I take the papers and put them and the pen back up, leaving my desk clear again. “What kind of favor are you in need of, Meagan?”
“I’ve decided to start my launch into the political world. I’m going to run for Governor of New York.” She claps her hands as if that’s the greatest idea ever. “Tomorrow night there’s a little get together I’m hosting to start acquiring my supporters. I’d like for you to join me as the host of the soirée. Having you as a supporter would really get things rolling. You’re respected by so many people in this state. Your business ethics are above reproach, you know. To have you in my corner, joining me as the host would help me more than you know. Please say you’ll do it.”
“Tomorrow?” I ask as I don’t feel like attending any kind of function at all right now. I can barely get my ass out of bed to come to work.
“Yes, tomorrow evening at nine,” she says as her eyes shimmer with hope. “Please, Zane. I really can’t think of anyone better to help me host this party. Please.”
She’s being so nice and she did just sign those papers without asking me a thing about them. I should help her. And so I say, “Okay. I’d love to help you.”
“Oh!” she jumps up and shouts as she runs around the desk and hugs me. “Thank you! Thank you so much, Zane. This means so much to me. I’ve been thinking about this for a long time now.” She lets me out of her grasp and goes back to sit in the chair. “Can I tell you something?”
“Sure, Meagan,” I say as I straighten my tie, her hug messed up a little.
Her smile is wide as she says, “I have more goals than merely winning Governorship, I want to run for president eight years from now. What do you think about that?”
“Wow!” I say and don’t know what to think of that. “That is one large goal there, Meagan.”
“Do you think I have what it takes, Zane?” she asks me with a worried expression. “I mean I really want your opinion. Please be truthful.”
“Well, sure you could be president, Meagan. You’re smart, well educated. You’ve been in the legal system for a long time. With a stint as governor, I can see you being a qualified person to run this country. Sure,” I say and I kind of mean it.
I’m not a political person. I’ve never been into any politics at all. I vote but I have to admit that I just go with the party my father did because I pay little attention to things like that.
She leans in and smiles. “Thank you, Zane. Your support means more to me than anyone else’s. Perhaps you could become part of my team?”
Part of her team?
Chapter 3
ELIZABETH
Two months have passed and my feet are killing me. Back to work as a waitress and taking double shifts to try to make ends meet is getting to me. Add in the fact I haven’t gotten over Zane at all and you have the makings of a walking disaster.
The work on the lighthouse has not stopped. I have no idea why he’s still going on with that idea. I thought for sure it would’ve been torn down by now and the work on the condos started. But I haven’t stopped by to talk to Gus about what’s going on.
It’s none of my business anymore, anyway.
“Hey, can you turn that television up? I want to hear the news,” a man at the counter asks me.
I grab the step-stool and move it to reach the television that we’ve lost the remote to. It’s placed high up on the wall so the whole diner can see the screen.
As I get back off the step-stool, I hear the news anchor say, “And in national news, we have a new runner for governor of New York state.” I take a few steps back so I can see the screen. “Judge Meagan Saunders has officially put her hat in the race.” My jaw drops as I see Zane at her side.
“She did it,” I whisper to myself. “The bitch did it!”
The bell over the door rings as someone walks in and I turn to see Gus coming in. He’s holding up a set of keys and smiling. “I have a present for you, Lizzie.”
“Tell him to stick his present up his ass,” I say and run into the kitchen behind me.
I can’t breathe or think, my heart is pounding so hard. Tanya comes in behind me. “What the hell is going on with you?”
“He’s with her. He’s actually with that bitch! I never thought he’d be with her. Never!”
“He, who and what bitch?” she asks me as she reaches out to pull me up as I’ve slid down the wall and am sitting on my ass on the floor.
“Zane and Meagan. She’s the one who made me leave him,” I blurt out.
Then I look at Tanya as I’ve told no one that. Her eyes are big as she says, “You have to tell him that, Liz. You have to let him know that.”
I shake my head as she pulls me up. “I can’t. She said she’ll ruin him. I can’t let that happen.”
“So instead of letting him in on this, you’re going to let her have him?” she asks. “That doesn’t sound like you at all.”
“I know it doesn’t. That’s how much I love him. But I don’t know what I feel about him now. He’s with her! Tanya, I cannot believe this.”
The kitchen door opens and Gus is standing there. “I have to give you these keys and I also have to tell you that Mr. White said he gave you the lighthouse. He also said to tell you he’s going to be paying the taxes on it every year. The electricity and water are also going to be paid by him. He’s filled the closet and drawers with clothes for you. Go see.”
“Why would he do that?” I ask Gus. “He’s with another woman now.”
“I don’t know anything about the man’s personal life. I just know he wants you to have the lighthouse. And he even had groceries stocked in the kitchen. You don’t have to do a thing but take your personal things over there and start living, girl.”
“I can’t,” I say then Tanya grabs me by the arm.
I look at her and she smiles at me. “You can. Take it. It’ll help heal that broken heart of yours. I’ll join you for dinner tonight to celebrate.”
“You will?” I ask as I think about actually taking the thing.
I mean if he’s moving on with that woman then why can’t I move on with my lighthouse?
I open my palm and Gus lays the keys on it. “There you go. I hope you like our work.” He turns and leaves me standing there with no idea of what I really should do.
“What are you waiting for, Lizzie. Go check out your new house!” Tanya tells me as she spins me around and takes my apron off. “I’ll cover for you. We’re slow and you don’t have near the bills you used to have all of a sudden. No need for this double shift work any longer.”
“That’s right,” I mumble as I float out the front door with my house keys in my hand.
I have no idea if this is right or wrong to take the lighthouse but I know I don’t want all that hard work to go to waste because of some misplaced stubborn pride.
As I get into my car, I wonder about Zane. Why he’d continue with the lighthouse, why he’d give it to me, and why the hell he was with that damn woman on the television!
Driving down to the lighthouse, I see it for the first time since it’s been finished. On the bottom floor, I see white lace curtains hanging in the windows. Six more windows have been added so I know the interior lighting will be great now.
The door is a deep blue now and brand new. The white paint is gleaming in the afternoon sunlight and it seems to be sparkling. I wish Gramps was here to see this. Man, he’d be loving it.
I close my eyes as I open the door and step inside and close the door before I open them again. It takes me a second to realize this is all real. This is really happening.
The floor was taken down to the cement and stained a gorgeous deep blue swirling pattern. It shines brilliantly and the rustic chandelier that is hanging from the bottom of the observation deck floor is reflecting on it.
This is like an entry room and has only one chair and a tall but small round wooden table right next to the door. From here you can go up a new spiral staircase or through another door.
So I take th
e door and find myself in the kitchen and dining area. All the latest appliances have been installed. Even the sink is new and polished looking. The chrome shines and the floor is just like the entry room’s floor.
One door is off to the right and I open it to find the new and improved bedroom. A queen-sized bed is in the middle of the now pretty decently sized room. A blanket of baby blue is covering it and the pillows are big and look fluffy. Walking to the bathroom, I open the door and find a nicely tiled stand-up shower and everything looking new and updated too.
The whole place looks and smells wonderful. Better than I imagined it could. And now to go upstairs. I float through the house to get back to the stairs. It feels unreal to me, like a dream.
The first step I take makes no sound unlike the other staircase, the one Zane deemed unsafe. He might have been right and this new staircase is gorgeous.
There’s a handrail done in a brushed brass and the stairs are made of some kind of wood, I think it’s mahogany. They shine brightly too. As I get to the top I can see no curtains are covering the windows that go all the way around the upper floor.
Leather furniture in a sandy color is strategically placed so you can sit and see out. The view is very pretty this afternoon. Clear skies and calm waters meet my gaze as I look out one of the windows.
The floor has been tiled in a dark blue tile to match the rest of the house. Falling onto the sofa, I find it feels amazing and then a lump forms in my throat.
I wish he was here too!
Chapter 4
ZANE
Looking down at my cell phone as it rings, I find it’s Gus and cross my fingers that Elizabeth took the lighthouse. “Hello.”
“Hi, Mr. White. The mission has been accomplished. She’s moved in. I made sure of that before I called you. She’s let her apartment go and I’ve seen her car there every night for the last week.”
“Good,” I say and sigh. I wish she’d have called me. “Gus, how is she?”
“She seems okay. Not great but okay. And she was upset to find out you had another woman in your life,” he says.
“What? I don’t have anyone in my life.”
“Don’t know. She thinks you do. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know it all worked out.”
“Thanks,” I say then end the confusing call. Why would she think I was with another woman? And if she was lying about her love for me then why would she care?
It’s nearly six in the evening and the cab is taking me home from work. I’ve immersed myself in work much like I did before Elizabeth came into my life. When my cell rings again I see it’s Meagan and decide not to answer it.
She’s had me at her side for several of her functions now and I ended up on television with her when her candidacy for governor came out.
“Shit!” I hiss. “Driver, I need you to change routes. I need to get to the airport.”
I know she saw that on the news now and I know if she’s upset about it then she does have feelings for me. I know she does!
I text my pilot to get the jet ready and text Lois to let her know I’m going out of town for the night. Elizabeth is going to have some company whether she likes it or not!
ELIZABETH
Like some kind of old lady, I’ve dressed in my pajamas at eight in the evening and am sipping on some hot chocolate as I watch the night take over the sky. I’ve spent every single evening for the last week watching this scene and it’s never been the exact same once so far.
I’m excited because the first cold front of the fall is coming in and there are storms expected with its arrival. So I’ve brought a blanket up here and am waiting for the first lightning to come.
A twinkling sound fills the air that I’ve never heard before. It seems to be coming from the stairwell. Getting up, I put my mug on the side table and go to check out where the noise is coming from and why.
It makes the sound again and it leads me to a small box on the wall about halfway up the stairs. It goes off again and I think it might be a doorbell.
No one has come to visit who’s used it before. I knew I had one, I just haven’t pushed the button yet. I laugh as I go down the stairs to answer the door, sure that it’s Tanya stopping by.
“You’ll never guess what this sounds like,” I say as I pull the door open after unlocking it.
“Hey,” he says.
My eyes run from his shiny, black, expensive shoes, up his black slacks to the white shirt that’s tucked into them. I keep going until I see his brown, green eyes sparkling in the porchlight. “What are you doing here?”
“Aren’t you going to invite me in?” he asks.
My heart is pounding so hard I can barely hear his words. “Zane, why are you here?”
“I’m done waiting for you to come to your senses. And I found out that you are under the impression I’m with Meagan. I’m here to set you straight.”
“You’re not with her?” I ask.
His hand touches my shoulder. “Let me in and we can talk.”
I’m not sure if this is a good idea but I take a step back and he comes inside. He looks up at the chandelier and whistles then his hands move quickly to pull me into his arms.
I can’t breathe. I can’t think. I can’t stop looking at him.
His silky dark hair is hanging just right, accenting his chiseled features, making shadows under his cheekbones. He’s so nice to look at. I can’t believe it’s been over two months since I’ve seen him.
His mouth moves toward mine and I know I should stop him but I can’t. I want him so badly. And he seems to want me even though I’ve broken his heart.
When our mouths meet, I’m lost. My arms run around his neck and when I feel the wall at my back as he presses me against it, I wrap my legs around him as I moan with relief to feel him like this again.
My brain is screaming at me to stop this. This will only make the pain worse. But my body isn’t letting my brain have control. My body knows what it wants even as my heart joins my brain in trying desperately to stop what will surely torture me.
His mouth softens on mine and he ends the kiss with a few little ones then he pulls back and looks at me. Tears must have escaped me as he gently wipes my cheeks. “I love you, Elizabeth. Can this end now?”
My heart is in my throat. I don’t know what to say. I want to tell him, yes but I can’t do that to him so I shake my head. His sigh and the way his eyes droop physically hurts me. I don’t know if I can hang on to this secret.
“Then I want to know why.” And in an instant he has me up in his arms, carrying me through the door to the rest of the house and I suppose the bedroom.
Swallowing the lump that’s in my throat down to a somewhat manageable position, I whisper, “Not in there.” I know I can’t trust myself in the bedroom.
He only shakes his head. “Yes, in there.”
Zane is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to what he wants. And I have no idea how I’m going to be able to rein him in but I have to try. “Zane it’s best if we talk away from a bed.”
“Why, you don’t trust yourself?” he asks me as he goes straight into the bedroom anyway.
Sitting on the bed, he holds me on his lap. “I can’t believe you came here.”
“I can’t believe you ran away from me and expected never to give me anymore of an explanation than a very short note.” He pushes the thin strap of my tiny pajama top off my shoulder. His lips graze across my skin and I can’t stop the moan from coming from my lips. Lips he captures with ease.
It’s pretty obvious I’m not going to be able to talk much with him doing this!
Chapter 5
ZANE
If she doesn’t love me then why does her kiss tell me something different?
Her body is melting into mine as our mouths touch. Her tongue swirls around mine the way it always has. Perhaps she thinks this is merely lust she’s feeling. I’m not sure what her problem is but I’m about to show her that I’m done with her doubt.
Gently, I lie her back on the bed and lean my body into hers. One leg wraps around me as if she’s halfway considering giving into me. Pulling my lips away from hers, I push her golden hair back. “I’ve missed you more than I knew was humanly possible.”
Her lips part as if she’s about to tell me the same thing. Then they close tight and her eyes move to the side. Her silence is a thing that has me upset. I think she owes me an explanation for her odd behavior.
“Zane, I’m sorry,” she mumbles as she attempts to deny me any eye contact.
Taking her by the chin, I make her look at me. “Why are you sorry?”
“I can’t do this. I don’t,” she stops before she says the last words which I know are, love you.
“If you don’t love me then why do you respond to my kiss, my touch, my mere presence?”
“You’re very attractive,” she offers. “Who wouldn’t respond to you this way?”
“Do you really think that every woman I’ve ever been with, responds to me the exact way you do? Because that’s not true. You and I connect like I’ve never connected with anyone else. And I’m not leaving.”
“You have to!” Her eyes go wide and her hand goes to my chest. “Zane, you have to leave. You have to give up on me.”
“Well, I’m not going to do that. And why don’t you tell me why I have to let you go?” I push the other strap away from her shoulder, making it sag a bit, nearly revealing her naked breasts. “And I think we should have this discussion while wearing nothing and holding each other. I’ve ached to hold your body against mine. You can’t tell me you haven’t done the same because I can feel it.”
“That will only make this harder,” she says as she presses my chest a little more.
“That’s the point,” I say then push the top all the way down, exposing those delicious tits. My mouth is watering and I lean over and take one in my mouth.
The Billionaire’s Lighthouse Series: A Billionaire, Bad Boy, Romance Page 17