by Cora Bell
“That we weren’t supposed to be living together.”
Chase paused, choosing his words carefully. “I might have suggested there was a breach of contract but—”
“Dammit.” I shoved from my seat, startling him. “I was going to talk to her about that. I—”
I broke off and snagged my jacket off the back of the chair. Fuck it. I’d go to her now. I’d tell her exactly how I felt. Who cared about that damned contract? A flicker of guilt ran through me. I’d lied about a few other things, too, but it was only because I wanted her so damned much, it just made sense.
I hadn’t followed the contract since the moment we signed it—and I couldn’t care less. The only important thing was that her mother was taken care of and she was, too.
“Nick?” Chase asked as I walked to the door.
But he didn’t follow me as I left. I caught a confused glance from Mrs. Claybourne but I didn’t stop for her either.
I went straight for the elevator and rode downstairs, making sure my driver was outside waiting for me on the way. The sleek black limousine sat at the curb outside the building.
When I got in, Andrew asked, “Where to?”
I paused. Where would she go? I checked my watch. She didn’t have to walk one of her many dogs for another hour.
“The hospital,” I said.
If she was hurting or confused, she’d go to her mom. They were close. They had a bond.
I tapped my fingers on my knee as we drove, then pulled out my phone. I couldn’t wait. I needed to make sure she was okay.
I pressed Isabelle’s name on the screen and waited while it rang. After a moment, it went to voice mail.
“Dammit!”
Andrew’s shoulders straightened but he didn’t say a word.
A few minutes later, we slowed to a stop. I peered out the window. We were still several blocks from the hospital.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“Some guy’s car broke down up ahead.”
“Can’t you go around?”
“There’s traffic in all the lanes. Oh, wait—looks like someone is helping to push the car out of the way.”
It still took another several minutes to get going again. I was losing precious time. I tried Isabelle’s number again, only to be sent to voicemail once more.
“Fuck.”
Andrew had barely stopped the car outside the hospital before I was hopping out and running inside. I knew exactly where to go, exactly what room. Of course, it was all the way on the other side of the hospital now because I’d had Mrs. Davis upgraded.
One of the nurses recognized me when I skidded by the counter.
“Mr. Holden.” Her cheeks flushed as she smiled.
I gave her a polite but rushed smile in return. “I was hoping I could—”
“See Mrs. Davis?” The nurse shook her head. “She’s been discharged.”
I glanced in the direction of her room. “What?”
“The doctor cleared her to go home. She was up and ready to go bright and early, signed her discharge papers, and was already ready when Isabelle swung by. You probably only missed them by a few minutes—”
I thanked her before darting in the opposite direction. Isabelle had probably parked in the garage, which meant I could still catch them.
I raced in that direction, keeping my eyes open, but didn’t see them. And when I finally got to the garage, Isabelle’s car was nowhere to be found.
Checking my phone, I hoped that she’d texted me back at least. But there were no missed calls or messages.
I shoved a hand into my hair and turned toward the building again.
“It’s fine,” I murmured to myself. “They just went home.”
Even though Isabelle’s home had been with me since she’d signed the contract. She might even return there tonight—I had no clue. And missing my calls? It made sense. She was taking care of her mom.
Still, I couldn’t wait until tonight to see if she might come to me. I had to go to her.
I found Andrew and told him to take me to Isabelle’s apartment.
There was less traffic this time, but more urgency. The longer I didn’t hear from Isabelle, the more I worried that she was angry. Or that she didn’t want to be a part of this—of us—anymore.
I raced into the building and up two flights of stairs, noting the signs that said “Under New Management” everywhere. I’d almost forgotten this building and the handful of others lined up on this street that were now owned by Holden Enterprises. I’d been so preoccupied with Isabelle, with falling for her, that the outside world hardly felt like it existed anymore.
Which was just another reason I had to tell her the truth right now.
I reached her door, took a breath, and then knocked. When I didn’t hear anything at first, I cursed. But then there was movement from within. The door opened and Isabelle appeared.
When she saw me, her eyes widened. Then she shook her head. “No, I can’t do this right now. Please go away. I can’t do this.”
“Wait—”
But she shut the door in my face.
I banged on the door, unwilling to leave. She had to know how I felt. She had to hear me out.
When I was getting ready to knock once more, the door opened again. This time it was Becca.
“Isabelle can’t talk right now. We just brought her mom home and…” She shook her head, almost looking a little regretful. “It would be better if you go.”
She shut the door more softly this time, and I groaned. “Come on, Isabelle.” I reached up to bang on the door again but glanced around. I didn’t want to disturb the neighbors. And I didn’t want to bother her mom. Still, I couldn’t leave it like this.
“Isabelle,” I said, stepping close to the door. I touched my forehead to the surface. “I have something important to tell you. Something I should have told you already because it’s how I feel. I love you.”
Chapter 13
Becca gasped and looked at me with wide eyes. Even my mom’s mouth was open in surprise.
“Did you hear that?” she asked.
I had. My heart was frozen in shock. “He said he loves me,” I whispered.
“He loves you,” my mom echoed.
Becca nodded. “Totally.”
“But…” I shook my head and started pacing. “That’s not…”
My mom sat in her recliner, watching me as I walked. She moved her feet so I could step by, and Becca folded her arms, her eyes on me as well.
“He lied about the contract,” I told them.
Becca shook her head. “Only about a few things. And those were…well, small things?”
“You think telling me the contract stipulated I had to live with him was a small thing?” I asked, stopping in the middle of my trek.
“Not a small thing,” Becca said, shaking her head. “I mean, not something that was meant to hurt you. I mean, come on. Why do you think he wanted you to live with him?”
I glanced at my mom, my mind going blank.
“Probably because he wanted to spend time with you,” she supplied.
“But…”
Becca pulled the papers of the contract from her back pocket. “I read the whole thing after you gave it to me. Everything else is pretty by the book.”
“It’s is,” Nick said through the door, his voice muffled.
Becca’s lips twitched.
“I’m not leaving until you at least hear me out,” he added.
I looked at my mom again. She shrugged then said, “He should also get points for paying for the surgery.”
I blinked, my mouth dropping open. “What?”
“My surgery. I thought you knew. He talked to the doctors and told them he’d take care of everything. He also insisted they move me to the nicest room they had and made sure there was a nurse to look after me at all times.” She glanced to Becca, then said again, “I thought you knew.”
“But…why would he do that? I was supposed to get money
from signing the contract and that was going to be for the surgery.”
“I did it for you,” Nick said through the door. He sounded weary. “You deserve to have someone help you and your mom. To take care of you. It was the right thing to do—especially after you thought I was going to kick you out of your own apartment.”
My cheeks flushed. I had thought that. I’d thought a lot of things about Nick, but none of them turned out to be true.
And hadn’t I gone to his office today to tell him that I had feelings for him? The contract didn’t mean anything now. But our feelings did.
Becca stepped away from the door and gestured. “You should let him in. Talk this through.”
My heart already felt like it was breaking. I couldn’t deny how I felt anymore. He’d helped my mom and he’d been there for me. Nick was everything I wanted in a husband.
I raced to the door and yanked it open. Before he could even take a step, I was in his arms.
“God, Isabelle,” Nick breathed in my ear. “I thought you weren’t going to open the door.”
I accepted his kiss, clinging to him as tightly as possible. “I’m sorry. I thought—I don’t know. I didn’t know what to think and—”
“Hold on,” he said, pulling back to take my hand. “Let’s go inside.”
My mom was standing from her recliner and moving to the door. “Becca and I are going to take a walk.”
“You don’t have to—”
“I need to stretch my legs. Doctor’s orders,” she said with a wink.
And then she and Becca were gone, leaving me with Nick in the small apartment. His arms closed around me. I sighed. It was where I was meant to be. I knew it.
“I’m sorry about the contract,” he said, kissing my cheek.
“It’s okay. That’s why I met you for lunch today. I was going to tell you to rip up the contract.”
“What?” His eyes met mine. “Why?”
“Because I already broke it. I couldn’t be professional anymore. I love you, Nick.”
He froze, shock on his face. Then his arms banded like steel around me, holding me tight enough to take away my breath.
“I love you, too,” he said.
I kissed him with abandon, pressing my body the length of his and pouring every emotion I’d had since this morning into it. “I missed you,” I said, kissing his cheek. I ran my hands under his shirt. “I need you.”
His cock went hard against my hip, instantly reacting to my words. “I need you, too.”
I shifted toward the couch and nudged him so he’d sit. His eyes lifted to mine, desire in their hooded depths.
“You’re moving in with me,” he said firmly.
“But my mom—”
“We’ll figure it all out. But I need you with me.”
My core tightened. Fuck, that was hot. Nick knew what he wanted, and he was going to get it one way or another.
I took off my shirt, revealing the same lacy bra I’d worn the night of the charity dinner. Nick’s breath hissed in as his eyes dropped to my breasts.
“Fuck,” he said, shifting on the couch.
“Stay there,” I told him.
He frowned but set his hands on the cushions and did as I asked. I pulled down my jeans and watched his face so I could see more heat.
He growled when I stood before him wearing the simple lacy bra and panties set.
“Take them off,” he ordered. “Slowly.”
I did as he said, ridiculously turned on. Nick always made me feel like sexy Isabelle Davis. I watched as he undid his slacks and pulled out his cock, already waiting for me. A drop of pre-cum streamed from the head of his dick, making me lick my lips.
“What now, Mr. Holden?”
“On your knees,” he said.
I obeyed, getting to my knees in front of him. I already knew what he wanted, and it was the same thing I wanted to give him.
I wrapped my lips around his thick cock, reveling in his quiet groan. It felt so good knowing I could pleasure him like this.
I swirled my tongue on the underside and then gripped his cock at the base to jack him off at the same time.
His fingers drove into my hair as I drove him so close to an orgasm that he growled. “Fuck, Isabelle,” he said, voice rough. “I need you inside of me.”
In a flash, he lifted me to his lap. I sighed when he entered me, feeling like I hadn’t been this close to him in forever. We belonged to each other in every way possible.
I rode Nick until we’d both nearly lost our minds with pleasure. Then he thrust his hips against mine and rubbed his thumb on my clit, and I was gone. He lost it at the same time, and we clung to each other as the orgasms rolled through us.
“Nick,” I whispered against his neck. “I love you so much.”
He gathered my hands in his and held them to his chest. “I love you, too. I wasn’t lying about you moving in. I want this—us—for real this time. No contract, just two people who love each other.”
I nodded. “Okay. So do I. I want everything.”
“Everything?”
“Yes.”
He released me to reach into his coat pocket. “Everything,” he echoed, and then opened a velvet box to reveal the most beautiful engagement ring I’d ever seen. “Then you need an engagement ring right away. Isabelle Davis, will you marry me?”
My breath lodged in my throat. With trembling hands, I nodded. “Yes. Absolutely.” I watched as he put the ring on, and then hugged him tightly.
“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, you know that right?” Nick said.
“I feel the same way. I can’t wait to marry you.”
He grinned. “That’s one contract I won’t refuse to sign.”
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OTHER BOOKS BY CORA BELL
What do I want for Christmas? It’s easy because it’s the same thing each year. I want to get the hell out of my small town. Too bad life would rather kick your ass than help you out.
Unless, of course, you’re a big shot ex-movie star like Porter James. When he arrives in town, sexy as hell and swinging those wide hazel eyes in everyone’s direction claiming he needs a new start, I don’t buy it. No one comes to Park Valley to start over. They’re all too busy trying to leave Park Valley.
There’s no way I’m going to be charmed by Porter, even if he’s determined to show me that small towns are just as appealing as big cities. But he won’t give up. And when things start to heat up in Park Valley, I start to think I might have a new Christmas wish.
Sienna
I didn’t know what to do or where to go after my mother’s death. But braving the city streets seemed a lot safer than staying with a stepfather who couldn’t care less about me.
So I find an abandoned building on Parker Street and make it mine. It might be the only home I’ll ever have.
Until the sexy owner of the building comes around and I have no choice but to run again.
Dawson
The building on Parker is my special project—a dedication to my parents—not a home for squatters.
Until I discover the squatter is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.
Now I have a new plan.
I’ve found the woman who I want as my wife and I just have to make her mine.
Nash
My past is full of tragedy and I won’t leave my house. But that doesn’t mean I can’t watch what’s going on in my hotel.
The moment I see Reyna, it’s like my heart is jumpstarted. I feel more alive than I have in years.
I’m in love with a woman I’ve never met, but somehow, I have to make her mine. The only problem is, I have to risk becoming the person I said I’d never become
again.
Reyna
Everything I’ve heard about Nash is true. He’s cold and heartless. But he’s also one of the sexiest men I’ve ever seen.
Part of me longs to be in his arms. And in his bed. Especially after he makes me an offer I can’t refuse.
But I know if I agree, I will belong to him mind, body, and soul. And I know one thing for certain.
He’ll never let me go.
Hope
I don’t care if Quinn is the hottest man in town, he’s still the enemy. Every fall, each store on Main Street competes to create the best window display for the holidays, and every year I lose to my neighbor.
And every year I fall a little more in love with him.
But we’re enemies, not friends, and that’s probably never going to change.
Quinn
I love the yearly window display competition because I get to see more of Hope. But this year it isn’t enough.
I can’t be rivals with the woman. She’s too sexy and I want her too damn much.
So this year, as the competition starts to heat up, I’m planning on a new autumn treat. I’m going to make Hope mine no matter what it takes.