The Billionaires Love Curves 2 - a BBW BWWM Billionaire Romance (7 page)

She pulled him across the floor in a tango move. Lacey and Cole smiled. He turned to Lacey and held her hands.

“Are you happy?” Cole asked her.

“Very.” Lacey replied.

Chapter7

Cole insisted that he and Lacey spend the next day together, it was, after all, Lacey's actual birthday and Cole said he didn't want her out of his sight.

Come Monday morning they both showed up late for work. As they both arrived into the office, the staff had all gathered in the reception area and gave Cole and Lacey a round of applause as they walked in. This was very closely followed by the popping of a champagne cork.

“This is amazing,” Lacey said. “How did you all know?”

“News travels fast in this business,” one of her colleagues said, handing Lacey a glass of champagne, still frothing over the edge. “By now, the whole of the publishing industry are up to speed on your engagement. You must know that.”

“Right,” said Lacey, and she immediately thought of Nate. He must know she's engaged and what would he make of it?

It had been a strange sensation when Cole proposed to her. She was happy and accepted straight away, swept away by the occasion and all the fuss people were making of her, it never occurred to her to say  “no” or even to stop and think about the proposal itself. But an image of Nate's face did flash across her mind the second Cole got down on one knee, and for a strange and eerie moment she felt Nate standing next to her, a feeling of foreboding on his face.

Cole's arm circled Lacey's waist as they stood in the reception area and snapped her from her thoughts.

“Why so serious?” he asked her.

“Not serious. Just wondering how I'm going to concentrate on my work with all this champagne. I don't think I've got yesterday's champagne breakfast out of my system yet.”

“You want to go home, Lacey?” Cole looked concerned.

“Not at all. I've got lots to do.”

“Well, you won't have to worry about deadlines soon.”

“What do you mean? It's not like I'm about to give up work,” Lacey said, looking puzzled.

“We don't have to talk about that now,” Cole said, quickly. “We've got a wedding to plan.”

“We do, don't we? But not now. Now we need to get back to work.”

“You heard her,” Cole laughed to everyone. “Let's all go take the publishing world by storm.”

The week seemed to go by in a blur. Cole would often walk into Lacey's office talking flowers for the church, five tier wedding cakes and asking Lacey if she would wear a veil.

“Maybe a wedding in the Caribbean?” he suggested one day.

“Look,” Lacey dropped her pen onto the desk. Cole was leaning over the other side of it and had been stopping her from concentrating on an article she had been planning. “I'm the bride. It's supposed to be all about me. Let me think about what I want, Cole. I wasn't expecting to be proposed to and I never ever thought about what sort of wedding I was going to have. Believe it or not, getting married was never my priority before I moved here.”

“No,” Cole said. “What was?”

“Well this, this job. Being a journalist, that's what I planned to be.”

“And not Cole Tyler's wife.”

“Well,” she said, smiling sweetly and leaning across the desk so their faces almost touched. “That bit was a bonus.”

“Good, because I've got the numbers of the top five wedding planners in New York.” Cole stood up.

“You interview them and see which one you'd like the best.”

“Cole,” Lacey was exasperated. “I just thought I'd look in a few magazines and talk to Elaine about it.”

“That's fine, Lacey, but I'm paying for this so don't think you have to cut corners, okay? The bigger the better for me.”

“Okay, Cole, but will you just give me some space so I can consider what I want and take it from there. It's not like we've even set a date or anything.”

“Okay, okay. I'm sorry to be so pushy, I just can't wait, that's all. Maybe we should set a date. Soon.”

“Well, how soon is soon?”

“I was thinking, maybe next spring. We can see if there's anything open for Valentine's. That would be good, right?”

“Right.” Lacey picked up her pen.

“Anyway. I'm working late tonight. Give you a chance to talk to Elaine. I'll speak to you tomorrow.”

He walked to the door and turned back. “Oh, I was thinking about asking your brother to be best man. Or maybe he could walk you down the aisle as you haven't got anyone else.”

“Maybe I can walk myself down the aisle, Cole, but whatever it is, can you let me decide?”

“Sure, sure. Have fun talking to Elaine, I'll let you get on.”

She shook her head. In many ways she was happy that Cole was so excited, but she thought it should be the other way round. As she went to write her next sentence, she wondered to herself why that should be.

Chapter8

Lacey took a deep breath as she stepped out of the office later that day on her way home. The autumn air was still quite warm and the city traffic was noisy. She was glad not to be feeling pressure from Cole and stopped on the way home to pick up some bridal magazines.

When she got back to the apartment, it seemed like Elaine had read her mind.

“Look what I got!” Elaine jumped around in front of here and waved a glossy magazine in front of her nose. Lacey pulled the exact same publication out of her bag.

“Snap!” she said and laid out the rest of the bridal magazines on the coffee table.

“Great,” Elaine said. “I've been looking forward to this. I was starting to wonder if you weren't taking this engagement seriously.”

“What do you mean?” Lacey asked her.

“Well, you haven't talked about your plans for the wedding, not once. If it were me, I'd have had a dress fitted by now.”

“I know, but there was never any mad rush to get things going. I mean, it's not like we'd set a date yet.”

“But you have now?” Elaine was excited by the prospect.

“Well, Cole was hinting at Valentine's Day.”

“So, we've got four months to plan a wedding. I can work with that. And I'm guessing money is no object?”

“Not according to Cole.”

“He seems more excited than you.”

“I am excited, I really am, but I just needed this. Just us girls, planning and getting crazy. That's what it's all about. I had to tell Cole to back off a bit.”

“But he loves you, Lacey.”

“I know he does. So anyway, tonight, I've got some breathing space. Tonight I get to talk all about me.” Lacey laughed and threw up her hands. “So let's get some wine, some food and talk weddings!”

She felt the excitement getting to her as she got more and more into the idea of planning her wedding day. It was more than just a huge diamond ring now. She had said yes to marriage and the enormity, although overwhelming, was a reality.

Kicking back with Elaine was the tonic she needed to put everything into perspective and couldn't wait to come back to Cole with her list of ideas.

As she planned and laughed with Elaine, she picked up a glass of red wine and dived into the first of the glossy magazines. Those magazines would become her bible for the days and weeks to come. Her thoughts were now a million miles away from work, so she never would have guessed at what was about to take place in Cole's office.

It was about seven thirty in the evening. With all the time he had been spending away from his desk Cole had to work late to catch up on a few things. He had scheduled a phone conference on the other side of the world with one of his clients and completed it successfully. He had just put the finishing touches to a deal and was about to dismiss his secretary when she buzzed through to him.

“Cole?” she said.

“Yes, Louise, you can go now, I'm all finished up in here.”

“No, it's not that. I have a gentleman here to see you. I told him it was late but he said this just couldn't wait. Should I schedule for tomorrow?”

“Who is it?”

“Nate Horwood of Holden-Taylor.”

Cole hesitated a few seconds.

“Send him in,” Cole said. “And you can go home now. Thank you, Louise.”

Cole got up slowly and walked to his drinks cabinet. He placed two whiskey glasses out and poured the bronze colored fluid from a crystal decanter.  As he did so, he heard the door open and close as Nate entered the office.

“Take a seat, Nate. I've been expecting you.”

Cole walked back to his chair without making eye contact with his guest. It had been a very long time since they had been in such an enclosed space together – alone.

Cole leaned over and placed a glass of whiskey in front of Nate then took his seat. He sat in an aloof manner and sipped as he eyed him from the other side of the desk. Nate took the glass and drank before firmly placing it back onto the desk. He looked up at Cole. They held a long silent glare for what seemed like hours. The tension in the room was tangible.

“So,” Cole finally said. “I take it you've heard about the engagement?”

“Yes, I heard and I think it's time you stopped playing games.” Nate's voice was a monotone. He was giving nothing away.

“No one’s playing a game here, Nate. Why would you even suggest such a thing?” He raised an eyebrow, just slightly. “Lacey knows all about how you, you know? I told her how you cheated me out of Holden-Taylor, so she knows who the better man is here.”

“Does she? And does she know how sick you are, Cole, and the lengths you went to take out revenge on me?”

“Lacey sees the good in me, Nate. Why can't you accept your fate? I had to.”

“I admit, I was wrong. I was young and reckless, I know that. That was all such a long time ago. But you...what you did.”

“Listen, Horwood, your wife came willingly to my bed, let's not forget that. It didn't take much.” Cole said through gritted teeth.

“You used her, you never loved her. With all those twisted lies, you manipulated her into leaving me. I was busy working while you got to her, filling her head with all those disgusting stories about me. I can't believe the lengths you went to just to hurt me.”

“I didn't just want to hurt you, I wanted to destroy you and I still do.” Cole stamped the desk with his fists. He then loosened his tie and tried to calm himself. He smirked at Nate. Nate held his glare.

“Destroy me?” Nate replied. “Isn't it enough that you caused my divorce? My life was shattered when Grace walked out on me.”

“But you still picked yourself up, though didn't you? And you still had the company.”

“My God, Cole, you really are eaten up with hate. You know I'm starting to pity you.”

“Save it, Nate. I don't need your pity.” Cole said.

“Why can't we just leave the past in the past? For Christ's sake. ”

“Well, that's easy enough for you to say, Horwood. You got everything you wanted.”

“But you took Grace away from me. And then you broke her.”

“And that was some sweet revenge, I have to say, because I knew how that, of all things, would get you where it hurt. And if you could have seen the look on her face, after your divorce,” Cole was becoming animated. “When I kicked her out of my bed. Told her to leave, pack her things and go. Priceless.”

“You are one sick bastard. What I did to you just doesn't compare.”

“So you say. But from where I'm sitting, justice hasn't been done and you know it only too well.”

“Cole you are sitting on a fortune in this company. You're made of money. Isn't that enough?”

“Evidently not.” Cole shook his head. “What is it about you, Nate? Why are you so unlucky with women? Wait, wait – you don't have to tell me. We all know who wins out when it comes to women, don't we?”

“You're sick, Cole. Sick and twisted.”

“And yet, here you are. Trying to have a conversation with the sick and twisted.” He sipped from his whiskey, tilting his head back and draining the glass of its contents.

He got up and walked to the drinks cabinet. Over his shoulder he called to Nate.

“Can I get you another?”

Nate became infuriated and got to his feet. He took fast, determined steps in Coles' direction and spun him around.

The glass dropped on its side and in the process the entire decanter of whiskey tipped over and began to run out onto the carpet. Nate grabbed Cole by the collar of his jacket, yanking upwards and close to his face.

“Temper, temper, Nate.”

Nate clenched his fist and pulled it backwards.  “All I did was offer you a drink,” Cole's expression was smug, he knew it took a lot of self-control for Nate to loosen his hold and let his fist fall to his side.

Nate stepped away, running both hands though his hair and walking away from Cole.

“Now look what you made me do. You made me knock over my favorite blend of malt whiskey. That's not very friendly.”

Nate swung around.

“I didn't come here to be friendly. I didn't come here to have a drink with you.” Nate shouted. His cheeks flamed red and his nostrils flared as he took slow breaths to reclaim some calm. The calm he'd first walked in with was short lived.

“Then why
are
you here, Horwood?” Cole wiped his hands over his jacket and advanced on Nate who was now standing in the middle of the office. “You know you can't get Lacey back, don't you?”

Both men were of equal height, their eyes hardened and staring with malice at the other.

“You made a big mistake trying to keep your relationship secret,” Cole said. “A big mistake. All it did was backfire on you because she thought you didn't care about her. It made it so easy for her to wind up in my consoling arms. All I had to do was sit back and wait for you to have enough rope to hang yourself. You are a fool, Nate. Admit it.”

“I know I got that wrong. I was trying to protect her from you. You're right, it backfired on me but this isn't about me.”

“Then who?”

“You know I'm here about Lacey.”

“At last, the truth.”

“Listen to me, Cole, I can't stand back and watch you ruin her life, too. Let her go, Cole.”

“You think I'm going to fall for that. I let her go and you swoop back in? No, no, no.” Cole stepped away, a half-smile on his face. Nate stepped up close to him again, holding his hands in fists but not in a threatening way. Cole looked down at his hands. Nate lowered them, quickly.

“Look, you idiot. I won't try to win her back. Believe it or not, I care about her but I would rather not have her at all if it meant you keeping your distance. If you have a heart in there, you'd let her go.”

“It's too late for that now, Nate. You can't bargain with Lacey. Not at this stage of the game.”

“Is that all this is for you? Why go through the whole charade of a wedding?”

Cole did not answer.

“Wait,” Nate said. “Don't tell me you're in love? Is that it? Do you actually love her, Cole?”

“Nate, let's get down to the real business here.”

The two squared around each other like two fighters in a ring. There was no referee, nothing to stop either going just that bit too far.

The temptation was there, with all their years of history they could just slug it out, blow for blow until one of them walked away, the victor. But their feud went far deeper.

At one time, they were like brothers, a friendship so close they would do anything for the other. In fact, Nate had married Grace even though Cole had seen her first, but knowing that his friend was so taken with her, he was prepared to walk away. He did that for his friend but he could never, and would never, forgive Nate for, what he called, stealing from him.

“Cole, we've been down this road before. I can't do anything more than apologize. Let's face it, I used your ideas but I was the hands-on person and I made it work. There was no guarantee you would have had the same success, anyway.”

“You say that because you think you are better than me.” Cole's face was stony.

“I'm asking you, for the last time, Cole. Leave Lacey out of this. This is our fight and as far as I'm concerned, it was over a long time ago.”

“Well, not for me. I told you once before, Nate Horwood, and I'm telling you now – one more time. Give me back what you owe me or I will continue to do whatever I can to make your life a living hell. Until you pay me back every last cent you took from me, I will never, ever let you rest.”