by Kim Black
Releasing a sigh, I slowly lowered myself onto my knees beside Jules’ strong, solid form and kissed his warm temple, letting my lips linger for a moment, before pulling away. His father would be heartbroken to hear of our separation, but it would be for the best. He would have to come to terms with it, as would I, someday.
I hadn’t the faintest idea what would become of me. I had to believe that time would help the pain he would leave behind, once he was gone.
Deciding to retreat to the study, I straightened myself and made my way upstairs; all the while preparing myself for the sobering moment Jules would walk out of the door.
I am a Delacroix. I need no validation from anyone, not even my beloved, I recited to myself.
If only I could believe that in my heart. Je vous aimerai toujours, Jules. I will always love you, Jules.
Chapter Two
Shane decided to stay last night on the couch. Between the loud sighs and his insistent grunting, I guess the old couch didn’t live up to whatever bedding he was used to. Each time I heard him groan, I had to suppress the urge to laugh. I knew I shouldn’t take pleasure in his discomfort, but dammit, I just couldn’t help but enjoy it. He wanted so desperately to appear unfazed by his family fortune, but the man was as uppity as they come.
I hadn’t slept much, my mind often wandered to Julien. I had no idea how he was doing. Although I tried my hardest, Shane wouldn’t give me any details. Men and their fucking guy codes.
“Morning, grumpy head,” I greeted, as I made my way into the kitchen. I noticed that Shane had already folded up the comforter I had given him last night neatly on the couch.
As I began making coffee, I went to pull out some eggs, but stopped just as I was about to reach for them. I suddenly felt guilty for thinking of making another man breakfast and slowly closed the refrigerator door. Darting a look at Shane, who was now standing by the window peering out, much like the first time I had met him. I wondered how Julien would feel about my making breakfast for Shane. He was his brother, after all.
It doesn’t matter what Julien thinks, you guys aren’t together anymore, remember?
I shook my head, feeling silly for feeling guilty over something so innocent.
“Breakfast?” I pulled the eggs out of the refrigerator and grabbed some frozen sausages. I was in no mood for a five-star meal this morning. Shane and I needed to get brainstorming on how we would exact revenge on that bitch, once and for all.
“Nope, don’t eat breakfast. I will take some coffee, if you don’t mind,” he stated, without turning toward me.
I made myself breakfast and poured us some coffee, before bringing it to the kitchen island and calling him over.
“So... we need to brainstorm,” I said, before taking a sip of the caramel coffee. The favor instantly brought to mind Diana, since we bonded over our mutual love of coffee. I suppressed the feelings threatening to surface. I couldn’t afford to take my focus off of Charlette, not now anyway. I needed to deal with one crazy bitch at a time. Diana would have to wait, I tried to convince myself, but a part of me missed her still.
“Right. About that...” Shane began in an unsure tone, which immediately sent me jumping from my stool and pointing my finger in his face.
“What about it, Shane Belmont?” I challenged him. “I swear if you even think about bailing on me, I will castrate your ass,” I threatened, watching as his eyes widened.
“Easy there, sweetheart, I’m not bailing. Just had some ideas come to mind while I was fighting with that thing, you call a couch, last night. Jeez, I am starting to wonder if I should be helping you get with my brother, what with you threatening to castrate me and all. Do you know how many fabulous women would die if you were to do such a thing? Heaven forbid,” he mocked with amusement.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, I lowered my finger from his face and resumed my place on the stool, shaking my head at what a fool he was. That man was completely into himself. Not that I could really blame him, or the quote many women who would die if I castrated him. He was a dream to look at, and any woman with a pulse would surely agree, but he was no Julien Belmont.
“So what did you come up with?” I asked, once his chuckles subsided.
He took a large gulp of coffee, placed the mug on the granite countertop, and turned to face me. “I was thinking that there is only one thing that Charlette Delacroix cares more about than Julien... Her precious vineyard, left to her after her father passed. We have to somehow turn her vineyard into the leverage that we need to force her to leave you and Julien alone.”
I pondered on his plan before responding, thinking of ways we could make this work and came up empty.
“How the hell am I going to use her vineyard as leverage?” I finally asked. I looked up at him and found him staring at me with a knowing smirk on his face. “Ah... That’s where I come in.”
I wouldn’t really consider myself a ‘nice guy,’ but there was something about the relationship between Julien and Emily that really tugged at my heartstrings. Those kids were crazy about each other. It was so easy to see it, but unfortunately for Emily, Julien had a bitch of a wife.
I wished I had told him how foolish his arrangement with Charlette had been back when he announced his engagement to the old bat, but at the time I was too busy entertaining. Back then, I hadn’t given a shit who my brother married as long as the wedding would be filled with sexy bridesmaids, and it was.
Now, I wanted nothing more than to help him do what he seemed incapable of... rid himself of Charlette, once and for all.
My first stop was at Belmont International to see my father. If my plan was going to work, I needed to raise the old man’s suspicions of Charlette.
Walking through the office door, I found him seated at Julien’s desk buried deep in paperwork. It had been a long time since my father had to tend to the day-to-day dealings of the business. The look of frustration, as I walked up to him, told me that he needed Julien back in his rightful place.
“Unless you are here to lend a hand and actually put your very expensive business degree to good use, I am quite busy,” he grumbled without looking up.
I would never get used to the fact that the man never needed to be announced of my presence. He often said it was because the smell of disappointment was strong enough for him to identify me from a mile away.
It was no secret that my father was disappointed in my not joining the family business, but I was never one to follow the rules laid out for me. Where others decided that pants should be put on one leg at a time, I was one to pull both legs on at the same time. Why? Because I could and I liked it that way.
“Is that any way to greet your favorite son?” I jested, with a smirk while holding my hand close to my heart in a wounded manner.
He grunted and resumed shuffling through a stack on his desk, ignoring me completely. A normal person would be hurt by his dismissal, but the sight of the old man so frustrated made my mission that much easier.
“I need to talk to you about something imperative. It’s in regards to The Crown Ivy buyout.”
Hearing the name of his greatest competitor peaked his interest enough for him to raise his head and look me in the eye.
Taking this as a sign to continue, I moved to the seat in front of the large wooden desk and proceeded. “I noticed something when I was covering for Julien. I would have mentioned it earlier, but I needed to do some more investigating,” I began. My father leaned back into his chair, his attention now completely mine as I forged on with my plan.
“I believe we have a mole within the company. Some of the information I discovered seemed a bit too personal for The Crown Ivy to know, if not for an insider funneling them the information. I have my suspicions, but I need full access to resources to confirm my findings.”
“Merde! Shit! Had you come to me when your suspicions first arose, I would have done everything to get to the bottom of it. Who knows how much information has been traded between then and now? What exactly d
id you find, son?”
I stood to my feet and began to pace around in front of him, trying to give the impression that he wouldn’t like what I was going to say.
“For the most part, The Crown Ivy’s resistance to giving up their company appeared genuine. But, when I broke down the minutes between the attorneys on both sides, there seemed to be great interest in one of our overseas projects. One that, I know for a fact, hasn’t been made public.”
“The Crown Ivy has been trying to get the upper hand on us, for as long as I remember. Julien had to fire several employees this past year, because he suspected them of providing inside information to them. I can’t afford to have this deal go south; I need concrete proof of your findings. Where are they?” he demanded, his veins protruded out on his neck.
Just as I had hoped, my father was more than intrigued by my findings. “I passed them along to Julien to look over, when he returned to work. He didn’t think much about it, more than likely, too preoccupied with the opening of the new hotel downtown. How is that going by the way?” I asked, even though I knew the answer. I stopped my pacing, eager to hear his response.
With Julien no longer running the expansion, and rumors swirling around the pushing back of the opening date, it was clear that my father was in over his head. Back when he ran the company solely, he rarely took the chances that Julien was now known to take. Now that his precious prized son was out of the business, he was lost. The glass of half-drunk whiskey on his desk, in the middle of a messy pile, said it all.
He pulled away from the desk, stood to his feet and began his own set of pacing next to his desk. “I’m not sure what the hell that brother of yours was thinking when he started this project. The chefs he hired are inadequate. The managers he hired are incompetent, and I have had to push back the opening until I find suitable replacements,” he murmured, as he ran a hand through his salt and pepper hair.
I nodded my head, seemingly agreeing with him, all for his sake. We both knew he wasn’t going to admit that he hadn’t the faintest idea how to make this project a success. At least, not like Julien could, but I wasn’t about to be the bearer of bad news. Judging from the deep creases on his forehead, he knew the truth.
“Well, then, Father, you continue working on the hotel expansion. I’ll speak to our security team and have them screen the employees. I will also secure the files from Julien. I believe he’s home, right now,” I began, as I looked at my watch, “You know, since he is unemployed. I just hope Charlette isn’t there, so that we may speak freely,” I almost whisper to myself, just loud enough for my father to hear and he cocked his brow.
“Charlette? Why would it matter if his wife is with him? It would be about time that boy started paying his wife some attention. How she manages to stay married to him, after all the mess he’s put her through, is beside me,” he muttered, before taking his seat back at his desk. Suddenly deep in thought, I wait for him to give his final command or dismissal. It was always the same with him, even when I was a kid.
“Have Charlette give those files a once over, as well. She may be a woman, but she is sharp. She might have some insight as to where we should begin looking for the mole.”
My jaw tensed. I hadn’t thought he would trust his private files with Charlette, so I was completely taken aback by the suggestion. My father noticed my uneasiness and gave me a suspicious look.
I decided to use this to my advantage. “I don’t think that would be wise. Trust me when I say, Charlette is the last person you want to have those files,” I warned, as I backed away from him and turned to leave. Just as I reached the door, my father spoke, “Very well then, you may go.” I shook my head. So predictable.
Chapter Three
It was midday when I finally woke up, and my body was in dire need of a massage. Though the imported carpeting appeared comfortable enough, it was far from enjoyable.
Stretching out my now sore muscles, I scanned the room for the tyrant. I had promised her a chance last night, but nothing about this new arrangement was enjoyable. I still couldn’t trust the woman, as far as I could throw her, but one thing was for sure, last night had been a sobering one. Charlette opened my eyes to the hard truths of reality. We were both cut from the same stained cloth. Maybe she was what I deserved and not Emily, since she had no misgivings about breaking my heart time and time again.
Charlette must have woken up early since there were no signs of her. I couldn’t say I wasn’t pleased that she hadn’t been here when I awoke, but I knew that I couldn’t leave her estate without first speaking to her. She would no doubt take my absence as a sign that I was, once again, leaving her.
Releasing a sigh, I made my way through the rather large estate. I remembered how I fled this place, not too long ago, mortified that I had bedded the aggravating woman and defiled my relationship with Emily.
When I reached the top of the double bridal staircase, I initially thought to go to the bathroom, but the tapping of keys led me in the opposite direction. Reaching a glass door, encased in a white wood frame left slightly ajar, I softly knocked. I couldn’t see her through the glass door from my angle, but the tapping immediately ceased. I heard her shift in her seat once and then heard nothing.
When she appeared in front of the door, her breath noticeably caught in her throat. Had she expected something else?
She opened the door reluctantly, which further confused me. I wasn’t sure what she was playing at, but Charlette was far from a shy, demure woman. I raised an eyebrow when I took in her appearance. She was dressed in a simple white sundress, something I would have never imagined she would be caught dead in. Charlette was a woman of high class, with a wardrobe costing, well into, the thousands. This sundress was far from the lavish couture, which often graced her body.
Feeling uneasy, I walked inside the lavish, all white office, accented only with the gray of the drapes, pillows, and rug. Leaving her at the door, I took a seat on the leather armchair opposite her white wooden desk. The top was glass, which actually went well with the doors and floor to ceiling windows behind her desk. Judging by the quality of the room, I could tell Charlette spent a great deal of time here. She had it designed to reflect her taste completely, which deeply contrasted the simple sundress she adorned now.
“I thought we should talk,” I said, as I leaned back against the comfortable chair and stared at her, noticing her unease. Was she really this afraid of me? Or, as I was more inclined to believe, was she baiting me for something?
“Of course. We should.” She took a seat behind her desk instead of an open seat by my side, instantly placing me in a less authoritative position, or so she thought.
“As I stated last night, Charlette, I am willing to give you a fair shot, but in return I do require one thing of you,” I began.
When she simply nodded her head, I forged on. “You are never going near Ms. Emily, again. Is that clear?” I asked, however, there was no room for question. I wanted Charlette completely out of Emily’s life. Emily may not have chosen to continue our relationship, but I would never allow harm to come to her, especially at the hands of Charlette. She had done enough damage to both Emily and I. Anything further would be inexcusable.
“I have no intentions of harming your precious Emily,” she stated in her kindest tone, but the malice was still evident.
“Fine, then I don’t see anything else left for us to discuss,” I stated coldly, not bothering to wait for her response. I lifted to my feet and strode to the door, never looking back. Just before my fingers gripped the doorknob, I paused and added, “And Charlette, you are referring to me as, Sir, from now on, or you will be punished,” I finished and exited.
If it is me she wanted, she would get me. I just hoped she understood that Emily was my humanity. Having lost her, what was left was a cold man.
The coldness in Jules tone was one I never had witnessed before. Not in all the years I had known him. It left me completely beside myself with worry. Had I made the right choi
ce agreeing to this new arrangement with him? It didn’t seem as though I even knew the man who sat in my office and demanded I refer to him as, Sir. Sir? As if I am a peasant here to bid his will.
I had been too shocked to respond at the time. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to march through the house, find him, and give him a piece of my mind. Did he know who he was talking to? I am Charlette Delacroix, not his whore!
I wanted to scream at him, slap him, even, but my body hadn’t been able to move a single inch since he waltzed out of my office. I couldn’t understand why, but I just remained there staring at the door, wondering what was to come of this arrangement of ours.
The buzzing of my phone pulled me out of my frightened trance. Grabbing the cellular off of my desk, I glared down at the sender before hitting the open button.
Jules: “Meet me in the master bedroom, in five minutes, in only your panties.”
I wasn’t sure if I should feel any excitement at the prospect of being intimate with Jules again, or terrified after his coldness earlier, but my body had already made its decision. My skin became flushed and my nipples hardened at his command.
I wondered if the countless women, Jules had entertained, responded to his words with the same immediate need. There was no doubt that Jules was a man accustomed to receiving everything he wanted, so I would imagine that this was also the case with the women he bedded.
Releasing a breath, I gently placed the cell phone down against the cool glass desk and rose to my feet. It sounded again and I gasped.
Picking it up, I read another message from Jules.
Jules: “Don’t keep me waiting.”
I wouldn’t dream of it, Dear Husband, I thought, as I made my way out of the office and down the hallway to the closed bedroom door. I had been waiting for this for too long to be fashionably late.