Bred By the CEO

“What about your condo?”

“I said maybe.” Darius smirked. “We’ll worry about that once we have two or three and run out of bedrooms.” He chuckled. Darius was talking like an old, married man. His thoughts were no longer focused on business every second or what car or watch he could buy next.

Rose changed everything.

“Well, tell me all about it later,” Ross said.

“You know I will. By the way, you haven’t seen my father around, have you?”

“Luckily no.”

Ross had been with Darius long enough to know all the drama that had gone down the past few years. More like the past decade. He was done with that man and would never become like him no matter how many people believed he was a chip off the old block. They were opposite beyond their knack for business.

“Okay, I’m off. Wish me luck,” Darius said.

He returned to the chaos, heading back to where he’d left Rose. When she wasn’t there, he scanned the room, but it was too tightly packed with people. Maybe she had to use the bathroom or went looking for him.

Darius pulled out his cell and called her. He’d never find her on his own in this mess.

She didn’t answer.

He knew she had her phone on her. He tried again, leaving her a message on her voice mail to call him asap.

One of his staff members from the office approached him. There were countless familiar faces at the auction.

“Are you looking for Rose?”

“Yeah, have you seen her?” he asked.

“She’s gone. I saw her hail a cab a few minutes ago.”

He narrowed his eyes, a wave of confusion leaving him dumbfounded.

“I think it may have been something Gary said.”

His vision cleared. Darius gripped Paula’s shoulders. “Tell me what happened. Exactly.”

She looked nervous, so he pulled his hands away.

“I saw them together but didn’t think much about it. After she ran off, I heard Gary talking with someone about your father not wanting bastards or mixed-race kids in his bloodline.”

Darius’s blood ran hot. That fucking prick thought he had any say over his life? He was forty-six years old and dependent on no one. He’d make his own choices and so would his sister. There was no way he’d let his kids associate with his toxic parents, even if they did accept them.

All that mattered now was Rose.

He could only imagine the vitriol that had spewed from his father’s “yes” man, Gary. Rose was sweet, innocent, gentle, and perfect. How dare that asshole even come near his woman. He’d say he regretted bringing her here, but no, he refused to hide her away just to avoid hatemongers and racists. He was proud of her and planned to become her husband once he had a chance to ask her to marry him.

The fairytale night he had planned for Rose had been ruined. His father’s hatred was limitless. He palmed the ring box in his pocket and knew he had to find her.

“Paula, do me a favor. Bid on something nice for yourself. Keep it under two hundred thousand.”

“Mr. Blackwood?”

He didn’t have time to talk. It was important for him to make a bid as all the money went to local charities he already supported. But there was no way he planned to stick around to rub elbows knowing Rose was out there hurting and alone. He had to make things right.

“I have to find Rose.”

Darius rushed toward the exit, the doormen immediately opening the doors when he wanted to push through them himself. He was pissed off, worried, and broken. It was dark out, a light mist raining down. He looked side to side, but there was no sign of her. Where would she go? Would she go home to her apartment? Hide from him?

He ran both hands through his hair, doing a spin as he looked up at the lamplights. The light rain moistened his face. He didn’t care that more guests were still arriving, walking around him as he blocked the sidewalk.

“Fuck,” he muttered under his breath.

“Darius.”

He whirled around. Rose was standing under the overhang of the building, her arms wrapped around herself. She looked cold, her eyes tear-stained and red.

“Thank God you’re still here. I thought I’d lost you.”

Darius rushed over and pulled her into his arms, but she was stiff.

“Don’t believe anything that asshole said about me, Rose. Whatever he said is lies, I promise you that.”

She shook her head. “He didn’t say anything bad about you.”

“Then why did you run off?”

“It won’t work.”

“What won’t?” he asked.

“This. Us. We’re too different. It’s better we go our separate ways.”

He frowned, leaning away from her while still holding her wrists. “Where the fuck is this coming from? You think I want to walk? That’s bullshit, Rose.”

There was no way those were her true feelings. They’d grown so close and spent all their time together. What he felt for her was more than lust, even if it scared him to consider the fact.