CHAPTER SEVEN
AXEL
CORA: Where are you?
AXEL: I’m waiting outside for you babe. I’ll come get you.
I pocketed my phone, my heart racing so fast I felt like I might tip over face-first into the sidewalk. This was the best I could come up with—an impromptu date night on the heels of the biggest, loudest no I’d ever received in my life. I still hadn’t properly recovered from that abysmal meeting with Allan, but I didn’t have time to process.
I needed to make Cora my fiancée. Immediately.
I hoped my swagger hid the wobble in my knees as I paced outside the building on Park Avenue. I’d sent her the address with no context, with barely enough cash on me to cover what would probably end up being the most expensive drinks in the city. But this lounge was worth it, a place I’d stumbled upon entirely by accident thanks to the friend of a business school classmate not too long ago. And whatever money I didn’t spend on drinks I was giving to the server upstairs as a payment to capture this proposal in pictures and video.
Now all she had to do was say yes and the rest of our lives could begin.
The Meridian Lounge was the perfect mixture of upscale fancy and sultry moodiness. It seemed like the same blend as what Cora and I had to look forward to, as well. Trendy. Put together. Arousingly glamorous yet still approachable. Right smack dab in the middle of Manhattan.
I spotted her stepping out of the rideshare at the corner. Her toned legs glistened, which meant she’d used the shimmer lotion for this evening. Jesus, I loved it when she used the shimmer lotion. All my anxiety dissolved as she swung her smoky eyes my way. No other woman in the world could be more gorgeous, more perfect, than my Cora. My throat squeezed with emotion as she walked toward me, a velvety black coat pulled tight around her, that too-expensive-to-be-real pink goatskin bag dangling from the crook of her elbow.
“You just gonna stare at me all day?” she teased.
I pulled her into my arms, relief flooding me. She was my woman. Now and forever. I wasn’t sure how I’d gotten lucky enough to find her, but life had brought her to me. Fuck, I was going to start crying before I even got near to proposing.
“Axel, are you okay?” she pulled back to look at me. I cleared my throat, wondering if she could see the sheen of tears in my eyes.
“Yeah. Totally fine, babe.” I pressed a soft kiss to her lips, cupping her heart-shaped face in my hands. “I can’t wait to show you this place.”
I took her hand, double-checking discreetly with my other hand that the ring box was still in my pocket. I led her into the cavernous lobby of the building, following gold-flecked signs reading Meridian on the pillars between the door and the elevator. Another couple joined us on the ride up, but we barely noticed them. All I could see was Cora. I held her gathered against me all the way to the thirteenth floor. The doors slid open, revealing abstract zebra print rugs and gauzy amber lighting. The lounge was packed with all levels of cool—hipsters and trendy businesspeople alike, leaning together on low wooden benches and minimalist wire-framed wing chairs.
Cora let out a low hum of approval as I led her through the attractive fray. “Now this is a lovely spot.”
“I knew you’d love it.” I pressed a kiss to her cheek and opened the door for the terrace. It was a chilly evening, but the fire of our love and commitment would keep us warm. Besides, celebratory drinks lay on the other side of this proposal. We’d be toasty in no time.
“Should we get drinks?” Cora asked.
“In a minute.” The uninterrupted vista of the downtown skyline commanded our attention. Even after living here for five years, it still took my breath away. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get used to being a resident of New York, after being stuck in the hills of Kentucky for most of my life. Some days I could see Manhattan through the veneer of my childhood aspirations, where even the traffic jams exhilarated me.
“Oh, Axel.” Her voice came out a reverent whisper as we tucked ourselves into a plant-lined corner overlooking the city. Tall space heaters dotted the terrace, which made the cold night bearable. “This is beautiful.”
Not quite as stunning as the view from her father’s office, though I didn’t want to bring up how I knew that. The murmur of other patrons on the terrace faded away as my anxiety returned. It was now or never. My mouth went dry. I touched the outline of the small ring box in my pocket.
“It doesn’t compare to how beautiful you are,” I said and nudged her.
She smirked, catching on to my too-corny-to-be-real vibe. “Are you trying to pick me up with that line?”
“Only if I wanted you to head straight for the door.” I looked back toward the bar, searching for the server who’d I’d slipped a hundo in advance. I caught his eye and jerked my head. He shot me a thumbs up and headed our way. Looking back at Cora, I said, “I know better than to compare you to a bustling metropolis.”
“I guess for some people, city-to-human comparisons do the job,” she mused, gaze sweeping out over the glowing night horizon.
“Some people are turned on by bridges. Sometimes inanimate objects are hot, if you’re into that.” I swallowed hard, shouting at myself to get the show on the road. I shoved my hand into my pocket. Just fucking do it. Stop talking about this weirdo shit.
She threw her head back and laughed. “Like how I’m turned on by your leather jacket?”
I slung my arm over her shoulders, bringing her in close. “You just like what’s underneath the leather jacket.”
She turned toward me, looking up into my eyes. I had her full attention, and I was sweating bullets. Now. The time is now. I grabbed her arms. “Cora.”
Her smile dropped a little. “Axel.”
I drew a shaky breath. Her father was going to be so fucking pissed. But I had to plunge ahead, consequences be damned. We were meant for each other, and we both knew it. “You know why I brought you here tonight?”
“Because we like getting drinks in pretty places?”
“Yes, that.” I laughed, kissing her forehead. “But I also have a really important question for you.”
Her eyes went round. “Oh my god. Are you serious?” She clamped her hands over her mouth and a squeal leaked out.
“Cora—don’t—”
“Axel, oh my god, oh my god, are you going to ask me?” She fanned her face. Tears pooled in her eyes.
Over her shoulder, I spotted the server stealthily capturing the moment. All I could do was laugh. “I mean, yes, but you aren’t supposed to call me out about it.”
She wiped away a tear. “Oh my god, I’m sorry, I’m ruining it.” She fanned her face again. “Shit. Oh my god, I’m ruining it.”
“You aren’t ruining it.” I kissed her forehead again, so amused I could burst. “I was just going to ask you if you wanted to spend the night at my house.”
Her eyes widened again but for a different reason. Laughter rolled out of me. This was it. Everything was perfect. I slowly sank to one knee and her mouth formed a big O.
“Oh my god, you are going to ask me,” she whispered hoarsely.
I fished the ring box out of my pocket and clamped it in my hand. I’d had a million different monologues planned. But none of it mattered. I didn’t need to get it perfect with her. Because what we did was perfect for us. “Cora Jean Margulis. I’ve wanted to make you my wife since the week after we met. I knew from the beginning that you were it for me. The woman I’ve waited my entire life to meet. And I’ll spend the rest of our lives proving that I’m worthy of being at your side.”
She sobbed softly, a hand clamped against her mouth.
“Cora Jean,” I said, popping open the ring box. “My cowgirl. My sweet cheeks. Will you marry me?”
She blinked out some tears and collapsed on top of me, arms cinching around my neck. She cried into my neck, repeating “Yes“ over and over again. The ring didn’t matter. It was about the love between us. It was a small detail, but it just reaffirmed what I knew to be true.
“I love you so much, babe.” Tears pooled in my eyes and spilled over. From across the terrace, the server gave me a thumbs up and I returned it. Applause broke out around us, and Cora’s tears turned into laughter.
“I forgot there were other people here,” she whispered.
“They love that you just agreed to marry me.”
Her lips found mine, two grins meeting. Our salt-stained kisses grew deeper and more passionate. I pumped the brakes when I started getting hard right there on the terrace with an audience.
“Don’t you want to see the ring, babe?” I murmured into her ear. She laughed again, and we both stood. She peered inside the ring box and clamped a hand over her mouth.
“It’s so gorgeous, Axel. It’s exactly what I’ve always dreamt of. How are you so perfect?” She was blubbering now as I slid the ring onto her finger. Once it was in place, she flung her arms around me again. “How did you manage—”
“Shhh. We don’t need to talk about that right now.” I stroked her hair, and we started swaying back and forth. As if on cue, a romantic jazzy electronic song drifted from the bar. Yet another sign that this was right. Everything would be fine. It didn’t matter what Allan said or thought. He couldn’t intrude on the love we had for each other.
Cora squeezed me so tight around my waist that I coughed. She looked up at me, eyes shining. “I’ll be Mrs. Fairchild.”
“God, that sounds sexy.”
“I’ll change my passport so it shows my new name.”
“You trying to write your vows right now? Because that’s what it sounds like.”
The server came over to me, and I thanked him, slipping him another hundred dollar bill. Cheaper than a photographer at least, and I offered him a discount on financial management services if he ever needed them. As my phone began vibrating with the photos he sent my way, I brought Cora’s knuckles to my lips.
“Let’s celebrate with a drink. I’m buying. You stay here and enjoy the view, Future Mrs. Fairchild.” I pressed a kiss to her forehead and headed across the terrace, looking back every few seconds to lock eyes with her and grin like an idiot. Inside the bar, the volume had risen—more people, more chatter, more frenetic notes of electronic jazz music. I headed toward the bartender with a perma-grin, ordering two of Cora’s favorite: gin and tonic.
When the bartender told me the total, I slid him my debit card. He swiped it and grimaced. “It said declined. Do you have another form of payment?”
Panic streaked through me. I’d just given most of my cash to the server and these drinks were pushing fifty dollars. “Yeah. Hang on.” I fumbled for my wallet, pulling out a credit card I kept on hand. Except it was damn near maxed out. I sent up a thousand prayers while the bartender swiped it. Please don’t do this to me today. Not when we’re so happy. He stared at the screen of his console blankly, and then handed back the card as a receipt printed. I let out a low breath of relief.
I added a tip, though I wasn’t sure if the extra amount would go through, and signed with a flourish. One of my brothers had to have used our shared debit card accidentally, but I wasn’t going to investigate now. I headed back onto the terrace with our drinks, finding Cora frowning in the corner next to the space heater, staring down at her phone.
“Cheers, babe.”
She looked up at me, that pretty smile returning. We clinked glasses as I eased into the seat next to her. After a sip, she hummed. “That hits the spot.”
“I figured it would. And I’ll hit your other spot later.”
She giggled, her hand coming to my chest. “There’s the pick-up line that works on me.” She nuzzled my neck. “I love you so much, Axel.”
“I love you more.”
“So when should we have the wedding?” She cozied up to me even further, and I lifted her legs so they rested on my lap.
Dragging my hand back and forth across the shimmery smoothness there, I said, “I want whatever date you want.”
“This wedding planning is off to a great start. Giving me all the control.” She laughed evilly and then sipped her drink again. “I’ve always wanted one of those redundant dates. Like 2-22. Or 4-4.”
“We can get it etched into a cutting board, hang it in the kitchen.”
“Where should our first house be?”
“Wherever you want, honey.” I grinned again, capturing a sweet kiss. God, it felt good to say that. But my anxiety tugged at me. I had a maxed-out credit card to offer her as we started our lives together. You’re fucking this up already. I took another hard pull at my drink, needing the heat that would calm my monkey brain. What if your business doesn’t launch like you think? Another hard pull. Maybe Allan was right.
“Jeez, drink it all in one gulp,” she teased me.
“These expensive drinks taste better,” I croaked, swirling what little was left in my glass. “Anyway, I was thinking we could have a condo in the city. Then probably a country house in Kentucky, by my parents. Then an LA pad, for whenever we start conquering the West Coast.”
She giggled, nuzzling against me. “Can I decorate all the houses?”
“Of course, babe.” Except when will you be able to afford all these houses? When you’re both 70? “Whatever Mrs. Fairchild wants, Mrs. Fairchild gets.”
She bit her bottom lip, pinning me with the sexiest look I’ve ever seen. “I’m not kidding Axel, if you say that one more time I might come right now.”
Oof. Like there was any challenge I wanted to accept more than this one. I wet my bottom lip and surveyed the terrace. There weren’t too many people out here, due to the cold, but with how close we were to the space heater and how happy we were from the fresh engagement, we could have been out here naked. I slipped my leather coat off and covered her legs. My hand found the heat underneath her dress. She lowered her chin, a sexy smile playing at her lips.
“What was that, Mrs. Fairchild?”
Her nostrils flared as my fingers found the soaked crotch of her panties. So the proposal had turned her on. Our foreheads came together as I pushed my fingertips to meet the swollen heat of her. She was juicy velvet, crushed and electric. With one finger inside of her I snagged a deep, sloppy tongue kiss. Her thighs went rigid beneath my leather coat.
“You make this too easy,” I whispered hotly into her ear, “when you’re turned on like this. Dripping wet. And all because you’re about to be my wife.”
“It’s your fault,” she said breathily. I circled my fingers around the hard nub of her clit, and she jolted in my arms. “You’re the only man who makes marriage look like a good idea.”
I coaxed another passionate kiss from her while I eased a second finger into her, then a third. She loved being filled with me—wherever and however possible. And the night of our engagement called for something to remember.
I swiped my thumb back and forth over the needy nub while I pumped my fingers into her forcefully. She whimpered softly, tightening her grip around my neck.
“I’m ready to fingerfuck you in public for the rest of our lives.”
A lazy smile drifted onto her face, and she arched against me slightly just as a server flitted up to our table.
“Anything else you two need right now?”
I plunged my fingers into the velvety heat of her pussy and flashed a big smile to the server. “I think we’re fine. Right, Cora?”
Cora cleared her throat and then let out a squeak, her thighs rigid beneath the coat. She was so close to coming. I pinched her clit between my thumb and forefinger, her juices dripping down my hand. The server drifted away, none the wiser, and I captured Cora’s lips in a kiss.
“Come for me, Mrs. Fairchild.”
Her thighs went rock hard around my hand. The whimper was the only external sign that she’d crossed the ledge, but beneath my leather jacket I could feel the way her pussy pulsed around my fingers, drawing them deeper into her. Only I could sense how her breaths had turned feathery and hurried.
My entire body itched with the need to plunge my cock into her, to give her every inch of my passion. But not here. We’d never fool a server if I was allowed to fuck her properly.
I nibbled on her ear lobe as her orgasm subsided, sweeping lazy circles around her throbbing clit.
“That was just the pre-party,” I whispered into her ear. “Proper celebration to come.”
“I wish I didn’t have to fly back Sunday morning.”
“I’ll come out soon,” I told her, the declined message from my debit card flashing behind my lids. “I’ll make it work.” Even though I had no idea how to make it work. Our future depended on it.
She shifted against me, opening her mouth to say something. But in lieu of words, she gasped. I withdrew my hand from beneath her dress on instinct. Her feet shot to the floor, gaze stuck at the entrance to the bar.
“Jesus, it’s Vince.” She clutched at the leather jacket over her lap, as though my fingers were still buried knuckle deep. Her neck flushed, and she reached for her drink. “Why the fuck is he here,” she muttered above the rim of her glass.
Her father’s driver was part chauffer, part bodyguard. The man was one of those mafia-for-hire types, your run-of-the-mill, take-no-shit Brooklyn dudes who would not hesitate to break your wrist and then threaten to sue for the inconvenience of having to break your wrist.
He was the sort of guy I wanted on my side…and the sort of guy I dreaded having to deal with when he was on Allan’s side.
“We can leave,” I offered. “The tab is closed.”
“Like we can escape now.” Her throat bobbed, and she swore under her breath. “He just saw us.”
Vince frowned his way over to us. We were in trouble, though I didn’t know why. Unless Allan could sense that I’d asked his daughter to marry me.
“What are you doing here?” Cora hissed when Vince was within hearing range.
“Get your stuff. Car’s downstairs.” He snapped his fingers and jerked his thumb in the direction of the door. “Pronto, little lady.”
“I’m busy,” Cora said through clenched teeth.
“Don’t matta. There’s an emergency. Let’s go.” Vince crossed his wrists and waited, leaving no room for debate.
“I’ll take her,” I said.
Vince hefted with a laugh. “That’s funny. You ready, Cora?”
“My father is capable of speaking to me himself.” She straightened her back. “I don’t understand what could be so important.”
“He’ll explain when you get to the hospital.”
Cora’s eyes widened, and she turned to me. In a low voice, she said, “I should go, right?”
I worked my jaw back and forth. The whole thing was a little fucked up, but she didn’t want to be on the wrong side of an emergency. Despite what I felt about the man, he was her father.
“Yeah. We’ll meet up after, okay?”
She nodded and reached for her purse, pressing a quick kiss to my lips. Her toned body stretched out as she stood, the shimmer of her calves snagging my attention once more. I reached for her as she walked away, my fingertips brushing the black hem of her dress.
Even though she had to leave, there was still reason to celebrate.
The engagement ring glittered on her left hand as she walked toward the door.
Leaving or not, Cora was mine.