My brows lift in surprise. “Intimidated?”
I can’t help but think about Susan and although I don’t particularly like her style, she’s been more than happy to decorate and buy furniture and everything else she could possibly purchase since we were married.
“I don’t really like to shop, this whole house is empty, even the kitchen. I don’t know what you want and honestly, I’ve never had to put a house together before. I don’t have much in my apartment, just the basics and only because my mom came and helped me.”
She glances down to her lap, then lifts her gaze up to meet mine. “Maybe my mom is right. Maybe this is too much, and I’m way too young. I can’t give you what you want, Landry.”
I can hear the ache in her voice and as much as I want to tell her to shut the fuck up, that she’s wrong, it’s not the time or place for it right now. Instead, I reach across, wrapping my fingers around the back of her neck and give her a squeeze.
Tennessee lifts her gaze up to meet mine and I can see the sadness in her eyes, it’s so incredibly strong that I can feel it deep inside of me as well.
With a jerk of my head, I keep my eyes focused on hers and nowhere else. She licks her lips, watching me as her breathing starts to become shallower. My lips twitch and I squeeze the back of her neck, hoping to comfort her.
“I thought you would want to make it your space. I was trying to do something that you wanted. If you don’t, we can use the same interior decorator who did Holden’s room? I used her for my penthouse and my office, she’s an old friend.”
Tennessee’s eyes flick to the side, then her lip curls slightly. I don’t even allow her to ask the question that I know is on the tip of her tongue. Instead, I immediately answer it for her.
“Susan doesn’t use her, never has. They don’t get along at all. Susan says that her style is simple and boring, and that it lacks the pizzazz she enjoys.”
She presses her lips together, then before she can hold it back, she lets out a giggle. “Holden’s room is gorgeous. Whoever this designer is, she goes for a subtle and classic look. If it wouldn’t upset you, I think it would be easier for me, especially since she already knows your taste.”
Leaning forward, I touch my lips to hers. “Don’t decorate just simply for my taste, honey. I want it to be a mixture of us, because at the end of the day, this home is ours. It’s not mine. It’s ours.”
“Okay,” she says, her gaze drifting back down to her lap.
I can tell she’s lying. Even if she doesn’t realize it, she is. Squeezing the back of her neck again, her eyes fly up to meet my own. She clears her throat, her lips parting slightly.
“I’m serious, Tennessee. It’s ours. Both of ours. It’s not mine.”
“But it is yours,” she rasps.
I shake my head once. “You’re living here. You’re mine and this is ours.”
“Okay,” she says, lying again.
Unable to stop myself, my lips twitch into a small smile. “You still don’t believe it yet. That’s okay, I have time to make sure that you do and fully.”
Touching my mouth to hers again, I flex my fingers around the back of her neck one more time before I release my hold.
“How about we pack up the stuff at your place today? If you don’t want to do that, I can hire it done. We can do whatever you want.”
What I want to do is see her smile again, but she’s not really giving it to me. I can’t blame her and I’m not going to force it, but I like it when she smiles—when she’s happy.
“We can do that, pack up a little,” she says softly.
I nod my head once, then without saying anything else, I stand and walk toward the full glass back door to look out at the yard. There is plenty of space for Holden here. A pool with a full gate, and even a playground.
Looking over my shoulder, I give them a smile. “I can take Holden outside to play on the toys while you get ready?” I offer.
It’s that moment that the sparkle in her eye reappears. Her lips curve up into a smile and she nods her head once. “He would love that,” she murmurs. “I would too.”
I hum, knowing that statement is the truth. Holding out my hand, I watch as she speaks to Holden softly, then he scrambles off of the chair and runs over to take my outstretched hand.
Together, hand-in-hand, I walk him out to the play yard. Before I let him on the toys, I do a quick perimeter and toy check for snakes and scorpions then tell him to get his play on. I watch as he climbs the mini rock wall, slides down the slides, attempts to swing on the swing and runs all over to the place. It’s perfect for him, and it’s just big enough that he’ll be able to grow with it for a few years before he completely outgrows it.
Never in my life did I think that at the age of sixty-two I would be starting all over again, and never in my life did I think that I would be looking forward to it, either.
I am doing just that. Looking forward to it. To starting a life with her, to raising babies with her. It’s probably the most selfish thing I’ve ever done in my life and even though I know I should turn around and walk away from them, I can’t. I won’t. Selfish or not, they need me and I need them.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
TENNESSEE
I shouldn’t have enjoyed the weekend as much as I did. Packing shouldn’t be as fun as it was. But it was. Landry made it fun. He also bought a storage unit and had practically everything I owned put into storage.
He told me that the storage was so that I would always have my things, my security. I don’t know why, but I think that I fell a little harder for him when he said that. Today Landry set up a meeting with the interior designer during my lunch hour.
I’m a ball of nerves. I don’t know the true nature of their relationship. I could probably ask him, but I don’t want to be that kind of girlfriend. Girlfriend. The thought causes my belly to dip, then flutter.
I can’t believe that I’m his girlfriend, although it makes it seem weird to think of us as boyfriend and girlfriend. I feel as if we are just so much more than that.
So much more.
Julie laughs from her desk next to me. Turning to her, I arch a brow. She flicks her gaze over to me. “Just noticed that your address changed in the system, that’s all.”
I blink, looking back to Landry’s closed office door, then over to her. “It did?” I breathe.
She hums, nodding her head a couple of times. “It has. I can’t help but notice it’s exactly like someone else’s address in the system. A new one as well.”
“Please, don’t tell anyone,” I rasp.
Julie laughs softly. “Your secret is safe with me. Although, you do know it will get out, don’t you?”
Biting the inside of my cheek, I nod my head once. I don’t tell her that it won’t matter in a month because this company won’t be under Landry’s control anymore. I don’t tell her that not only because it’s a secret, but also, because I am hoping that he’ll be able to get another company ready to go and everyone can leave and go there.
I don’t know why, but it seems like a chapter is closing, one that I didn’t even get to truly participate in and I feel really sad about it. Hopefully, everything will work out, I’m sure that it will, but it just feels all so unsettling.
Glancing at my watch, I jump up and grab my purse quickly. “It’s lunch,” I announce.
Julie laughs as I hurl toward Landry’s office door. Lifting my fist to knock, I freeze when I hear his deep booming voice on the other side of the door.
“Tell her if she does this, then she’ll never get an ounce of help from me, not now, not in the future. Not ever,” he roars.
Chewing on my bottom lip, I wonder if I should knock or just leave. Deciding to go ahead with letting him know where I’m going and what I’m doing, I rap on the door. There is a moment of silence, then on a heavy sigh, he tells me to come in.
Opening the door slightly, I peek my head inside. “Landry?” I ask, keeping my voice low.
He lift
s his head, his eyes finding mine and in an instant, all of the tension leaves his face. I watch as he lifts his hand and motions for me to come inside. Slipping into the room, I close the door behind me, but I don’t go more than just a few steps inside.
“You can come over here, honey,” he offers with a chuckle.
Pressing my thighs together, I shake my head once. “Sorry. I’m meeting with Lydia about the interior design stuff,” I say.
His lips go from an amused smirk to a full-on smile. He leans back in his chair, lifting his arms, he places his hand on the back of his head and rocks in his office chair a couple of times. “You’ll like her. I’m excited to get the ball rolling.”
“Is everything okay? I heard you, you sounded upset,” I say, sinking my teeth into my bottom lip as I watch him.
That tension that was there before I walked inside, it appears again. He grunts, his hands falling down from behind his head and into his lap. He nods his head once, his amber eyes focused on mine, but I can tell that it’s not okay. Something is very much not okay.
“Landry,” I begin.
He lifts his hand, stopping me from continuing as he shakes his head a couple of times. “Seriously, honey. It’s fine. Just stuff.”
“Work? Personal? Anything I can help with?”
He growls. “The only way you could help right now, you don’t have time to.”
A thrill shimmies throughout my entire spine. I know what he’s suggesting and I like the sound of that too, all of it. Reaching behind me, I flip the lock of his office door deadbolt.
Taking a step toward him, I feel almost like a panther in search of her prey. I’ve never felt like this before him, never had the confidence that he gives me.
Once I’m in front of his chair, he turns to face me, hitching up my skirt, I shimmy my panties down and climb onto his lap, straddling him. His hands immediately find my hips, gripping me tightly.
“I was joking,” he says.
Sucking in a breath, I lean forward as I shift my hands between us and start to work his pants open. Touching my lips to his, my tongue snakes out to taste the seam of his lips.
“I know you were, but that doesn’t change the fact that I want you right now.”
Wrapping my fingers around his length, I align myself with him and slowly sink down. I’m already wet with desire, lifting my head, I look into his eyes as I take him completely inside of my body.
“Tennessee,” he groans softly.
Before I can say another word, his hands leave my hips and he tugs my shirt and bra down, exposing my breasts.
“Give me a show, honey,” he rumbles.
My lips curve up into a grin, even more wetness pools between my legs and I give Landry exactly what he demands—a show.
LANDRY
I watch Tennessee’s sweet ass sway as she hurries out of my office. She stops at the door, turning her head to look back at me. There’s a smile playing on her lips, and her eyes search mine for a moment, then she sinks her teeth into her bottom lip.
“I’ll see you after lunch,” she rasps.
My own lips turn up into a smile. “Yeah, I’ll see you later. I have a couple meetings, but I’ll be done by five. We’ll stop by the grocery store on the way home, get some food for dinner?”
Her entire body shakes in a shiver and her eyes glaze over. “We,” she breathes. “Home.”
My heart softens at the sight of the way those couple of words affect her. “Yeah,” I chuckle. “See you after work?”
She nods her head and without another word, slips from my office. As soon as she’s gone, I feel the guilt fill my entire body. I’m such a fucking asshole. I’m hiding something from her, something that I should have told her immediately.
Reaching for my phone, I touch the intercom button and call for Julie. She glides inside, standing at the doorway for instructions.
“Close the door please, have a seat.”
I haven’t told her anything that’s been going on, mainly because the fewer people that know, the less of a chance of it leaking. Laurent doesn’t even know and he won’t, not until the last second. But right now, I don’t have a choice. I need to talk to Julie, need to have her help in setting up some stuff.
“I just want to remind you that you have signed an NDA and I expect you to uphold that document,” I begin.
“Landry?”
Shaking my head once, I tell her about the divorce and the forfeit of the company to Susan. Then, before she screams at me and acts as though I’ve done something disastrous, I follow it up with my plan to essentially poach every client and employee from here, since Susan didn’t stipulate a noncompete in the agreement.
“What happens now?” Julie asks, her tone of voice soft and gentle.
She’s scared, I can see it in her eyes. I don’t blame her, this whole thing is a little scary, to say the least.
“I just needed to tell you all of that to get you caught up to what my attorney just informed me.”
Julie leans forward, her eyes wide as she watches me, waiting for what I’m about to tell her. I want to say that it’s not that sensational, but it is. It’s a fucking nightmare too, but not just for me, mostly for Tennessee.
“Tennessee has never had contact with Holden’s father. She didn’t even know how to contact him, not that she wanted to. Anyway,” I mutter. “Susan has found him.”
“Shit,” Julie hisses, knowing just how vindictive Susan can be.
“I’m guessing she either figured it out on her own, or one of the kids told her about me and Tennessee over the weekend. She’s got him suing for a paternity test and visitation and parental rights,” I grunt.
Julie presses her lips together, leaning back in her seat, I watch as she crosses one leg over the other, then switches. She has something she wants to say, something that she thinks I won’t like. I’m pretty sure I know what it is, but I decide to wait to hear it straight from her.
“Would it be a bad thing if the baby knew his father?”
I snort. “Yeah, since he drug-raped his mother at a college party, I think it probably would.”
“Landry,” she breathes.
Shaking my head, I let out a sigh. “I don’t want this to go to court. Tennessee and Holden do not need to go through all of this. Hell, I don’t need to either. This is just a play that Susan has made. This guy doesn’t give a fuck, I’m sure she’s paying him.”
There is no way he’s going to just come up from nowhere without Susan paying him in some way. He’s risking far too much to do this. Especially the reputation that he is willing to expose about himself and his abuse of young women, of her.
“Or whatever,” Julie grumbles. “That woman is vile. You should have filed years ago, Landry. She never deserved you, not ever.”
“Julie?”
She shakes her head. “I have my own life, but Landry, you’ve always been lonely and sad, since I’ve known you. With Tennessee, you smile. I like that and although I think you’re probably going to go through a lot of heartache being with someone so young, I can’t help but be happy for you, because she makes you so happy.”
“She does,” I rasp. “I need help with this situation though. I won’t be able to hide it from Tennessee. I am going to tell her tonight. I need you to set something up with my attorney. A dinner meeting in a couple of days, private. Maybe just up at the penthouse, have it catered for ten people.”
“Ten?”
Nodding my head, I look at the computer then back to her. “My kids need to know. Call them, tell them I want them here as well, non-negotiable. My PI is on his way in for a pre-meeting. I’m hoping he can gather some intel and fast.”
“You’re just going to tell everyone about this man, about the circumstance without talking to her first?”
I shake my head, lifting my hand I run my fingers through my hair. “I’m going to talk with her tonight, after I get the PI to work on everything. I can’t sit on this though and I didn’t want to tell her before her
meeting with Lydia.”
“Lydia?” Julie asks, arching a brow.
“That was a long time ago.”
Julie snorts. “Women never forget and they always use an opportunity to talk, Landry.”
“Lydia can tell her. I don’t mind.”
Without another word, Julie stands and leaves. I lean back in my chair, my head falling back and my eyes closing. What feels like just a few moments later, I hear my PI walk through the door.
“Hansen,” I grunt, lifting my head and looking at him from across my desk as he sits down in the chair that Julie vacated not long ago.
“This must be huge if you don’t want to shoot me an email, what’s going on?”
Clearing my throat, I wonder how many more people I can just tell Tennessee’s private shit to before it makes me a bigger goddamn asshole? At least Hansen suspects it all, it doesn’t feel like as much as an invasion.
“You were right, about Tennessee. It was a party gone bad. Her drink was drugged and whoever this man is, he took liberties,” I explain.
“He raped her.”
Nodding my head once, I lift my hand and wrap my fingers around the back of my neck, squeezing to relieve tension. “He did and now I have a problem and I’d like you to gather as much information as you possibly can for me.”
“Whatever you need. I don’t want to see this piece of shit harass or upset Tennessee. She seems like a sweet kid.”
My lips twitch and I jerk my chin at him. “She’s the sweetest woman I’ve ever been with and the best mother, too. She loves Holden and she’s sacrificed so much for him. How she could even go through what she did. She’s strong. So fucking strong.”
Hansen stands, he leans forward and I see the determination in his gaze. “Don’t worry. If Susan is in any contact at all with him, I’ll figure it out and fast.”
“Wednesday we’re meeting for dinner with my attorney, do you think you can have your report by then?”
“I won’t sleep until I have everything that I need.”
Hypocritically Yours: A Standalone Age-Gap Romance Page 19