FOREVER SERIES: COMPLETE BOX SET

by Lynn, Sandi

  I continued walking as a wave of betrayal coursed through my veins. There was no reason for me to feel this way. Connor and I were friends and nothing more; there could never be more. I struggled with my emotions all the way to work and tried to reason with myself that he did nothing wrong. If he and I were going to remain friends, then I would have to get used to seeing him with other women. He wasn’t mine, and I wasn’t his. I kept saying that as I finally arrived at work.

  It was a slow day at work, which sucked because it gave me more time to think about Connor and the tall, beautiful woman that got out of the limo. I had no right to even think about them, but after the moment we shared last night, I couldn’t help but wonder that maybe he had feelings for me. Who was I kidding? Connor Black was a player, and I’d already been warned about him. I needed to do some serious soul-searching, and the best place to do that was at my favorite pizza place after work.

  The work day finally ended. I grabbed my phone and my purse and headed out the door. I came to a standstill when I saw Denny leaning up against the limo parked at the curb. I narrowed my eyes at him.

  “Hi, Denny, what are you doing here?” I curiously asked.

  “Hello, Miss Lane. Mr. Black sent me to pick you up and take you to the restaurant where he will meet you in fifteen minutes for dinner.”

  “Is that so?” I asked as I put my hands on my hips.

  He looked at me with a smirk on his face because he knew what was coming next.

  “You can tell Mr. Black that I’m not available this evening. I have other plans.”

  I started walking away as I turned my head back. “Also, tell him that if he wants to have dinner with me, then he can pick up the phone and ask me himself.” I put my hand up and waved. “Bye, Denny! Have a great night.”

  Pizzapopolous was a couple of blocks away, and the chilly evening air was settling in. I sat down at a table close to the window and opened the menu. The restaurant was small with about twenty tables that took up the space. The white walls were decorated with photographs of all the celebrities that had dined there. The tables were decorated with red and white gingham tablecloths and white napkins. The atmosphere was casual and quaint, and they had the best pizza.

  I was digging through my purse for my phone when I saw the shadow of someone sit down across from me. I looked up and there was Connor, glaring at me. I rolled my eyes.

  “So, this is where you want to have dinner?” he asked.

  I cocked my head to the side and looked at his smoldering face.

  “Yes, Connor, this is where I’m having dinner tonight, and I don’t believe you were invited.”

  He put his hand over his heart. “Ouch, that stings, Ellery. I invited you to dinner, and you turned me down, so I took it upon myself to join you.”

  “How do you know I want company?”

  He put his hands on the table and folded them. “I don’t, but since I’m here, we might as well dine together,” he spoke as he looked around the restaurant.

  The whole point of this dinner was for me to do some soul-searching, and that was going to be extremely hard with him sitting across from me.

  The waitress came over and started drooling when she asked Connor what he would like to order. He looked the menu up and down and decided on a salad. I looked at him and grabbed the menu out of his hand.

  “You can’t sit in a pizza place and only get a salad.”

  I glanced at the waitress and cleared my throat to divert her attention away from Connor.

  “We’ll have a large deep dish with pepperoni, mushrooms, and black olives, and a large antipasto salad with an order of bread sticks.”

  Connor brought his finger up and rested it on his lips. “Do you actually think I’m going to eat that pizza?”

  “I don’t think you are; I know you are.” I smiled.

  I set my phone on the table and looked at him. If he so rudely wanted to interrupt my dinner plans, then he’d have to answer some questions.

  “Who’s that woman that you’re always with?” The words just came out before I could think about them.

  He shifted in his seat.

  “She’s a friend, Ellery,” he answered my question softly.

  I knew he was lying. Perhaps she was a friend, but what kind of friend was what I wanted to know.

  “What kind of friend, Connor?”

  His green eyes turned dark as he glared at me.

  “She doesn’t matter, Ellery. She’s a friend, and that’s all you need to know.”

  I raised my brow at him. “I think after what I told you last night, you would be willing to tell me a few things.”

  “I’m not in the habit of discussing my personal life. It’s called ‘personal’ for a reason, Ellery.”

  He didn’t realize it, but at that moment, he made a decision for me. The waitress brought our pizza and put it in the middle of the table along with the salad and bread sticks. I picked up a slice of pizza with the spatula and put it on his plate. He sighed and grabbed his fork and knife.

  “What, are you kidding me?! Put that down right now, Connor Black!”

  He looked startled. “What? What the hell is wrong?”

  I leaned over the table and grabbed the fork and knife out of his hand. “You are not eating pizza with a fork and knife.”

  “Then how the hell am I supposed to eat it?”

  He was so damn sexy at that moment. I picked up my pizza and took a bite. With a mouthful, I said, “Like this; pick it up and bite into it.”

  “That’s disgusting, and don’t talk with your mouth full.”

  “If you won’t do it, then I will.” I picked up the pizza from his plate and held it up to his mouth. “Bite,” I demanded.

  He raised his eyebrows at me. “Do you have any idea how sexy that sounds?” He winked.

  I couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh as I hit him on his arm. He rolled his eyes—which was sexy as hell—opened his mouth and took a bite of the pizza. I smiled as I put the pizza back on his plate.

  “My turn.” He smirked.

  “Your turn for what?”

  He took the pizza from my plate and held it up.

  “Bite,” he demanded.

  I took a bite, and a wide grin graced his perfect face. I thought that might have been the first time since I’d known him that I’d seen him smile like that. It was the most beautiful and warm smile that I’d ever seen, and it made my heart flutter.

  We ate more pizza, talked, and ate some salad. The waitress kept walking by our table, giving Connor flirtatious smiles.

  “Don’t you ever get sick and tired of all the ogling you get from women?”

  He laughed. “Don’t you get sick of all the ogling you get from men?”

  I twisted my face in confusion. “I don’t get that.”

  “Yes you do, Ellery. I see it every time I’m with you. The only difference is men are a little more discreet about it than women are.”

  I never noticed men ogling me before. I’d have to start paying more attention. As we were laughing and carrying on with our conversation, my phone rang, and it was my Aunt Patti. I looked up at Connor.

  “I’m sorry but I have to take this.”

  He nodded his head and took out his phone.

  “Hello,” I answered.

  The voice on the other end was my cousin Debbie.

  “Ellery, it’s Debbie. I wanted to let you know that Mom and Dad were...” She started sobbing. “They were in a car accident, and they were both killed.”

  Her sobs grew harder as a tear fell down my cheek. Connor looked at me and reached for my hand resting on the table.

  “Debbie, I’m so sorry. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  “Thank you, Elle. I’ll call you with the details.”

  I hung up and looked at Connor, who was staring at me with a worried look in his eyes.

  “Ellery, what happened?”

  “My aunt and uncle were killed in a car accident. I need to get out of he
re, Connor.”

  I grabbed my purse and took out some money. Connor grabbed it from my hands and shoved it back in my purse.

  “I got this.”

  I couldn’t fall apart in front of him; I had to hold it together—at least until I got home where I’d be alone.

  He threw some money on the table and followed me out of the restaurant. My head was in a daze, and I was confused. I looked in both directions, forgetting which way I needed to go. He put his arm around me and pulled me into him, leading me to where Denny had parked the limo. I stumbled a few times, but the strength of his arms held me up. He opened the door and helped me in. I slid to the other side as he got in and sat beside me. He didn’t say a word; he only wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his chest. Feeling the warmth and security of him, I clenched his shirt in my hands and started crying. He rubbed his hand up and down my back as his chin rested on my head. At that moment, I didn’t care that he saw me like this. I just needed to be with someone right now, and he was more than willing to be that someone.

  Chapter 14

  We walked into my apartment and Connor shut the door behind him. I threw my purse on the table and walked to the kitchen to grab a bottle of wine.

  “Are you okay?” he asked as he followed closely behind.

  I scratched my head. “Yeah, I’m fine. Do you want some wine?”

  “Ah, no thanks. I really have to go. I have a meeting with someone.”

  I rolled my eyes with my back turned to him because I was sure his meeting had to do with getting laid. I opened the bottle, poured some into a glass, and turned around, putting one hand on his chest.

  “Thank you, Connor. I want you to know that I truly appreciate you being here for me.”

  He brought his hand to my face and gently wiped away a couple of tears that were left with his thumb.

  “I know you do, and you’re welcome.”

  Fire swept through my body, heating every part that ached for him at this moment. This was a side of him that was tender and gentle; a side I wanted to know better. My heart started racing, and the butterflies fluttered around every time he touched me. I was vulnerable at this moment, and all I could think about was kissing him passionately. I restrained myself because I wasn’t about to ruin our friendship.

  I patted him on the chest. “You better go to your meeting, Mr. Black. It’s rude to keep someone waiting.”

  He managed a small smile. “If you need anything, anything at all, please don’t hesitate to call me,” he spoke as he pressed his lips against my forehead.

  “I will. Now, go have a good night.”

  I shut the door behind him and sat down with my wine. For someone my age, I had experienced death more times than I should have. I needed to call Peyton and let her know what was going on. As I got up and reached for my phone, there was a knock at the door. I looked out the peephole and saw Connor standing there.

  “Hey, what are you doing here?”

  He walked inside. “Pack a bag because you’re staying with me tonight.”

  I looked at him with a stunned expression.

  “No, I’m not. I’m staying right here.”

  He sighed. “Elle, for once, just once, please do as I say.”

  “I’m not a child, Connor and, frankly, you can’t order me around. I thought we had this discussion already.”

  He walked over to the corner of the room where my easel was and stared at the unfinished painting sitting on it.

  “I don’t think you should be alone tonight after the news you received, and my place has a guest room. I would feel better knowing you weren’t alone.”

  He struggled with every word he had just spoken, and I now realized that he had a hard time with emotions.

  “Okay, Connor. Give me a minute.”

  He nodded his head, never taking his eyes off the painting.

  I threw a few things in a bag and walked over to him where he stood by the easel.

  “This is what you were drawing in Central Park, isn’t it? The bride and groom in front of the fountain?”

  “Yeah. I started painting it that night.”

  “From what I can see, you’re a very talented artist.”

  “Thanks, Mr. Black. Now, let’s go before I change my mind.”

  He smiled and took my bag from me. He was full of surprises today.

  His penthouse was breathtaking, from the marble floors in the hallway to the white walls and two-story windows. The living room housed a beautiful dark gray sofa, a large, square, wooden table in the center, and two leather wingback chairs in a soft gray shade. Long curtains hung from the floor-to-ceiling-windows, and the marble fireplace was the focal point of the room. Black and white pictures hung vertically on the walls in groups of three with various city scenes from around the world. He came up behind me as I was staring at the pictures.

  “Do you like these?”

  I smiled. “Yes, they’re beautiful. Where did you get them?”

  “I took them.”

  I whipped my head around, and the look on my face must have amused him because he started laughing.

  “You took these?” I emphasized each word.

  “You look so surprised, Ellery. Photography is a hobby of mine.”

  “Well, how would I know that, Connor, especially since you refuse to tell me anything about you?”

  I stood there and studied the photographs. I smiled, because at that moment, I realized we had something in common; we were both artists. I painted pictures, and he took them.

  “Your home is beautiful. Did you decorate it?”

  “No, my sister did.”

  I looked at him in confusion. “You have a sister?”

  “Yes, and she’s an interior designer. She did this place and my office building.”

  “I get the impression that talent runs in the family.”

  He chuckled as he walked over to his bar. “Drink?” he asked.

  “Shot of Jack, please.”

  “Are you sure?” His eyes widened.

  “Does that surprise you?”

  He reached for a shot glass. “It doesn’t – well, maybe it does. I just don’t know any women who do shots of Jack Daniels straight.”

  He handed me the shot glass as I held it up.

  “You do now.” I threw it back as it burned all the way down but felt so good. “I thought you didn’t do sleepovers, Mr. Black?”

  He looked at me and grinned. “I don’t, Miss Lane. I never have, but tonight I made an exception for a friend,” he emphasized the word friend, “because I felt she shouldn’t be alone.” He poured another shot and held up the glass.

  “Another?” he asked.

  “Are you trying to get me drunk?”

  He looked at me in that sexy way that made my body ache.

  “Should I be?”

  I threw back the shot and sat down on the couch. Connor walked over with his glass of scotch and sat next to me.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  I looked up at him and sighed. “I was just thinking about how I can visit my mom and dad’s graves when I’m back in Michigan.” I stared at him, blue eyes staring into green, and seriously spoke, “When I die, I don’t want a funeral. I don’t want people staring at my dead body and crying over me. I want to be cremated and have my ashes scattered around Paris.”

  “Stop talking like that. You have many years to decide what you want.”

  “Connor, I’m serious. I want people to drink and celebrate me. I want them to remember the good times, not mourn in the death of me.”

  “Okay, you need to stop because you’re talking as if you’re going to die tomorrow.”

  “You never know what each day will bring, and that’s why I believe that nothing lasts forever.”

  “Alright, I think Mr. Daniels has gotten to you. Let’s get some sleep. I have to work in the morning.”

  We walked upstairs, and he showed me to my room.

  “Good night, Elle, sleep well,” he spo
ke as he headed out of the room.

  “Good night, Connor.”

  I changed into my nightshirt and climbed into the comfy king-size bed that occupied the room. I took in the luxurious feel of the satin sheets as I looked around at the classically decorated room. The taupe walls with carved moldings were astounding. There was a beige dresser with a large, round mirror that sat above it and matching nightstands on each side of the bed. The large window had built-in bookcases on each side, with a window seat that was covered with the same material as the bed comforter. I could curl up here and stay forever, residing in its beauty and comfort.

  It was too late to call Peyton, so I decided to text her and let her know what was going on.

  “I got some terrible news today. My cousin called me earlier to let me know that my aunt and uncle died in a car accident. I’ll be going back to Michigan in a couple of days for the funeral. I wanted you to know so that you didn’t worry.”

  “OMG, I’m so sorry, Elle. Do you want me to come over? You shouldn’t be alone.”

  “I’m fine. I’m staying at Connor’s tonight. He was with me when I got the call.”

  “Seriously, Elle? What the hell is going on between the two of you? Did you sleep with him?”

  “NO! We’re just friends, and I’m staying in the guest room.”

  “Shut the fuck up. Go get into that man’s bed and let him make you forget about everything bad—at least for tonight.”

  “LOL! Good night, Peyton. I’ll keep in touch.”

  “Live, Elle! Have you ever heard of friends with benefits? Nighty night…”