He’d turned on the TV to try and take his mind off his nerves, but he couldn’t quell his anxiety. Something told him that things were about to go very, very bad.
Dammit.
He walked over to the window and looked down at the street, eager for a glimpse of her.
She had only been gone for twenty minutes when a knock sounded at the door. He wondered why she was knocking if she had the room key. But she didn’t have a purse, so there was the possibility that things had gotten tense and she’d left it at the coffee shop.
When he opened the door, he was surprised to see Layla, the woman he’d found in Neil’s office.
“Garrett?” she asked, looking nervous.
“Uh…yeah…” He blinked.
“Can I come in?”
He blocked the entrance, still in shock. “What are you doing here? How’d you know how to find me?”
“Neil got your message.”
“So why are you here instead of Neil?”
“Can I come in?” Tears filled her eyes. “Please.”
He swung the door open, and she walked past him into the room, looking around and taking in the sight of the mussed bed.
Garrett stood at the still-open door. He didn’t feel comfortable with her in the room, and he definitely didn’t trust her or her motives. “Did Neil send you?”
“No.”
Why was she here? When he thought about it, Layla most likely had the same goal Garrett had—prevent the wedding. He still didn’t understand why it wasn’t Neil at his door instead of his girlfriend.
“Can you shut the door?”
He heaved out a breath and looked into the hall. “I think I’ll leave it open. Why don’t you just get to the point?”
She sat down on the bed and grasped her shaking hands.
“Look, if you’re upset about Neil marrying Blair, you don’t have to worry. She’s breaking up with him as we speak.”
She shook her head, a tear sliding down her cheek. “There’s something you have to know.”
“What?” She didn’t respond, and he wondered why she was there. The only reason he could come up with was that she wanted Neil to ditch Blair so she could have him. “Neil’s free now. Or he will be in a few minutes. You can run off and be together.”
“There’s more to it. Please. I think you’re the only one who can help me.” Tears streaked down her face. Garrett’s room was at the end of the hall, giving them a complete view all the way to the end. A door opened several rooms down, and a couple emerged into the hall. They looked down at the woman crying on his bed and gave him a dirty look.
With a groan, he shut the door. “Okay, you’re here. I’m listening. What do I need to know?”
“Neil’s not who you think he is.”
He released an annoyed grunt. “I’ve known the man for nearly thirty years, and I’m not a fan, so I’m not sure there’s anything you can tell me that will surprise me right now.”
She stood and moved toward him. “You seem like a nice man.”
“Layla, spit it out already. What do you want?”
She stopped in front of him. “I’ve met Blair before, you know.”
The very thought made him livid. “You mean at the hospital?”
“No. Before that. When she and Neil first started dating.”
His fists clenched. “Were you and Neil already having sex then?”
She looked up at him, defiance in her eyes. “It’s not like that. It’s not that crass.”
“Then what’s it like? Because he was going to marry her and have sex with you. Sounds pretty crass to me.”
“No. He only realized he loved me after he proposed to her.” She shrugged. “But he has to marry her so we can be together. She’s got a huge trust fund. After they’re married for a year, he can divorce her and get half her money.”
“Is that what he told you? You really bought that bullshit?” He shook his head in disgust. Could she really be that gullible? But then again, maybe that was part of her appeal. Neil had said he couldn’t stay with one woman long. So his choices made sense. Marry the respectable woman. Sleep with the not-so-bright ones, feed them a few lines to string them along, and then find a replacement mistress once the relationship had run its course. “There is no trust fund. Blair’s father left her and her mother penniless. He’s lying to you.”
Layla’s eyes widened, and fresh tears filled her eyes. “No. He wouldn’t do that.”
“He’s a doctor, Layla. Why would he need her money to be with you? Why not ditch her and marry you?”
“Why do you even like her?” Layla asked. “She’s such a cold bitch.”
He took a step back, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end. “I think you should go.”
“Why would Neil want to be with someone like that unless he wanted her money?”
“Layla, I can’t help you. You need to talk to Neil about this.”
“Do you know how they met?”
Why wasn’t she leaving? He’d given her the information she wanted, so why hadn’t she just left? But then again, she hadn’t actually told him what she wanted. “What does it matter? Layla, what do you want?”
“A guy from Blair’s office set them up. He told Neil that she was a hotshot lawyer on the rise with a multi-million-dollar trust fund. The rest is history.” She reached for the bottom of her shirt and tugged it over her head, revealing a purple bra.
“What the hell are you doing?”
She tossed her shirt onto the floor and moved toward him, unfastening her pants. “You think Neil’s stupid, but he’s actually very, very smart.”
He backed up toward the door. “I need you to leave.”
“Neil is much more calculating than most people give him credit for.” Her pants dropped to the floor next, and she backed him into the door, pressing her nearly naked body against him. All he felt was disgust and revulsion.
He moved away from her, heading into the middle of the room. “You need to go. Now.”
“Not yet.” She moved toward him. “I know you don’t believe it, but I know the trust fund exists. I love him, and we’ll be together soon enough. It’s just not time yet.”
He heard voices outside the door, and he froze in place as panic washed over him.
Layla put her arms around his neck and smiled. “Trust me. You’ll thank me for this later. She’s a bitch.” And then she kissed him, locking her fingers around his neck.
Garrett was trying to pry her off him when the door flung open. Garrett’s heart ripped open when he heard Blair’s gasp.
Layla leaned back and turned toward the door. “Garrett, why are those people in your room?”
Blair’s mouth dropped open, and she stumbled backward.
Garrett tore free of the clinging witch and shoved her aside. “Blair!”
She shook her head, tears filling her eyes. “You lying son of a bitch.”
“I didn’t do this, Blair. I swear. This is Neil’s doing.”
She shook her head again and flung her hand toward Layla, who stood in the middle of the room, wearing nothing but her bra and panties. “How can this be Neil’s doing? This looks like it’s all you, Garrett.”
He pointed at Neil, barely keeping his anger in check. “He sent her here! He’ll do anything to keep you.” He turned to Neil’s mistress, his eyes narrowing. “And as Layla just pointed out, he’s much more calculating than any of us had realized.”
“Layla?”
Oh. God. Somehow he had just made it worse. What had Neil told her?
Blair put her hands on her hips and turned her murderous gaze on Neil’s girlfriend. “You want him? You can have him.” She took a step closer. “But right now, you better get the hell out of my sight, or I might not be responsible for what I do.”
Layla’s eyes widened, and then she scooped up her clothes off the floor and hurried out the door. She cast a worried glance to Neil on the way out. He gave her a slight nod before she ran down the hall.
<
br /> But Blair missed their silent interaction because she’d turned her attention back to Garrett. “And you…you worthless, disgusting excuse for a man.”
“Blair,” he pleaded. “Please listen to me.”
Blair rushed toward him and shoved his chest. “There’s not one damn thing I want to hear from you. I’ve heard enough to last a lifetime.”
The pain in her eyes seized his heart, squeezing tight. How was he going to fix this? “It’s not how it looks.”
Contempt washed over her face. “Do you have any idea how many times I’ve heard those exact same words from the couples filing into my office? Do you think I’m an idiot?” She released a harsh laugh. “Oh, wait. I think this proves you do. Screw stupid Blair—then laugh about it with your cheap girlfriend.”
She was killing him. “Blair.”
Neil put an arm around her shoulders, but she shoved it off. Garrett expected him to flinch from the rejection—instead, he grinned. “Blair, don’t listen to him. He screwed you last night, and he didn’t even wait for the hotel staff to change the sheets before he invited his girlfriend back over. I warned you that his room had a revolving door.”
Blair shook her head in disgust.
Garrett took a step toward her. “He’s doing this to get back at me, Blair. Layla’s Neil’s girlfriend. Not mine.”
She put her hands on her hips. “And she just happened to be half-naked in your room?”
“It’s not how it looks. I love you, Blair. You have to believe me. Nothing has changed that.”
She glared at him, her face wrinkling in disgust. “You’re right, Garrett. Nothing has changed. You’re still the lying, cheating bastard I thought you were five years ago. You’re not man enough to be in a relationship. I can’t believe I was stupid enough to fall for your bullshit. Again.”
Neil put his hand on her arm. “Blair, let’s go. You need to rest before the wedding.”
She turned her gaze on him, venom in her eyes. “You think we’re still getting married?”
Neil rolled his eyes. “Of course we’re still getting married. Everything was fine until he showed up. Now that his true colors have shown through, there’s no reason we wouldn’t proceed with the wedding. Just like we planned.”
Blair looked at Garrett, and he watched as the anger on her face faded, replaced with dismay.
“I don’t know that woman, Blair. Neil sent her here to break us up.” Garrett’s voice cracked. “You have to believe me.”
“I don’t have to do shit.” She spun around and stomped down the hall. “I don’t ever want to see your sorry face again. Go to fucking hell!”
“Blair!” he shouted, trying to run after her.
Neil blocked his path and gave him a stone-cold smile. “I told you not to screw with me, Garrett. I warned you that I always win.”
Horror washed through him. “Oh, my God. You would hurt her like that to get back at me?”
Hate filled Neil’s eyes. “I put it together after we started dating. It wasn’t too hard. She went to the same law school you did, at the same time. She was dumped by a guy who slept his way through the school. So did you. It was a nice bonus, knowing I was seeing your old girlfriend. But then Nana insisted you come to the wedding, so I put an insurance policy in place to encourage her to keep our engagement. Just in case.”
Oh, God. “Your friend is the junior partner who told her about the potential partnership or firing. He made it all up.” He felt like he was going to throw up. “What the fuck, Neil?”
“Knowing how much she holds a grudge, I figured she’d castrate you on sight. But I had to make sure you wouldn’t screw this up for me, so I convinced Ben to tell Blair the story about the partnership. She holds her job sacred, so I knew that even if she were still attracted to you, she’d never act on it. She’d offer up her firstborn child to stay at her firm. I never thought she’d consider dumping her job for you.”
“Why are you trying to keep her so badly? Is this really all about you and me?”
“God, you really are a narcissist. Stealing something you want is a bonus. The thing I don’t understand is why you want her. She’s perfect for me. We’ll live our mostly separate lives, but we’ll both have the professional spouses we need. Do you know how hard it’s been to find someone as detached as her? I’m not about to let that go.”
Garret shook his head, speechless. Then he remembered his original plan. “I’ll give you Nana’s farm if you don’t marry her.”
Neil’s smile fell. “You can’t promise me that. It’s not yours to give.”
Garrett took a step toward him. “Nana told me she’s giving me the farm. The entire thing.”
“She’s giving it to you?” He spat in disgust. “I knew it.”
Garrett held up his hands. “But I’ll give it to you. Everything except the land with the house and the barn.”
Neil’s eyes narrowed. “You would give all that up for her?”
Garrett took a breath, trying to hide his relief that Neil was listening. “I’m in the process of having a contract drawn up.”
Neil studied him for a moment, then laughed. “That’s a good one. You think I’m going to fall for this bullshit?”
“It’s not bullshit. My friend is working on it now.”
“How convenient that it’s not ready yet. You think I’m just going to cancel the wedding on your word?”
“I’m telling you the truth, Neil.”
Confusion clouded his eyes. “You’d really give up millions to keep her?”
Garrett shot him a glare of contempt. “I would ask ‘wouldn’t you?’ but the fact we’re still discussing it speaks for itself.”
Neil rubbed his forehead, then looked up at Garrett, an ugly smile spreading across his face. “Okay. I’ll do it. But…” He paused for long enough for hope to bloom in Garrett’s heart. “You can’t have her either.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“If you can produce a contract before my wedding, I’ll sign and call it off. But you have to agree you won’t pursue her. The two of you are over.”
Garrett shook his head in disgust. “You idiot, I can’t put something like that in a contract.”
“I know.” He waved off the issue. “But you can prevent me from releasing indiscreet photos of Blair that could cost her not only this job, but kill her career.”
The blood rushed from Garrett’s head. “What photos?”
Neil smiled, but evil filled his eyes. “I have a tape and photos of Blair. Having sex. I’m sure she would hate to have those get out.”
Horror washed over Garrett. He could barely stand the thought of them having sex, let alone having it recorded for anyone to see. “Blair agreed to film a sex tape?”
Neil laughed. “Agreed? God no. But it shows her in several very compromising situations. And it’s very clear it’s her.”
Garrett shook his head, still in shock. “You would do that to her?”
“I can’t believe you have to ask me that, cousin. You really don’t know me.” He laughed. “But don’t worry. This setup.” His hand waved a circle around the room. “This pretty much makes sure you don’t stand a chance, but just in case…I have my insurance.”
“You really are a prick,” he spat in disgust.
Neil smirked. “Tell you what. I’m going to continue with the plan as it stands. But if you show up with a contract before I say I do, you have a deal.”
“You’re presuming Blair will still marry you.”
He grinned. “She will. Now that she’s lost you, her job is the only thing she has left.” Neil spun around and walked down the hall. “See you at the wedding.”
* * *
Blair stood in the lobby of Garrett’s hotel, trying to piece everything together. There was no denying there had been a half-naked woman in Garrett’s room. And there was no denying the horrified look in his eyes. The real question was who was Layla and why was she there?
And then there was the
inexplicable fact that Neil really expected her to still marry him. Why was he acting so calm and rational? She’d be furious in his shoes, and she didn’t even love him. He claimed to love her, and yet he was acting like sleeping with his cousin was a crime on par with purchasing the wrong toilet paper brand.
But something else was nagging her, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on.
She replayed their conversation in the bakery…and then it struck her like a bag full of bricks.
“Blair.” Neil called her name from across the lobby. She turned to face him, newly amazed by how collected he seemed after the ugly scene upstairs. But that’s what she’d wanted, right? Someone calm and rational.
Neil stopped in front of her and gently put his hand on her arm. “Are you okay, darling? I know that had to be humiliating.”
She cringed. “You have no idea.”
His face softened. “I meant what I said, Blair. I still want to marry you. I love you enough to overlook all of this.”
She shook her head. “I just don’t see how you can feel that way.”
“I’m not like you.”
“Thank God for that, right?” she asked dryly.
He placed a kiss on her mouth. “We’ll go through with the wedding to save your job. Then we’ll sort everything else out later. Okay?”
“That’s right, we’re going to save my job.” It was all she had left. Her gaze narrowed. “I want you to propose to me again.”
His eyes widened. “What?”
“I’ve heard another man’s proposal and accepted it since last night, Neil. You need to propose again.”
“Okay…” He took her hand in his. “Blair Hansen, you are perfect for me. Will you marry me?”
She smiled and took her hand from his. “I’ll see you at the wedding.” Then she turned and started for the door.
“But you don’t have your car. Don’t you want me to take you home?”
She looked back at him. “No. I have so much to do to prepare for the wedding. I want everything to be perfect.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Modern Fairy Tale: Twelve Books of Breathtaking Romance Page 158