The Price of Love

by Cassy Roop

  “Well,” she said timidly, “that will not work very well then will it?”

  “It will if you take on the project.” I suggested to her.

  The waiter picked that exact time to bring our food. I let go of her hand as he placed the plates in front of us. Kendall and I both thanked him in unison. Our waiter left and Kendall looked up at me with question in her eyes.

  “I mean if you say yes to the project, we will be spending quite a bit of time together. It would give us an opportunity to get to know one another.” I offered.

  “I…I…don’t know what to say,” Kendall stammered.

  “Kendall, I would not have suggested to Laura that you do the project if I didn’t think you were capable of doing a good job. Like I said before, I have read your work. You are quite talented. But I would be lying to myself if I said that was the only reason I wanted you on the project.”

  I reached for her hand again and caressed the back of it with my thumb. I felt her shiver. I knew she felt the heat between us just as much as I did. I looked into her eyes and pleaded with her silently to accept. She had to. Her life and safety depend on it.

  After what seemed like several silent moments, she finally opened her mouth to speak and the beautiful words had relief rushing through my body.

  “Well Mr. Price, how can I refuse?”

  I sit staring up at the ceiling from my thin, cold cot. I have been in this room too long. My life has been wasting away here for the past eight years while she still gets to live hers. No doubt she is out with other men. She is mine. I made her mine all those years ago and I’ll be damned if I will let anyone else have her.

  I only have a few short weeks left and I will be free. I’ll be free to live my life with her. I know she still wants me. She needs me. I have freed us from the obstacle that was her parents. They will no longer influence her and keep her away from me. I will destroy anyone else who tries to come in-between us again.

  I glance over at the wall to my left. The only picture I have had of us hangs there as a reminder of the life we once had. She looks so beautiful in her prom dress hugged up to me in my tuxedo. The last image I have in my mind of her is from the courtroom. She was crying no doubt because of her parents. Could she really not see that I did it for us? I did it so that we could be together. She has had plenty of time to grieve. Now it is time to figure out a plan.

  I only have five short weeks and I will be out of here. It is time to set the wheels in motion. Last I heard from my sources, they said she had moved to New York. It does not matter. I will still go to her. She won’t ever need to work. All she will need is me.

  Five short weeks my love. We will have our forever. I killed for you once, I will gladly do it again.

  Chapter 6

  Kendall

  Dinner with Tristan had been wonderful. We kept a light, easy conversation. I do not remember enjoying an evening out this much in a long time. Tristan was a gentleman, although I did notice his little innuendos.

  How bad would it be for me to allow myself to get close to another man again? I had worked so hard to repair the life that Brett stole from me. I had built walls up around my heart that only Cassie was able to penetrate. Could I finally let go of my control and allow myself to feel again? Could I trust Tristan? His reputation for being a ladies man had me a little apprehensive.

  When we finished dinner, Tristan guided me out to the car where Garrison was waiting for us. He gestured for me to slide in first. After, he gave Garrison the address to my apartment with Cassie.

  How did he know that?

  I stared out the window of the car at the city as it passed by. All I could think about was this man sitting next to me. How good his cologne smelled and his overall dominating presence. As I turned away from the window, I caught him staring at me. The look on his face was one of longing. It was almost like he was holding back. I could sense a slight sadness in those green pools. Just as instantly as I saw the look, it disappeared. What was he thinking?

  “Thank you for agreeing to do the project, Kendall. You have no idea how much it means to me for you to accept,” he said as he picked up my hand and gently placed a kiss on the back of it. His lips were warm and sent a tingle down my spine. I want that mouth on other places on my body.

  “I am looking forward to these next few months,” he said when I did not answer. All I could do was smile. It was hard to think when he was sitting this close to me. I could feel the heat coming from his body. His thigh was only a mere inch from mine. I imagined our legs entwined together on a bed of messy sheets with our bodies covered in sweat.

  “Kendall,” Tristan said as he placed his hand on my shoulder. I looked up to see that we are at my apartment. How long had I been daydreaming about Tristan? I glanced over to find a sexy grin on his face.

  Did he know what I was thinking?

  Garrison rounded the car and opened the door on Tristan's side. Tristan got out and offered his hand to help me out of the car.

  “I will be right back, Garrison. I will walk Miss Jones to the door,” he said to his driver who responded with a nod.

  We walked up the stairs to the main door to my building and I reached to open it. Tristan reached it before I could and opened it first.

  “Kendall, why is this door not locked?” he asked with an angry look on his face.

  “It has been broken for a while according to Cassie. She said the maintenance crew knows about it, but hasn’t gotten around to fixing it yet.” I explained to him.

  I thought I heard him mutter a few curse words as we entered the building. I reached into my purse to grab my keys. Tristan started to walk to the stairs and I reached out a hand to stop him.

  “Cassie and I are on the first floor,” I said as I pointed down the hallway. I visually saw his face turn red.

  “Kendall, you live in a building with an apartment on the first floor that has a no-locking main door?” he said through gritted teeth.

  Why is he so angry?

  He followed me down the hall to my apartment door. I turned around to thank him when I caught the expression on his face. He looked angry and worried. How could his demeanor have changed so quickly? I thought our night had gone really well.

  “Kendall, this really is not safe. I don’t like it. The hallway is too dimly lit, and I won’t mention the building door again,” he said as his anger only increased.

  “Whoa, calm down, Sparky. I will talk with Cassie and see if we can get maintenance on it. Ok?” I told him. His shift in mood really had me confused.

  “For now,” he bit out. I slowly watched the anger start to drain from his face and the tension in his shoulders fade. He reached for my hands and held them between us as he took a step towards me. My heart rate increased with his close proximity.

  “Well Miss Jones, I had a wonderful evening. Promise me you will lock this door as soon as you shut it,” he said as he nodded toward my apartment door.

  “Yes, Sir,” I said with a smile.

  Tristan leaned his head down toward mine. My breath caught in my throat. I could feel my pulse beating in my veins. He was going to kiss me. The thought had me excited and scared to death at the same time. Instead he turned at the last second.

  “Good night, Angel,” he whispered in my ear. His lips touched my skin as he brushed a feather light kiss right below my ear. And with that he turned and walked down the hall.

  Oh boy am I in trouble.

  Cassie was either asleep or not home when I walked in the door. I shut the door as soon as I entered the apartment and locked it instantly as promised. All the lights were off and the apartment was quiet. I tiptoed to my room trying not to stub my toe on any furniture. I knew Cassie will want the full report on my “date” tonight, but I just didn’t have the energy to deal with that right now. Tristan's mood changes had left me feeling exhausted. His concern for my safety was endearing, but the anger behind it was not. Why was he so concerned about it anyway? We had only known each other for two days.<
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  Cassie’s door to her room was closed, signaling to me that she was home and asleep. I walked into my room and shut the door before I turned on my light. My room really was small compared to my apartment in Dallas. My bed dominated most of the space with the exception of my dresser and a small end table next to my bed. I had a lilac colored bedspread with matching curtains that had a feminine lace detail. It was a gift from Cassie after we graduated college. I shed the back sheath dress I wore and grabbed my favorite pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt to change into for bed. I quickly dressed and grabbed my phone to plug it in and made sure that the alarm was set for work in the morning.

  I felt a gentle breeze enter the room and I looked over to see the curtains gently moving from the small breeze.

  That’s weird. I don’t remember leaving my window cracked open.

  I walked over to the window and shut it. Maybe Cassie opened it to allow some fresh air into our small cramped space. Sometimes our heat worked a little too well and we had to open the windows to allow it to cool off.

  I pulled back the covers and climbed into bed. I was willing my mind to shut down as I lay there staring at the ceiling going over the events of the evening. I started thinking about the project and working with Tristan. I have to be on guard. Tristan had a power that no man since Brett has. He had the power to potentially break me again. I wasn’t so sure if I was entirely comfortable with that feeling as I finally started to drift off to sleep.

  I awoke the next morning to a loud banging noise about ten minutes prior to my alarm going off. I could hear Cassie cursing the noise from her bedroom. I got out of bed and grabbed my robe from behind my door. Opening the door to my bedroom, I stepped out into the hall and nearly knocked Cassie down in the process.

  “What the hell is that noise?” she grumbled as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. I shrugged as I followed her down the hall and into our living room. Our small apartment had an open floor plan that connected the living room, dining room and kitchen all into one. The only thing separating the living room and kitchen was a small L-shaped bar that ran from the front door around to the entrance of the kitchen. On top of that bar sat a few house plants that had seen better days. Cassie and I definitely did not have a green thumb.

  The sound of the noise seemed to be coming from out in the hall, so Cassie and I made our way to the front door. She opened the door to find several men working on light fixtures and hanging up what looked like security cameras.

  “What the hell is going on?” Cassie demanded to the crew.

  “Good morning, Miss. We are terribly sorry for the disturbance. The owner of the building has ordered repairs and so here we are.” A middle aged man with long hair and a grizzly beard offered as explanation.

  Cassie and I both looked at each other. I guess all of Cassie bitching the last few weeks finally paid off.

  “I can see that, Sir, but did it have to happen at six forty-five in the morning?” Cassie questioned.

  “Again, very sorry Miss. The owner wanted the repairs done as soon as possible. He also is adding some upgrades with it for your convenience,” the man said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out two white key cards.

  “These will get you into your new front door. There are to be used in combination of a key code. You have to have both to be able to enter the building. A gentleman will be by your door in a few minutes to give you paperwork with the password.”

  He walked away and climbed back up the ladder to finish installing the new light fixture in the hallway.

  Cassie and I walked back into our apartment. I started to go back to my room so that I could get ready for work. Cassie stopped me before I had the chance to escape.

  “Oh no you don’t!” she exclaimed. “You are not getting off that easy. I want details from last night with Mr. Sexy Pants and you better not hold out on me. Sit, while I make the coffee.”

  I sat down at the bar facing the kitchen as she commanded. As I watched Cassie busy herself making the coffee, I replayed last night over in my mind. I backtracked over everything from our playful banter to his fierce protectiveness. Cassie finished with the coffee and brought two steaming mugs over to the bar and sat down next to me.

  I told her everything starting from being picked up by Garrison and having the rose and the note, to Tristan walking me to the front door. She looked at me for a few minutes while she smiled. I know she was enjoying this too much.

  “Wow. So he didn’t try to put any moves on you? I honestly thought he would. Not like it would have taken much for you to give in,” she teased.

  “Shut up. I wouldn’t have. I’m still not sure if I’m ready for that with Tristan or anyone for that matter,” I said as I glared at her.

  “I know sweets. I’m only pressing your buttons. So don’t you think it is kind of funny that those guys are out in the hall right now?” Cassie asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean Mr. Sexy Pants went all ‘alpha male protective man’ on your ass and all of a sudden the door is now being repaired and a security system is being installed,” she said as she nodded toward the front door. I froze in place.

  He wouldn’t have.

  “I am sure it is just a coincidence, Cass. Tristan wouldn’t seriously do something like that, would he?” I asked her.

  She just shrugged.

  I could not help but think about it over and over as I got ready for work. After showering, I put on my favorite navy blue jersey knit dress. It had a surplice V-neckline and sleeves that fall just below the elbow. The shutter pleats hugged my curves to give me that great hourglass look. It was my power dress. The one I always fell back on to feel powerful and sexy. I pulled my hair up into a sleek high ponytail and kept my eye makeup minimal and added a deep red shade to my lips. I topped off the look with my red patent leather heels.

  I had a need to feel in control today. With all the emotions that were running through me with agreeing to the project and the feelings I was having about Tristan, I felt control slipping away from me. Control was something I held on strongly to since Brett. If Tristan was responsible for the events this morning, I don’t know how I would feel. On one hand I truly was grateful for the door being repaired and the security system. It was New York after all. The crime rate was not exactly mellow here. On the other hand, if Tristan did it on purpose to have some sort of control over me, then we were going to have issues.

  Cassie and I both walked to work since the weather was a little warmer today than yesterday. It was a very welcoming thing for a Friday morning. We grabbed breakfast to go from our favorite little coffee shop before going to the office. I tried to put all thoughts of Tristan out of my head as Cassie and I rode the elevator up to our office. When the doors pinged and opened into our lobby and reception area, the first thing we saw was Rachel’s beaming smile. Next to her was another flower arrangement.

  “Kendall someone sure must have a crush on you! Are these from the gentleman who called to pick you up downstairs last night?” Rachel asked excitedly.

  I reached into the bouquet of daisies. They were always my favorite flowers. I pulled the card from the holder and opened the envelope to read what it said.

  Looking forward to seeing you again.

  The card was not signed and didn’t say anything else. I had a feeling they were from Tristan, but I was not going to tell Rachel that.

  “No, Rach, they are not from him.” I said with a small chuckle. They weren’t from Garrison, but from his boss. I smiled.

  “Well, whoever they are from sure has put a grin on your pretty little face.” She replied with her own smile.

  I grabbed the vase and turned to find Cassie staring at me with a huge shit eating grin on her face.

  “Told you Kendall, he wants you.”

  “Shut up, Cass.”

  Cassie laughed as we made our way back into the office. Everyone was already getting busy with their daily assignments. After making lunch plans with Cassie, I went to my cu
bicle to set the vase down next to the bouquet from yesterday. Now I definitely did not have any room in my small space. I made a mental note to myself to call Tristan's office to thank him for the flowers later.

  There was a post-it note on my computer from Laura asking me to meet her in her office when I got to work. No doubt it was a meeting about the Luxe Hotels project. After setting down my things and taking off my jacket, I made my way to Laura’s office. She was just hanging up the phone as I walked in.

  “Good morning, Kendall. That was Mr. Price’s assistant on the phone. Apparently you agreed to do the project?” Laura asked me.

  “Yes, Ma’am, I did. Tri…I mean Mr. Price and I discussed it last night over dinner.” I told her cautiously. I was nervous that she would be upset with me for not informing her about my meeting with Tristan.

  “Very good. His assistant is having all the details of the New York opening sent over this afternoon to get the ball rolling. After thinking about it, I have to agree with Mr. Price. I do believe you are the right person for this project. Your past work shows proof of that.”

  “Thank you,” I said.

  “A word of warning though, Kendall. I don’t have to stress to you how big this deal is for us. We could potentially boost our sales over a hundred percent with this deal. Please do not blow it by trying to get involved with Mr. Price. It was not oblivious to the heated looks between the two of you in the conference room the other day. Keep it professional. The last thing we need is him pulling out because of personal reasons.” Laura said sternly.

  “I completely understand.”

  After leaving Laura’s office, I went back to my cubicle to go through the projects I had been working on recently. I needed to delegate those to other employees so that I could clear my schedule for the Luxe project. Laura made it plainly clear before leaving her office that this project was to be my only focus.