Chapter 26
CHAPTER 26
“ W hat are you talking about?”
Fleur sat across from Gabby, Ronan’s older sister. The woman was beautiful and almost an identical image of her younger sister Charley. Well, except for attitude and demeanor. Fleur had been in Colorado for a month, and the sisters had visited her just about daily since she’d started staying at Ronan’s house. Charley’s husband, Dan, was a saint. Fleur had no idea how the man kept up with Charley. She was the battery bunny on steroids. But she really liked the woman. She and Gabby had also settled into a wonderful friendship.
“What I’m talking about is a position as project manager for all the international charity work that Guardian funds. I’ve talked to Mom, and she agrees that we need someone to keep an eye on our interests full-time. She’s traveling with Dad and has let things float down to me. I’m too busy keeping Charley from driving Jason insane.”
“I heard that!” Charley called from the kitchen.
“I don’t care!” Gabby called back. “It is a significant undertaking; you’d have whatever staff you need.”
“Staff? How many charities do you fund?”
“Ah, we fund and manage six and own two.” Gabby handed her a folder about three inches thick.
“The annual salary is on the top page,” Gabby said, taking her drink from Charley. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Fleur, here’s yours.”
Fleur took the glass of chardonnay and opened the folder. She slapped it shut again and handed it to Gabby.
“What’s wrong?” Gabby said, taking the folder back.
“You made a mistake on the salary.”
Gabby opened it and frowned. “Did you want more?”
“More!” Fleur shrieked the word. “That is too much!”
Charley reached over and flipped the folder open. “No, that’s what others doing the job are being paid. I helped with the research.”
Gabby handed the folder back to her. “That’s our offer. Of course, we'd understand if you don’t want to work with charities anymore.”
“No, it’s not that. My knowledge of the NGOs would be beneficial, but that salary is way too much.” A large single-digit number with six zeros behind it. Her mind had shattered at the thought of that much money in a lifetime, let alone in a year.
Gabby smiled and took a drink of her wine. “Consider the position. Look at the charities, the boards, and the members. The charters are in that folder, along with the financial breakdown of each charity. We don’t align ourselves with charities that pay their management more than they disperse to the needy. As a matter of fact, we only have one that is above twenty percent to management.”
“Yeah, because that’s Mom’s pet charity, and it sits at twenty-three percent to management.” Charley sipped her drink, which looked like some kind of brown liquor. “Well, management and the procurement of the dogs. We search out reputable breeders and trainers. Those dogs are lifesavers for our military and first responders. ”
“I’ll consider it.” Fleur shook her head. “But, man, that is a sticker shock.”
Gabby chuckled. “I can imagine.” She glanced at her watch.
“Are you late for something?” Fleur had noticed her looking at her watch a lot tonight.
“What? No, not at all. So, tell me, did you find everything you needed in New York?”
“We did,” Charley said and smiled brightly. “She didn’t want to spend money on clothes, but we had Ronan’s black card, so he bought anything that looked good on her. He just doesn’t know it yet.” The woman laughed and swirled her drink. “I love spending their money.”
“Which I will repay.” Fleur pointed at Charley.
Charley snorted. “Fat chance of that happening. He’s going to show up and be all ‘me man, me protect’,” Charley grunted.
“Actually, it’s more like ‘me man, you woman’.”
Fleur spun and jumped out of the chair. “Ronan!” She ran across the floor and launched into Ronan’s arms. She wasn’t sure if she was laughing or crying, but she was holding the man who meant the world to her.
His lips found hers, and dear God, the magic between them flamed into existence again .
She laughed when he broke the kiss and spun her around. “Stop, I’ll get dizzy.”
When he put her back on her feet, she noticed that his brother, Wraith, and Ranger were also there. She smiled and felt her face blush with heat. “Hi.” She made a dorky wave movement with her hand.
Wraith and Ranger smiled, and Deacon laughed before saying, “I was wondering if you were going to notice anyone else in the room.”
“Hey, leave her alone.” Gabby hugged her brother while Charley whooped and flew at Wraith. He caught her, and they both laughed like loons. Charley then jumped at Ranger and got the same treatment. Fleur looked at Gabby. “I take it you know Wraith and Ranger?”
“Almost all their lives.” She nodded.
“We’re honorary cousins,” Charley said and punched Wraith in the arm. “They’re dorks, but they’re our dorks.”
Wraith shook his head. “This is why we come home; to be mistreated by wicked little sprites.”
“Hey, I’m not a sprite.”
“No, she’s just wicked,” Ranger said, ducking behind Wraith as she tried to slug him, too.
Wraith caught Charley and held her at arm’s length, keeping the woman from damaging either of them. Fleur had the idea that if she wanted to, she could do some serious damage to the guys, but they were all playing.
“It’s been great to get punched and all, but we have a drive to get to our folks’.”
Fleur stopped him. “Wait. Could you tell me what your names are? I mean, you all worked so hard to help us. I’d like to know who I’m thanking.”
Wraith glanced at Ronan, who nodded and looked at Fleur. He winked. “Talon. Talon King. This is my actual cousin, Reece.”
“Also a King,” Reece said. He lifted his chin in the direction of the door. “Ready?”
Talon let go of Charley and laughed when she almost fell down. “I am. Let’s hit it.”
“Before you go, I wanted to say thank you. Ronan told me what happened and how everyone helped to dig me out.”
Wraith smiled and nodded. “No worries. You’d have done it for us. The IDPs worked just as hard as we did, and they did it because they knew and respected you. Enjoy your time off, Skipper.”
“See yah, Cap,” Reece said to Deacon, and the men left.
“Honorary cousins?”
“Our parents are close with their family and have been for a long time,” Ronan said, wrapping her up in both arms. “Now, I believe I need my house, people.”
“Geez, like, excuse us for welcoming you home,” Charley mocked him.
“Come on, Bambi, you can welcome me home.” Deacon laughed and ducked the fist heading his way.
“Do. Not. Call. Me. That,” Charley said as she tried and failed to catch Deacon.
Gabby grabbed her wrap and shook her head. “You’d think running the largest security company in the free world would mature her.”
“Never.” Ronan laughed. “See you tomorrow.”
“Yes, you will.” Gabby laughed as she walked out of the small sitting room toward the kitchen where Deacon and Charley laughed.
“What’s happening tomorrow?” Fleur asked as he folded her into his arms.
“Mom and Dad are coming home. We’ll go over for dinner.”
He dropped to kiss her, but she ducked it. “No, no, no. Is this dressy? What should I wear? Oh, are they going to like me? I need to bring something. I can’t go empty-handed.” She spun to walk away from him, but he caught her .
“Later. Plenty of time to stress meeting the ‘rents afterward.”
Fleur turned in his arms. “After? After what?”
She blinked her eyes comically, and he laughed. “After this.” He bent down and tossed her over his shoulder. She shrieked and then laughed as he strode down the hallway to the bedrooms. He opened the master bedroom and stopped. “Where are your things?”
“In the other bedroom.” She pointed across the hall.
“Why?” He turned and almost clocked her with the door frame. She caught it with her hands. “Careful. Because this is your room, I didn’t want to invade your privacy.”
Ronan marched over to his bed and tossed her onto the soft, king-sized mattress. He crawled over her. “Strange because all I can think of is invading your privacy.”
“Then do it.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and let the world narrow until there was only them. The beautiful magic between them was deeper than she remembered. His taste, his smell, and how he could make her shiver with a brush of his lips went beyond magical. His ability to send her into the deepest recesses of pure sensuality and still bring her to the heights of desire defied any connection she’d ever experienced before.
Much later, he held her in his arms, and she sighed in complete contentment. “Your sisters are amazing.”
“They have issues, but I won’t trade them in on a new model.”
She laughed and turned toward him. “Gabby and Charley offered me a job managing the charities that Guardian supports. But they offered me way too much money to do it. I’d love to take on the challenge, but please tell them they don’t need to pay me that much money.”
He frowned. “How much did they offer?”
She told him, and he narrowed his eyes at her. “I’d be surprised if they didn’t do a market study and offer you what they felt was fair.”
She dropped her chin to his chest. “That’s what Charley said they did.”
“Then they won’t change the offer.” He rolled her so he was on top of her. “Never underestimate those two. They are cunning and capable women. Just like you are.”
“Awww … you think I’m cunning.” She laughed when he rolled his eyes .
“I think you’re everything I need in my life.” He lifted away from her. “Don’t move.”
She lifted up onto her elbow and watched him pull on his jeans, commando. He pointed at her. “Don’t move.” He sprinted out of the room.
She looked at the clothes strewn all over his room. By the time she’d decided to get up and pick them up, he was back and jumped onto the bed and straddled her. “Here.” He handed her a ring box.
She blinked and took it. “What is this?”
“Open it,” he urged her.
Fleur eased the top up and gasped. “Ronan!”
He took it from her and lifted the square, cushion-cut ruby from the box. It had to be at least five carats, and two channel-cut diamonds flanked it.
“It isn’t an engagement ring. It’s a promise ring.” He slid the ring on her left hand. “I had to google that shit. What a promise ring means and what hand to put it on.” He laid down beside her, and she turned to face him. “I wanted you to have something that showed you my commitment to you and what we have.” He looked around his room. “This is just a house?—”
She lifted onto her elbow. “No, sir, this is a mansion.”
He shook his head. “It’s building materials— bricks, wood, paint, and nails. Without someone to share it with, it’s shelter and nothing else. That was what my life was before you—just the bare structure. With you in it, my life is so much more. One day, that ring will be replaced with a diamond and a band. When you’re comfortable and know in your heart that you’re ready, you’ll be Mrs. David Alexander.”
She pushed away. “Who the hell is David ?”
He laughed. “That is my first name. It’s also my father’s first name. So, I go by my middle name.”
“Oh.” She looked at the weighty ring on her finger and then back to him. “I do love you. But … there’s so much to still discover about each other. What if …”
He put his finger over her lips, hushing her. “A bridge too far. We aren’t crossing it, and hopefully, we never will. Your concerns, though, are why this isn’t a diamond. I want it to be, but I also didn’t want to scare or rush you.” He leaned down for a kiss. “When you’re ready.”
She stared into his intense, dark eyes. “How did this become my life? You’re too good to be true.”
He shook his head. “I’m just a man who loves you.” She lifted her lips for another kiss. He loves me . She let that truth soak into her soul. She loved him. She knew that in the fabric of her being, but she’d yet to let herself believe he could feel the same for her , even though he’d said the words. Perhaps it was time to accept love could happen for her because the truth was this man, Ronan or David, the name didn’t matter, but this man was in love with her, and she was in love with him. Love, no matter the origin or the speed it developed, was here between them, and it was real.