FOREVER SERIES: COMPLETE BOX SET

by Lynn, Sandi

  * * *

  While I freshened up my makeup and fixed my hair, Connor went and brought Julia and Mason back to the room. Mason walked into the bathroom and looked at me.

  “Look at your glowing face, Miss Ellery. You must’ve had amazing sex.”

  I didn’t turn around. I looked at him through the mirror and smiled.

  “I knew it!” he exclaimed.

  “Oh, stop it. You knew we were going to when he had you take Julia to your room.”

  Mason took a few steps forward and leaned in closer to me. “Just tell me one thing: is he as amazing in bed as he looks like he’d be?”

  I knitted my eyebrows at him and then smiled. “Yes, and amazing doesn’t even describe how skillful he is.”

  “Damn, I knew it.” He sighed.

  “Stop dreaming about my husband and help me pick out a dress to wear.”

  As I walked over to the closet and looked at the four dresses I brought, Connor walked into the bedroom with Julia. He laid her down on the bed and dangled her animal keys in front of her. I looked over and smiled, then pulled the red dress and the blue dress from the closet.

  “Which one?” I asked as I held both dresses up.

  “The blue one. The red one,” both Connor and Mason said at the same time.

  I looked at both of them with a twisted face. “Okay, the black one it is,” I said as I put the red and blue dresses back, and I pulled out the black one.

  “Thank you, gentlemen. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a dress to put on.”

  “Okay, black works,” I heard Mason say as I walked into the bathroom and shut the door.

  When I finished putting on my dress and black heels, I kissed Julia goodbye while Connor had his hand on the small of my back, pushing me out the door. We met Vinnie at a restaurant called Spiaggia. He had already arrived and stood up when the hostess showed us to the table.

  “Ellery Black. It’s nice to finally meet you,” he said as he kissed me lightly on the cheek.

  “It’s nice to meet you as well, Vinnie. This is my husband, Connor Black.”

  The two of them shook hands, then we took our seats and opened our menus.

  “I took the liberty of ordering us a bottle of their finest Pinot grigio. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “No, not at all.” Connor smiled.

  After deciding what I wanted for dinner, I closed the menu and folded my hands on the table. “So, tell me about your art gallery.”

  “The gallery is about ten thousand square feet. I would like to show you it tomorrow morning, if possible.”

  “We need to fly back to New York in the morning. How about tonight, after dinner?” Connor said.

  “Okay, tonight will be fine.” Vinnie smiled.

  “The opening of the gallery will take place in forty-five days,” Vinnie said. “Is that something you can work with?”

  I took a sip of my wine and swallowed hard. I didn’t know if I could do it. But I wasn’t going to let him know that.

  “Of course I can work with that,” I said as I took another sip of wine.

  “Great. When we go and tour the unfinished gallery, I’ll show you the space I have picked out for your paintings.”

  As we ate our fine cuisine and drank our wine, Connor and Vinnie mostly talked about the business aspect of the art gallery. I pulled out my phone and sent a text message to Mason.

  “How’s my baby?”

  “I’m fine, thank you. Oh wait, you mean the princess. She’s adorable and she’s sleeping.”

  “Great. We’ll be back to the hotel later. We’re going to take a tour of the art gallery.”

  “No hurry and have fun.”

  * * *

  After we toured the art gallery, Connor and I said goodbye to Vinnie and slid into the back seat of the limo that was waiting for us. Connor reached over and took my hand.

  “Did you like the gallery?”

  “I loved it. It’s going to be amazing once it’s finished.”

  “It’ll be amazing when your paintings are hanging on the wall.” He smiled.

  After I kissed him on the cheek, I laid my head on his shoulder while I was worried about whether or not I’d be able to finish all five paintings in time. When I was single, the worry would never have crossed my mind. But now that I was a wife and a mother, it was going to be difficult, even with Connor’s and Mason’s help. I took in a deep breath as Connor kissed me on my head.

  Chapter 19

  Connor

  After we had a nice breakfast, we flew back to New York. I had Denny drop me off at Black Enterprises so I could catch up on business before he drove Ellery, Julia, and Mason home.

  “I’ll see you later, baby,” I said as I kissed Ellery and then Julia goodbye.

  “Bye, sweetheart. Don’t work too hard.”

  I shut the door and walked into the building. As I stepped onto the elevator, my phone rang. It was Paul.

  “I’m on my way up to see you. I’m in the elevator.”

  When the elevator doors opened, I walked down the hallway to Paul’s office. I opened the door and sat down across from him.

  “I found a place for Ellery’s art studio.”

  “Great; where’s it at?” I asked.

  “In your building.”

  I looked at him in confusion. “What do you mean, in my building? What building?”

  “Where you live, Connor,” he sighed.

  I knitted my eyebrows while I got up and walked over to his coffee pot. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea. I wanted it outside of the building.”

  “Listen, Connor. It’s perfect, and I think she’d love it. It’s on the tenth floor, and it’s the end apartment. It has more windows for natural light, kitchen, bathroom, and a bedroom, which can be converted into a storage room. She’ll have everything she needs there and, most importantly, it’s safe. I know how you are with her about safety.”

  I stood there, sipped my coffee, and nodded my head. “Perhaps you’re right. I’ll go have a look at it before I head home. Thanks, Paul,” I said as I walked out and headed to my office.

  Later in the day, I decided to call Cassidy. I dialed her number and waited patiently for her to answer. I wasn’t sure if she would or not, considering how we left things the other day.

  “If you’re calling to harass me about my love life, save it,” she answered.

  “Now that’s a clever way to answer the phone. I take it you’re still pissed at me.”

  “Pissed isn’t a strong enough word, Connor.”

  “I’m sorry about the other day. I really am. Now, if you’ll forgive me, then I can tell you the reason I’m calling.”

  “You didn’t call to apologize?” she asked.

  “Well, yes, that too, but I also wanted to ask you for a favor.”

  I heard a long sigh on the other end. “What do you want?”

  “I’m looking at an apartment in my building to convert to an art studio for Ellery, and I would love for you to look at it with me. But please don’t tell her; it’s a surprise.”

  “When do you want to do this?”

  “What time is good for you?” I asked her.

  “How about an hour?”

  I looked across my office and I saw the door open. Cassidy was standing in the doorway. I smiled and hung up the phone, getting up from my chair as she stepped into the office. I gave her a tight hug.

  “I’m sorry, sis. You know how much I love you and Camden, and I only want the best for you.”

  “I know you do, Connor, and I love you too, but you can’t think that you can rule my life. Let me fall. I’ll get back up and try again. I’m not as weak as you think I am.”

  “I don’t think you’re weak at all.” I smiled as I broke our embrace.

  “I have a couple of things to finish up in the other office and then we can go.”

  “Great, I’ll call Denny to come pick us up.”

  “No need. I have my car. You can just drive us there.” S
he smiled as she left the office.

  There was nothing I hated more than New York City traffic and she knew it. Perhaps it was her way of getting back at me.

  * * *

  Cassidy and I stepped into the apartment and, instantly, I knew it was perfect for Ellery.

  “I love it, Connor,” Cassidy said. “She’ll love it!”

  “It’s nice. Tell me your vision for the place. Remember, it’s to be an art studio.”

  As Cassidy walked around the apartment and showed me what she envisioned, I knew that Ellery was going to adore it. The more I thought about it, I knew that Paul was right. It was a lot safer here for Ellery to have an art studio, and I wouldn’t have to worry so much about her. Pulling out my phone, I called the owner and bought the apartment. Cassidy and I walked out the door and, as I pushed the button to the elevator, I hugged Cassidy goodbye. The doors opened and I jumped when I saw Ellery standing inside the elevator.

  “Connor, Cassidy. What are you doing?” she asked with a weird look on her face.

  Fuck, I thought to myself. “Baby, what are you doing?”

  “I believe I asked you first, Connor,” she said as she stepped off the elevator. “Why are you on this floor?”

  “Oh, hell,” I said as I shook my head. I grabbed her hand. “Come on; I’ll show you the reason.”

  I opened the apartment door and motioned for her to step inside. “I’m confused,” she said.

  “Welcome to your art studio.”

  A shocked expression overtook her face. “What?”

  I wrapped my arms around her waist. “This is your art studio, baby. I bought it for you as a surprise and Cassidy is going to decorate it. This is where you’ll come and do all your painting with no interruptions.”

  “Oh, Connor, I love it! Thank you,” she said as she kissed me.

  She thanked Cassidy with a hug and then Cassidy announced she had to leave.

  “I need to get home. I still have a lot to do for Camden’s party tomorrow.”

  Ellery asked her if there was anything she could help her do. Cassidy politely said no and that she had everything under control. After she walked out of the apartment, Ellery shut the door and stood up against it with a smile on her face. I could tell she was up to something.

  “We should get going,” I said.

  “We will, after we christen my new art studio.” She smiled.

  I felt a twinge below when she said that. She walked over to where I was standing, grabbed the bottom of my shirt, and lifted it over my head.

  “I’m going to give you a proper thank you, Mr. Black,” she said as she unbuckled my belt.

  I was grinning from ear to ear with that thought.

  * * *

  We pulled up to the long, winding driveway of my parents’ house. The porch was decorated with balloons and a big sign that said Happy Birthday, Camden. Ellery and I both smiled when we saw the sign, knowing that, in the not-too-distant future, we’d be doing the same for Julia. We stopped at our beach house first to drop off our bags and to check on things. It’d been a while since we’d been there because of everything that was going on. Mason and Landon were driving up for the party as well as Peyton and Henry, and Denny and his wife, Dana. I parked the Range Rover and unbuckled Julia’s car seat. Ellery grabbed the diaper bag and Camden’s gifts. As we walked into the house, Camden came running from the family room. I quickly put down the car seat as he ran into my arms.

  “Happy birthday, buddy,” I said as I kissed his head. He smiled at me and then looked at Ellery and held his arms out to her. She set the gifts on the table and took him from me, hugging him and wishing him a happy birthday.

  As Ellery took Julia from the car seat, Camden led me by the hand out to the backyard. All of our family and friends were there, laughing, talking, and having a good time. The minute my mother saw us, she ran over and took Julia from Ellery. As we made our rounds, Aunt Sadie came up to us and gave us both a hug. She took Ellery’s hand and turned it over. I really hated when she was at family functions. As she looked at Ellery and smiled, she squeezed her hand.

  “You’re very healthy, my dear.”

  “Thank you, Aunt Sadie; that’s good to know.” She smiled.

  Aunt Sadie asked Ellery to bend down and she whispered something in her ear. I watched as Ellery smiled and thanked her.

  “What was that about?” I asked when Aunt Sadie walked away.

  “Oh, she just told me that she sees a little boy in our future.” She smiled as she hooked her arm around mine.

  I raised my eyebrows at her. “We’re going to have a son?”

  “According to Aunt Sadie, we are.” She laughed.

  The thought of having a son thrilled me. A boy that I could groom to take over Black Enterprises like my dad did with me. I leaned over and kissed Ellery on the head.

  “What was that for?” she asked.

  “Just because I love you.”

  She smiled as she gave my arm a squeeze. We walked over to where Denny and Dana were sitting and took a seat next to them. It wasn’t too long after I sat down that my father asked to see me. I followed him into the house and into his office, where he shut the door.

  “How are things going with the trial, son?” he asked.

  I ran my hand through my hair as I walked over to the bar and poured a glass of scotch. “It’s going like all trials go, Dad. I just wish this bullshit was over.”

  “You got yourself into this mess, Connor. What the hell were you thinking, getting into a relationship with that whore?”

  I took in a sharp breath as I looked at him. “I had my reasons.”

  “You never said what those reasons were, and I want to know. I don’t want my company dragged through the mud because you couldn’t keep your dick in your pants.”

  His comment burned throughout my body. “Black Enterprises is my company now. I turned that company around when you weren’t paying attention to it because you were off with your whore in the Caribbean and your accountant was robbing you blind,” I spat through gritted teeth.

  My father didn’t know that I knew about the woman that he took to the Caribbean two years before I took over the company. He was supposed to be on a business trip for a month in Germany, at least that’s what he told my mother. His accountant had embezzled money and his V.P. made some very bad business deals. My father turned around and wouldn’t look at me as he spoke.

  “You never told your mother about that. Why?”

  “Because, it would’ve killed her and I didn’t want to see her hurt. My relationship with Ashlyn was out of control. I was in a dark and bad place at that time. Thank God Ellery came into my life when she did. Listen, Dad, Lou has this under control. I don’t want you to worry about it. Hopefully, it’ll all be over soon.”

  As he turned around, he looked at me and smiled. “You’re right, son, and I’m sorry for what I said.”

  I gave him a small smile as he walked from behind his desk and patted me on the back. I opened the door and Ellery was standing there.

  “There you are. I wondered where you had disappeared to,” she said.

  “Sorry, Ellery. I had to steal my boy and go over a few things with him. Now where’s that granddaughter of mine?” My father smiled at her.

  As we walked out to the backyard, we heard screaming. I looked over to my right and saw Camden on the ground, kicking and screaming at the top of his lungs. I started to go to him and Ellery grabbed my arm. “Connor, don’t.”

  Just then, I saw Ben go over to him. He laid down on the ground next to him and made Camden look at him. He started making gestures with his hands and pointing up at the sky and told Camden to do the same. Ellery looked over at me and smiled as Camden instantly calmed down and did what Ben had asked. Everyone went about their business and continued to eat and talk amongst each other. Cassidy stared at me from across the yard. When I walked over to her, Ben and Camden got up from the ground and walked over to us.

  “That was impressive
, Ben,” I said.

  “My brother is autistic and I practically raised him before I went off to college. My mom worked double shifts at the hospital and my dad took off when I was nine. Camden is a great kid.” He smiled as he looked at Cassidy.

  At that moment, I saw something between them. Ellery walked over to and handed me Julia.

  “Admit you were wrong about Ben,” she said.

  “I was wrong about Ben. He’s a great guy.” I smiled.

  Chapter 20

  Ellery

  Connor seemed to be more on edge lately and more irritable. He would go to the courthouse every day and then to the office. He was coming home later than normal because he was behind on work. I did as much as I could to try and take the stress off of him. Even though my studio wasn’t ready yet, I started painting and panic set in, as I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to finish.

  It was ten o’clock in the evening, and I had just put Julia to bed. As I sat down at my easel, I heard the elevator doors open.

  “Hey, baby. I’m sorry I’m so late. I had a lot of work to do,” he slurred as he kissed me on the cheek and the stench of alcohol overtook my senses.

  “Have you been drinking?” I asked.

  “I had a couple drinks,” he said as he sat on the couch.

  “At the office?”

  “No, I stopped at the bar before I came home.”

  He stretched out on the couch and put his arm over his eyes. I got up from my seat and walked over to him. “How did you get home?”

  “I took a cab.”

  I was furious with him for not telling me that he was stopping at the bar before coming home. I was also mad at the fact that he didn’t even come home to see Julia before she went to bed. This wasn’t like him, and something else was going on.

  “You couldn’t come home to spend some time with Julia before she went to bed?” I asked with a raised voice.

  He lifted his arm and looked at me. “Are you pissed off or something?”