FOREVER SERIES: COMPLETE BOX SET

by Lynn, Sandi

  When I arrived at Le Sur, Allison, the red headed hostess, led me to a private table that sat in the corner of the restaurant.

  “Is there anything that I can get or do for you, Mr. Black?” She smiled.

  “No, Allison, I’m good, but thank you,” I said as she walked away. She’d been trying to get me in bed for a couple of years. What she didn’t understand was that she wasn’t my type. I pulled out my phone and sent a quick text message to Denny.

  “Is she with you?”

  “Yes, Mr. Black, she is.”

  I sat at the table, sipping on water because I suddenly became very hot. I took out my phone to check the stock market, and as I looked up, I saw Allison escorting Ellery to the table. I stared at her from a distance, and my stomach tied itself in knots. I stood up from my chair and walked around to her side.

  “Good evening, Miss Lane. I’m glad you decided to join me,” I said as I pulled out the chair for her.

  “Good evening, Mr. Black. Thank you for inviting me, but it really wasn’t necessary. Please call me Elle.”

  I didn’t understand why she wanted me to call her Elle. I liked Ellery. I thought it was a beautiful name, and it shouldn’t be shortened.

  “Isn’t your name, Ellery?” I asked.

  “Yes, but my friends call me Elle,” she said as she took a sip of water.

  She considered us friends? How could that be when I’d only met her this morning? I took my menu from the table and opened it.

  “But we aren’t friends, Ellery.”

  I’d thought she took offense to my comment because she narrowed her eyes at me as she spoke, “Alright then, Mr. Black, why don’t we just stick to Miss Lane.”

  The way she said it was so sarcastic and with such attitude that I couldn’t help but let a small smile escape from my lips. I watched her look over the menu, and I didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable, so I told her to order anything she liked. Did I mention that I told her she was too thin, and it looked like she hadn’t eaten in weeks? She looked at me sternly then proceeded to tell me it was none of my concern. The attitude of this beautiful woman was starting to arouse me. I didn’t mean anything by saying she was too thin. I don’t even know why I said it. I could be such a bastard at times.

  The waiter brought over a bottle of Pinot Grigrio and poured some in each glass. As he took Ellery’s order, I couldn’t help but stare at the way she presented herself and the way she smiled at him as she ordered her food. She noticed I was staring at her, and I prayed I wasn’t making her feel uncomfortable. Suddenly, she threw a question at me.

  “So what’s your story, Mr. Black?”

  She caught me off guard, and no woman had ever done that before. I looked at her as I picked up my glass and brought it up to my lips.

  “My story?” I asked.

  A small smile escaped her as she tilted her head to the side and answered my question.

  “Yes, your story.”

  “What’s to tell? I’m a thirty-year-old CEO, I have more money than I’ll ever need, I don’t do relationships, I usually get everything I want, and I do whatever I want.”

  She stared at me like she was trying to figure me out, so I threw her question right back at her.

  “Now that we got that out of the way, what’s your story, Miss Lane?”

  “I don’t have a story, Mr. Black. I’m 23 years old, I moved here with my boyfriend a little over a year ago, I work part-time at a small record company, I paint pictures, and I volunteer at the soup kitchen.”

  I pressed my lips together because all I heard was the word ‘boyfriend’. It made me a little edgy, and I didn’t know why. So I asked her the obvious question.

  “What does your boyfriend think about you having dinner with me?”

  Her eyes instantly left mine as she looked down at the table while she answered my question. I could sense the pain in her voice.

  “He doesn’t. We aren’t together anymore. He moved out over three weeks ago.”

  I was curious to know more about her and her relationship with her ex-boyfriend. Was she the one who broke it off with him? I couldn’t imagine him leaving her; she was way too beautiful to be left alone. I asked her how long they’d been together. She told me they had been together for four years and that she moved here with him from Michigan. I was caught off guard when she decided to tell me more.

  “Yep, he came home from work one day and said he needed space. He packed his bags and walked out,” she said as our eyes locked.

  I felt something the moment she said that. I saw the sadness in her eyes, and I felt bad for her. I told her I was sorry that he did that and was shocked by her next words.

  “Don’t be; nothing lasts forever,” she said as she waved her hand in front of her face.

  When I heard her say that, I was elated. She believed the same thing I did. She’d just said it, ‘nothing lasts forever’. Have I met a woman who shared the same views as me? I watched her as she looked around the restaurant. I could tell she was taking in the beauty and class of it. I asked her if she liked it here. She smiled and told me how much she did. I knew she’d like it.

  I was intrigued by her and the fact she volunteered at the soup kitchen. I wanted to know more, so I asked her why she volunteered there. She softly smiled and cocked her head.

  “I like to help people in need. You should know that by now, Mr. Black.”

  Of course she liked to help people in need. I was in need of help last night, and she didn’t think twice about getting me home safely. Although, I was still pissed about it because what she did was very unsafe, and she could have gotten hurt. I apologized for asking such a ridiculous question. She smiled at me as she cut up her chicken and started telling me personal things about her family. I stared intently at her and listened to every word she said, something I never did with women.

  “I had a rough childhood. Let’s just say there was nobody there to help me.”

  “What about your parents? Didn’t they help you?” I asked as she looked down and away from me.

  “My mother died of cancer when I was six, and my father was an alcoholic who passed away right before my 18th birthday.”

  Jesus Christ, what the fuck had this poor girl been through?

  “Is that why you helped me last night? Because you think that I’m an alcoholic?” I asked.

  “No. My father choked to death on his vomit during one of his drunken nights. I found him dead in his bed the next morning. I didn’t want that same fate for you. What people don’t realize is how easy it is for something like that to happen. I spent my entire life taking care of my father who absurdly drank himself into oblivion almost every night because he couldn’t get over my mother’s death. It’s just second nature for me to help people.”

  I wanted to look away from her, but I couldn’t. I wanted her to know that I was listening to every heartbreaking word she spoke. I lightly smiled at her as I held up my glass and motioned for her to do the same.

  “Thank you for your help last night, and as mad as I was this morning to find you standing in my kitchen, I do appreciate it.”

  She smiled as our glasses touched one another. Damn that smile.

  As we were sitting and continuing our conversation, my phone went off. I pulled it from my pocket and there was a text from Kendall, another one of my casual flings.

  “Connor, I just wanted to tell you that I’m leaving the door unlocked, so just come in and head straight to the bedroom. I’ll be waiting for you.”

  Shit, I forgot all about Kendall and tonight. We had arranged this last week. I sighed as I looked at Ellery. She asked me if everything was alright.

  “Everything’s fine; it’s just business,” I said as I put my phone back in my pocket.

  After we ate and finished our wine, we got up and headed out of the restaurant. As soon as we stepped outside, Ellery asked me if I wanted ice cream. I looked at her with a puzzling look because I thought it was odd she would just blurt that out.


  “No, I don’t want any ice cream. I’m taking you home and then I have somewhere I have to be,” I said.

  She kept insisting that we go for ice cream, and to be honest, I was beginning to get irritated because I didn’t want any.

  “Miss Lane, I don’t want any ice cream. Now get in the car so Denny can take you home.” My tone was adamant, but she wasn’t listening to me, and I wasn’t used to that.

  Before I knew it, she turned her back and started walking down the street as she put her hand up and waved.

  “Thanks again for dinner, Mr. Black. I’ll see you around sometime.”

  I stood there and watched her walk away. What the fuck was this girl’s problem? Why the hell doesn’t she listen?

  “Miss Lane, get back here!” I yelled.

  She kept walking, so I hastened my pace to catch up to her. “Miss Lane, I will not tell you again to get in the car,” I spoke in an adamant tone.

  I pissed her off because she abruptly stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, turned around, and pointed her finger at me.

  “I don’t take orders from anybody, Mr. Black, especially people that I’ve only known less than twenty-four hours. I’m not your responsibility. You thanked me for my help with a nice dinner, and now it’s time for us to part ways. I’m going to get some ice cream, and then I’ll call a cab to drive me home.”

  Wow, this girl didn’t take shit from anyone. She continued walking away from me. I took out my phone and called Denny.

  “It looks like we’re getting ice cream. I’ll call you when we’re leaving.”

  She told me I didn’t have to come if I didn’t like ice cream. I tried to explain to her it wasn’t that I didn’t like it, but that I just didn’t want any. It didn’t matter because Ellery Lane was getting ice cream with or without me. I think I’d just met my match.

  We continued walking down the street, and I tried to explain to her that it wasn’t safe for a beautiful young woman to be walking the streets of New York alone at night. I noticed her smile when I called her beautiful. It made my heart do something weird, which I couldn’t explain because I’d never felt anything like it before.

  We sat down at a small table in the ice cream shop, and she asked me when the last time I had ice cream was. I found that odd. Why was it important to her?

  “I don’t know. Since I was a kid, I guess.”

  “Are you kidding me? You haven’t had ice cream since you were a kid?”

  “No. Is that a problem?”

  “No. I’m just surprised,” she said.

  “I think you’d find a lot of things surprising about me.” I smirked.

  I didn’t want her to know how I lived my life. She was a nice girl, and she didn’t need to know about all the women I saw. She didn’t need to be exposed to that.

  “So, where are you going later?” she asked out of the clear blue.

  “Miss Lane, I don’t think you really want to know the answer to that,” I said as I raised my brow.

  As we were finishing our ice cream, I called Denny to come pick us up. I went to open the car door for her, but Denny beat me to it, and Ellery seemed very pleased he did. I slid into the seat next to her as she looked at me and lightly smiled. She seemed to be either nervous or uncomfortable as she didn’t say a word the whole way to her apartment. Denny pulled up to the curb and got out to open the door for her. I leaned over to take a closer look at her apartment and simply asked about her having her own private entrance. I think she took offense to that because she responded in a sarcastic tone.

  “I don’t live in a fancy apartment building with a doorman and private elevator. This is it, Mr. Black; my little apartment with its own outside entry.”

  “I didn’t mean anything by it. I just think it’s unsafe, and anyone can break in,” I responded with an irritated tone. She didn’t need to be so sarcastic with her answer.

  She thanked me for putting that thought in her head as she surprised me by giving me a light kiss on my cheek. I flinched because it caught me off guard, and I hadn’t expected her to do that. She got out of the limo, winked at me, and told me to have a pleasant night. Denny pulled away and glanced at me in the rearview mirror.

  “She’s a great girl, Connor, and I think you just met your match. He smiled.

  I rolled my eyes and sighed. “She is a nice girl, Denny, and I’m going to make sure she stays that way.”

  I pulled out my phone and sent a text to Kendall.

  “Sorry, but something’s come up, and I can’t meet you tonight. We’ll have to reschedule for another time.”

  I didn’t want to see Kendall tonight. I just wanted to go back to the penthouse, have a drink, and try to get Ellery off my mind.

  Chapter 5

  I spent the next few days burying myself in work. No matter what I did, I couldn’t get Ellery out of my head. This was killing me because I needed to focus on the business acquisition that my company would be making soon. I sat in my office chair and turned so I was facing the window. I looked out onto the streets of New York, hoping that I might see her walking down the street. She got under my skin, and I couldn’t get her out. I picked up the phone and made an appointment to see Dr. Peters. I needed to talk to him about the clusterfuck that was going on in my head.

  I walked out of the building and hailed a cab to Dr. Peter’s office. I wasn’t looking forward to this session because I already knew what he was going to tell me.

  “This is a pleasant surprise, Connor. I didn’t expect you to be back so soon,” he said.

  I took in a deep breath as I stared at him. “Something happened, and I can’t get it out of my head.”

  “What happened, Connor?”

  “I met a girl.”

  He let out a light laugh. “You meet girls every day, Connor. This is nothing new.”

  I looked at him in irritation. “You don’t understand; this girl is different. She’s beautiful, kind, giving, sweet, strong, stubborn, and quite a smart ass.”

  Dr. Peters leaned forward and rested his elbows on his thighs. “Are you telling me that you have feelings for this girl?” he asked.

  I shifted in my seat. “No. I don’t have feelings for her.”

  “Then why are you here, Connor?”

  “Dr. Peters, I pay you a thousand dollars an hour to tell me what’s going on in my head, whether I want to hear it or not.”

  He leaned back in his chair and removed his glasses. “You want my honest opinion? I think you like this girl and that you’re starting to have feelings for her. Let me ask you a question. When was the last time you saw her?”

  “I saw her a few days ago. Why do you ask?”

  “I want you to tell me what you’ve been doing and thinking since you last saw her.”

  I got up from my chair and walked over to the window. I tucked my hands in my pockets and cleared my throat.

  “I’ve been burying myself in my work because I’m trying to acquire a company that’s up for sale.”

  “Have you been thinking about her as well?”

  “I can’t get her out of my mind. She’s all I keep thinking about both day and night. I haven’t been able to concentrate on anything else. I’ve cancelled all my dates because I only want to see Ellery.”

  “Ellery is a pretty name,” he said.

  “Ellery is a beautiful name, and she’s a beautiful woman,” I spoke as I stared out the window.

  Dr. Peters got up from his chair, walked over to me, and put his hand on my shoulder.

  “It sounds like the right woman just walked into your life, Connor. Just don’t screw it up. Become friends with her. This is the first time you’ve opened up since you’ve started coming to see me. If you start falling for Ellery, the first thing you must do is tell her about your past and the women you see. There can be no secrets.”

  I sighed as I looked at him. “I know, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

  He patted me on the back and asked me to make an appointment to see him in
a couple of weeks. I walked out of his office and out of the building. I headed towards the Starbucks down the street and called Denny to pick me up. As I climbed in the back seat my phone rang.

  “Richard, did you get it?”

  “Yes, Mr. Black. I got Miss Lane’s phone number.”

  I asked Denny to hand me a piece of paper as I took a pen from my pocket and wrote down the phone number Richard obtained for me. “Thank you, Richard; that’s a job well done.” I hung up the phone and looked at the numbers on the paper. Denny looked at me and shook his head.

  “What?” I asked him.

  “Don’t you think it would’ve been better just to ask Miss Lane for her phone number?”

  “Do I ever do anything the easy way, Denny?” I smiled.

  Just as I climbed out of the limo, I saw Ashlyn’s name appear on my phone.

  “Connor Black here?” I answered.

  “Why do you always answer like that, Connor?” she asked with an irritation in her voice.

  “What do you want, Ashlyn? I’m very busy at the moment.”

  “Let’s have dinner together,” she said.

  “Not tonight. I’m working from home.”

  “You’ve been working a lot lately, and we haven’t been together in over a week,” she whined.

  I stepped into the elevator hoping that I’d lose service and our conversation would come to an end. I smiled when the other end went quiet, and I looked at my phone to confirm that the call was dropped. As I stepped out of the elevator, I walked over to the bar and poured myself a glass of scotch. Claire emerged from the kitchen with a smile on her face.

  “Good evening, Connor. I have your dinner warming in the oven should you be staying in tonight.”