Tristan
A few weeks later, I wake up before Chloe does. I lie there for a few minutes, listening to the soft sound of her breathing beside me and letting my mind wander a bit. Then I give up on trying to go back to sleep and slide down the bed instead.
She’s on her back, one arm thrown over her face, somehow elegant even while sprawled out in sleep. The sheet is draped over her waist, and I lift it slowly as I duck beneath the soft fabric. Settling between her legs, I press little kisses to her skin, working my way up.
She doesn’t stir until I have my mouth on her properly, and then she lets out a soft sound, something between a sigh and a moan.
I tease her clit through the fabric of her panties, warming it with my breath and circling it lightly with my fingertips, and her hips start to shift toward me as her breathing changes.
Grinning, I work her panties over her hips and down her legs. She’s awake enough by now that she moves her legs to help me get rid of them, and when I wrap my lips around her clit and start working it in earnest, she makes a husky noise that goes straight to my cock.
“Fuck,” she moans, her voice still thick with sleep. “God, you’re the best alarm clock ever.”
“Happy to serve,” I murmur against the wetness of her pussy. “I’ll wake you up like this every day for the rest of our lives if you want.”
I bring her right to the edge of an orgasm and keep her there until she’s properly awake and gripping my hair with both hands. Then I let her come. She lets out a keening cry as her back arches, her thighs pressing against my head.
But I don’t stop.
By the time I’m satisfied, she’s come three times and is lying limp on the mattress, gasping like she’s just run a marathon.
I kiss my way back up her body and find her mouth, and she makes a sound when she tastes herself on my tongue. Her hands come up to my face.
“Beep, beep, beep,” I intone against her lips, mimicking an alarm clock.
She laughs, my favorite sound in the entire world. “You’re ridiculous.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I didn’t say thank you yet.”
I nip her lip. “You were thinking it.”
She laughs again. I pull her up and off the bed and steer her toward the bathroom, and she leans into me as I get the shower running, testing the temperature with my hand until it’s right.
We step in together, and she tips her head back into the water.
I watch the water run through her hair and think about how I get to have this every morning, and how I almost threw it all away.
I wash her hair for her, working my fingers through it, and when she makes a sound that’s not entirely different from the sounds she made ten minutes ago in bed, my cock starts to harden again immediately.
She chuckles, reaches back to wrap her hand around my shaft, and I groan and press her forward against the tile.
I fuck her slowly in the shower, her hands flat against the wall, the water running hot over both of us.
We’ve got nowhere to be for a while yet, and I can’t think of a better way to spend the morning.
When she comes, her cries bounce off the hard tile, and I follow her a few seconds later, my forehead dropping to the back of her neck.
We stay like that for a heartbeat, the water running over us, before I reach past her and turn it off. I pull out and help her clean up, then we dry off, get dressed, and head downstairs together.
As we reach the ground floor, I pull her close for a quick, lingering kiss before getting started on breakfast. I fucking love feeding her—there’s something about it that feels almost as good as any grand gesture.
She seems to enjoy even my most mediocre attempts at cooking, which is a small miracle in itself.
In the kitchen, I put on an apron, something I rarely wear but find oddly comforting as I dive into the task.
I’ve got a few simple dishes planned, including scrambled eggs and avocado toast. Nothing extravagant, but I’m determined to make it just right.
I want every detail to be perfect, even if it’s just breakfast.
While I start to prep, Chloe sits at the counter, sipping tea from an oversized mug. Her legs are tucked beneath her, and she looks relaxed, her eyes bright. I steal glances at her while I work.
I crack eggs into a bowl, whisking them with a bit of milk and seasoning. While the toast is in the toaster, I slice and mash the avocado with a bit of lemon juice and seasoning.
Chloe watches me with an amused smile, her mug cupped in her hands. “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen the apron before.”
I glance over with a grin. “Ah. It’s my secret weapon.”
“I’ll be the judge of that,” she says with a wink.
When breakfast is finished, I present it to her with a flourish. As I set the plates in front of her, the simple food looks surprisingly elegant. The eggs are perfectly cooked, and the avocado toast is arranged with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes and a dash of sea salt.
“Voila,” I announce with a playful bow. “Your breakfast, as promised.”
Chloe hums in appreciation, then reaches up to kiss me on the cheek before digging in. She takes her first bite, savoring the flavors. After a moment, she looks up with a satisfied smile. “It’s really good.”
“It’s all because of the apron,” I tell her, grabbing my own plate and piling on eggs.
We sit together at the counter, enjoying our breakfast. The conversation stalls for a moment as we both savor the food. There’s a comfortable silence between us.
Chloe takes another sip of her tea, her gaze soft and relaxed. I reach out, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face, and she gives me a smile in return.
As I’m taking my last bites, Chloe sits back, her own plate empty. She finishes her tea in a single swallow.
“What’s the rush?” I ask. “You look like you’re about to run out the door.”
“No rush, per se,” she replies. “I’m just excited.”
“What do you have going on today?”
“I’m meeting with the screenwriter for the first project at Warbler Studios,” Chloe says, her eyes lighting up. “We’re going to brainstorm some ideas and get the ball rolling. It’s the first big step toward making everything a reality.”
I nod, watching her so animated and full of energy. It does more to fill me than breakfast. “Sounds like a big day. It must feel amazing to finally be stepping into this role.”
She beams at me, her excitement obvious. “It really does. I’ve been waiting for this opportunity for so long. Now that it’s here, I just can’t wait to dive in and start working on it.”
I did this for her. Every decision, every move, every bit of effort that went into making Warbler Studios a reality was meant to bring her happiness, to give her the chance to chase her dreams. Seeing her light up with excitement about her first project, hearing her talk about the screenwriter and the plans, it’s clear she’s found something she’s passionate about.
But it’s not just about making her happy.
I know that her success is going to be a tremendous asset for Thorne Enterprises.
Chloe has a vision and a talent that’s undeniable, and it’s going to transform the movie world.
We’ve taken a bold step with this new direction, and I have no doubt she’s going to lead it to great heights.
She’s going to make waves in this industry—that’s a given. And I can’t wait to see it happen.
“You’ve got that meeting today, don’t you?” Chloe asks.
The reminder dims my mood slightly. “Yeah, I do.”
A few days ago, my mother reached out to me and my brothers, requesting that all of us convene at her house. While I don’t know exactly what this is about, I have a decent idea, and the last thing we need is that kind of upheaval in our lives.
Chloe’s eyes narrow with concern. “What do you think it could be?”
I shrug, an uneasy knot tightening in my stomach. “I have a few guesses.” I glance at her, seeing the worry in her eyes, and I reach out to squeeze her hand. “I’m sure it’ll be fine. I’m just not looking forward to the added stress.”
Chloe nods, giving me a reassuring smile. “I’m sure you’ll handle it. Just remember, you’ve got me in your corner.”
Her words help. I lean forward to kiss her forehead. Then, together, we head upstairs to get dressed.
We all pull up to my mother’s house around the same time, the five of us in our respective cars.
“Any updates on the lawsuit?” Gabriel asks me as we head up the walkway.
“Had a call with the lawyers this morning,” I answer, casting a glance toward my other brothers, who are listening too. “Discovery turned up everything we needed and then some. Vincent’s lawyers have already started floating settlement language, which means he knows he’s in deep shit.”
Reid snorts. “He’s panicking.”
“He should.” Dominic’s voice is hard. “There’s no fucking way MediaSphere will make it through this intact. The only question now is how much of a hit he takes.”
I grin at my brothers. We can all be cutthroat when we want to be, and this is a situation where we definitely all wanted to go for the jugular.
Beckett shakes his head, a satisfied edge to his expression. “Good. And speaking of planning, have any of you thought about which one of us Mom’s going to try to marry off next?”
There it is, the thing we all suspected, finally spoken aloud. Now that the ice is broken, Reid huffs a breath and mutters, “Well, I guess we’re about to find out, aren’t we?”
“I don’t envy any of you for that,” Gabriel says, his hands in his pockets.
We exchange looks, each of us trying to gauge the others’ reactions. There’s a shared sense of apprehension as we enter the house. The familiarity of the place feels strangely comforting amidst the uncertainty, although the stakes today seem higher than usual.
My mother’s personal assistant opens the door and ushers the five of us into the living room. Each of us takes a seat on the plush couches, except Dominic, who prefers to be on his feet. He paces near the fireplace, his expression grim.