26. Cole

Two weeks later,I rose to my feet and arched an eyebrow whenSunny arrived for what had somehow become a daily lunch date—on top of the breakfast we shared every morning.

"You wore the new coral romper." I pulled her into my arms and leaned in for what probably looked like a vanilla couple greeting to anyone watching us from afar before growling in her ear, "On purpose."

Sunny had been warned about this romper business.The original romper had died an early death a few days beforehand when she decided it would be a good idea to bring me dinner in my office after I informed her of my intention to stay late at work for a long overdue Inbox Zero.

Not only had the dinner gone uneaten, but Sunny also ended up having to wear just her red coat home.

And so much for that Inbox Zero project. I hadn"t been able to reason myself out of escorting her back to the penthouse. Something primal in me wouldn"t even let her walk across a well-lit parking lot with security guards on duty by herself—or allow her to get away with distracting me from work. Several hours of punishment ensued, and the emails didn"t end up getting answered until the next morning, which was when I'd also asked Agnes to order a replacement romper, stat.

Apparently, the replacement had made it to Sunny, but she'd chosen to wear it—and by wear it, I mean torture me—while we were outto lunch at the Benton's Golf Club.

Sunny gave me a naughty smile."I figured this was the only place the poor romper was safe."

Our waiter appeared to pull out her seat, and I took one of my own, grimly placing my napkin back in my lap. Speaking of on purpose...

I purposefully maintained a detached look as I fought the urge to stare.

The Soft Life (as she often called itwhenever she proposed revisiting the part of our relationship agreement that restricted her from taking unauthorized jobs)looked good on Sunny.

She"d swapped out her long, curly extensions for a gently waved, shoulder-skimming do she"d called a silk press when demanding props for what she referred to as her "YouTube skills."

Sunny liked this new style because it "matched everything," and even better, "I can do it myself at home with all this extra free time you"re forcing on me."

I liked it because the pretty waves matched her looks and her spirit—at least when she wasn"t torturing me with outfits that showcased her legs and curves a little too perfectly when she was aware I had to go back to work after lunch.

Why had I told Agnes to replace that romper? And why couldn"t I stop staring at her like a hungry wolf? It had been over two weeks since we signed that agreement, and the usual detachment I felt with women still had yet to set in.

But it would set in. Eventually. Wouldn"t it? A small panic kicked me in the gut.

"Cole, are you alright?"

I raised my gaze to find Sunny regarding me with a worried look.I must have let the mask slip. Yet again.

This was becoming a problem.

"You're lucky we're in public," I bit out to cover up the mask slip. "I'll be seeing you and that romper after work."

"Sorry, Cole."Sunny"s worried look was replaced by a smug nonchalance."I actually have plans with Nora tonight."

"Cancel them."

"We're going to eat dinner here and then go see the seven o'clock Benton Girls show,"Sunny kept going as if she hadn"t heard my command.

So I repeated it louder."You're going to have to cancel."

"C"mon, Cole."Sunny twisted her lips and dipped her chin."I"ve barely left your place in two weeks, and poor Nora..."

"Will be fine without you.She's been going to the revue without you all these years."

"That's what she said when I called her about joining her tonight!"Sunny threw me a disappointed look."But seriously,we don"t have much time left with Nora. You, the person who"s going out of his way to make his grandma"s dream come true, should get why it"s important to take these opportunities better than anyone else."

She was right, I did understand her motivation to spend time with Nora better than anyone else. The lie I"d told her to get her on board with my necessary plan twisted in my gut. I was close to getting all the votes I"d need to oust my grandma from the board and bring this charade to an end, but my mood darkened, thinking of the fallout that would occur when Sunny discovered I"d been using her as a pawn this entire time.

"Who knows how long she'll even have to go to shows?" Sunny continued on the other side of the table. "The least I can do is attend a few with her."

Sunny's eyes went soft with fondness for my grandmother."She's so brave."

I narrowly resisted the urge to roll my eyes and answer, If by brave, you mean next-level meddlesome....

Sunny's face suddenly lit up with an idea."Hey, how about you come with us?"

I shook my head."That's not in the original outing agenda, and I'd rather front-load my work in preparation for your dance class on Saturday."

Last Saturday, I"d tried and utterly failed to keep myself from stripping off Sunny's pink leotard ensemble as soon as we got back to the penthouse. We'd ended up spending most of the morning in bed, and I hadn't made it into the office until well after lunch.

"Please?"Sunny said, fingering the ruffle on her romper and peeping up at me."It would make Nora so happy to see you. And this would definitely qualify as being nice."

That melting sensation I often got with her was back.

I didn"t like it.

Nonetheless,I ran a short cost/benefit analysis and decided to give in if it meant avoiding any further conflict with Sunny. These last two weeks had been…I struggled to put it into words. Better than I'd expected. Much, much better.

Sunny wasn't just sexy. She was interesting. Pleasant and challenging at the same time in ways that not only kept me coming back for more but also made it hard for me to spend as much time at the office as I used to because I knew she was waiting for me in the penthouse.

I found myself not wishing to disturb the equilibrium we'd established over the last few weeks.

So that was how I ended up having dinner with Nora and the woman I was pretending was my fiancée in order to keep my grandmother from giving her shares to my brother.

But my resignation to eating dinner with the relative I could barely stand to look at these days turned into feeling like luck was truly on my side when Nora came shuffling into the high-end Japanese steak restaurant slightly stooped over.

"Sorry I'm late, luvs,"she called out as she approached us."Max showed up just as I was leaving. He's a terrible one for arriving on your doorstep without any notice."

"Nora!"Sunny said, her eyes filled with worry.

We both stood up. I did so because Nora had raised me to at least act like a gentleman when she joined me at a table, and Sunny did so in a rush to take Nora by the arm and help her into the booth.

"We could postpone if you"re..."Sunny threw me a wretched look."Having a bad day."

"I'm fine, I'm fine,"Nora insisted."Just a little tight around the edges. Besides, I've never missed a first Tuesday of the month with my Benton Girls yet, and I'm not going to let a little pain keep me away from my fun—or my old fashioneds!"

Right on cue, a waiter showed up and set one of the Glendaver bourbon cocktails my grandmother favored down in front of her with a smile and a warm greeting for Nora.

I was aware that"tight around the edges"meant Nora was recovering from yet another cosmetic procedure. But Sunny didn't have to know that.

Talk about an opportunity.

"You should probably lay off the booze tonight, Grandma."I stretched an arm over Sunny"s shoulder. "No accounting for how it might react with your other medications."

"You called me Grandma!"Nora beamed at me over her tumbler of alcohol. Then turned to Sunny and repeated,"He called me Grandma! He never calls me that—only Nora, like I"m one of his employees."

Nora squeezed Sunny's arm."See there, I knew you would be a good influence on him! Didn"t I say that?—Yo, you there!"

The effect of Nora"s happy words was somewhat negated when she flagged down a passing waiter and instructed him to"tell that other one to put in an order for another of these beauties. I want to make sure I"ve got at least two of them in me before the start of my show!"

Sunny fretted her hands. "Nora, I think Cole is right about?—"

"Aw, now don"t you go trying to tell me what to do, too, like this grandson of mine,"Nora countered with a raise of her drink before Sunny could finish agreeing with me."Only got so much time left on this Earth, and I"ll do as I wish—Oh, here"s the good fella now with our appetizer. It"s almost enough to make you not mind about Coley always making us put in our orders ahead of time, just like his grandfather."

She touched the waiter"s arm as he set a bowl of carrot and ginger soup down in front of her. "Now, I have an extremely important question. Did the other fella give you my drink order?"

Nora turned back to Sunny after being assured her second old fashioned was on its way."I can tell by how unnecessarily close the two of you are sitting that things are going quite well in the sex department! Does The Third get off on trying to boss you around, like his grandfather? Especially in bed? I can tell you"re a sweet little kitten in bed, but listen to me close, Sunny darling, make sure you reverse those positions at least once or twice a season. Neither Coleridge would ever admit it, but they need a little dominatrix action after a big day of telling everybody else what to do...."

"Nora..."Sunny chided, covering her cheeks and ducking her head. "Can we please, please, please change the subject?"

Shecould barely keep the distressed look off her face.

And I could barely keep the sly smile off mine.

Ethical or not, my plan was falling into place perfectly, and I was getting everything I wanted.

* * *

"What the hell, Cole?"Sunny"s voice came blaring out of my speakerphone the next day when Agnes patched her through to my office."Why'd you take away my car privileges?"

As I turned down the volume on my phone, I considered giving her the number to my personal line. Again.

But then I had to remind myself yetagain that this relationship had a countdown clock. It would self-destruct as soon as Sunny found out my real reasons for our fake engagement, and then I"d want to make sure she didn"t have my number.

But for now, I suppressed all thoughts of the future to tell Sunny,"I warned you about teasing me out in public."

"Oh, my gosh. I don't wear panties to one little event..."

I picked up the handset and took her off the speakerphone to finish my grievance complaint. "And you choose not to inform me of that fact until we're in the middle of the Benton Girls show, with my grandmother sitting on the other side of me." I clenched my jaw at the extremely difficult memory. "You could have told me while we were still downstairs at dinner, given me a chance to excuse us both before the show."

"It wouldn't have been any fun if I had told you then," Sunny protested. "You're just mad because you've never done it in a bathroom before. It"s not my faultyou couldn"t make it all the way back up to your chessboard of a penthouse."

"I've also never had anyone whisper in my ear how wet she is for me." I leaned back in my leather chair, the hot scene unfolding inside my mind. "How she hopes her dress isn't too short because she doesn't want to get her seat dirty?—"

I broke off with a curse."Now I'm hard again. Tell Tomas to turn you around and bring you back here. I"ll meet you at the penthouse."

"No, Cole, no!"Her voice took on a peevish tone."Last night, I promised your grandma I'd visit her today, and that's part of the plan, right? To go over there and go on and on about how happy I am with you?"

My chest hitched, and the words fell out of my mouth before I could catch them."Are you happy with me, Sunny? With our arrangement?"

"I mean, yes. It"s just pretend—but, yes?" I couldn"t tell if she was answering my question or confessing something new to herself. "Are you happy? With me? With our arrangement?"

Usually, I liked to lead with a beat or two of silence.

"Always let them squirm a bit before you give them an answer." That was one of the first business lessons my grandfather imparted when I started working in the C-suite directly after graduating from B-school.

But the unsure note in Sunny"s voice let me know she truly wasn"t aware of how unusual my behavior was in comparison to any other relationship I"d ever conducted. This time, I didn"t hesitate to tell her,"I"m very pleased with your performance."

"That"s not what I asked."

No, it wasn"t.

"I"m happy, Sunny,"I answered with a brusque tone. And that scares the shit out of me.

I didn"t—couldn"t—admit the second part out loud. Instead, I returned the conversation to the original subject: Her skipping lunch with Nora and spending the hour with me instead.

Visions of bending Sunny over my desk filled my head as I pointed out,"My grandmother already knows you're into me.Tell Tomas to turn the car around, and I'll give you explicit instructions about how you can make last night up to me...with my tongue between your legs until you"re begging for my forgiveness."

"Oh, Cole..."she whimpered, her voice becoming a little breathy. I could almost imagine her squirming in the back seat of the Mercedes I usually let her drive. When my brother wasn"t in town."That is sooo tempting."

I grinned on my side of the line, already tasting her on my tongue.

But then she said,"I"m sure you can wait until after my visit with Nora.I'll see you as soon as you get off work."

"Lunch,"I growled."You'll see me at lunch."

"Cole, she"s your grandmother—my grandma"s best friend."

"If you leave early, I promise to make it worth your while."

Sunny went quiet on the other side of the line. I could almost see her pretty face as she struggled with the decision.

"Fine. No promises, but I"ll try to make it to lunch with you,"she said.

I grinned. Gotcha."See you then."

"Hopefully,"she said, ending the call with a laugh.

More than hopefully. I could tell Sunny didn"t know that Nora was on the OMAD plan and usually reserved her one meal a day as an excuse to have boozy dinners with her friends.

I woke my computer to reschedule my short call with Geoff Latham about the status of the AudioNation deal but paused when I saw an email from Rich Harrison with the subject line: How about that golf game?

I frowned. Hovered my mouse over the delete button, then picked up my phone instead to dial the number he"d left at the bottom of the message about making sure we got a game in before the infamous Las Vegas summer weather set in.

"Rich Harrison."

"Rich, it"s Cole." I drummed my fingers on the desk, realizing that in a serious departure from character, I"d failed to plan ahead and would have to improvise. "Just calling to say I don"t believe I"ll be able to get that game in before the summer."

"Oh, I see. Is this because of..." He trailed off, then seemed to choose to finish with, "…this, ah, incredibly sudden engagement of yours?"

There were many ways I could answer that question that would have ended this phone call right there. I decided to fish with a, "Possibly."

Rich audibly sighed. "What did she tell you about me?"

"I"m sure you"re already aware," I answered.

"Cole, you should know the situation was untenable. I didn"t have many choices where that situation was concerned."

"Yet all your choices ended with my fiancée getting hurt." I shouldn"t have made this call, and I shouldn"t have felt as angry as I did on Sunny"s behalf. But here I was, and you know what my English merchant ancestors said: In for a penny, in for a pound.

"So you"ll understand why you"re no longer welcome at the Benton Golf Club or any other Benton Worldwide property," I told Rich. "And it probably goes without saying that you need to lose my email."

"Yes, I understand, but Cole, you need to understand I already had a family. Aretha would have?—"

I hung up without giving him a chance to explain his side of the story. He didn"t even deserve that much from me. My blood boiled at the thought of him tricking Sunny into sleeping with a married man.

You mean like you"re tricking her into sleeping with the grandson who plans to oust his grandmother from the board? a snide voice asked in the back of my head.

I frowned. That was new.

Am I...?I crooked my head. Am I trying to develop a conscience?

My business messaging app dinged before I could answer that question. And I smiled when I read the "Sunny just sent this about lunch" from Agnes.

But then I frowned even deeper when I read the forwarded message.

SUNNY:Hi, Agnes! Can you tell Cole sorry sorry sorry but I can't make lunch and that I"ll see him tonight.

I furrowed my brow. What did Sunny mean she couldn't make lunch? And don"t think I didn"t notice she"d failed to provide an explanation.

I"d gotten to know Sunny well enough to observe that she only appeared to have two settings—at least when it came to us: overexplaining herself or very obviously keeping something from me.

So what was she keeping from me this time?

On a hunch, I asked Agnes to get Tomas on the line.

"Hello, Mr. Benton!" Tomas quite understandably sounded surprised to hear from me in the middle of the afternoon. He didn"t know that keeping tabs on Sunny was precisely why I"d assigned a driver to her today."How can I help you?"

"Just a quick check-in. Sunny texted me that she couldn't make it back for lunch."

"Sí, she's still in the restaurant. I'm waiting outside."

I began to feel stupid for calling. Yet another non-controlled action Sunny had brought out in me."I see. So she decided to go out with Nora instead?"

"Ah…no, not exactly, Mr. Benton. I think something might have happened. Ms. Johnson said the plan was to go to lunch with your brother, and she asked me to follow them to the restaurant."

Max. She's with Max.Not the grandmother who adored her, but my estranged half brother who"d openly flirted with her at the CEO of the Year dinner.

"They've only been in there for a little while. Do you want me to go get her?"Tomas"s voice broke through my red rage."Give her a message?"

I didn't answer. Couldn't answer for a good number of seconds as my hand squeezed around the phone, tight as a chokehold.

"Mr. Benton? Mr. Benton?"Tomas asked on the other side of the phone.

And Ifinally managed to squeeze out,"What restaurant?"