I wrapped my arm around her and leaned in closer. I watched as my father’s eyes scanned between us with a grin.

“Well, isn’t this a new development.”

“New, maybe but I can’t tell you how happy we are.” Keylee’s lies started flowing and this time, I could actually kiss her for turning on at the right moment.

“Is that right?” My father eyed me.

“It is. It’s actually embarrassing. The paparazzi caught us in a rather intimate moment yesterday,” I added.

“It was rather embarrassing,” Keylee said while holding her hands to her cheeks. What a fucking regular old Martha May with her acting skills. Damn.

“That’s my son for ya, always had a hard time controlling his needs and desires.”

My teeth grinded down, keeping my mouth shut so I didn’t say anything too stupid.

Keylee looked between the two of us and sensed the tension because she pulled away and said, “I think I’m going to get a refill. Can I get you anything, baby?”

Baby? Christ.

“I’m fine, thank you.”

“Mr. Colby?” She addressed my father.

“I’m good, dear,” he said without taking his eyes off me.

Getting a clue, she left us and for good measure, I watched her walk away even though her sway wasn’t nearly as impressive as Goldie’s.

“She’s a nice little number. How much are you paying her to be here with you?”

“Not everyone has to pay someone off for a date,” I said while taking a sip of my bourbon.

“So confident tonight, as if you think you’ve won it all.”

“Haven’t I?” I asked, trying to be as unflappable as possible. “I have the woman, I have the house and now I will have the property. Cut your losses, old man, and start going after something else.”

The corner of my father’s mouth twitched as his jaw grew tense.

“I plan on going after something and it’s here in this room, dressed in all black and looking absolutely divine.”

The moment of truth, my face held still as I took another sip of my bourbon as I said, “And what would that be?”

“Don’t play with me, boy.”

“I’m sorry that you think I have time to play around with you, but I don’t so if you would like to get to the point of this conversation, that would be appreciated.”

In the corner of my eye, I could see Goldie approach with Diego chasing behind her.

Not fucking now, please not fucking now. I was holding on by a thread. A bead of sweat trickled down my back as Goldie got closer. Why wasn’t Diego stopping her?

My dad’s head turned and saw her. An evil grin spread across his face and he finally spoke. “You want to get down to the point, fine. Right here, right now, tell me. Lot 17 or Goldie? You can only choose one.”

I knew Goldie heard my father because he spoke loud enough. She stopped in her place as she waited for my answer. I hid the shake in my hand by lowering my glass and set it on a table nearby. My next move would either make or break my relationship with Goldie but I had no choice.

With the flick of my wrist, my hand caressed my jaw, showing off the bright emerald green cufflinks that donned my wrists, trying to portray to Goldie that she needed to have faith.

Without blinking, I cleared my throat and said, “Is there even a choice? No doubt in my mind Lot 17 wins every time.”

I saw the slight intake of air out of the corner of my eye from Goldie’s chest and the defeat in her shoulders. Without looking back, she turned away from me, grabbed Diego and fled through the crowd.

With all the energy I could muster, I smiled and laughed. “You can’t please them all.” With that, I grabbed my bourbon and walked away, leaving my father stunned and Goldie broken-hearted.

Chapter Thirty Seven

“Love of My Life”

Lo

The bounce of my leg kept my beating heart steady as I sat on my bed and thought about the words that rang from Jett’s lips. “Was it even a choice?” I couldn’t lie, it fucking stung to hear him utter such words.

Diego tried to calm me down in the car but I ignored him as the street lanterns of New Orleans passed us by in a blur. My mind felt calm, calmer than it’s felt in a while because I knew what I had to do.

Without a knock, my door burst open and Jett stood in the doorframe, gorgeous as ever wearing his tux with his tie undone and his hair in a mess from the stress he put himself through tonight. I didn’t move, I didn’t waiver as he strode to my bed while shutting the door at the same time. He fell to his knees in front of me and clasped his hands over mine.

“Goldie,” he choked out, looking up at me with desperation. My hand went to his face and caressed his cheek. “God, I’m so sorry. I hope you know that I didn’t mean any of that, that you’re always my number one.”

“Am I?” I asked with a little bit of emotion lacing my voice.

He sat up and looked up at me. “Of course you are, how could you think that you aren’t?”

A part of me wanted to believe him, that I was his number one, that I was the only thing that mattered but that wasn’t the case, especially tonight and to be honest I was okay with that because he was a good man and fighting for a good thing. I couldn’t hold that against him.

“Jett, you have one of the sweetest hearts I’ve ever come across. You don’t like to take credit but you change so many people’s lives. You saved Kace, you gave Diego a second chance, you’ve sheltered and educated the girls, you’re bending over backwards to help the Boys and Girls of New Orleans by sacrificing everything that makes you happy to give them a place to play, a place to grow up in. Am I number one in your life? No, but I’m okay with it because the people, the causes that come before me are deserving of your attention.”

“But that’s not true,” he said but I placed my fingers over his lips.

“It’s commendable that you’re willing to put everyone before your own needs.”

“You’re all I need,” he said quickly.

Running my hand through his hair, I answered, “I know that but like I said, you put everyone else before you, which means that I get a back seat to everything.”

“Goldie, that’s not what I want you to think. It’s just hard right now. I wasn’t expecting to…” He paused as his hands twisted in mine. “I wasn’t expecting to fall for you and this all happened in the middle of a deal I’m trying to make.”

“And I’m okay with that,” I said reassuringly. “I get it, Jett. I promise you I do but there comes a time where you need to stop trying to protect everyone else and protect yourself. I’m a big girl and I can handle my own against anyone.”

“These are dangerous men…”

“I’ve been through hell, Jett, and you coming into my life was by far the best thing that’s ever happened to me and I will forever cherish that.”

He perked up and sat down next to me on my bed. “I don’t like the way you’re talking to me right now, Goldie,” he responded seriously.

With a deep breath, I reached behind my neck and unclasped my necklace. I let it fall into my hand as I looked directly into Jett’s eyes. The look of devastation crossed his features as he took in the meaning of my gesture.

“Little one…” His throat tightened. “Wh-what are you doing?”

I opened his hand and placed the necklace in his hand and clasped his fingers around it. I bent forward, pulled a suitcase that was packed out from under my bed and stood. My chest burned and my stomach flipped as I looked into Jett’s gaze. Tears welled in his eyes as he watched me stand.

My hand cupped his chin and my lips gently kissed his. When I pulled away, my hand gripped the back of his neck as I said, “You’ve been saving me, protecting me and giving me the chance to live for the past couple of months, it’s about time that I returned the favor.”

“By leaving? By breaking my fucking heart?” Anger started to sear through his gaze as he clutched the necklace he gave me.