And Then He: A Rogue Mountain Billionaire Novel

by Kateri Collins

  He squeezes my hand. “You have always deserved ALL of this and more. So much more. Now eat. You need to build back up your strength.”

  As I cut into my pastry, I am aware that he is watching me. My insides tighten as I remember how long I’ve craved his attention. I almost feel human again.

  When I’ve slipped the last crumb into my mouth, I turn to him and smile.

  In reply, he hands me a paper cup filled with pills of varying colors and sizes. I swallow the pills in one gulp. I will never question him again.

  He pushes my hair behind my ear. “Now, that’s my good girl.”

  I lean into his hand. His touch triggers a thought, an idea just out of reach. I think I might be afraid of him, though I can’t imagine why. Jeb takes care of me. He took me in when everyone else abandoned me. My eyelids start to slide shut, but I fight it. I want to be with Jeb, forever and always.

  He hovers over me, adjusting my pillows. “Naptime.”

  I peek up at him. “Are you an angel?”

  He makes an almost cruel sounding laugh. It surprises me. Jeb is capable only of goodness. “Why do you ask?”

  “There’s a bright light around your head,” I mumble.

  “There is?” He turns in a tight circle looking over his shoulder. He raises an eyebrow. “I don’t see anything.”

  “It’s always there. Maybe it’s invisible to you…,” I say though I’m not sure if he heard me. My mouth feels thick with cotton.

  “Go to sleep Angel. I’ve got you,” he coos.

  I release a sigh and let sleep take me.

  Chapter Fifty-Four

  I can’t imagine my life without Jeb. This morning, he gave me my journal, along with the remainder of my clothes. All my worldly possessions fit into the two small drawers of the High Boy and a quarter of the closet. He promised to take me shopping when I’m up to it. In the meantime, he stocked my wardrobe with Mountain outerwear and Lululemon yoga pants and tops, along with an array of evening gowns I can’t imagine I’d ever have an occasion to wear.

  It’s hard to accept his gifts without argument. I’ve been financially independent since my step mother handed me a Shur-Save job application on my fourteenth birthday.

  But Jeb loves to buy me things. It makes him happy and if all I have to do is accept his expensive gifts, so be it.

  It’s hard to remember what my life was like before the accident. For almost a year, I worked every day morning until night. I ran, I ate, and I slept. Life passed by at an alarming rate. Now I lie in bed and wait for the man who gives my life meaning.

  I clutch my journal close to my chest. I can’t wait to tell Jeb about the revisions I’ve made to the story. The ending was predictable. Katya left her old life behind and began a new one. I decided she should stay with her male love interest, renamed Jebediah.

  The work really ought to lean toward literary fiction. Simple prose and fast paced writing doesn’t adequately illuminate the inner workings of the story.

  Jeb will be so proud.

  Chapter Fifty-Five

  My room glows with candlelight. Long shadows dance off the walls and the canopy. The gentle aroma of lavender and lemon rises from our tea cups.

  “I feel like a princess,” I sigh. Jeb surprised me with a romantic afternoon tea in bed, complete with finger sandwiches, frosted blueberry scones, fresh strawberries, and cream, along with several bags filled with clothing from a boutique just outside of town.

  He reaches for my hand and brings it to his lips. He slips something on my wrist. “You’re more than a princess. You’re an angel, my Angel.”

  My wrist sparkles with the light of a hundred diamonds. “Oh Jeb, it’s beautiful.”

  Gratitude overcomes me. I wrap my arms around his neck to hug and kiss him. I forget about the tray with the tea pot, our cups, and the rest of the food. Bits of china and liquid splatter as the tea pot crashes to the floor.

  He jumps off the bed. “You clumsy bitch! You stupid, clumsy bitch!” He takes a mad swipe at my broken leg.

  Pain like I’ve never experienced before shoots through me when his fist connects with my cast. “Owwwwww!” I scream.

  Shock replaces his anger. “Oh Angel, oh my god, Angel.” He grabs for my hands. I try to cower away from him but I’ve nowhere to go. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”

  My heart breaks in half. Jeb hit me. The one person I thought I could trust, the one person I thought would never hurt me, tried to tear off my leg. “Why Jeb,” I moan between sobs. “Why?”

  He pulls my hands to his lips, kissing them over and over again. I try to pull away from him, but his grip is unyielding. “Oh Angel, I’m so sorry. I would never do anything to hurt you. I promise. I’m just exhausted running back and forth to the pharmacy for your medications and the grocery store for your food.”

  I purse my lips together and try not to cry. It’s all my fault. I did this to him. I did this to us. “I’m sorry Jeb, I’m so sorry.”

  “Angel, I know you don’t mean to be a burden.”

  Tears run down my face. His words confirm my greatest fears.

  He climbs onto the bed and cradles me in his arms. “Oh Angel, don’t be upset,” he whispers, as he rocks me back and forth.

  I savor the comfort of his arms. He is patient and kind. I vow to spend my life making him as happy and safe as he’s made me.

  Chapter Fifty-Six

  I hear the slide of the brass key in the old-fashioned crystal door knob to my bedroom. In nothing more than a white lace bra and no panties, I slip back on my silk robe before Jeb enters.

  He pushes open the bedroom door. “Everything alright in here?”

  “Yes,” I say from behind the changing screen. I try to sound casual, but I don’t think it hides my nervousness. My fingers pull at the knot of my robe.

  “Do you need help changing?”

  My heart races as I look at the fancy white, almost wedding style dress he gave me this afternoon. “No…, no, I don’t think so, but don’t you think the dress is too fancy to wear at home?”

  He steps in front of me. I draw in on myself to avoid punishment for whatever crime I committed. He stops short when he notices my reaction to him. His posture softens.

  After fifteen of my racing heartbeats, he reaches for my hand. I am afraid, so afraid. He bends down to kiss it, before smiling at me. “Dinner with you is always special. I want to freeze every moment with you to keep with me forever. I was going to give you this at dinner, but I can’t wait.”

  I watch him in the dressing mirror take a long thin black velvet box out of his tux pocket. He smiles at me. “May I?”

  I nod. He drapes a beautiful diamond necklace around my neck. I gasp at the giant diamond teardrop pendant that hangs low on my chest. His touch sends a rush of heat up my neck. His eyes meet mine in the mirror. The hunger and want I see reflects my own. “I’ll leave you to get dressed.”

  The bedroom door quietly closes behind him. I stare at myself in the mirror a long time. A warm blush grazes my cheeks. My chest rises and falls. For the first time since the accident, I feel like a woman who knows who she wants.

  My silk robe falls to the floor as I slip my dress on. The luxurious fabric caresses my arms, chest, and stomach. I brace myself using the makeshift bar for support and try to pull the zipper up with the other. My ribs stab into my chest, and it hurts to breathe, but it’s not the mind-numbing pain of the past few weeks. I stretch again, trying to manipulate the zipper into cooperating but it’s no use.

  Shoving the crutches under my arms, I hop across the room.

  “Do you need anything Angel?” Jeb asks through the closed door.

  “Close your eyes,” I order him. “I want to surprise you!”

  He laughs. “They’re closed.”

  “Keep them closed!” I order him as I step out into the hall. His black tuxedo with white tie and cummerbund makes him difficult to resist. I want nothing more than to reach up, run my fingers through his golden
-brown locks, and pull his lips to mine, but timing is everything. I’ve waited this long to kiss him. I can wait longer. He needs to want me as much as I want him. “I need you to zip up my dress, but you can’t look.”

  “How do you suggest I do that with my eyes closed?”

  I reach for his hand and place it at the base of my dress, that happens to be just above my panty line, though I forgot to put some on. We both freeze when his fingers graze my skin. His very touch just about drops me to my knees. He grasps the zipper and slowly inches it up my back. My breath comes in jagged pants. I swear I feel his rapid heartbeat through his fingertips.

  “I think I might be the biggest idiot in the world.”

  I turn to face him. His eyes are still closed, but he looks shaken. “Why’s that?”

  “Because now you have far too much clothing on.”

  “I think you’ll be happy with your choice though. You can look.”

  His eyes devour my dress, my bust line, my face, my hair, and then he sweeps me into his arms and carries me out the front door.

  Chapter Fifty-Seven

  Our first kiss. After so many months of wondering and waiting, Jeb and I finally shared our first kiss. We spent the evening savoring each other through long tender moments entwined together. He gave me his word he’d never force me to do anything I didn’t want to do. He promised me he’d wait for me to decide when I’m ready for the next step in our relationship.

  If only I wasn’t so broken…

  “I’m sorry I have to go to the store,” he says bending down to kiss me. I push up to extend it. In all my life, I’ve never felt such powerful emotions for one person. Jeb is everything to me. My entire world.

  He pulls away much too soon and I grumble in protest. He laughs as he reaches into his pocket. He withdraws a phone and gives it to me. “Look what I found,” he says, peppering my forehead and cheeks with kisses. “Why don’t you check if Drew or Cassie called?”

  I sniff, as I pout at him. “Why would I do that? I’m perfectly happy right here with you.”

  He holds my chin with his thumb and pointer finger. He smiles at me so brilliantly I almost cry from the beauty of it. “Angel, as much as I love you being here with me, you shouldn’t cut off your old life entirely. It’s not healthy.”

  I roll my eyes. “Fine. I’ll check after you leave. I don’t want to waste any of our time together.”

  He bends over to kiss me again. The scent of woods and sexy man makes me want him more. I wrap my arms around his neck and draw him closer.

  “You are going to make me late,” he murmurs with our lips still touching, but I can feel his smile.

  “Don’t leave, then.”

  He pries my hands from his neck and stands up before I can drag him back down to me. He laughs as he smoothes out the wrinkles from his shirt. “I have interviews in thirty minutes, so I don’t have to leave you, and you need some rest.”

  I stick out my lower lip. He pulls it between his fingers and kneads it. It’s enough to satisfy my hunger for his touch but not for long. “I’ll be back before you know it Miss Watson. And don’t forget about our tour of the Library this evening after dinner.”

  “I can’t wait,” I whisper.

  Long after his jeep rumbles down the driveway, I sit and wait, hoping he might change his mind and return to me. My head droops against the pillows, and I catch a glimpse of my phone over on the nightstand. I want nothing more to fall asleep because I feel so stinking tired even though I just woke up, but curiosity gets the better of me. I check for messages but there aren’t any. Not one call, not one text. I’m not surprised. Years of delusion disappeared the moment Jeb entered my life.

  Chapter Fifty-Eight

  “I’ve got a surprise for you,” Jeb calls from the foyer.

  A flash of fur explodes through my open door and slams promptly into the corner post of my bed. “Hi there!” I say.

  The puppy sprints over to the side. He jumps up and whimpers because he can’t get to me. I bend over and pull up the golden bundle of love. My ribs jab into my chest, but the pain’s worth it. The little guy covers my face with slobbery kisses.

  I smile at Jeb standing at the doorway. “You bought me a puppy?”

  He strolls over to the bed and sits down. “I know you get lonely when I go to the shop, and after Fischer…”

  Tears well up at the corners of my eyes. I rapidly blink them away.

  “I want you to be happy.”

  The puppy wiggles and squirms across the bed toward him. Jeb leans back on the bed across my good leg. The puppy starts covering him with kisses. He grimaces but doesn’t push the puppy away.

  “Looks like you have a new friend.”

  He rolls his eyes and pushes the puppy down, but the puppy will have none of it. He adores him almost as much as I do. “What should we name him?”

  Jeb picks him up and places the fur ball next to me. “How about Hamlet?”

  “Hamlet. I love it.” I scratch Hamlet behind the ears. Hamlet pushes his head into my hand. It reminds me of Fischer, but instead of feeling sad, I smile. “Are you sure you’re up to taking care of both of us? A puppy’s a lot of work.”

  He reaches over and pets Hamlet’s back. “He’s six-month-old and potty trained—how hard can he be?”

  I raise an eyebrow.

  “Besides, he makes you happy—I’d do anything to keep that smile on your face,” he says, as he and Hamlet wrestle.

  My heart swims with happiness. I can’t imagine a more perfect life than the one I’m living. Well, there’s one thing, and tonight, I will take care of that.

  Chapter Fifty-Nine

  Jeb withdraws the cork from a green bottle of wine. “I bought a case of 2008 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatie’res after my last visit to the winery. You’ll notice a round, almost honeyed density with seductive spice notes.”

  I swish the wine around in my glass the way he taught me before I smell it. Five dollars or one hundred and fifty dollars, it all smells the same to me. He watches expectedly as I take a sip.

  “Delicious.” The lie rolls off my tongue.

  “I’m so glad you like it,” he says before trying his own. “Mmm,” he sighs. “It reminds me of the French countryside. We must go visit when you can travel. Would you like that Angel?”

  I nod. Jeb makes all my dreams come true.

  He removes the silver cover from my plate. “Lobster paired with Potatoes Anna dusted with Stravecchio Parmesan and steamed snow peas.”

  My mouth waters at the thought of digging into the succulent lobster tail, but I wait for him to signal me to begin.

  He drapes his linen napkin across his lap. “I love your dress choice tonight. You look positively scrumptious.”

  I dip my chin. A hot blush travels up my neck. I’m no expert in the fine art of seduction, but I’m glad I chose the purple strapless with the plunging bust line. I take a deep breath to calm myself, before I have the courage to meet his gaze.

  He lifts his fork and gestures to my plate. “Go ahead and eat.”

  I take a dainty forkful of lobster. The tender meat melts in my mouth. I want nothing more than to shovel fistfuls down my throat, but I’d like to retain some shred of dignity. I groan a quiet ‘mmm’ instead.

  “You have no idea how much I enjoy your approval, Miss Watson,” he says before taking a bite. I watch him wrap his lips around the fork. Those lips reawakened a hunger within me once dulled by sadness and injury. Now, I want the rest of him.

  A loud bang shakes the room. My fork clangs against the plate. I eye Jeb, fearful he will reprimand me. He swallows his bite. His Adam’s apple bobs up and down, but he gives no indication he even heard me, because another bang echoes through the dining room, loud and demanding attention.

  “What is that?” I whisper.

  “It’s the pipes,” he says, his voice burned wood. The room shutters again. The glasses clank against each other. He pushes away from the table. “Would you excu
se me, a moment Angel?”

  I dab my napkin against the corner of my lip. “Of course, I’ll wait for you.”

  He steps behind me. He rests his hands on my bare shoulders. A shiver of a thrill runs through me. He bends down to kiss my neck. “You go ahead and eat,” he whispers. I tilt my head toward him, wanting him more than I’ve wanted anything in my life. His hand reaches down to my chest. My breath catches—this is it, this is really it.

  The room shudders again. “I’ll be right back.”

  He stomps down the stairs. The warmth and love circling the room disappeared with his departure.

  A faint, distant keening reminds me of a woman’s cry. It’s so soft and quiet, really more of a whisper than a cry. That must be Hamlet. He hates his cage, but Jeb didn’t want our dinner interrupted. He wants every meal to be perfect.

  He’s been so busy taking care of me and running the shop. He probably forgot to get the furnace serviced. He hasn’t had any time for home repair.

  The sound of metal scraping against concrete rumbles through the house. A peaceful quiet follows. My heart warms in anticipation of his presence.

  When he returns to the dining room, I want to wrap my arms around him and never let him go, but there will be plenty of time for that after dinner. “Everything alright in the basement?”

  “Old pipes. That’s all. Nothing that a little persuasion can’t fix,” he says. “Do you need anything?”

  “I’m perfect, now that you’re back.”

  He glances down at my plate. “You didn’t eat?”

  “I wanted to wait for you.”

  He drapes his linen napkin across his lap and pushes himself in. “Miss Watson, you make me very happy. Now, where were we?”

  “You were just about to drink the rest of your wine.”

  He raises an eyebrow. “Are you trying to get me drunk?”

  “Never,” I smile before finishing my own.