This is Love (High Stakes Billionaires)

by C. J. Thomas

  I tapped the man’s shoulder hard with my index finger.

  He reluctantly peeled his lips away from her neck. Turning to look at me with anger flashing over his eyes, he barked, “What the fuck, dude?” He stepped to me as if challenging me to a brawl. “Can’t you see I’m busy?”

  Standing firm, I said in a calm voice, “I’m going to need a minute with her.”

  He put his grill up in my face. “Like hell you do.”

  Audrey’s blue eyes glared from over his shoulder as if I was the one who had done something wrong.

  Refusing to look the man in his eyes, I said, “Audrey, you called?”

  Her face pinched, annoyed that I had just ripped the rug of her impending orgasm out from under her. The man turned back to Audrey, snaking his arm around her waist and pulling her hard against his chest. When she pushed him off, he gave her a look like what the fuck?

  “I told you we needed to talk,” she said as she brushed passed me.

  My head followed her. “And I would have.”

  “When, Nolan?” She flipped around and rooted her hands into her hips. “After you fucked that girl again?”

  “She’s not a girl.”

  Audrey rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

  It made my skin crawl to know that she didn’t even care that she was purposely making my life miserable. “I was just at your parents’ house.”

  Her lids hooded over as she gave me a knowing look.

  My stomach flipped at her lack of empathy. It was always about her. What she wanted, what she felt. She was so into herself, it made me sick. No matter how much of my own pride I swallowed, I couldn’t stop myself from hating the way her eyes sparkled like this was some kind of game, or how one side of her mouth curled at the corner as if she was proud that she’d used her father’s health to fool me into forgetting about my date with Sophia.

  “Heart attack?” My brows drew together as I raised my voice for the first time. “Really?”

  Her mouth curved even more.

  “You can be pissed at me, but for Christ’s sake, leave family out of it.”

  She wet her lips and shook her head.

  But I knew she couldn’t. She knew how much Cooper was depending on her parents’ support for his campaign, and no doubt she would hang that over my head, too, blackmailing me and my family until I agreed to her terms.

  “You’ve humiliated me this weekend,” she spat.

  Stepping closer, I asked, “Why can’t you just let me go?”

  Her eyes rounded and her face softened. “Nolan, baby. We were meant to be together.”

  “Audrey, this—” I pointed first to her, them to my own chest, “—is over. The sooner you realize it, the easier it will be.”

  She frowned, but before she could pout and try to manipulate me into feeling sorry for her, I turned my back and walked away.

  “Since when?” she called after me.

  I stopped and turned back around. “Since you proceeded to stick your tongue down that guy’s throat.” I flung my arm through the air, pointing my finger at the man sulking on the far wall, waiting for me to leave. But we both knew it had been over before that.

  “If you’re going after her,” she cocked her jaw to the side, “don’t bother.”

  My eyes narrowed. I knew she was referring to Sophia.

  “I told her the truth about you.” She rolled her shoulders back and tipped her chin up.

  Grinding my teeth, I arched one brow.

  “Once she’s gone,” both her brows raised, “you’ll be crawling back to me.”

  Shaking my head, I turned to the exit knowing that I was never going to go back to Audrey. Ever.

  26

  Sophia

  I was frustrated, feeling like I had been stood up.

  Annoyed that Nolan’s girlfriend had found me and attacked when I was least expecting.

  But mostly I was just concerned about Sienna. I still hadn’t heard back from her, and it wasn’t like her to disappear on a whim, or for this long without her letting either Monica or me know what she was up to.

  Folding my clothes, I knew that it was time for me to leave and go home.

  And as hard as it was for me to be packing, knowing I wasn’t going to say goodbye to Nolan before I left, I had to remind myself that he had missed his chance the moment he decided not to show.

  Turning to the closet, I wasn’t sure what to do about the gown Nolan had given me. It felt wrong of me to just leave it, but I couldn’t take it without feeling a little guilty for accepting such a lavish gift under the circumstances. I decided it was going to stay and I’d be better off for it.

  My gaze landed on the clock by the nightstand.

  If I left now, I could get back to the city before ten tonight. As long as traffic cooperated. And that would still give me all day tomorrow to prepare myself emotionally for going back to the office and having to face the same men who decided I wasn’t worth the promotion.

  I twisted on a heel and fell back onto the bed.

  I was right back where I’d started. This weekend getaway hadn’t brought me any closer to finding the answers I needed to move forward. In fact, if I could say anything about what happened these last two nights, it was that my life was more complicated now than when I’d first arrived.

  Groaning, I rolled off the bed and walked to the kitchen.

  I pulled my cell from the charger and, still, there nothing from Sienna.

  My brow furrowed as I couldn’t stop myself from thinking that if only I’d stayed in the city, Sienna wouldn’t have disappeared or canceled her girls weekend and I wouldn’t hate men any more than I already did.

  So not cool, I typed to Sienna. I’m beyond worried about you. I’m coming home. Call me.

  I moved swiftly through the condo, dragging my socks across the floor, making sure I left nothing behind. I didn’t want to give Nolan any excuses to contact me. Last night was incredible, but if he did cheat on his girlfriend with me then I didn’t want anything to do with him.

  Soon, I found myself in the bathroom brushing my teeth. It was easier than taking a shower. Less laborious, too. And as soon as my mouth and teeth were clean, I caught my reflection in the mirror.

  I’d made sure to look my best for him. Took the time to curl my hair in long, flowing waves. Put myself through misery when deciding what to wear after having to decipher his messages. And all for what? To have him not show.

  My throat closed up as my eyes tightened at the corners.

  I blamed myself for what was happening to me. Somehow, I was giving men the wrong impression. This wasn’t who I was. I was smart and could make my own decisions, fight for what I wanted. But for whatever reason, it felt like I had a sign on my forehead that alerted the men in this world that it was okay to take advantage of me.

  I dropped my head and spit into the sink.

  Then there was a knock on the bedroom door.

  My insides jumped.

  Quickly, I moved to the door of the bathroom and peeked my head into the bedroom to see who it was.

  And when I saw his glimmering eyes, I wasn’t sure if I should prepare for a fight or open my pants and fuck him into making an apology. “Sure, feel free. Invite yourself in. After all, you rich kids can do whatever you want, right?”

  A small smile pulled at Nolan’s lips.

  Then his eyes landed on my suitcases. “You’re not leaving without saying goodbye, are you?”

  He wasn’t going to cute-talk me. At least not until he gave me a thorough explanation to who Audrey was and why he didn’t show to the date he’d asked me out on. “I thought leaving the key to the condo was sufficient enough.”

  He snickered. “I missed you at the cowboy bar.”

  I ran my tongue over the top of my teeth, eyeing him before turning back into the bathroom. Tossing my toiletries into the travel sized bag, I couldn’t let him make me forget the reason why I decided to leave a day early. But when I came back out, I couldn’t b
elieve my eyes. “Excuse me?”

  Nolan was digging through my suitcase.

  He turned his head and gave me his best irresistible look that had my core heating.

  I hated myself for falling victim to his incredible good looks. He was so easy on the eyes, I hated him for it. When he was around, I was weak in the knees. And let’s not mention his smell. Because even that had my mind going to places it shouldn’t have.

  Nolan smirked when he found what he was looking for.

  My nipples tightened at how well he fit into his blue jeans, white tee, and flannel shirt. I wished that I could have seen him get bucked around on the mechanical bull, because I was sure that no one could do it better than him. He just looked like the type who knew how to stay on.

  Then, slowly, he straightened his spine and dangled my underwear in the air in front of me.

  Feeling heat flush my cheeks, I lunged forward, snatching what belonged to me out of his hands. “What are you doing?”

  He rolled his shoulders back. “Guessing which ones you have on.” His eyes fell to my crotch as he reached for my belt.

  I slapped his hand away, feeling the anger—or maybe it was something else—boiling my blood. “You set me up, Nolan.”

  His smiled disappeared as he stood there speechless.

  My limbs began to tremble. I needed him to know how much he had let me down. It wasn’t right, and he shouldn’t have done it. “You could have just told me you weren’t interested.”

  “I’m interested.” His fingers extended, reaching for my belt loop again.

  “Or that you had a fucking girlfriend!” I tossed my underwear at his face.

  He stood there and took it. Closing his eyes, his face puckered upon impact, but he never flinched. “I don’t have a girlfriend.” His voice surrendered.

  Pushing him out of my way, I angrily tossed what clothes remained on the bed into my suitcase. “I’m fine that what we had was only one night. I didn’t come to the mountains looking to get laid.” I turned my head to find him staring. “Meeting you was great.” My heart pounded. “It really was,” I whispered. “You’re an incredible man, but I’m afraid that it has to stop here.”

  He stared at me for a long time as if tempting me to cry. Even though I refused to give him the satisfaction, when he stepped forward and rested his splayed hand between my shoulder blades I nearly let the floodgates open.

  “That’s not what I want,” he said sincerely.

  “Then what did you want?” I asked, weighing the pros and cons of what a relationship with Nolan might entail. “Because I’m leaving, Nolan. This isn’t my place. I have a life in the city.”

  “You can’t leave tonight.”

  “Why?” I stood with my brows pulling in.

  “It’s too dangerous to drive at night.”

  My lips curled just before I began to laugh. It was a blend of disbelief and sarcasm, thinking his excuse was the most ridiculous thing in the world. “I’ve already made the decision.”

  His gaze was unwavering, and with the way he was looking at me—like I was the only person in the world that existed—it was impossible to peel my eyes away from him. There was something different about Nolan that kept me wanting to come back. He had an unexplainable pull that felt real. But after connecting the pieces of his life puzzle, I couldn’t be fooled again. “Travis has the key. I’m leaving.”

  “Look, I know you talked to Audrey.” He reached for me but pulled his hand back as if ashamed that I had met his girlfriend. “And I don’t know what she said, but she’s not who you think she is.”

  I arched a sharp brow and gave him a skeptical look. But something inside me told me that he was telling the truth. That he wanted to make this work between us. That it wasn’t just a weekend fling but perhaps something deeper. “Who is she then?”

  He had a strong posture with his chin held high, his chest out, and eyes focused directly on mine. “A girl I used to date.”

  My heart constricted as I gasped. I didn’t know much about Audrey—didn’t care to, either—but I knew that we were nothing alike. She was snooty where I was kind. She didn’t have to work for her money where I did. And she was tall with sharp angles to match where I was short and curvy. And as I ticked off the list of differences inside my head, I wondered how Nolan could go from liking someone like her to chasing a woman like me.

  “I wanted to wait for you at the bar. I did wait.” I turned my head and looked to the floor, feeling the pains of rejection swell my eyes. “But you never showed.”

  Nolan closed the gap between us, raking his fingers down my arm. My skin prickled beneath the heat of his touch and soon he was threading his fingers through mine. Holding me still, I admired him for the way he soothed my anxieties, how he loved and cared so easily. Everything he did to reassure me he was a good guy—the man I thought he was—made me want to trust him, stay and listen to his side of the story. But in the back of my mind I wrestled with the idea that maybe I was just another notch in his bedpost.

  Stepping back, I said, “And because you didn’t show, your girlfriend attacked me.”

  As if feeling my panic attack tightening my chest, Nolan tightened his grip and pulled me back to him. “Look at me.”

  Slowly, I tipped my head back and found his eyes on me.

  “I told you.” His voice was calm. “She’s not my girlfriend.”

  I held his gaze and believed him. And when he smiled, I melted into his hard chest as my body betrayed my mind.

  “Let me make it up to you.”

  He gathered my hair in his fingers as he trailed them down my spine. My pulse ticked as he made me feel desired once again. “There’s nothing to make up,” I murmured and dropped my gaze. “You were a fling. Nothing more.” But even I could hear that what I was saying wasn’t true.

  Pulling myself away, I turned my back and pretended to busy myself with finalizing the rest of my items that still needed to be packed.

  “That’s not how I see it.” His voice was calm, forgiving yet possessive at the same time.

  Closing my eyes, I dropped my head and sighed. “I’m not interested in being part of your love triangle. I’ve had enough drama this week already.”

  Nolan moved behind me, caging me in his big strong arms. Gently, he pulled my back against his chest. “Stay, Sophia. Stay, and I’ll prove to you that I’m serious about wanting to know who you are.”

  Feeling our hearts beat in unison, I contemplated my future. And after careful consideration, I knew that I couldn’t live with the regret I would feel if I didn’t give him a chance to explain. Finally, I nodded my head and said, “Fine. But I can’t guarantee I’ll stay the night.”

  27

  Nolan

  It was all I needed to hear.

  I just needed the chance to explain, let Sophia see that I wasn’t the villain Audrey made me out to be. I closed and zipped her suitcase, brought it to the front room and set it by the door so she could see that I wasn’t going to force her to do anything she didn’t want to do—like staying one more night.

  “Take a drive with me,” I said.

  Sophia’s soft eyes glanced up to me. “Where?”

  “There’s something I want to show you.”

  “I’m not in the mood for mansions.”

  I laughed. “I promise that it’s more spectacular than that.”

  “Nolan, I don’t know,” she protested.

  I tugged on her hand, leading her out of the condo and down the stairs to my truck. We kept exchanging glances without talking. Opening her door, I assisted her into her seat, shutting the door behind before sliding into my own. She was already buckled by the time I slid the strap over my waist. I liked her willingness to go along for the ride.

  Turning the key, I thought how this might very well be my last chance to prove to Sophia that I was serious about wanting to date her. The engine rumbled and I pulled out of the parking lot, driving to the edge of town before heading up the dark mountain valley
.

  It was quiet except for the country music playing in the background. We both stared straight ahead as if hypnotized by the headlights lighting up our path to my secret spot. Neither of us said a word. And the longer we brewed in our own silence, the more nervous I became.

  Sophia flipped her cell over on her lap, checking it for the third time in a matter of minutes.

  I knew I had to say something, break the awkward silence that plagued this ride. But I didn’t know where to begin, especially with the questions I assumed she was just dying to ask. The last thing I wanted to do was scare her away. But I was afraid that maybe Audrey had already done that for me.

  Sophia checked her phone again as if adding to the insult.

  I wiped my sweaty palm on my thigh, making a right turn onto a dirt road.

  Sophia rolled her narrow eyes in my direction.

  “We’re almost there,” I said.

  She looked at her phone again and I wondered at what point she would lose reception. We were getting close to the fringe of civilization and it wouldn’t be long before everything went black.

  Lifting my gaze back to the road, I knew what it was she was thinking. That I was some kind of playboy who gets off on sleeping with as many women as I could. It was easy to think, but she couldn’t have been further from the truth. What happened with Sophia and me was an anomaly and something I hadn’t done before. Though I certainly didn’t have any regrets about how quickly I fell into her bed. In fact, it was the best thing to have happened to me in quite some time and I could only hope that she felt the same.

  “Here we are,” I said as my headlights lit up the end of the road.

  Sophia looked around, rubbing her forearms as I cracked my window and slowed to a stop. And when I killed the engine, everything went pitch dark. No one was around but us. Nothing but the sounds of nature and our own breathing.