Blackmailed by the Billionaire Brewer

by Rachel Lyndhurst

  “Soooo,” Melanie crooned. Putting people at ease was what she did best. “Latte? Juice? Champagne? It’s all a business expense so go wild.”

  “Tissues. Are they tax deductible?”

  “Oh.” Melanie slid a pretty looking box over the desk. “They sure are. I see a lot of tears in here.”

  “Tears of joy?” Piper grabbed a couple just in case one might not be enough.

  “It’s a fifty-fifty thing to be honest.” Melanie smiled and sank down into her counseling chair. “Are we going to talk accessories and favors this morning?”

  “If you want.”

  “So that’s a no.” Melanie folded her hands in her lap and waited silently for the dam to break.

  The words flooded out in a torrent. “I’ve fallen in love with Matt DeLeo and I don’t know what to do about it.” A tear slid down her cheek and she quickly wiped it away with the tissue.

  Melanie’s eyes grew as wide as saucers. “Are you sure?”

  “Look at me. What do you think?”

  “Realizing you’re in love is a serious call and it’s happened very quickly—”

  “Have I ever done something like this to you before? Come in on my knees because I’m so scared and confused?”

  Melanie frowned. “No, sweetheart, you haven’t.”

  “I’m deadly serious, you understand? This is not just an infatuation or being on the rebound from Stanley. Something inside me has changed and it’s tearing me into pieces.”

  “Would it be forward of me to ask if you’re looking to book my services?”

  “Jesus, no! I love him, but he’s crazy, and he’s leaving Passion Creek on the sixteenth forever.”

  Melanie winced. “Forever? That’s kind of dramatic. Shoot, you really do pick them, Piper. You’ll forgive me for wondering if you two actually talk to each other because there appears to be a serious communication problem going on here.”

  There was an awkward silence while Piper rocked back and forth slightly in her chair. “We talk…but not like that.”

  Melanie sighed deeply and put on her stern voice. “Well, honey, you have to tell him how you feel. You’re a mess.”

  “I can’t.”

  “Why the hell not?”

  “Because…it’s so not him. I mean, commitment is like the Antichrist to him—he doesn’t even have a picture of his mother, or his dead dog. His dad’s an asshat, so that’s excusable.”

  “But you say you love this guy in spite of his aversion to family and animals.” She shrugged and took another tissue out of the box for Piper. “It’s not unusual for women to fall in love with men like that, the kind of guys who our moms would warn us against and who drive fathers into a protective rage. I see it a lot, and sometimes they even manage to get married.”

  “They do?”

  “Yeah. I won’t bore you with the divorce statistics, though.”

  “You follow through on all that? After your bill’s been settled and they go on their honeymoon?”

  “I have to, it’s my business. High-profile dream weddings that end in acrimonious divorce are embarrassing. I avoid commissions that have Temple of Doom written all over them.”

  “And I thought your job was a dream number. Your gut instincts must be really good unless you plant bugs on them.”

  “Believe me, it would be so tempting if I could get away with it.” She cracked open a luxurious box of Belgian chocolate-coated caramels and put it in front of Piper. “Trust me, you have got to tell him.”

  Piper lowered her head to look at the knot of her fingers in her lap. Her voice cracked. “I can’t.”

  “Tell me exactly why not.”

  “Because he’ll probably start frothing at the mouth and throw himself out of the nearest window.”

  “Of course he won’t. You have to do it.”

  “I’m too scared.”

  “You still have to do it or wonder for the rest of your life what would have happened if you had stepped up to the plate and opened your heart.”

  Piper threw her head back and stared at the ceiling. “You’re way too good at this.”

  “I have a lot of experience from what I’ve seen of other people’s lives–doesn’t mean I’m that good at dealing with my own.”

  Her head dropped back down. “Holy crap, I’m sorry. I haven’t even asked about you and Nathan—”

  “And you don’t need to because the next five minutes are all about you.”

  “Five minutes?”

  “Yes, that’s all you’re going to get from me before you go out there and spend the next seven days with your perfect man doing everything you can to make him stay. I’ve seen him, remember? I’ve seen you together as well, and so has Us Weekly, which means the entire world can see how right you are together.” She stood up and leaned her fingertips on the edge of the desk. “There’s every possibility he’s feeling exactly the same as you but, being a man, can’t articulate it. Open the dialogue for him, Piper. You have got to tell him how you feel.”

  The next seven days flew by in a whirlwind of laughter, fine dining, sightseeing, and thrill seeking. Melanie’s advice was lodged in Piper’s mind. It was good advice, and advice she should follow…but not yet. She had stepped out of Decadent Events shaken and red-eyed, but full of purpose because a plan had formulated itself before she even pushed open the door and stepped onto the icy sidewalk outside.

  Her plan was to enjoy their limited time together to the absolute max and to tell him how she felt on their last day, on the fifteenth. She couldn’t bring herself to do it before then in case it ruined everything immediately. At least if Matt was repulsed, she would still have some happy memories to cherish, and he would have an excuse to leave to avoid embarrassment.

  She had taken Melanie’s words to heart and had spent the last six days doing everything to make him stay. It was probably futile, but if their time together was amazing then maybe, just maybe, he would begin to feel as strongly about her as she did about him. She could never hope that he would love her, but he might reconsider his plans and stay a little longer and then…well, at least she could hope.

  Piper woke in the bed of his hotel suite on the morning of the fourteenth and felt an ache at the top of her rib cage, just about where her heart must be. This day was so important, their last chance to be alone together before she had to tell him how she felt.

  Matt emerged from the bathroom with the customary towel wrapped around his hips, grinning as he slicked long fingers through the damp black strands of his hair. “I thought I’d let you sleep,” he said quietly. “And I got a few emails out of the way, so today is freed up.”

  “Anything important?”

  “Just CNN making arrangements for the camera crew and things for tomorrow. Quite a media coup getting them to feature PCB as part of their Passion Creek Arts Week coverage.”

  “I’ll say.” She smiled indulgently. “And with all the excitement about our recession-busting cannabis industry they might never leave.”

  The last few days had found them living comfortably together as a couple. She had made an effort to think before she spoke, having discovered that saying yes instead of no was kind of liberating for a change, and that being with someone didn’t have to be the same as being subjugated by Stan. She didn’t even mind that he was always working one way or another anymore. That was who he was, what he did, she had no right to try and change that, and what would be the point anyway?

  “Your pink brew will get worldwide coverage. You must be thrilled.”

  “I am,” he said lightly, standing in front of the mirror. His towel slipped to the floor as he slapped a dab of gel in his hair. “You bring me the best luck.”

  She watched with renewed wonder at how his muscles flexed and his body swayed slightly as he did his hair in the morning. The tattoos almost seemed to come to life as he moved and she yearned for the touch of his fingertips on her bare skin once more.

  “Tell me about your tattoos,” she murmured. “Why a
ll the sealife?”

  His head turned and he shot her a sexy grin. “I like the ocean.”

  “Is that it? No deep meaning?” She rolled over to his side of the bed, twisting the bed sheets around her body like a cocoon. “I thought people had tattoos for a reason.”

  He turned back to face the mirror and she could see him churning something over by the way his mouth was set. “I had my second one done the day I left IT and set up on my own. The seagull, to remind himself, and show the world, I wasn’t a cog in the corporate machine anymore and that I was free.”

  “That’s so cool.”

  “And then I just kept going because I liked them and to prove that I can do what the hell I like with my money, my body, and my life.”

  “So what was your first one?”

  “My first one was a piece of shit I got a buddy to do on me when I was fifteen. A silver dollar, an act of rebellion. I thought it made me look tough.” He laughed at his own reflection and then their eyes met in the mirror. He pointed to his shoulder. “It was consumed by the octopus.”

  She giggled. “Do we have plans for the day?” she said and sidled up behind him, hugging her arms around his tight waist. She hoped not because she wanted him all to herself one way or another.

  “There’s just one job to do this morning and then we’re free.”

  Free…if only she was, but her heart was well and truly stolen. She could never be free now, and she didn’t want to be. She wanted to be his captive for forever and a day. “Good, what’s the plan?”

  “Wait and see.” He twisted around and placed a kiss on her forehead. “It’ll take less than an hour. What do you want to do after that?”

  “What do I always want to do?” She bit his shoulder playfully, leaving a small pink tooth mark on the inky octopus on his skin.

  “We can do that,” he said and caught her up against him.

  “Do you know what I’d really like to do?” He gestured for her to continue. “Let’s go back to your cabin, just us.”

  “Without the cat?” he said cheerfully. “I’m not sure Princess would forgive us.”

  “Princess Aspen is doing just fine now, and she’s way too fat to cart around.”

  “Want me to call Super to cat sit?”

  “Mom and Dad are happy to pop in when I’m not there to make sure she’s okay. In fact I think Dad likes somewhere to go for some peace and quiet now and then—it might even give him an excuse to stay over. Mom and Sophie are arguing a lot.”

  “Has she asked to come live with you again?”

  “No, she hasn’t, not yet. But I’m afraid the answer would be no this time. We get along much better at a distance.”

  He nodded and his voice took on a more serious tone. “So I don’t even get to stay over at your place on our last night?” His statement took her by surprise; it was as if the significance of their last day and night was preying on his mind, too.

  “You know my rules on that,” she said quietly.

  “Oh yeah, I remember, and no special treatment for me. It’s okay.” The spark of hope that he might suddenly conform to her rules and commit to some kind of future was quickly extinguished.

  “So what do you think of my idea?” she asked.

  He pulled away from her embrace and made for the drawer where he’d put his underwear. “The cabin’s occupied right now, but I could offer them a massive upgrade to leave for the night.”

  Just for the night? said a small voice in her head. Yes, of course just for the night, she reminded herself. Time markers of their precarious last hours together were at every turn. It was getting exhausting and she knew deep down that her tears were bound to revisit her sooner rather than later.

  “Do that,” she said firmly. It was their cabin in her heart and she didn’t like the thought of other people staying there. It was crazy, but being in a state of unrequited love was tipping the balance of her mind.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Matt thrummed his fingers with impatience against the steering wheel of the Porsche. He was eager to get to the trendy little street in downtown Passion Creek that was their destination, but because of the Arts Festival, the traffic was unusually heavy.

  “Are you going to put me out of my misery?” Piper asked with a humorous tinkle in her voice.

  “Only when we get there,” he said. “Which will be in about one minute if this Mazda in front of us doesn’t stop again.”

  “Maybe this was a job for the chopper after all.”

  “Not if we want to set straight off for the mountains afterward,” he reminded her. “And the drive up there is the best.”

  “As long as it’s not in the dark, in the middle of a snowstorm with an injured cat in a box.” She laughed. “That was one hell of a night.”

  “Sure was memorable.” he said and winked. He was happy that she seemed to be in a good mood. Waking in the hotel suite this morning to the realization that it was already the fourteenth had filled him with an emptiness he hadn’t experienced in a long time. Their time together had gone by so quickly…but anyway, this next part was going to be really good.

  He pulled up outside a sleek modern building, sheets of glass forming its walls, strips of chrome seemingly holding it all together, and a swank rotating door set at the center of its façade. “Hermitage Gallery,” she read from the brushed steel sign outside. “Another one of your ventures?”

  “Not exactly. Next door.” He killed the engine and opened the car door. “Come on, I’ll show you.”

  He took her hand and led her to the end of the gallery building and then across a street to a square property on the corner made of red brick with large, blue-painted window frames. The road sign nearby was a matching blue color and as he followed her gaze to it, he felt uncharacteristically nervous.

  “Madeira Road,” she said, and then looked at him for some kind of explanation.

  “This way,” he said, and took her to the front of the building as he felt in his pocket for the key.

  “It’s looking pretty deserted, Matt,” she said as they stood on the front step. The blinds drawn down over the broad windows gave nothing away.

  “That’s because it is,” he whispered and pushed open the door to a rattle of an old-fashioned bell. It closed shut behind them and he couldn’t keep the excitement to himself any longer. “It’s deserted because it’s been waiting for you to step in and bring it back to life.”

  “I’m sorry?” She shook her head and looked around her, wringing her hands slightly. He’d managed to take her by surprise that was for sure. “I don’t understand.”

  He tugged at the nearest window blind so that it flew up in a cloud of dust. “I haven’t had time to get anyone to clean it. It only came on the market a few days ago and I bought it sight unseen.”

  “You bought it?” Hee jaw dropped open. “Without even looking at it? Does this mean that you’re expanding your property empire in Passion Creek after all? That you’re—”

  “It’s yours, Piper, a big chunk of historic Passion Creek all to yourself. A showroom, with workrooms in the back, parking, and a three-bedroom apartment upstairs. It’s perfect. I bought it for you.”

  She was silent and as she stared at him, he could see tears welling up beneath her eyelashes. “I can’t accept this,” she said sadly.

  “You have to, it’s all in your name,” he said cautiously, not having expected such a disappointing reaction. “All legal and everything.”

  “You had no right to do something like that.” She kicked at a piece of trash on the floor.

  “This is what I’ve been dealing with for the last few days when we haven’t been together. It wasn’t easy getting everything together in time.”

  “In time for what? Good-bye?”

  That remark kind of sucked. He sighed. “What do you want me to say?”

  “I don’t know,” she said roughly. “I just don’t know.”

  “I want you to be safe, have some financial security. This place w
ill let you expand your business, and no more chemicals on the kitchen table.”

  “No more unhinged ex-boyfriends knocking at the door, either. That’s what’s really going on, isn’t it? Control freak to the very end. Planning it all out for poor little Piper so you have a say in the way things are even after you’ve washed your hands of me.”

  “I don’t get why you’re so upset, Piper. This place wasn’t cheap.”

  He jumped with surprise as she stamped her foot and another cloud of dust flew into the air. “Why can’t you just stick around? You leaving Passion Creek is what’s upsetting me, can’t you see that?”

  He bit down hard on the side of his lip as his stomach flipped and he felt sick. Words…he needed some words… “Shit, Piper, I—”

  “It doesn’t matter,” she said quickly. “Forget I said anything that stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid.”

  “Not stupid,” he said softly and drew her head into his chest, nestling it into his shirt as his thoughts ricocheted like marbles around his head. He hadn’t wanted to hurt her, he wanted to make her happy, to leave her better off than when he’d found her. But his mouth was suddenly too dry to say anything as they stood in the musty shell of the empty store. He couldn’t make promises he couldn’t keep or raise her hopes that they had any kind of future. It wouldn’t be fair, however tempted he was to give in and do just that. He wasn’t ready, he wasn’t capable. He was his father’s son…

  He felt her push against his chest and ease herself out of his embrace. “Look at me spoiling everything.” She sniffed and wiped the back of her hand over her eyes. “I don’t know what got into me. This was all a shock. I’m sure that’s it.”

  “And you’re probably feeling stressed about tomorrow.” He felt her tense. “About the launch and all those cameras.”

  “Yes…yes,” she agreed and wriggled completely free. “It’s a lot to deal with.”

  “Listen.” He pressed the door key into her hand. “You don’t have to keep it, but it’s yours. Sell it if you want, but it is yours.”

  “I really don’t know what to say. It’s too generous, too much.”

  “It’s not. I want you to have it.” He knew she’d never accept money; it was against her work ethic. This was more like a venture capital exercise, an investment in which he would get no tangible return. Apart from the knowledge that she didn’t have to struggle so hard and that dickwad Stanley couldn’t get to her. He should have made sure that scumbag never got a chance to come back, but she wouldn’t thank him for that—he knew her well enough to be sure she wouldn’t tolerate revenge. “Come on, let’s hit the road and get some of that mountain air. This place will keep until you decide what you want to do with it.”