A strange feeling flowed through me. It wasn’t a bad one. The words didn’t trigger any fear or memories. Only curiosity. “Guess you’ll have to save that for later,” I said, breathless.
He’d cursed before kissing me hard and leaving my room. Now, as I stared up at the house I’d called home for most of my life, the memories I held with them were the reason I could do this by myself. Barely married a week, and they were already helping me.
Isabel opened the door before I could ring the bell. “Hello, dear.”
“Hi.”
“Do they know you’re coming?”
I shook my head. “I’m just here to check on my flowers. Have they given Sally a hard time about it?”
“No, she’s stayed out of their way.”
That was good. “I won’t be long. They’re here though?”
“Yes. Don’t worry, I won’t tell them.” She winked at me.
“Thanks, Isabel.”
The greenhouse was tucked outside in the garden. Mom loved more than just flowers, so she’d turned a portion of the estate into a beautiful grove. Her refuge away from the hard research she did, and later, from her illness. It was one of my favorite places in the world.
Right now, with the sun bright, the greenhouse looked like a sparkling jewel in the middle of a sea of green. And after using the fingerprint lock, I was relieved to breathe in the delicious scent of the air and see that all the flowers that remained here were thriving. Sally knew what she was doing.
I didn’t deserve her. Especially since she was willing to still take care of the flowers while we were gone. Both here and at the DuPont estate. There wasn’t enough time to move the rest of them before we left tonight.
Humming to myself, I pulled on a pair of gloves and sank into my routine of watering those that needed it, checking the plants that might need trimming, and taking a look at the hybrid flowers I’d been working on. They were still sprouts without blooms. But by the time we came back they might be ready.
It didn’t take as long as normal, because so many plants had been moved to the transitional greenhouse in our courtyard. The ones that were left here were more delicate. Either older, more settled plants that I’d been monitoring for a long time, or a few of the hybrids that I didn’t want to risk an atmosphere change while they developed.
When we built a permanent greenhouse at the DuPont Estate, I would move them then.
My smile couldn’t be stopped by the time I was done. I hadn’t even realized how much I missed spending time here. But also the knowledge that I was leaving and going back to safety and happiness.
Unfortunately, inside the greenhouse was where the happiness ended. Laura stood at the entrance to the house with her arms crossed, glaring at me as I came back. “Why are you here?”
I rolled my eyes. “That’s not a real question when you know the answer.”
“Your uncle wants to speak with you.”
“Can it wait? I need to get back.”
“No, it can’t.” She walked away, fully expecting me to follow. I could simply leave, but given we were flying out of the country tonight, I didn’t want either of them to come to our house furious and give Ruby or Marcela any trouble. Besides, there wasn’t anything they could do to me now. They married me off, and if they did anything, my husbands would ruin them.
So I followed her.
I missed the light hallways of the DuPont mansion. Everything felt so dark here. It hadn’t when Mom was alive. That came later. Laura’s taste in decoration was as bad as the rest of her.
My uncle looked up from his desk when we came in. “Ah, Ocean. I need to know the internal quarterly profits for Zenith Incorporated for the last few years, and a breakdown of each of their subsidiaries.”
I stared at him. “Excuse me?”
“I told you when we made this deal that you were going to help us take their company for our own. Time to start holding up that part of the bargain.”
“It’s barely been a week. They’re not going to show me internal financial documents, and me asking for them will be a huge red flag.” Not that I would ever do it. I knew exactly what I signed, and like I told Laura on my wedding day, I was well aware of my obligations. Which were nothing.
“Find a way. We need those numbers.”
“What for?”
Laura snorted. “You don’t need to know that.”
“Actually I do. You’re asking me to perform corporate espionage, which is a crime. So I expect you to tell me what you need the numbers for.”
Frank didn’t even look up. “Get the numbers first. Then I’ll tell you.”
“You’ll have to wait. We’re leaving tonight.”
Laura’s head snapped in my direction. “What?”
“We’re going on our honeymoon. Europa. A few places, though they haven’t told me all the stops.”
“Your honeymoon ? You can’t be serious.”
I stared her down, loving the fact that she had no power. “If you’d like to call my husbands and ask, you can. And like I said before, I need to get back.”
Frank sighed, sounding bored. “Fine. When you’re back, I want those numbers.”
Saying nothing, I turned and left. He had cameras in there, and like hell was I agreeing to that. I never did, and I never would. He could try to force it, but there was nothing he could really do. Starve from the lack of information for all I cared.
Isabel greeted a man coming in the door as I was leaving, and I gave her a wave as I slid into the car. My phone buzzed.
Everett
We finished early and have everything ready. Have Jon drive you straight to the airport.
Ocean
What if I need something from home?
Everett
Do you? Ruby said she packed everything you could possibly need.
I’d planned a plane outfit, but I didn’t need it. I hadn’t stayed in the greenhouse long enough to need a shower, and getting out of here faster sounded incredible.
Ocean
I guess not.
Everett
See you soon, little nymph.