18. Emerson

The lounge felt like it was closing in on me, suffocating me, with its sound-muffling velvet and close quarters. It was too early in the day to justify alcohol, but I could really use a stiff drink. I couldn't breathe. My father watched me, frowning, as I hooked a finger under the knot in my tie and yanked, whipping off the strip of silk and shoving it into my pocket in a messy ball. Then I reached back up and undid the top two buttons, but it didn't do much to help me fill my lungs with air.

Roland was waiting for me back in my office, and I wanted nothing more than to bypass this entire meeting and fall into his arms. Just thinking about him had my throat loosening, and I closed my eyes, drawing in a deep breath. We were almost free.

"You're not looking so good, Son," my father remarked with a raised eyebrow.

I glared at him. "Are you surprised? The past couple months I've been jerked back and forth between obligation and desperation. A forced marriage really does a number on a man." Although, I hoped that was all about to change.

I gave him a hard smile, and he leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. "Yes, well… Is that why you asked me here this evening? Is this about the wedding?"

Laughing darkly, I said, "Only if you want to talk about how I refuse to be bullied into that farce."

He narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing me. "What are you up to, Emerson?"

"You're going to sell The Scarlet Hotel," I told him point blank.

He cocked his head and reached for his drink. "I think we've already established that. As soon as you sign the paperwork, the hotel is yours."

"No. Plans have changed." I pulled out the contract I had drawn up earlier today and passed it across the table. "I don't want your hotel."

My father frowned in confusion. "But you just said—"

"I said," I interrupted, holding a hand up, "that you will sell the hotel. I did not say to whom."

He picked up the paperwork in front of him and looked it over, his expression getting stormier as he went, eyebrows furrowing into a deep V between his eyes. "Who the hell is Roland Stohl and where did you get three million dollars? Surely not that little fundraiser of yours."

"Does it matter who he is?" I knew his identity couldn't be kept a secret, but I couldn't help feeling protective of him, even from my father.

A knowing smile stretched across his lips. "It's that omega of yours, isn't it. The one from the front desk. I knew there was something going on between you two, but I had no idea he was so wealthy. Why is he working here?"

I gritted my teeth, on edge, but I refused to deny anything. Roland was mine, and as soon as this pesky paperwork was cleared up, I planned on making it official. There would be no separating us from here on out.

My dad laughed without humor, shaking his head in disappointment. "There are rules for a reason, Emerson. A boss must never get involved with an employee, because it just leaves you open to a potential lawsuit when they feel taken advantage of. And likewise, your employees must never reach above their station, trying to manipulate you for their own gain. There's no guarantee they won't stab you in the back the second they've got what they want."

"You don't know what you're talking about," I growled, clenching my fists.

He waved his hand as though brushing away an annoying fly. "It doesn't matter what is going on between you. Whatever it is you think you're doing, it won't eliminate the problem. Regardless of whose name is on the deed, Eva will get what she wants."

"But if the hotel is no longer mine, she'll have no reason to force me into marriage," I said with conviction.

He scoffed. "You can't possibly be that na?ve. She'll just go after him next. If you care about him at all, you'll marry her and make the necessary sacrifices to keep him safe."

"Marrying her is a price neither of us are willing to pay." I took a slow, deep breath, bracing myself. "Roland is pregnant." I hadn't intended to tell him the news today, but maybe he would understand why I was so determined to figure out a way to keep my freedom.

My father blinked at me for a long moment, before he leaned back against the bench and laughed, throwing his head back, clapping his hands. "Brilliant!"

My pulse rushed in my ears, my entire body tense as I placed my palms flat on the table and pressed down hard. "You think this is funny?" I snarled.

He shook his head, wiping away a tear from the corner of his eye. "No, not at all! I'm going to be a grandfather!" His grin was open and honest, with more genuine joy than I'd seen from him in years. He slid out from his side of the table and came around to my side. He grabbed me by the shoulder and hefted me out of the bench to wrap me in a fierce hug. "Congratulations, Son!"

"Th-thanks," I mumbled, shocked by the emotion overwhelming me as I tentatively brought my arms up to wrap around my father's waist. I'd told myself I didn't need his approval, but now that I had it, I discovered that I'd been secretly hoping for it all along. I dropped my head on his shoulder, and in the midst of all this chaos, I let myself cry.

My dad patted me on the back, then drew me back to look me in the eye. "And honestly, I can't wait to see that bitch's face when she hears the news. Can I be there when you tell her?"

A surprised laugh snuck past my lips. "Sure thing… Grandpa."

He gave me a watery grin, then released me and sat back down in his place, snatching up the pen. "I don't know how you're going to make it work, but the hotel is his." He signed his name across the form, then pushed the papers across to me. "Good luck. I have a feeling you're going to need it."

"Thanks, Dad," I whispered, swiping my fingers across my cheeks to collect any stray tears.

The three million dollars (and change) that we'd raised during the fundraiser was probably a lowball offer for a hotel of this caliber, but my father didn't ask for more. I figured since he'd been willing to sign it over to me for free, this would be enough for him to retire more than comfortably. He was right, this wasn't a perfect solution to all our problems, but it solved the immediate one—that I'd signed a contract stating that the hotel would become half Eva's after our marriage. Now that the hotel would no longer belong to me, she would have no reason to force me into marriage.

And in case she decided to try and force Roland into marriage next, I had one more plan to enact…

I found Roland right where I'd left him, waiting for me in my office. As soon as I opened the door, his eyes darted up, hopeful and a little wary. "It's done," I told him. "The hotel is yours."

His smile was tentative. "Really?"

"Yep. You are officially a very rich man. I think you might also be my boss," I teased.

"Oh dear," he mock frowned. "Does that mean it would be sexual harassment if I touched you?" He tapped his finger on his lips like he was thinking. "Hmm, I heard there's this handbook of rules, strictly forbidding a relationship between boss and employ—" He yelped as I lunged at him and hauled him up into my arms.

Roland immediately brought his legs around my waist, hooking them behind my back and aligning our growing erections side by side between us. "I guess you'll just have to fire me then," I said before I kissed him.

I sucked his lower lip into my mouth, and when his lips parted on a gasp, I plunged my tongue into his mouth in long, languid strokes, showing him who he belonged to. He was mine, forever and always. No more hesitation, no more doubt or second-guessing. Mine.

Walking carefully forward so I didn't trip, I set his ass down on the edge of my desk. He turned those dark eyes up at me, and while he was smiling, I could tell he was still a little cautious to let it all in. I felt so horrible that he'd learned he couldn't put his faith in me completely. I'd pulled away too many times, got his hopes up, only to let him down.

I licked my lips, savoring his lingering flavor, and his eyes tracked the movement hungrily. "Now what?" he asked softly, probably expecting me to take this opportunity to get him naked.

"Now you marry me."

I was so glad I had my hands on him so I could feel his full-body reaction. "W-what?" he sputtered.

My smile widened, and I laughed at the complete shock on his face. First, he went pale, then his cheeks flushed a deep crimson. "Before you answer, let me explain a few things," I began. "One, this has nothing to do with the hotel. I don't want it, it's yours, and I'll gladly sign a prenup saying exactly that. Two, there's a chance Eva will try to force you into marrying her next, to try and get the hotel that way. But if you're already married, then it limits her way in."

I brought my hands up to his face, trailing my thumbs across his cheekbones, the slight stubble of the day's growth prickling against my palms. "Most of all, though, I love you. You're my forever, and I don't ever want to lose you. I want to take care of you and our child, build a home for us together. I want you to have faith in me when I tell you that, and I want to make it permanent. Marry me." He opened and closed his mouth a few times, starting and stopping his reply, and I suddenly worried about putting him on the spot. "You don't have to say yes, of course, there's no pressure."

That seemed to bring him out of his daze to shout, "Yes! Obviously, yes!"

Before he could say anything else, I kissed him again. I swallowed his moan and came back for more. I didn't even care if anyone heard us anymore. He was mine, and I was glad they knew it. He clung to me, squeezing me as tightly as he could, but when he started trying to undress me, I stilled his hands with mine.

"Come on, we're going to be late," I said, pulling him off the desk and heading for the door. My cock ached fiercely, but it would be worth it.

"What? Where are we going?" he asked as we made our way past the front desk and through the hotel lobby.

"City hall," I replied, winking at him over my shoulder.

His hand tightened on mine, and he started jogging to keep up. "Now? We're getting married right now?!"

"No time like the present, right? I pulled some strings for the justice of the peace to squeeze us in at the end of the day."

"How did you know I was going to say yes?" he asked.

As Sandy opened the front door for us, I drew Roland up beside me and hooked his arm in mine. "Well, I figured if you loved me even half of how much I loved you, there was no way you could turn me down."

"Then it's a good thing I love you more," he said.