Chapter one hundred thirteen
Reid
Ihold Tabitha against the wall of the building off the ice rink by the lapels of her coat as my eyes hold Carrie’s, and I can’t breathe waiting for her to react. “Asshole!” Tabitha shouts and kicks me in the shin.
I grimace and look at her. “You are insane, woman,” I say, and my only pleasure in the pain she created is that Carrie has to know this wasn’t what it looked like.
She kicks me again and Carrie is suddenly beside us. “Reid,” she says urgently. “Let her go.”
“She attacked me, baby. Get a security guard.”
“He’s lying,” Tabitha says. “He asked me to meet him here.”
“What?!” Carrie demands. “He asked you to meet him for a tour of our wedding location? You’re kidding, right?”
Tabitha goes pale. “Wedding location?”
“Yes,” Carrie says. “This is our wedding location. I highly doubt anyone would believe he had you meet him here.” She looks at me. “I’ll get security.”
“I’ll tell them you threatened me,” Tabitha snaps. “And I don’t think you want that right now with all that press you have, Reid. It’s not going to please your stockholders.”
I tighten my grip on her shoulders. “What do you want, Tabitha?”
“Money. He’s taking my money so you get to pay me.”
“Money,” Carrie repeat. “You’re really blackmailing us?”
“How much?” I ask, baiting her to finish the threat. I have a witness in Carrie.
“A million,” she says fearlessly. “That will get me started.”
Carrie holds up her phone and hits a button and the conversation we just had with Tabitha begins to replay.
“Let her go.”
I look left to find Elijah standing there in a three-piece blue suit, no coat, his dark hair fluttering in the cold wind. “You sure you want me to do that? She might kick you like she did me.”
His eyes meet Tabitha’s. “She doesn’t seem to understand that you won’t ever give her money, while I might.”
At the mention of his money, I’m certain I’m safe to release her and I do. I step back and Carrie is instantly at my side, her arms around me, one of mine around her shoulders. Elijah grabs Tabitha and pulls her to him, his eyes meeting mine. “She won’t be a problem.” He looks at Carrie. “Forgive the intrusion, Carrie.” He gives her a nod and turns Tabitha toward the sidewalk.
I pull Carrie in front of me to process the white hat with a ball on top of her head. “Are you okay?” I ask, stroking a strand of hair from her mouth.
“Of course I’m okay. I didn’t get kicked. How’s the leg?”
“She’s a bitch and she kicks like a bitch. He’ll take care of her. She won’t be back.”
“Elijah the hero,” she says. “Who’d have thought?” She grabs the lapels of my trench coat. “You ready to see our spot?”
“That’s it? You have nothing else to say about what just happened?”
“I’m over them and immune to the drama. Our spot. I want to go to our wedding spot and think about us.”
God how this woman makes me fall in love with her over and over and over again. “Our spot,” I say. “Yes. Let’s go to our spot, baby.” I wrap my arm around her shoulder and we start walking. “What happened to Mia and Cat?”
She stops walking. “Oh God. They’re at a restaurant. I left my phone at the location and went to get it. I need to call them.”
“Why don’t we just go meet them and we can go to the wedding location afterward.”
“I’ll call them. They’ll be excited that you’re here to see it. I’m excited for you to see it.”
She lights up with those words, happiness in her eyes, and I want that joy in her for the rest of our lives. She snags my hand and we start walking. By the time we’re in the building, she’s off the phone and we’re meeting Cat and Mia after we finish here. We sign in at security and once we’re in the elevator, Carrie turns to me, her hands sliding under my coat. “I never asked you where you wanted to get married.”
“Yes, you did.”
“But you just went with what I wanted.”
“I went with what we both wanted.”
Her brows dip. “You wanted to get married at Rockefeller Center?”
“I wanted to marry you before you could get away.”
“I’m serious. If this isn’t what you want—”
I cup her head and kiss her. “You are what I want, Carrie. Just you.” The elevator dings. “Show me our place.”
Her teeth sink into her lip. “I can’t wait for you to see it.” She snags my hand and tugs me forward. “It’s really perfect,” she says as I use the key security gave us and open the door. “You go in first. I’ve seen it.”
“We’ll go in together,” I say, pulling her in front of me, and walking us into the room with curved windows spanning the entire front wall, carpeted floors, a massive Christmas tree, and random seating areas.
She turns to face me. “The view is everything.” She grabs my arm and walks me backward. “Look.” We stop at the window and side by side we stare down at the ice rink and the famous Rockefeller Center tree.
This location, this moment, takes me back to Christmas with my mother, and my throat constricts. “Reid? You don’t like it?”
At Carrie’s prodding, I pull her into my arms. “Thinking about my mother, baby. She’d approve.”
“Cat said the same thing.”
“This is the perfect spot and I have to thank you for helping me find my way back to my mother, even in her absence.”
“You’ll feel her absence at the wedding.”
“I feel her presence in what I’ve become with you, Carrie. And I’ll feel her presence in this place when we get married. She loved Christmas.” I stroke her hair. “Have you called your dad?”
“I did, actually. He’s supposed to call me back.”
“Good.”
“Is it? Are you sure you’re okay with him coming?”
“Completely.” I cup her face. “I’m not going to be focused on your father. I’m going to be focused on you. And I’d fuck you right here, but I’m pretty sure they have cameras, and I don’t want to get stripped of our wedding location.” I kiss her. “Let’s go meet Cat and Mia and then go to the office. We haven’t had good desk sex in a while.”
She laughs and a few minutes later, we’re street level on our way to the restaurant. “Did you make any progress on a dress?” I ask as we near our destination.
“Yes and no. I got a little carried away. I thought I had the dress, but it’s outrageously expensive. I was with Mia, and I think her unlimited budget and the moment got to me.”
I stop before we enter the restaurant to face her. “You love the dress?”
“That’s not the point.”
“How much?”
“I can’t even say it.”
“How much, baby?”
“Thirty thousand.”
“All right. Get the dress. You get married once. I want it to be perfect and you do remember how much money we just made, right?”
“Yes, but—”
I kiss her. “Get the dress.”
“I really do love that dress.”
“Then it’s your dress. I’ll call and pay for it.”
“Reid—”
“I love you, Carrie. We’re getting the dress.”
Her cellphone rings. “My father. I’m kind of dreading this call. I’m inviting him, right?” She pulls her phone out.
“Yes. Invite him.”
“Okay.”
She answers the line. “Hey, dad.” She listens a minute. “Yes. I called because we’re getting married on the twenty-seventh in Rockefeller Center.” Carrie’s eyes meet mine. “Dad, I can’t invite you. You can’t be here.”
My jaw drops. “Carrie,” I whisper urgently.
“Reid is my best friend,” she continues, “and my partner in life now, and I can’t have him upset that day.”