by Parker, Ali
I nodded. “I don’t know if she’ll remember what we talked about, so can I leave a note with you to give her?”
“Sure, is it going to be juicy and sexy?” she purred.
I laughed. “No. It is going to be reminding her of our brunch date tomorrow. I hope that’s okay with the two of you. Did you have plans?” I realized I might be intruding on their girls’ getaway.
She slowly shook her head. “No. Even if we did, you would absolutely take precedence over sunbathing or shopping.”
I laughed, appreciating her willingness to share Sade with me. I asked the bartender for a piece of paper and ended up jotting down my note to her on a napkin. “Thank you.”
“Thank you,” she said, grinning. “She’s really having a good time, far better than she would have without meeting you. I’ll make sure to keep Julia scarce. You two enjoy your day together, and if you don’t bring her back, we’ll understand.” She winked.
“Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind. Enjoy the rest of your night.” I excused myself from her and the party.
I headed out front, inhaling the fresh air and looking around for my car and Bentley. I had texted him on the way down from Sade’s room to let him know I was ready to go. I couldn’t wait to get off my feet. My knee was killing me, and all I could think about was resting it on the pillow I kept near my bed specifically for that purpose.
I heard the soft honk of a horn and looked to my left to see Bentley pulling up. I opened the back door and practically fell into the backseat. “Thanks for coming on such short notice.”
“You know that’s what you pay me for,” he said dryly.
“I do, but I am still going to thank you,” I told him, leaning my head back and closing my eyes. “I’m so ready for bed.”
“Give me twenty minutes, and I’ll get you there.”
“Thanks,” I muttered, not bothering to open my eyes.
I had a vision of Sade lying in her bed pulled up, and that was what I wanted to focus on. It had been one hell of a temptation for me. I had been thinking about her for days, and to have been so close and yet not able to do all I wanted to had damn near killed me. I wasn’t sure where things were going between us or if they would go anywhere beyond the kiss we’d shared earlier, but I was damn sure going to ask her tomorrow.
I didn’t want her to leave at the end of the week and let that be that. We hadn’t crossed the realm into a fling just yet, but I felt we were headed there. I wanted her. I wanted her more than I had ever wanted a woman, and I wanted a lot more than one night or a few days.
I was getting ahead of myself. I knew it, but that tended to be the way I operated. When I saw something, I went all in. It dominated my thoughts until I could see it through and make something happen.
I just hoped she was on board for that ride. Hell, for all I knew, she could have a serious boyfriend waiting for her back home. She could be out for one last hurrah before settling down.
I didn’t get that vibe from her, but one never really knew a person.
Chapter 14
Sade
I groaned, my mind surfacing to a sea of pain. I flung one arm over my eyes, trying to block out whatever it was that had woken me. I didn’t know what time it was, and I didn’t care. My head was pounding, and there was a very icky feeling in my belly.
It was only after being totally conscious for about ten seconds I realized my mouth tasted like I had dined on cotton balls. I tried to lick my lips, but I had zero saliva. My tongue felt swollen and gross. I didn’t know if it was possible, but I tasted my tongue. It was not a good taste.
“She’s alive!” Khloe shouted.
I groaned, pulling the blanket over my head. “Why are you yelling?”
“I’m not yelling,” she said. “This is my normal voice.”
“You should think about toning that down a notch or two,” I replied.
“I need to grab my shoes, and we can go,” Julia said, her tone much softer and easier on the ears.
I pushed the blanket down and opened my eyes, the action sending shards of pain through my skull. “Go?” I asked.
I looked from Khloe to Julia and noticed they were both dressed, hair and makeup done, and were obviously headed out. Without me.
I bit back the pain of being left out. We’d had our share of fights and squabbles, and one of us always felt left out. I guessed it was my turn.
“We’re headed out shopping,” Julia said with a smile.
“How come you didn’t wake me?” I pouted.
“Because you looked like you needed the sleep,” Khloe said. “You are still a little green around the edges.”
“Give me fifteen minutes, and I’ll be ready to go,” I said, throwing off the blankets. I sat up, immediately regretting it. I put a hand to my head to try and stop the pounding.
“Nope, sorry, you’re not invited,” Julia answered in a perky voice.
Now I was pissed. I stood up, realized I was still wearing my dress from the night before, and scowled at her. “Excuse me? Since when did you turn into such a bitch?”
She burst into laughter, clearly not the least bit bothered by my insult. “Since you landed one of the hottest, richest, and most eligible bachelors in the country.”
“No, the world,” Khloe quickly clarified.
“What?” I blinked, rubbing my temple. My head still felt a little cloudy, like I was underwater and not seeing quite clearly.
Julia was grinning like a fool. “Give her the note,” she said, talking to Khloe.
Khloe dashed out and returned a few seconds later to hand me a napkin. I took it from her, blinking several times to clear my cloudy vision. “My driver will be around to pick you up at ten. Trent,” I read aloud.
I rubbed my temple again, trying to stir up the memories hovering just out of reach.
“Brunch!” Julia squealed. “You two are going to brunch!”
There was a rush of memories. I slapped a hand to my head. “Oh no.”
“What?” Khloe asked. “You didn’t agree to brunch?”
I nodded. “I agreed, but I kissed him. Technically, he kissed me, but then I think I kind of mauled him.”
They both burst into laughter. “You didn’t…” Khloe asked without really asking.
I shook my head. “No. He didn’t want to.”
Julia smiled. “He wanted to, honey. Trust me, he’s been wanting to since he laid eyes on you. He was a respectable gentleman. Just another point for him and one more reason I hate you. How did you stumble into the perfect man without even trying?”
I shrugged a shoulder. “I honestly don’t know. What time is it?”
“Nine,” Khloe answered.
“Shit!” I said, feeling a little panicked. “I need to shower and get ready. Are you guys really leaving me alone?”
“You’re a big girl, and he doesn’t want us tagging along,” Khloe said. “Go and have fun.”
I went to my suitcase to try and figure out what to wear. “What did you mean by the most eligible bachelor in the world?” I asked, just remembering that little bit of conversation.
“Oh, I did a little Googling,” Julia said in a sing-song voice.
“And what does that mean?” I asked irritably, needing some serious coffee and water.
“It means he is a billionaire,” Julia said. “Not only is he sexy and kind and obviously very generous, but he is wealthy to boot. He was making money hand over fist while he was in the Army. When he retired, he made a few very smart investments and ended up breaking into the billionaire status at the age of thirty. Basically, he has more money than, well, than everyone we know.”
“No shit?” I asked, turning around to look at her.
She was nodding. “No shit.”
I shook my head. “I don’t understand,” I muttered, pulling out another dress that was a bit on the wrinkled side.
Khloe came over to help me sort through the outfits, quietly pulling out pieces and setting them to the side.
&n
bsp; “What isn’t there to understand?” Julia asked from behind me.
“Why me? I mean, look at both of you or half those women at the party last night. How did I get his interest? There is nothing special about me, and I certainly can’t even think about what it would be like to have that kind of money. Hell, everything I own is secondhand, maybe even thirdhand.”
“Because he sees how special you are,” Khloe said. “Now, here. This is perfect. It’s casual and pretty, and if he decides to take you out on the boat again, take your swimsuit.”
“You guys can’t leave me alone with him, not after what I did last night.” I groaned, embarrassment washing over me as I remembered me practically begging him to have sex with me.
“Nope,” Julia said with a laugh. “We’re out of here. Get in the shower and put on some makeup. You’re dining with a billionaire.”
I watched them leave, heard the door close, and flopped back onto the bed. I let myself hang out in the memory of his kiss, smiling and getting that warm and tingly feeling all over my body. He’d been hard and gentle and everything I could want.
“Get up,” I mumbled to myself, fighting back the nerves I felt about going to brunch with him, and I hopped in the shower. The shower helped liven me up a bit, wiping away some of the fog, but I still had the killer headache. I dug some aspirin out of my purse and quickly dressed. I had just put on mascara when my phone started ringing.
Dread filled me. It was probably Trent coming to his senses and calling to cancel our date. We’d both had a little too much to drink last night. I couldn’t blame him for realizing he could do much better than me.
I looked at the screen and saw my dad’s number.
“Hey, Dad,” I answered.
“Good morning,” he said, his tone gruff. His tone was always gruff. It came from the many years he’d used that voice to command soldiers on the battlefield. “I wanted to check and see how you were doing. I haven’t heard from you.”
“Sorry,” I said. “We’ve been busy. I’m doing just fine.”
“Are you getting lots of rest? This vacation was about you taking a break and getting some rest. You nearly worked yourself to the bone trying to save up for this trip.”
“I am getting lots of rest. The weather has been perfect, and the hotel we’re staying at is so nice!” I purposely left out any details about the owner of the hotel. “What about you and Mom? How are you guys?”
He sighed. “I’m bored and apparently driving your mother crazy. She’s in the other room figuring out the next project she wants me to do.”
I laughed, knowing they’d figure out the retirement thing soon enough. It was what they both wanted, but with him away for so much of their marriage, there was bound to be growing pains as they figured out how to come back together.
We chatted a bit more before I looked at the time and realized I needed to get downstairs.
“I have to go, Dad. I’ll talk to you soon.” I quickly hung up.
I half-expected Trent to have changed his mind. I was still in total disbelief he wanted me. It was easy to let it go to my head. I walked through the lobby and spotted a car just outside the doors. Trent leaned up against the back door, chatting with another man wearing a prosthetic arm. I remembered he was the driver. I watched the men talk and got the feeling they were friends, rather than boss and employee.
“Hi,” he said when I stepped outside.
“Hi there.”
His driver nodded and quickly walked around the front of the car. Trent opened the door. “After you.”
I slid inside the car and waited. He seemed to be a little stiff as he got in, stretching out the leg I had seen the scars on.
“Do you always have a driver?” I asked him, hoping it wasn’t rude.
He smiled. “It makes my life easier.”
I nodded. “I imagine. Plus, why not?”
“Driving isn’t easy,” he said. “I can handle short drives, but it irritates my knee, and I only end up hurting in the end. Bentley needed a job, and I needed someone to drive me around. It has worked out well for us.”
I looked down at his knee, unable to see it with his pants covering, but I remembered the scars that had looked surgical as well as a few that I recognized as shrapnel scars. “What happened?” I asked.
“Bullet to the knee. A very big bullet. I got to keep both legs, but I have no cartilage in there, which leaves me with some serious arthritis.”
I almost made a quip about him being a billionaire and being able to afford a driver, but kept my mouth shut. His driver was essentially his crutches or a wheelchair. I wouldn’t begrudge him for his injury or what he needed to function in life. If I mentioned his wealth, he might think that was important to me. It wasn’t. It meant nothing. It was the man I was interested in.
“Do you use massage therapy?” I asked. The vets I knew from my volunteer work with the VA had found it very helpful.
He shrugged a shoulder. “Sometimes. It’s really just when I sit for long periods, which is why driving aggravates it. If I can stretch out my leg, it’s not so bad.”
“I understand. What about walking or swimming?”
He smirked. “Walking isn’t as bad as driving, and swimming is generally okay if I don’t overdo it.”
I realized the knee injury would have been a career ender in the Army. He was lucky to have been able to jump right into civilian life without a lot of hang-ups. I imagined his wealth helped ease the way back to normal life—if there was such a thing.
“If you ever need a rest, please tell me. I’m guessing you’re sore from all the dancing last night?” I looked at his face to judge his reaction.
He shrugged. “Nothing that isn’t worth it. I had a great time last night, and a little knee pain is not going to take away from that. That’s why they invented Advil.” He chuckled.
“Okay, but seriously, if ever there’s a time you just want to chill, tell me,” I ordered.
“Thank you, I will,” he said, his eyes softening as he looked at me.
Chapter 15
Trent
I leaned back, relaxing into the seat with her next to me. I had considered giving her the full deluxe treatment, with my helicopter picking us up and whisking us away to the Napa Valley for a private meal at one of the wineries, but I had thought better of it.
I didn’t think she would be impressed by any of that. I wanted to be with her without all the trappings of my wealth. I wanted her to get to know me and not focus on the glamour that came along with being me. It seemed like every woman I had met was more interested in what my money could buy. They wanted the private jets, the fancy restaurants, and expensive hotels. They didn’t give a shit about knowing me. Some put on a good show and pretended really well, but not well enough that I didn’t catch on eventually.
Instead of going with the expected, I decided to strip it down to just me, her, and some good old-fashioned mom and pop food. I was hoping to go unnoticed and be able to just be Trent Gilroy, the guy that had done some time in the Army and loved greasy burgers, cold beer, and hanging out with his dog above just about anything else. That was who I wanted her to meet and know. Not Trent Gilroy—with a whole lot of titles I had been given by various social pages. That guy wasn’t me—the real me.
The diner was a little place, close to a marina that housed the smaller, older boats of the locals that had lived in the area for most of their lives. It was the area where the tourists avoided and the locals loved. I knew it was risky to take her to a place that was off the beaten path, especially since she was a tourist, but I was hoping it would be more comfortable for her.
I took her hand, leading her inside the restaurant and finding a table for us. It was a kitschy place with checkered tablecloths, lots of gingham, and a collection of salt and pepper shakers lining the walls on either side.
“Oh my gosh!” she squealed, pointing to a shelf on my right side. “Look at those. The little Barney figures!”
“Barney?”
I asked, turning my head to see what it was that caught her attention.
“I love you, you love me,” she started singing. “Barney!”
I looked at her, raising an eyebrow and wondering if she was still drunk from the night before. “I don’t know who you’re talking about.”
“Oh my god,” she said. “He was my favorite when I was a little girl. I had a plush Barney that sang that song. The purple dinosaur.”
“Oh, yes, I do remember,” I said, reminded of our age difference in that moment. I remembered the thing. I’d made fun of the little kids that liked the damn show.
“Do you eat here often?” she asked.
I shrugged. “Not often, but when I want to escape, I come here. Do you want a drink?”
She grimaced. “No. Coffee or water or juice. No, not juice. Coffee.”
I laughed. “I hope you weren’t too miserable when you woke up this morning.”
She sighed. “Just enough to serve as a reminder I shouldn’t drink that much champagne. I hate that it goes down so easy. If it was like Jack Daniels or something strong that burned, it wouldn’t be quite so easy to overdo it.”
I scoffed. “Trust me, I know from experience it is just as easy to overdo it on Jack. After the first couple of shots, you don’t notice the rest.”
She burst into laughter. “I suppose you’re right.”
“So, tell me more about yourself. You have a job already?”
She nodded. “I do.”
She seemed hesitant to talk about it.
“Your friends seemed impressed by the job,” I said. “Are you not excited about it?”
A waitress came by, dropped off two glasses of ice water, and hurried away. I watched Sade take a drink. I could see her mulling over what to say.
“I’m very excited about my job,” she finally answered.
“Medical research?”
She nodded. “It isn’t exactly what they think it is, but I will be working on projects and studies. I’m thrilled to finally be a part of something exciting. I know the likelihood of really coming up with cures or something like that is pretty slim, but even if the work I do proves cures wrong, it still moves us one step closer to a real cure. The money isn’t great, but I love being a part of the solution. I’ve always been interested in the medical field, but I’m not great with people. I didn’t want to be a nurse, and being a doctor intimidated me.”