Candy frowned and her fingers squeezed mine. She was nibbling at her lip and I could tell she wanted to say something, but she was giving me time to speak, which I appreciated. It wasn’t ever easy talking about my failed marriage and everything that followed so it meant a lot to me that she was willing to listen first and ask questions later. I didn’t know if I’d be able to get through it if I had to stop, therefore I kept going.
“So when I started rejecting the low budget proposals, she was pissed. She knew her career was over and without me, she wouldn’t have any regular money coming in. She hadn’t been smart with her money, so she was going to be broke by the end of the year. She came up with this idea for a beauty brand and she needed some financial backing to make it happen. I told her if she signed the divorce papers, I’d give her enough money in the divorce settlement to get her business going. She agreed. But once the divorce was final and she had her money and got her business started, she started these rumors about me and how she’d worked so hard to make her business successful with her own hard-earned money. It was a mess.
“But I tried to keep living my life. And a part of my new life was experiencing new things. I was a thirty-five-year-old man and I’d only ever been with one woman. So I made up for all of those years that I missed out on. Yes, I slept around a lot. I was labeled a playboy. But I’m not a cheater. Even when I was being cheated on, I didn’t step out on her. That is not the kind of man my father raised me to be. I have and always will be faithful to my partner.”
I gave her a moment to let everything sink in and prayed that it wouldn’t send her running. Our sandwiches were brought to us and we were forced to unlace our fingers so we could eat. Candy didn’t say anything, and I was anxious to know what she was thinking. If she didn’t want to deal with my past, then I’d accept that. But I needed her to know the truth and hoped she trusted me enough to believe I’d never step out on her if she gave me the chance. I wanted to make her happy, I just truly wanted the chance to make it happen.
Candy was halfway done with her sandwich when she finally spoke. “Are you still in contact with her?”
I shook my head. “No, after the rumors, I cut off all communication. She wanted me to be the bad guy, so I turned into one. I don’t speak to her. My parents cut off communication with her and that’s that. She kept trying but I couldn’t go back to that.”
Candy nodded in understanding and went back to eating. I knew that couldn’t be it and I was right when she spoke again seconds later. I smiled as she asked, “And the women? Is that going to be hard for you stop if you get in a relationship?”
“No, it won’t be hard for me. Especially if the woman I’m with is someone I truly want in my life. I wouldn’t jeopardize anything that means something to me.”
She blinked rapidly and I smirked at her bewildered expression. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I’ve been chasing you for over a week,” I said, and she grinned. “That’s new for me. And I did it because I knew it would be worth it and I was right. I really like you Candy. I want to spend time with you and get to know you. I want you to get to know me. I want to see if this can become something. That’s where I am.”
She seemed to need a moment to think and I happily gave her the time she needed. She finally finished her sandwich and met my gaze again. Her beautiful brown eyes searched my face and she nodded. “Okay. I want to do this but before we do all of that, I feel it’s only right that I share something with you too,” she said, and I nodded for her to continue. She took in a deep breath and said, “I was with Ridge for three years. I loved him with everything I had in me. I thought we were going to get married one day. But then he started letting other people get in his head and our relationship started falling apart. I will never be ashamed of who I am. I won’t ever allow anyone to make me feel like I need to conform to what society perceives as beautiful. I love my big, curly hair. I love my brown skin. I can’t change who I am and even if I could, I wouldn’t want to.
“Ridge began seeing the beautiful qualities in me as negatives because people told him they weren’t beautiful and, in the end, instead of breaking up with me he cheated on me with a woman who fit the standards of those around him. He married her weeks after we broke up. Moved her into the home that we’d shared and acted as if I’d never existed. Him showing up today was the first time I’d seen him, and he was only here to tell me about his divorce, which I give not one iota about.”
She shook her head and waved her arms around in a way that I found absolutely adorable. She was cute when she was riled up and I wondered what it would take for me to get her this way, only to calm her down with a few sweet kisses. I’d love to see her go completely soft for me just so I could wrap her up in my arms. I tried not to let the thought run away from me as she sighed again.
“Anyway, that ship has sailed. At least for me. I don’t know what in the hell is up with him, but I can promise you, I don’t want him back.”
I nodded and took her hand back in mine. We laced our fingers together once more as we stared into each other’s eyes. Things were shifting between us and I knew she could feel it. I only needed to know if it excited or frightened her.
“Is us moving forward something you want?” I asked, and she swallowed thickly.
“It scares the living hell out of me, how much I’m hoping this will work, but yes, I do want this.” I smiled and leaned across the table to place a long, tender kiss on her lips. When we parted, I couldn’t hide the joy I was feeling in that moment.
“Then let’s do this.”
And so we did.
Chapter 9: Candy
Taste Test
The next six weeks went by so fast it made my head spin. Trent hadn’t been lying when he told me this was what he wanted. He showed me every single day. Whether it was just him stopping by before he left for the airport to kiss me goodbye, or the surprise deliveries I’d receive on the days he was away, just to show me he was thinking of me. It was incredibly sweet.
As the days went on, I slowly began missing him more. Because of his schedule we’d only officially been on four more dates and each one had been amazing. Trent wasn’t a flashy guy which was something I liked about him. On one of our dates we went to this little hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant where I had the best slice of pizza I’d ever eaten. We followed that up with some ice cream and a stroll through the park. He told me about his childhood and growing up as an only child; it was something we had in common. We actually learned we had a lot in common. It was strange since we came from two totally different backgrounds.
I told him how I was raised by my dad because my mom had died when I was really young. I didn’t remember her, but my dad did, and he always said he saw her when he looked at me. When I was younger, I thought it was a bad thing because it always made him sad and he’d retreat from me. It was something I’d gotten used to and realized I couldn’t change. So I accepted the fact I looked like my mother and that my dad would never truly be okay with that. To this day, he still couldn’t look at me for long. He wasn’t a bad father; he just wasn’t capable of the affection I needed from him.
Trent had kissed me long and hard after that. “You are beautiful and perfect in every single way, don’t ever doubt that,” he’d said, and I may or may not have kissed his face off before I shoved my tongue down his throat.
That was another thing. The sexual chemistry between us was off the charts. I knew he wanted me as badly as I wanted him, but we were taking things slow. I didn’t realize that only after six weeks I would be craving the need to know what he tasted like.
Which was why I was feeling anxious that night. He’d been gone for five days and was coming straight to my house after landing. He said he missed me and needed to see me as soon as he could. I was more than on board with that because I missed him too. I also knew I was done waiting. I wanted him and it was time he knew it.
So when I heard the car pull up outside, I was a nervous wreck. The knock came an
d I took in a deep breath before I swung it open. Trent was on me in seconds. My hands sank into his hair and held on as he kissed me senseless. I moaned as his tongue met mine. Next thing I knew I was being lifted and my legs automatically wrapped around his waist. He kicked the door shut and I heard the lock click into place, but I never tore my mouth from his.
His hands gripped my ass and he growled into my mouth. “I really fucking missed you,” he said before kissing me again.
“Missed you too,” I managed to say between breaths. I was almost panting with my need for him. I was aching for it so when I began to grind against him, he groaned and tore his mouth away.
“Keep doing that and things may get out of hand,” he growled, and I smiled wickedly as I did it again. Trent grunted and his eyes turned to liquid heat. “Are you sure?” he said, his voice thick from his arousal.
“Yes,” I said. He moved towards the steps seconds after my answer. His hands kneaded my ass as he climbed the steps and headed towards my bedroom. Neither of us spoke, we didn’t need to. We knew what was about to go down and we both knew it was going to change us. So when he began removing my clothes, I did the same.
I admired his chiseled chest and abs. He took damn good care of himself and it showed. My hands roamed over his chest and abs before I pulled at the waistband of his boxers. I pulled them down and his straining erection sprang free. He was nice and long with good girth. I wrapped my hand around him, and he groaned as I began to stroke. I wanted to bring him as much pleasure as he could take. I wanted to hear my name on his lips as I brought him to completion. But Trent had other plans.
One minute I was stroking his cock, the next I was lying flat on the bed and my panties were being yanked from my body.
“All I’ve been able to dream about for weeks is what you taste like. I’m not waiting another second,” he growled, and he didn’t wait. The first swipe of his tongue against my sex had my back arching off of the bed. The second swirl had me clawing at the sheets. The third flicker against my clit had me screaming his name. He worked me until I was close to sobbing. I gripped his hair and pulled him closer. I was almost there, I only needed one last...
“Right there!” I shouted as heat spread throughout my body. I began to tremble as his tongue worked that spot, and with one sweet pull from his mouth, I was flying. I screamed out his name and gripped his hair tight as my orgasm took over.
When I came down from my high, I opened my eyes and found Trent leaning over me, a satisfied look on his face. “So sweet,” he said as he licked his bottom lip. “I knew you’d be sweet.” I didn’t have time to respond because soon he was sliding inside of me. My body lit up like a fire and I gripped his shoulders as he filled me. We groaned in unison as he began to slowly stroke in and out. He fit me perfectly.
He moved slowly, allowing my body to adjust but as I began moving my hips in synch with his, he groaned and picked up speed. I cried out as he moved inside of me. It was raw, pure pleasure as we both began to move. My fingers dug into his back as his thrusts picked up speed.
“Perfect,” he growled. “So fucking perfect for me, baby.” He kissed me then and everything else became a blur once he began pounding into me. I begged for more, for him to go faster, harder, deeper, and he never failed to give me what I needed. I felt another orgasm building and knew it was going to shatter me. I clung to him for dear life as he began to growl. His thrusts became harder and deeper and I knew he was close as well. Just the thought of seeing him lose it had me tightening around him, and he cursed.
“Come for me baby. I need you to come for me,” he groaned before he pressed a thumb to my clit and began working it as he pounded into me. It took mere seconds before I came with a scream of his name. I was lost, gone, left the universe. It was that intense. I’d come back down just in time to open my eyes and witness Trent losing himself in his own climax. His neck strained, the veins popping out as he groaned and came. When he fell forward, I tightened my legs around him and held him close.
He kissed me long and deep before he slid out of me to take care of the condom. When he returned from the bathroom, he crawled into bed and wrapped his arms around me before pulling me to his chest. I laid my head there and sighed contentedly. His fingers ran through my hair and he whispered, “I really missed you. So much it almost hurt.” I glanced up at him as he stared down at me and he didn’t need to say a thing because I could see it in his eyes. But I still felt myself getting choked up when he said, “Candace, I’m pretty sure I’m falling in love with you.” I knew he was serious because he said my full name. I bit my lip and tried to fight back the tears, but they came anyway.
“I love you too,” I said, and I meant it more than anything. He kissed me long and deep, his tongue claiming mine. He knew I was his and I was damn certain he was mine too.
Chapter 10: Trent
Bad Taste
It had been five months since Candy and I had officially become a thing, and they had been the best five months of my life. I loved that woman more than I could possibly say and I tried to show her with each passing day. I never knew it was possible to fall so hard for someone so fast, but I was happy, and it showed.
“Have I told you how good being in love looks on you?” Mindy said and I smiled because I couldn’t help it. I was happy. Incredibly so, which was why I should have known the universe was going to try and take it from me.
Mindy told me my ten o’clock appointment had arrived. I haven’t even paid it much attention so imagine my shock and utter distain when Ridge Welder walked into my office. I’d looked into the asshole after Candy told me the story of their background. He was the heir to the Welder hotel franchise. He was a spoiled brat and I had no idea how he’d managed to catch Candy.
I kept my composure as I gestured for him to sit. He looked a bit smug, but I didn’t feel shaken. His family came from money, sure, but I had more. I could buy and sell his family’s hotels three times over. He had no power here.
“What can I do for you Mr. Welder?”
“Break up with Candy,” he said bluntly. I raised a brow at him and smirked. He really had to be out of his mind if he thought for even a second I was going to let that happen. I went to tell him this when he said, “Did you know that I helped open her bakery? When she decided to open, I went half in while Sasha paid the other half. We believed in her so much that we invested in her dream and remained silent partners. When we broke up, she tried to buy me out. But the revenue was too good to pass up. I promised to stay out of her way because I honestly didn’t need the drama with my wife. Anyway, now that that’s over I can be more involved in my business,” he said with a smirk, and I felt my jaw clench. I knew where this was headed, and I wanted to reach across the desk and strangle him, but I remained as calm as I possibly could.
“So, here’s how we can avoid that. You can break up with Candy and I’ll leave her business alone. I’ll even sign over my half of the business and stay out of her life for good, but you need to back the fuck off.”
“Why are you doing this?” I asked, truly perplexed.
“You’re no good for her. You’re only going to hurt her in the end. You’re not that much different from me. She deserves better.”
“Or she already has better and you can’t stand to see it,” I growled back, and his jaw clenched.
“Break up with her or you’ll both have to deal with me for as long as whatever you have lasts. I’ll take over that bakery and run it to the ground.”
“But you don’t want me to hurt her?” I shook my head and he shrugged. The asshole didn’t care and legally he had every right to go from silent to vocal in Candy’s business. My hands clenched as I stared at the asshole. He knew he had my card and I wanted to punch him in the face. I couldn’t let him hurt Candy that way. It was breaking my heart to even consider it, but I nodded anyway.
He smiled triumphantly and stood. “Nice doing business with you.” When the door shut behind him, I grabbed my stapler and chucked it ac
ross the room. He wasn’t going to get away with this, not if I could help it.
Chapter 11: Candy
Sweet Baby
I stared at the stick in my hands and couldn’t believe my eyes. I didn’t want to believe it but there it was right in front of me.
“Positive,” I whispered as I sat on my bathroom floor. I’d woken up the past few mornings feeling sick to my stomach. I was nauseous all throughout the day and all I wanted to do was sleep. Sasha had laughed and told me I was probably pregnant. I’d stared at her with wide eyes as I began counting my days, only to realize I’d missed a period. I’d freaked out and rushed out to get a test. I came straight home to take it, which brought us to the present. With me sitting on the bathroom floor, trying not to completely lose my mind.
I heard the key rattle in the front door and frowned. Trent wasn’t supposed to be here, and he was the only one other than Sasha who has a key to my house. I walked towards the bedroom where I saw his suitcase lying open on the bed. As the months went on, he’d been slowly growing his wardrobe at my place. I hadn’t minded because I liked his things being there. And at the rate we were going I assumed moving in wasn’t too far behind.
“Do you have a business trip?” I asked and he jumped before he spun around. He looked upset about something and he sighed before he started pulling things from the closet.
“No,” he said, his voice clipped. It was a tone he’d never used with me and I wondered what was going on.
“Trent, what’s wrong?” I said, and he refused to look at me.
“Trent!” I shouted, and he finally turned to face me.
“I can’t do this right now!” he bellowed, and I took a step back. “I’m sorry Candy. I thought I was ready for all of this but I’m starting to feel smothered. I just...I need some space. I need a break from this, from you.”
The Billionaire’s Secret Page 5