Sinful Proposition

by Erika Wilde

  Tempest felt utterly devastated for Remy and what he’d gone through. Unable to stand the physical distance between them and desperately needing to touch him and let him know he wasn’t alone, she stood up, went to him, and didn’t hesitate to sit across his lap. She took his face in her hands and forced his gaze up to hers, ignoring the wary, guarded look he gave her.

  “I’m so sorry, Remy,” she said, hearing the catch of emotion in her voice. “Your mother should have loved and protected you.”

  “She didn’t want me,” he said angrily. “She couldn’t have made that clearer. And the really sad thing? She cut me completely out of her life, rejected and abandoned me when I truly needed her the most, and I spent years wondering what I did wrong. Why wasn’t I enough? Why couldn’t she love me?”

  Her heart ached at the misery she heard in his voice and saw in his eyes, and because there were no easy answers to the questions he’d asked, she just wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tight, letting him know that she cared for him. His body went rigid at her affectionate gesture, but she didn’t let go, and eventually he slid his arms around her waist, accepting her warmth and compassion.

  “You are enough, Remy,” she whispered in his ear, even though she knew he had good reasons for those walls of his, for being wary and cautious with his heart and emotions.

  It was difficult enough being shunned by your own mother, but Remy’s ex-wife’s rejection had only reinforced his fears and insecurities, and Tempest suddenly wanted to do everything in her power going forward to show Remy that he was a man who deserved to be happy. And shockingly, she wanted to be the woman to give him all the things his mother and ex-wife had stolen from him.

  She lifted her head from his shoulder, still curious about something. “How is it that you know about Kyle but he doesn’t know you?”

  His hands dropped to her hips, and where before it had been difficult to get him to talk, now he seemed more open to sharing. “Like I said, my mother disassociated herself from everything in her past, and that little kid in me who wanted his mother’s love and attention and affection couldn’t help but look her up on social media. I saw pictures of her with Kyle and her husband, so I’ve known who Kyle is and what he looks like for years now.”

  Tempest thought back to Remy’s angry reaction to seeing Kyle in her apartment that night of the ball, and now it all made sense to her. “Why haven’t you contacted Kyle to tell him that he’s your half brother?”

  Remy let out a laugh that was harsh and unforgiving. “It’s not my place to tell Kyle anything. It’s my mother’s place, and clearly she’s made her choice.”

  Tempest nodded in understanding, though she wished that things could have been different for Remy. That he’d had the opportunity to grow up in a safe environment with a mother who’d loved and protected him, instead of relinquishing all her rights to an innocent child when he’d needed that parental figure the most. Yet despite all his adversity, he’d become a respectable, decent man worth knowing and loving, even if he didn’t see that himself.

  “What are you going to do about Kyle?” he asked, the question quiet and tentative.

  She realized Remy was referring to the text she’d received earlier that had prompted this entire conversation. While she knew there was nothing she could say or do to change all the horrible things in Remy’s past, she came to the conclusion that, right now, in the present, she had the ability to protect him from any more emotional upheaval.

  Her answer was an easy one. She was putting an end to things with Kyle. For good.

  Reaching across the small table, she grabbed her phone, and still sitting on Remy’s lap, she typed out her final reply to Kyle. Ultimately, she didn’t want the other man to ever interfere with her relationship and feelings for Remy, who meant more to her than she ever could have imagined. She didn’t want Kyle in her life, never had, and Remy didn’t need the constant reminder of a life he’d never been a part of.

  I need you to stop texting and calling me. I’m seeing someone else. I’m blocking your number as soon as I send this, so don’t bother to respond.

  As soon as the message left her phone, she made good on her promise to block Kyle’s number, then showed the text to Remy. The relief she saw filter across his features was tangible, and he gave her a self-conscious grin.

  “So, we’re seeing each other, huh?” he asked, his gaze searching hers.

  She knew what he meant, what he was asking. After all the things they’d shared about their pasts, this thing between them was no longer just a casual affair but something much deeper and more meaningful that affected them both and lent itself to exclusivity. “I’d really like that.”

  “Me, too,” he said, and with a hand sliding into her hair, he brought her mouth down to his for a kiss to seal the deal, leaving no doubt in Tempest’s mind that, for now, she was his.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Remy walked into the large veterans hall Tempest had given him directions to for the annual Wilder Way spaghetti dinner she hosted—which was her way of bringing together all the kids and families the foundation had helped out over the course of the past year, she’d told him.

  Other than the dozens of round tables, chairs, and an area set up to serve everyone when they arrived, the place was empty, though he heard loud voices and clattering coming from the back of the hall. Assuming it was the kitchen, where Tempest had told him to meet her, he headed in that direction.

  As soon as he entered the large work area, he had a huge oh shit moment, as he caught sight of both of Tempest’s brothers, Maddux and Hunter, and two other women, all of whom stopped what they were doing—straining huge pots of pasta, taking meatballs out of the oven, stirring the sauce on the stove, slathering garlic butter on slices of bread—to watch him walk in.

  The girls, who he didn’t know, exchanged a delighted, excited look, and Tempest’s brothers both gave him a smirk that said, Welcome to our hell, sucker.

  Tempest rushed up to him, wearing a full-length red apron that protected her clothing beneath. “You made it,” she said, and gave him a smile that was as vibrant as she was and never failed to light him up inside, where he’d been dark for so long.

  He half expected her to greet him with an enthusiastic kiss, which she typically did under normal circumstances, but she refrained because being in front of her family for the first time was far from an ordinary situation for the two of them. They’d been “seeing each other” for nearly a month since he’d told her about his mother’s abandonment, and while he saw her regularly now that he was working on the Wilder Things building on a daily basis, and she stayed a lot of nights at his place, they’d kept the details of their relationship private up to this point.

  “Here, you’re going to want to put this on because things are bound to get messy,” she said, and handed him a clean apron like everyone else was wearing.

  He put the garment on and tied the strings in the back while arching an inquisitive brow at Tempest and keeping his voice between the two of them as he spoke. “Why didn’t you tell me your brothers were going to be here?”

  “Because I didn’t want you to back out,” she replied in a sassy tone, keeping her voice equally low.

  Okay, he couldn’t deny that he probably would have reconsidered if he’d known her protectors were going to be there. “Do they know about you and me?” That he was doing all sorts of dirty things to their sister on their downtime?

  She tipped her head to the side, an amused smile on her lips. “They know that you’re working on Wilder Things, of course, and that you’re a nice guy who enjoys volunteering. Now for God’s sake, relax.”

  He exhaled a deep breath. Okay, so her brothers weren’t going to chop his balls off. Good to know.

  Tempest walked back to the stove and the big pot of red sauce bubbling there and introduced him to the two women still gawking at him. “Arabella and Elle, this is Remy Lowell, who is doing all the construction and build-outs on the Wilder Things bui
lding,” she said, picking up a long wooden spoon and stirring the sauce. “Arabella is engaged to Maddux, and Elle is engaged to Hunter,” she explained to Remy, which he’d known through previous conversation with Tempest.

  “Nice to meet you both.” Remy gave the women a quick wave, then glanced over to Maddux and Hunter, who didn’t look surprised to see him, so Tempest must have at least given them warning. “Good to see you guys.”

  “Same,” Hunter said, and went back to preparing more pasta. “The more help at this shindig, the merrier.” He rolled his eyes, giving Remy the impression he’d gotten his arm twisted into being a helper.

  Maddux eyed him over the tray of meatballs he was transferring into a large metal serving dish. “What I want to know is how the hell did Tempest persuade you to volunteer?”

  Remy didn’t think Maddux would appreciate hearing that Tempest had caught him at a weak, vulnerable moment, with his aching cock in her mouth and her keeping him right on the edge of an orgasm until he’d agreed. “It was under duress,” he said, which was true but sounded more like she’d verbally worn him down.

  Tempest burst out laughing at his comment, then realizing that everyone had shifted their eyes to her with immense interest, she immediately swallowed her amusement and shrugged. “You know how I am. I can be very persuasive. Remy, do you want to help the girls out with the garlic bread?”

  “Sure do,” he said, grateful to have something to keep him busy.

  For the next few hours, under Tempest’s direction, they all worked together to prepare everything that was needed to feed about a hundred people, both adults and children. Casual conversation, laughter, and joking ensued in the kitchen, giving Remy a glimpse of how close Tempest was with her brothers and soon-to-be sisters-in-law. Even though Maddux and Hunter weren’t yet married to Arabella and Elle, it was clear that all five of them were already a family, and Remy couldn’t help but envy that close connection he’d never had in his life.

  Metal trays were filled with spaghetti and meatballs and taken to the buffet, along with the fragrant garlic bread and cheesecake for dessert. The girls put out chilled bottles of water and soft drinks and set up stacks of paper plates, napkins, and plastic forks and knifes for guests to grab before walking down the buffet line, where Tempest insisted that she and Remy would be serving the spaghetti and meatballs.

  Families started streaming into the hall, and Remy watched as Tempest made a point of greeting everyone personally. She conversed with the parents like they were old friends and made sure she gave the kids her attention, too. She was kind and gracious and genuinely warm and welcoming, no matter who they were. He was beginning to see how huge Tempest’s heart was, how much she loved giving back and making other people happy. As Remy well knew, she had a natural tendency to make a person feel good when she was near them, and it was addicting.

  In a month’s time, this woman had gone from someone he’d physically desired to someone he emotionally craved, and Remy knew he had to be careful or else he’d do something incredibly stupid, like fall in love with her. He was wise enough and experienced enough to know that he was not her Prince Charming who’d give her the happily ever after she wanted and deserved, but until she realized that and they went their separate ways, he wanted every moment with her that he could steal.

  After a brief speech from Tempest welcoming everyone to the spaghetti dinner, the buffet opened and a long trail of adults and children lined up. While Maddux, Hunter, Arabella, and Elle made sure that the trays were always full of food, Remy assisted Tempest, with her piling the pasta on a guest’s plate, and him ladling a generous amount of sauce and meatballs on top.

  He realized that Tempest didn’t have to serve the guests. She wanted to. It gave her a chance to chat with everyone once again, which she truly seemed to enjoy. These families were not only recipients of the Wilder Way Foundation, but Tempest made them feel as though they were friends, too.

  As the line dwindled and everyone was feasting on their dinners at the nearby tables, two young girls came up to the buffet table where Remy and Tempest were consolidating some of the trays of food. The older-looking girl, who appeared to be around ten, held on to the younger girl’s hand, who appeared to be half her age.

  “Ms. Wilder?” the older-looking girl asked, her big brown eyes peering up at Tempest in a shy manner.

  “Hi, Lexi,” Tempest said, greeting the girl by name, giving her an affectionate smile. “Would you like more spaghetti?”

  “No, thank you. I’m very full,” Lexi said, then indicated the younger girl by her side. “But my sister, Ashley, watched the new Lady and the Tramp movie this past weekend, and she wanted to know if you two could show her how to do the spaghetti thing.”

  “The spaghetti thing?” Remy glanced at Tempest in confusion, having no idea what Lexi was talking about.

  “Yes, the spaghetti thing!” Tempest said enthusiastically, totally on board with the girl’s request. “Of course we can. That would be so fun!”

  Young Ashley shouted out an excited yay, and while hopping from foot to foot, she clapped her hands merrily, capturing the attention of nearby tables, who turned their eyes to the little girl’s outburst to see what she was so thrilled about.

  Tempest used a fork to pull a long strand of pasta from the tray, then lifted the noodle between herself and Remy. “This is how it goes,” she said, her eyes twinkling playfully as she explained. “We each take an end and eat the strand of spaghetti until we meet in the middle.”

  He frowned, certain he’d misunderstood, but Tempest gave him a look that said just go with it while whispering, “Do not crush this little girl’s excitement by being a grumpy pants.”

  At that moment, a song began to play from someone’s phone, reverberating throughout the silent hall, and Remy realized that everyone was now watching him and Tempest, their anticipation nearly palpable.

  “Why is that person playing that song?” he murmured, feeling as though he was being punked.

  “It’s ‘Bella Notte,’” Tempest said, as if he should know what that meant. “They’re setting the mood for the spaghetti scene between Lady and the Tramp.”

  Okaayyy. Not wanting to disappoint the little girl, who was waiting and watching so avidly, Remy accepted one end of the noodle between his lips, while Tempest did the same. And while he stared into her dancing, mischievous eyes that did crazy things to his heart, they both started nibbling toward the middle, where their last bite was met by the touching of their lips in a soft kiss that probably lingered longer than it should have.

  Everyone clapped and cheered, and when Tempest pulled away, a telltale blush swept across her cheeks. The whole thing was ridiculous as far as Remy was concerned, but the adults and children loved the moment, and Tempest curtsied and played it off by laughing. Remy smiled at her and chuckled, too, before catching sight of Maddux, who was standing in the doorway leading to the kitchen, watching the two of them with a frown on his face and his arms folded across his chest.

  After a few long moments, Maddux finally walked away, and for some reason, the very short encounter made Remy uneasy.

  Another hour and a half passed before people started to leave for the evening, until the hall was empty once again. The six of them helped clean up the area, tossing trash and carrying things back into the kitchen that needed to be washed. With everyone else otherwise occupied, Maddux walked up to Remy and nodded his head toward a side door that led to the back area of the building.

  “Got a minute to talk?” the other man asked.

  Since Maddux had witnessed that spaghetti kiss between him and Tempest, Remy could easily guess what the topic of this conversation was going to be. As much as Remy wanted to avoid the discussion, he was man enough to look Tempest’s older brother in the eyes and face the music, so to speak.

  “Sure,” Remy replied, and followed Maddux out the door, to a concrete area that immediately lit up with a motion-detecting light when they stepped outside. There were a coup
le of chairs set up, but Remy remained standing, as did Maddux.

  The other man glanced at him, his expression surprisingly relaxed. “How is everything going on the Wilder Things project?”

  “Really well.” They were only a few weeks into the construction, which Maddux probably already knew, but Remy appreciated the casual business talk. “It helps that your sister has a clear vision of what she wants.”

  “She always has.” A proud smile tipped the corners of Maddux’s mouth before his gaze turned more direct. “And what about you? Do you have a clear vision of what you want?”

  There were two very different ways for Remy to answer Maddux’s question, and he had no idea which direction to take. “Excuse me?”

  “When it comes to my sister,” the other man said, getting right to the point of his interrogation. “Do you have a clear vision of what you want?”

  Remy shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. “I’m not sure what you mean?”

  “Do I look stupid to you?” Maddux arched a dark brow. “I’ve watched you and Tempest interact over the past few hours, and I’ve seen the way you look at her when you think no one is around. More to the point, I see the way she looks at you. Clearly, there is something more going on between the two of you than a signed contract. Are you dating my sister?” he asked more bluntly.

  Remy wasn’t going to lie to a man he considered a good friend. “Yes.”

  “And what are your intentions?” Maddux asked.

  The question seemed so antiquated, but the other man obviously wasn’t joking. His expression was serious, his concern for his sister unmistakable.

  “I like and care about your sister very much,” Remy replied honestly. “We’re enjoying each other’s company for now.”