Billionaire's Unexpected Bride (Slade Brothers Book 1) Page 18

  I turn my chair to face the door and stand. As I’m stepping toward the door, Casey enters in all her glory. She’s tall. She’s thin. Her blonde hair has the perfect amount of highlight, and her skin has the most beautiful glow. Her eyes are bright blue, and her plump lips are thick and red. Everything about this woman is perfect. How could Drake turn her down last night? Oh yeah. Me.

  I hold out my hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Edison.”

  She shakes my hand. “Likewise.”

  “Please, have a seat.” I motion toward a chair and as she takes it, I close the door to my office. Taking my seat behind the desk, I place my hands on top and force a smile on my face. “Now, my assistant mentioned that you need some assistance in getting your late grandmother’s affairs in order, is that correct?”

  She scrunches her nose and raises her shoulders like she’s been caught doing something naughty. “Not exactly.”

  My mouth drops open, feigning surprise. I knew she was coming here because of Drake.

  “I know you know who I am, Celeste.” Her voice is velvety soft, dripping with sweetness.

  I nod once, my mouth going into a straight line. “I do. You’re Drake’s ex-girlfriend.”

  “Ex-fiancée, actually.”

  I clear my throat. “Right. So what’s this about?”

  “Well, I’m not sure if you know this or not, but I ran into Drake last night, and we kind of hit it off.”

  My eyes widen with surprise. “Oh, really?”

  She nods, that fake smile back in place. “He had mentioned you two had been seeing each other, so I thought I’d just come here and break the news to you myself. You know, to save him the trouble of doing so. He doesn’t take these kinds of things lightly. I mean, he hung on to my memory for years.” She giggles, almost sounding happy that she’s been the reason for his misery.

  I roll my eyes, making her drop the sugary-sweet act. Her face is now pinched, awaiting my reply.

  I sit back in my chair and clasp my hands together in my lap. “It’s funny you mention that, because Drake was with me last night, Casey. And I’m quite aware of the meeting you had between our dinner and the sex we had all night long. Thanks for that, by the way. You chased him right into my arms and made him realize his true feelings for me.”

  Her mouth drops open and her eyes throw daggers my way.

  “So,” I say, my voice full of cheer, “if that is all, I do have other appointments I need to prepare for.” I stand and open the door, waiting with my brows raised and my eyes wide.

  She slowly stands up as straight as she can. Her shoulders are back and her breasts are pushed out like she’s sucked in more air than she can hold. Her walk to the door is deliberate. She stops when she’s directly in front of me. In her tall heels, she’s a good foot taller than me in my flats. Her nose wrinkles as she takes in my appearance. “I don’t know what it is he sees in you, but trust me, Drake Slade gets bored and moves on very quickly with his little projects. I wouldn’t start waving your champion belt just yet.” Without another word, she walks past me, her heels clicking down the hallway as she goes.

  I stand there a moment—annoyed, pissed off, and downright surprised she’d even try something like this. I tap my shoe, deciding whether or not I should go after her or be the bigger person. I’ve always chosen the high road before, but no one has ever looked at me or talked to me with the amount of disrespect she just did.

  Fuck it.

  I turn on my heel and follow her outside. She’s climbing into the driver’s side of her car as I approach.

  “Casey!” I call out.

  She pauses and tosses her expensive handbag into the passenger seat before turning to face me. She crosses her arms over her big chest and puckers her lips.

  “I know you thought you were too good for this town, for this life, and for Drake, and my guess is that the world showed you exactly what it thought of you: nothing. And that’s why you’re crawling back. You’re nothing. You have nothing. You treat people like they owe you something—like everyone is beneath you. Why Drake ever had feelings for you is beyond me, but I assure you, we’ve worked very hard to put you right where you belong: in the past. Take it from me, he’s moving up in the world very quickly, and you won’t even be an afterthought to him anymore. You wanted him to forget about you all those years ago. Well, now he has. Get over it. You lost.”

  “Screw you,” she spits out. “The only reason he’s crawling on top of you every night is because you remind him of me.” She climbs into her car and starts the engine.

  I stand back, laughing and shaking my head. I thought that exact same thing at one point too, but it couldn’t be further from the truth. I know that now. Drake chose me because he found exactly what he was looking for. I’m not just some fancy city girl. I’m a good person who treats people with respect and kindness. I love him the same way he loves me: endlessly. And once you find that, you don’t throw it away to run back to what you had before. You take it and hold on tight with every last bit of strength you can muster.

  14

  Drake

  SITTING behind my desk, I can only think of one thing: what I said last night. I fucking love you. What the fuck was I thinking? It wasn’t a lie. It’s how I really feel. How could I fuck up this badly? We had one rule: don’t get attached. And what did I do? I went and fell in love with yet another woman who’s destined to leave me and break my heart in the process.

  Now what options do I have? I could take it back—say it was just something that slipped out in the heat of the moment. I could say my head was all fucked up from running into Casey. Or I could go with it and tell her how I really feel. But I know if I did, it would only hold her back from what it is she really wants: to go home, back to California, to her real life. I don’t want to give her an ultimatum. I don’t want her holding all this stress because of me. This is on me. These are my feelings. This will be my pain. I won’t put that on her.

  When she walks into my office completely unannounced, it feels like an answer to a prayer. Her blonde hair blows behind her as she walks toward me full of determination. There’s a slight smile playing on her lips that causes her green eyes to sparkle.

  “To what do I owe this pleasure?” I ask as she takes a seat on my lap, instantly making me hard.

  “Casey,” she answers, wrapping her arms around my neck.

  I sit up straight. “Casey?”

  She nods. “Mm-hmm. She thought she could make me jealous. Even came up with a lie about needing help getting her grandmother’s affairs in order to get my assistant to book her an appointment.” She scoffs and rolls her eyes. “I don’t know what you ever saw in that woman. She’s horrible.”

  I shrug. “She didn’t used to be.”

  “Either way, it made me miss you and since you snuck out of bed this morning . . .”

  “I didn’t sneak,” I say, butting in. “You were in a coma.” I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face.

  “I was screwed into a coma,” she laughs out, moving her lips to mine.

  I laugh as I kiss her. I know everything I’m doing is wrong, but it feels so right. My hands move up to cup her cheeks. Leaning her backward, I deepen our kiss. Her hands rub up and down my chest. Slowly, she starts tugging my shirt upward. I break the kiss and study the need on her face.

  “All I’ve been able to think about since I woke up this morning was you between my legs.” She kisses me hard. “I’ve been turned on all day,” she whispers, narrowing her eyes on mine.

  My hand slides up her inner thigh, slipping her panties to the side. I find wetness waiting for me. A growl slips past my lips. “Always so eager,” I say, standing and taking her with me. I place her ass on my desk while my hands start to undo my belt.

  The elevator dings, the doors open, and Harrison steps into my office.

  I let out an annoyed breath and shake my head. “Harrison?”

  “I’m sorry, sir. It wasn’t my intention to intrude, but we
have a meeting in five minutes,” he reminds me.

  Fuck. I forgot all about that. “Okay, I’m right behind you,” I say, using all my strength. I only want one thing right now, and her pretty ass is sitting on my desk damn near begging me to fuck her back into oblivion.

  Harrison nods and heads back into the elevator. Celeste sticks out her bottom lip in a pout. I offer her my hand and she takes it to hop off my desk.

  “Looks like someone is just going to have to set aside some time for me later.”

  “Absolutely,” I agree, pulling her in for one last kiss before she has to leave.

  Her lips are soft and teasing against mine. She’s not kissing me hard anymore. She knows exactly what she’s doing. I’m hard as a fucking rock and I want a real kiss—one that makes my lips go numb. But she’s not going to give me that. She wants me wanting it all day long. A part of me loves her even more for it. Another part of me wants to say fuck the meeting and take her now.

  She pulls away with a giggle. “Have fun at your meeting,” she says, walking to the elevator as her hips sway and she shoots me a sexy glance from over one shoulder.

  I stand back and watch her go, grinding my teeth as I hold myself back from taking what I want. Every muscle is hard and tensed until the doors close between us.

  I sit on the edge of my desk and close my eyes. Using my right hand, I rub over them, hoping to wipe away this edginess building inside me. There’s so much need and want boiling in my blood right now that I’d leave this company high and dry to chase my satisfaction. I’ve never felt this way before. Even with Casey. I would wake up and go to work, having no problem leaving her warm body in bed. At work, I’d stay focused. I wouldn’t relive our memories from the night before like I do with Celeste. And I never considered blowing off work just to bury myself in her. Something about Celeste is so much better, but so much more dangerous.

  I push myself away from the desk and head for the elevator. I push the button for the 10th floor to head to the board room. The elevator stops one floor below mine and Harrison joins me.

  “I really am sorry about that, sir.”

  “Don’t worry about it, Harrison,” I mumble, still lost in my own thoughts.

  “Is everything all right, sir?” He looks over at me with concern.

  I lean against the wall and shake my head, letting out a rush of air. “I’m so fucking lost, Harrison.”

  “What do you mean?” He reaches up and hits the pause button on the elevator, causing it to stop to give us a moment of alone time.

  I stand up and start pacing in the small space. “I love her, Harrison. I fucking love her more than I’ve ever loved anyone.”

  “And the problem with that is?”

  “She’s leaving. In a few months.”

  “You mean, after all this time of you two being together, you still haven’t talked about how this thing will end?”

  I shake my head. “No! I mean, our arrangement was to not get attached—to have fun while it lasted and to part on good terms. But I never planned on falling in love with her.”

  “How does she feel about you?”

  I shrug. “I have no fucking clue. I told her last night that I loved her.”

  “What did she say?”

  I wave my hand through the air. “It was while we were having sex. She probably just thought it was due to the heat of the moment. She didn’t say it back, but that was because she was too busy screaming my name.” I smile at the memory.

  “Well, maybe she didn’t even hear you.” His eyes are wide—maybe even a little freaked out by all the graphic details. But I’m silently thankful to him for not telling me I told you so after begging me not to get involved with Celeste months ago.

  “Maybe,” I agree, “but whether or not she heard me doesn’t matter. It doesn’t change the fact that I love her and she’s leaving. What am I supposed to do?”

  “That’s easy, Drake. Just tell her how you feel. See how she feels.”

  I shake my head. “I don’t want her giving up her life for me, Harrison. When she came to our town, she had a plan: work here for a year, then go home to a better life thanks to her year in Colorado. She has a fancy office waiting for her, a bigger paycheck, family, and friends. I don’t want her sticking around here and giving all that up for me—someone who can’t offer her anything more than a fucking brewery and a good fuck.”

  Harrison shakes his head and rubs his hand across his face. “It sounds to me like you have some thinking to do. You either need to tell her how you feel and ask her to stay, or start pushing her away now so it can be easier for you both when it ends.” Without another word, he looks at his watch and restarts the elevator.

  Leaving the brewery for the night, my body feels heavy and tired with the weight of the knowledge of what I have to do. I won’t ruin her life. I have to let her go. Hell, maybe breaking things off now is what I really need to stay focused on what’s important: my family, the business, and this half-brother nonsense.

  I drive slowly into town, not in any kind of hurry to break either of our hearts. When I pull up to her motel room, there’s a soft glow from inside. I park the truck and step out. I open her door and find her on the bed. She’s completely naked in the dark. The only light is from the TV that’s on in front of her, illuminating her body as the colors shift and dance from moment to moment. Her round breasts are pressed together and she’s biting her lower lip, welcoming me.

  I step inside and lock the door behind me. I can’t do anything but watch her as she watches me. My eyes take her in from the top of her head all the way down to the tips of her pink-painted toes—every curve, every freckle ingrained deep into my memory. I yank off my shirt and kick off my boots as I work on my belt. I know I came here to do something, but suddenly, I don’t remember what it was. Now, all I can think about is how goddamn perfect she is and how I just need to be inside her.

  As I push my jeans over my hips, she rolls from her side to her back, spreading her legs as I crawl onto the bed and settle between them. When my body is covering hers completely, she wraps her arms around my neck and locks her eyes on mine. Something is being exchanged between us, but I don’t know what it is—love, passion, a primal need for each other? Or maybe unspoken promises, knowing that this is coming to an end?

  I press my mouth to hers and she sucks my tongue into her mouth, making me see stars. After that, I’m lost to her for the rest of the night.

  It’s going on 3 a.m. and she’s sound asleep in my arms. Her green eyes are closed, and her plump pink lips are slightly parted with her deep breathing. Her blonde curls are splayed out across the pillow as one arm rests on my chest. Every time with her just gets me in deeper and deeper. I have to do what I came here to do. If I wait until tomorrow, I won’t be able to go through with it. Hell, I couldn’t even go through with it tonight. I can’t say those words to her face.

  But I can write her a note and explain everything as well as I can. This way, there will be no fight, no arguing. She won’t be able to talk me into staying. She won’t be able to try to make deals with me or convince me to do something other than what I believe is right.

  I manage to wiggle out from underneath her and pull my clothes on quietly. I use the restroom quickly and find a legal pad on the table by the window. I sit in the chair and pick up her pen. Looking over at her, I search for the right words. Words that will let her know how much I’ll always cherish the time we spent together this year, but firmly tell her that the only right thing to do now is release each other. Putting pen to paper, I start writing my note—the last thing she’ll ever see of me again.

  15

  Celeste

  THE morning sun is bright as it shines through the motel window. I strain my eyes against it as I feel around on the bed for Drake. It’s cold and empty. He’s been gone for some time. Dammit, did I oversleep again? I force my eyes to open despite the bright light of the room, and I sit up, looking around me.

  The room is exactly how I
left it. The TV is on, but muted. The bed is a mess of blankets, pillows, and wrinkled sheets. I look at the mirror on the wall and see into the dark bathroom. He’s gone.

  My shoulders slump with that knowledge, but I talk myself out of feeling too let down. He’s a busy man and he’s got a lot going on at the brewery right now. He can’t waste mornings in bed with me when there are more pressing issues at hand.

  I grab my phone and see that it’s only going on eight. Happy that it’s not too late, I stand up and move toward the bathroom to prepare for the day. Twenty minutes later, I’m dressed and ready to go. I do my final walk-through of the room, grabbing my keys and phone, and gathering all the things I need to shove into my briefcase. I reach down to grab my legal pad and pen . . . and that’s when I see it. His handwriting. A sinking feeling weighs down my heart the moment my eyes land on it. I swallow my fear and sit in the chair as I pick up the notepad and bring it closer to my face.

  * * *

  Celeste, I’m sorry I have to do this in a note, but I knew I’d never be able to get these words out with your beautiful green eyes on mine. The way I’ve felt with you, I’ve never felt with anyone else. You’ve opened my eyes to what life can be at its best. You brought me back from the dead in a way. Before, I was just biding my time and going through the motions of living. Then you walked into my life and changed me forever. I’ll never forget the time we’ve spent together. I’ll never be able to put us in the past.

  But we had an agreement. We were always temporary. This was nothing but keeping each other company. Somewhere along the way, the lines started to blur for me. I forgot that you were leaving because I didn’t want you to leave. I wanted to stay lost in time together forever. But as our time together draws closer to the end, it’s no longer easy to ignore. You’re leaving. You have big plans and a big life ahead of you. A life that I could never fit into. I want you to go live your life the way you’ve been planning. Go back home, get that promotion, fall in love time and time again, and never look back at this tiny town or the man who was too small to leave it. Do big things, but please, if you ever do think back on your time in Colorado, I hope you feel as warm and happy as I still do to have shared this too-short time with you. I know you still have plenty of time left here, but I feel the longer we draw this out, the harder it will be.