Finding Forever with You (The Malone Brothers Book 4)

by S. L. Sterling

  "Well, girl, you better figure it out fast because you have picked the one man in this city who hasn't forgotten how to. You'll be in good hands," she said, raising her eyebrows. "Very, very good hands. Now relax. Come on, let’s go over there and look some more, but you are getting these." She closed my hand around the black bra and panties and smiled at me, pulling me with her.

  I ended up walking out of Forever His with a bag full of lingerie I'd probably never wear, a much lighter pocketbook, but a very happy Jenna. The rest of the afternoon was spent shopping for food, flowers, and candles. Once I had everything that had been on my list, we headed back to my condo.

  Jenna stopped the car outside of my condo and put the car into park. "So you're good? You have everything you need?"

  "I think so," I said, grabbing the two bags that sat at my feet. "Can you pop the trunk so I can grab the rest of the bags?"

  "Sure thing. Remember, if you need me, call."

  I nodded, hugged my best friend, and then climbed out of her car, grabbing the rest of my bags. I smiled and waved and watched as she pulled away from the curb.

  It was almost eleven by the time I finally sat down on the couch with my glass of wine. I had spent the rest of the afternoon making sure that everything had been washed, dried, and put away. I even had the new sheets washed, and they were already on the bed. Jenna was right, they were wonderful, I’d thought as I ran my hands over the high thread count sheets.

  I flipped the TV on, pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and over my legs, and sipped on my wine. Tomorrow, Chase would be here, and hopefully by this time, we would be deep in one another. I just prayed that I was truly ready for this…and that I wasn't making a huge mistake.

  10

  Chase

  I stared down at the mess of papers in front of me and let out a deep sigh. I had been going over and over them, and I was still unsure if this was how I should proceed. I ran my hands through my already disheveled hair and took a sip of my first cup of coffee of the morning. I flipped on the stereo, and light jazz poured through the speakers. I took another sip of coffee and looked back down at the mess of words that sat in front of me. What would she think when it was time for me to present this agreement to her? Was she going to hate me? Would she be fine with it?

  I grouped the papers together, straightened them, and then reread them for the thousandth time. What the fuck had I agreed to do? I thought to myself, and threw the documents down on the table. I sat back and ran my hand over my face.

  I drank down the remainder of my coffee and glanced at the clock. I had to get moving if I was going to be on time. I had slept in this morning, like I normally did every Sunday. Today, though, I had brunch planned with my brothers, and I knew they would be waiting for me.

  I grabbed the papers off the table, dropped my mug in the kitchen sink, and headed down to my bedroom. An hour later, I was showered, packed, and the kitchen was tidied, and I was on my way out the door to meet the boys for brunch before heading to Sophie's for the week.

  I walked into Deb's Place and nodded to our usual waitress before walking into the dining area. Hunter sat over in the corner alone and waved once he saw me.

  "Hey, man, where is everyone?" I asked, taking a seat across from him.

  "Carter isn't back from his weekend ventures yet, and Mia's brother decided to extend his family’s visit. So, it's just us this morning. How you doing?"

  Honestly, I felt as if I were going to be sick. The coffee I had this morning kept repeating on me, and my stomach hurt too much for food. I was nervous, afraid I was making a mistake, but I ignored all those feelings and smiled at my brother. "I'm great!"

  I signaled to Andrea to fill my cup with coffee. "Bullshit, you’re great." Hunter said chuckling, "Is that why you look like you're going to throw up?"

  I ran both hands through my hair and looked at my much-older brother, ignoring what he had just said and thinking about what needed to be done before I could go to Sophie's. "I guess I'll feel better once I am at her place and everything is out in the open and done." I shrugged.

  Hunter chuckled. "Yeah, once your balls deep in her, eh."

  "What can I get for my favorite men this morning?" Natasha asked, stepping up to the side of the table.

  "Our usual: poached on toast," Hunter said, handing over the menu.

  "Sure thing," she said, taking the menus and winking at me as she walked away.

  "So, did you get that paperwork finished?"

  I nodded. "Yeah it’s done."

  "Good." Hunter picked up his coffee cup and took a mouthful.

  "Yeah, it is good. There is only one problem."

  "What is that?"

  "Well, the more I read it, the more worried I'm getting. I just don't want to come across as being an asshole, you know?"

  "Dude, what is wrong with you? You are protecting yourself. You're being smart. That's it. Just look at it that way. People get fucking crazy when things go wrong or when they are faced with a situation that they can't handle. You know that, or you should. We all deal with it all the time. I can look it over, if you want, and make sure you haven't missed anything?"

  I nodded, drinking down the rest of my coffee just in time for Andrea to come around for refills. "I know they do. It’s just I feel that I should be able to trust her."

  "You should, but it doesn't mean that you can't put extra precautions in place. Just relax."

  My brother was right; there was nothing wrong with a form of protection. It would be something I would suggest to any of my clients. An hour later, fully caffeinated and with full bellies, we stood in the parking lot by our cars while Hunter went over the papers I had drafted. "Good news is everything looks good. I'll witness it once they are signed," he said, handing me the folder. "Where you headed now?" Hunter asked, pulling his car door open.

  "The market. I need to pick up a bottle or two of wine and some flowers or something."

  "You don't think she has thought of that?"

  "I'm sure she has, but I don't want to come off as a total asshole." I laughed. "Just because this is an agreement doesn't mean she doesn't deserve to be treated like a lady."

  "All right, man, talk to you later. I have to get home to Autumn and the kids."

  I waved as he pulled from his parking spot and climbed into my car. The market was jammed as I maneuvered myself through the aisle looking for Sophie's favorite bottle of wine. Finally spotting it, I grabbed two bottles and made my way to the front of the store, but not before I stopped at the flower stand and grabbed a dozen red roses and got in line to pay for my purchase. While waiting, I grabbed my phone from my back pocket and typed out a message to Sophie, letting her know I would be there shortly. She responded quickly, giving me a simple thumbs-up emoji, the same as always.

  A half hour later, I stood outside her door listening to her bang dishes around in the kitchen. I set my bag down on the ground, took a deep breath, and lifted my hand to knock.

  "Coming," I heard her call from inside, and suddenly I felt nervous, my stomach flipping. I ran my hand through my hair, picked up my duffel bag off the floor, and flung it over my shoulder. The door opened, and Sophie stood inside, a nervous look on her face, even though she was doing her best to hide it behind a smile.

  "Here, these are for you," I said, holding out the wrapped flowers and a brown bag containing the two bottles of wine.

  Her face lit up with a smile as she reached out and took the flowers. "Thank you. I guess you should come in," she said nervously and stepped off to the side to let me in.

  I followed her into the familiar apartment and shut the door behind me, while she busied herself in the kitchen putting the flowers in a vase.

  "Where should I put my bag?" I called.

  "In the bedroom." She smiled, carrying the flowers and setting them on the table.

  I made my way down the hall to her bedroom and looked inside. Everything had its place. The bed was made perfectly, not a wrinkle in sight. I ste
pped inside the door and set my bag on the floor by the bed, which immediately looked out of place in the picture-perfect room. I bent down and pulled the documents from inside the bag, holding them tightly, thinking it might be better to get this over and done with first than to wait until later. I didn't want to get in the moment with her and then decide to spring this on her tomorrow or later in the week.

  I pushed my sleeves up and headed back out to the front room to find Sophie sitting on the couch, two glasses of wine in front of her. She patted the spot beside her for me to sit down, but not before she noticed the folder that I carried with me. I blew out a breath and took a seat as I watched the unsure look in her eyes.

  I took a sip of wine, set the glass down, and then cleared my throat. "Sophie, listen, before we get started here, I think we need to go over a few things."

  Her eyes met mine in question. "Okay," she said hesitantly, unsure of where I might be going with this.

  There was no easy way to bring this up, so I set the documents on the table in front of her. "Okay, so don't be angry with me, but I need you to sign these."

  "What is it?" she asked, picking the documents up off the table, reading the top page, a frown settling on her face as she glanced at the document. "An NDA? You want me to sign an NDA? Why?"

  "It's not only an NDA but also a contract. It just states that I am only responsible for providing you with sperm, that is it. That you won't come after me for things such as child support. It also states that I don't want visitation, and that I won't come after you for custody in the future. The NDA is just to ensure that this…transaction, if you will, will remain solely between us. That it won't get out that I am the father of the baby."

  I watched as she read through the documents silently. "Chase, I don't understand." She swallowed hard as she flipped through them again. As I watched her, I could see her cheeks getting flush, and she was breathing rapidly as her eyes began to get glassy. I could tell she was struggling with this, and that was exactly what I didn't want.

  I reached out and placed my hand on her arm. "Don't worry. It’s just to protect us both." I thought I was going to have to keep explaining, but she reached for the pen that was sitting on the table and quickly scribbled her name on the bottom line of both documents. Then she passed me the pen without making eye contact, and I too signed the agreement.

  I set the folder off to the side and picked up the glass of wine that sat in front of me and held it out. "I'd like to propose a toast," I said, waiting for her to pick up her glass. She let out a little huff and looked at me, and with a little shake in her hand, she picked up her glass and held it out towards me.

  "Here's to one week. Let’s hope my swimmers travel far and everything goes well to give you what you want," I said, clinking my glass against hers. I brought my glass up to my lips and sipped the cool liquid. Instead of drinking from hers, Sophie set the glass down on the table and jumped up off the couch. I watched as she walked across the room without saying anything, and then she stopped and lifted her hand to her eyes before turning around to look at me.

  "Can you please excuse me for a moment. I, um, I need a minute." Before I could stop her, she had walked down the hall, leaving me alone in the living.

  11

  Sophie

  The panic had started way before Chase had even arrived. It had started with shopping and had gotten worse by the time he had knocked on the door. The contract was what had literally sealed the deal. I did everything in my power not to shake as I signed my name on that very solid black line, and I had held it all together perfectly, until he had raised his glass and made that toast. As our glasses clinked together, I knew there was no way I would be able to take a sip of wine.

  I had managed to walk away, my chest heavy, tears burning in my eyes. I had gotten out the words in time before that solid lump settled right in the middle of my throat, constricting my voice.

  He, of course, agreed, letting me know he would be right there waiting for me when I returned. I practically ran across the plush carpet and into the bathroom, every step of the way fighting back the tears that threatened to fall. I closed the door behind me and leaned up against it, closing my eyes tightly.

  I needed somewhere private and quiet, just in case I started to cry. I didn't want Chase to hear me. I didn't want him to know that it was his contract that had upset me. I also didn't want him to know that, right at this moment, I wasn't sure I wanted him to be out there when I returned. I tried to fight back the tears, but before I knew it, a single tear fell from the corner of my right eye, making a path for more to follow. What the hell was I even doing?

  I tried to calm myself, but the more I thought about this entire situation, the more upset I became. I stepped in front of the mirror and wiped the tears from my cheeks and looked at my reflection. I was the one who had proposed everything like a business deal. I was the one who had mapped it all out. He was right, this was a transaction, nothing more. A simple exchange, if you will.

  What had I really expected him to do? He's a lawyer—a very smart and successful one at that. Of course, he was going to want to protect himself; he would be stupid not to. I would be stupid not to protect myself too, but this was Chase, a man I had known my entire life and one I trusted very much. I didn't think I needed to protect myself against him.

  I picked up my pressed powder compact and smoothed some on my skin, trying to get rid of the tear lines. I checked my reflection in the mirror.

  Perhaps he was right and a contract would be for the best. Even though Chase was my best friend, I couldn't imagine raising a child with him. The man was a successful lawyer, but his personal life was a complete disaster. With him not wanting to be in the picture, I didn't need to worry about co-parenting. I wouldn't have to worry about someone spending their time undermining what rules I had put into place. Besides, I couldn't even begin to imagine Chase raising a child. I had seen him with his brothers’ kids; he was a nightmare.

  The last time he had watched Hunter and Autumn's little girls I was called to the rescue because one of them had gotten gum in her hair and he panicked. A little ice and it came right out. I laughed at the memory. I remembered walking in the door and finding Chase with a pair of scissors and a screaming child begging Uncle Chase not to cut her hair. I smiled to myself and the memory, swallowed hard, checked over my makeup, and let out a breath. This was the right choice. He was right.

  I ran my brush through my hair and shut the light off. I made my way back down the hall and walked back out into the living room. Chase was still sitting on the couch in the same place I'd left him. I walked around and sat down beside him, picking up my glass and drinking down my wine. I glanced to Chase, and the more I looked into his trusting blue eyes, the more I felt I needed to drink. I grabbed the bottle I had left on the table and poured myself another full glass, drinking that one down just as fast—if not faster than the first one. The tension in the room was so thick that I was having a hard time breathing.

  He watched me as I poured my third glass of wine, emptying the remainder of the bottle into my glass. "Whoa, Soph, slow down," he said, taking my glass from me. "We have all night, sweets." He placed his hand on my thigh, giving me a squeeze.

  I smiled at the nickname “sweets,” a name he had given me when we were fifteen, and one he had never let go of. I swallowed hard. My eyes burned, and the jumbled ball that sat in the pit of my stomach was making me uncomfortable. I was beyond nervous, and I suddenly wondered how on earth we were going to do this, especially if I felt this way just sitting here beside him fully dressed.

  "Everything okay?" he asked. I nodded as he took my hand in his. "So how did you want to go about this?" he whispered.

  I thought for a moment. How did I want to go about this? I had no clue. I figured he would have had it all figured out; he was far more experienced than I was in this department. I let out the breath I was holding and shook my head. "I dunno. Perhaps…perhaps, maybe we should kiss first." I shrugged.
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br />   "Okay, we can do that."

  He stood from the couch and reached for my hands, pulling me to my feet. He pulled me closer to him. The smell of his cologne and the touch of his hand on my waist sent a chill through my body. His hand didn't remain on my waist for long because, as quickly as he touched me, he pulled his hand away as if he had been burned. Instead, he gripped my hand with his and pulled our hands between us. He leaned in, turning his head in the same direction I had turned mine. We were as awkward as we had been the first time he had kissed me, only that time he had succeeded.

  "This isn't going to work," I mumbled, frustrated, placing my hand on his broad chest and pushing him away.

  "Whoa, whoa, what isn't?"

  "All of this...It's pointless. I mean, we can’t even share a simple kiss. How are we supposed to sleep together?"

  Chase stood there staring at me. I could tell he didn't know what to say, and I didn't blame him. Finally, completely frustrated, I stepped away from Chase and walked over to the window. I looked out over the city and did my best to concentrate on anything else than the problem at hand. I heard Chase clear his throat, and I turned around in time to see Chase pull his phone from his pocket and begin dialing.

  "What are you doing?"

  "We, Sophie Lancaster, have a date. We are going out. Chase Malone doesn't give up this easily. You of all people should know that," he said as he typed something into his phone.

  I looked at him wide-eyed. "Going out? Where are we going?"

  "You'll see. Grab your jacket. Let's go," he said, making his way to the door, slipping on his coat and shoes.

  We had walked over to Kings Cove Park as the sun began to set. "Where are we going? Are you going to tell me?" I asked again, running to catch up to him for the third time.

  "We are going on a horse-drawn carriage ride through the park. I want to just chill a little. I know the guy who runs the carriages, so I messaged him and he said the guy would be waiting for us at the east entrance."