31. Meghan
THIRTY-ONE
Meghan
I feel like a princess as Christopher navigates the car through the streets of Manhattan. All that’s missing is a crown.
Carlos styled my hair to perfection in bouncy curls that cascade down my back to my waist. Luca did my makeup with a ‘siren’ look, as he believes I need to lure in my man, although he isn’t my man right now and I certainly don’t know if he will be by the end of the night.
The dress fits to perfection but it doesn’t stop me from nervously fiddling with my hands as the car cruises through Manhattan.
“We’re here,” Christopher announces, drawing me out of my contemplation about the conversation I’m about to have with Cooper.
“Oh…” I whisper, turning to look out of the window at th e front of the restaurant. “Thank you, Christopher. Have a good evening,” I call as I climb from the car, not wanting to wait for him to open the door.
I stand on the sidewalk, pulling my fur coat tighter around me, taking a moment to look up at the building.
The restaurant is called The Aviary and serves a fine dining menu—I know because I’ve booked this restaurant many times for Cooper.
I’ve never been here myself before. I couldn’t afford the cab fair, let alone a meal, but I’ve heard nothing but good things about it from Cooper’s clients.
Shaking my sweaty hands out in nervousness, I head toward the entrance, attempting to keep my head held high.
The doorman, who has been looking at me like I’m crazy as I’ve stood on the sidewalk staring up at the building, gives me a reassuring smile and holds the door open for me as I approach.
Thanking him, I move toward the hostess stand and just as I’m about to open my mouth to speak, her face breaks into a wide grin.
“Miss Taylor, welcome. Mr. Jackson is waiting for you. Please, this way.” She turns away and leads me toward a bank of elevators.
Okay, so either she knows what Cooper has up his sleeve or she really loves her job.
The restaurant is on the ground floor of the building with its own entrance, but it’s joined to the hotel next door and they share a rooftop bar.
When we arrive at the elevator, the hostess presses the call button and the doors open almost immediately. She steps aside, gesturing for me to enter ahead of her. Once I’m safely inside, she leans in and swipes her card before pressing the button for the rooftop.
“Have a good evening, Miss Taylor.” She beams at me, just as the doors glide closed.
“Thank you,” I murmur, lost in thought.
The ride up is the longest of my life and gives me more than enough time to think about what Cooper wants to talk about.
In my heart, I don’t think it’s going to be a bad conversation.
I mean, he wouldn’t have put me in his bed two nights in a row, or sent me flowers, or bought me this outfit, or booked me dinner at a fancy restaurant when he could’ve asked me to move out at home, or whatever it is he wants to discuss.
The thought that this could be the end brings tears to my eyes and I look up at the mirrored ceiling of the elevator, blinking away the moisture so as not to ruin my makeup and swipe away a stray tear that managed to escape.
I admonish myself when I remind myself that, at my own insistence, we aren’t anything other than co-parents anyway and tonight I will ask him one final time to stop putting me in his bed.
Maybe you should tell him how you feel.
Or maybe I should wait and see what he has to say first.
Both are valid arguments.
As the elevator arrives on the rooftop, I drag my eyes from the ceiling as the doors slide open. I’m greeted by the sight of a sea of candles. They’re everywhere. Flickering in the cool breeze.
With a gasp of surprise, I tentatively step from the elevator, following the path of candles and rose petals further out onto the rooftop. The space appears deserted and for a moment I wonder if I’ve come to the right place.
Walking around a corner, I find a table set for two in the middle of the rooftop, surrounded by space heaters that make the space comfortably warm. The view of East Village dazzles in the background and I rest my hand on my chest as I take it all in.
Tennessee Whiskey by Chris Stapleton is softly playing in the background as my gaze falls on Cooper.
“Hey baby,” he breathes.
He looks so handsome, dressed in a black three-piece suit with a white shirt and black skinny tie. Just the sight of him has my pussy clenching and images of him taking me in his arms, and devouring me here on the rooftop.
He isn’t mine .
“Hi,” I whisper, giving him a wobbly smile, rooted to the spot.
“Come here, Meghan,” he commands, holding his hand out.
I immediately obey him and walk toward him in a daze before placing my hand in his.
“You look even better than I could’ve imagined.” He pulls my body flush with his, causing my hands to reach up and rest on his biceps, wary of being too intimate.
“Thank you. It’s all so beautiful,” I mumble, flicking my eyes down to where our chests meet.
Butterflies flutter in my stomach and my palms become clammy. His finger rests under my chin as he lifts my face up to his before dipping his head and placing a soft kiss on my lips. I moan against his mouth, loving the feel of his lips on mine, but it also only adds to my confusion.
“Come, we’ve got a lot to talk about, but first, let’s eat,” he rumbles, taking my hand and leading me to the table.
“I don’t know that I can eat right now, Cooper. I’m so nervous.” I tilt my head down, hiding from him. He doesn’t let me hide for long as he cups my cheeks and lifts my face to his again.
“You don’t need to be nervous, baby… there’s a lot of stuff I should’ve told you a long time ago but I was a fool. I can’t carry on like this. We need to lay all of this out on the table and then we can move forward.” He pulls out a chair and guides me into it.
Once he’s taken the seat opposite me, a waiter appears out of nowhere and pours us both a glass of champagne before placing it in the bucket next to the table and disappearing.
“To us.” He holds his glass up and I clink my own against it, my eyes locked on his as I try to get a read on what he wants to talk about, on what his plan is, on… anything .
“To us,” I mutter before downing the contents. The cold bubbly liquid glides with ease down my throat before Cooper takes the bottle out of the ice bucket and refills my glass.
“Try not to drink this one so quickly. I need you to understand everything I’m saying tonight.” He chuckles, eliciting a smirk from me.
The waiter arrives with our first course, a pear and prosciutto salad, just as I’m about to ask Cooper if we can begin the conversation. I don’t touch the food, instead leveling my gaze at Cooper.
I can’t go through a three course dinner wondering why he’s brought me here.
“I need you to talk to me before I can eat anything. I can’t stomach anything right now,” I insist, folding my hands in my lap to keep from fiddling with them on the table.
Laying down his cutlery, he leans back in his chair, a cocky smile on his face causing me to roll my eyes.
He’s enjoying this. The bastard.
“Okay… where to start?”
“At the beginning would be nice,” I huff, folding my arms across my chest, before turning my head to look out across the city. I can’t let him see the devastation he is potentially about to cause when he utters the words he’s about to say.
“You want to go that far back? To the day you came and interviewed for me?” he queries, causing my gaze to dart back to him, where I’m met with a single eyebrow raised in question.
“If that’s the beginning,” I whisper, captivated by what he’s just said.
“It sure was the start of something…” he mutters before continuing.
“I obviously didn’t love you at that point, we’d only just met, but I couldn’t stop thinking about you, that’s for sure.
Maria tried to warn me against offering you the job, but the moment you walked into the conference room, I knew there was something about you and I wasn’t about to let you walk out of my life.
Since the day I met you, there’s been nobody else, but I tried my hardest to resist you, until I couldn’t. ”
I frown at his declaration.
Did he just imply that he loves me?
Wait… what does he mean there’s been nobody else since he met me? That was two years ago.
“What do you mean there’s been nobody else?” I implore. I’ll come back to the love bit in a minute.
“Just that. Since the day you walked into my life, I haven’t been with anybody else. I haven’t so much as looked at another woman sexually,” he states, still leaning back in his chair as if the words that have just left his mouth aren’t a big deal.
I struggle to fully comprehend what he’s telling me as I search through my memories and what I know about him.
I mean, I haven’t ever seen him with another woman.
I’ve never had to book a table at a restaurant for a date, or send parting gifts, that’s what billionaires have their assistants do, right?
“That’s… that can’t… no. That–that’s not true. What about Hayley?” I stutter.
“Like I said, you misunderstood that whole situation. I should’ve cleared this up when you first asked me about it in the hospital and I regret not doing so, but there was a lot going on that day.
Hayley’s a friend of mine. She used to go to events with me before she moved to England three years ago… with her now ex-wife.”
My jaw drops at his admission and I blink rapidly trying to process what he’s just said.
He’s full of surprises tonight.
“But I heard you in your office… Alfie said you were engaged to her…” I mumble, trying to piece together what he’s telling me.
“I was never engaged to her. The media will make things into whatever they choose. And you shouldn't have listened to that guy.” The conviction in his tone tells me he’s telling the truth.
Oh, God.
He missed out on my pregnancy because I didn’t stay for him to explain.
“I’m sorry. Oh, God. I’m…” My chest feels tight as the weight of what I’ve done settles on me.
Tears form in my throat and threaten to spill down my cheeks.
“You missed—my pregnancy. You—could’ve… Lizzie…
birth—” Unable to form a coherent sentence as the panic sets in, I bend my head a t the shame of what I put him through—of what I denied him.
“Hey… look at me, Meghan,” he commands, my eyes connect with his as I lift my head.
“I should have cleared this up a lot sooner for you. I certainly didn’t tell you any of this to make you feel bad, I just want you to understand.
I want tonight to be special because I love you and I’m honored that you blessed me with Lizzie, and I pray you’ll give me a chance and we can have many more beautiful babies.
” His voice is husky with emotion as he lays all of his cards on the table.
My eyes well with tears as I stand from my chair and walk toward him.
I need to be close to him. He makes room for me, scooting his chair back until there’s enough room for me to sit on his lap.
It feels like home as I wrap my arms around his neck, tucking my head into the space between his collar and jaw as he envelopes me in a hug.
“I love you too,” I murmur, pressing my forehead against his, causing a wide grin to break out across his face.
“Say it again,” he rasps.
“I love you… I love you, Cooper Jackson and I have for a long time. I was a fool to think I could follow the rules I set, but I needed them to keep me grounded so I didn’t fall any deeper in love with you than I already was.” I chuckle, my smile matching his.
“I’d hoped you’d say that but I wasn’t one hundred percent sure what I was going to get with you tonight. I have a question for you… well two actually.” Nervousness is evident in his tone.
“Whatever it is, I’m sure I’ll say yes.” I encourage him, unsure of what he could possibly ask me.
It’s probably to move into his bedroom or maybe to actually date him.
He reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a piece of paper. My brows draw together in a frown. That’s not what I thought he would pull out.
“We made this agreement when you came home with me.” He pushes a strand of hair from my forehead before continuing. “We agreed to be no more than co-parents and I’d like to rip it up, if that’s okay with you?”
“Yes. Okay. Definitely,” I whisper.
He lets out a laugh at my quick response and I feel it rumble in his chest, before he rips the paper in half, reaching around me to place the pieces on the table.
Slipping his hand back into his inner pocket, he pulls out a small black velvet box causing the butterflies in my stomach to take flight.
“I was hoping to be on one knee to ask you this, but I’m more than happy to have you in my lap.
” He chuckles, before clearing his throat and growing serious.
“Meghan, from the moment I met you, you made me feel things I’ve never felt before.
I tried my hardest to resist you, but I couldn’t.
When you left, it felt like my world had collapsed around me, but then I found you and you rebuilt it, making it a million times better.
I love you. I love that you’ve given me my own family.
I couldn’t imagine my life without you.”
Wiping a tear from my cheek, he places a soft kiss on my lips before he continues.
“You’re many things to me—my soulmate and the mother of my child, to name just two.
I want to ask if you’ll be one more thing…
” He pauses as he opens the ring box and showcases a beautiful cushion-cut diamond ring.
“Will you be my wife? Will you make me the happiest man alive and marry me?”
“Yes. Yes, of course I’ll marry you,” I cry out in happiness, my hands coming up to cover my mouth as I look between the box and Cooper, with tears coursing down my cheeks.
“Do you like it?” he whispers.
“I love it… I love you.” I declare, my heart full.
Smiling up at me, he takes the ring out its box and slides it onto my finger. It fits perfectly and after looking at it for a second, I grasp his face in between my palms and kiss him deeply. His arms wrap around me tightly as he opens my mouth with his own, before dipping his tongue in.
“And you’ll give me more babies?” he breathes against my lips.
“It would be an honor,” I murmur before pressing my lips to his again. “Can we go home and make them now?”
He shakes his head in denial and I pull away from him to search his face, a pout on my lips.
“Don’t look at me like that, baby,” he chuckles as he brings his thumb up to my lips. “I’ve booked us a room downstairs.”
“I love you.” I smooth my hand down the side of his face as I press my lips against his own.
Standing from his chair with me in his arms, he carries me into our future.