by Alla Kar
I stared at her. “I’m going to get Sydney; we’re leavin’ for Dallas soon. You can have the weekend off; we’ll be back tomorrow night, late. I’ll see you Monday morning. Thank you for all you do.”
Gloria nodded but avoided eye contact as I made my out of the kitchen.
Sydney sat on the couch with her feet tucked underneath her. Nyla was sprawled out beside her as Sydney absentmindedly petted her. She glanced up when I walked in, giving me a small fake smile. “Are we ready to go?”
She stood, coffee in hand, and started busying herself with her luggage. “Stop,” I said, catching her wrist. “I’ll get those, but not before we talk. Come here.” I lead her to the kitchen counter where she stood next to me. “I want to talk about what happened last night.”
Her pretty eyes cast down to her interlaced fingers. “What about it? I had fun at the—,”
“Not about the fundraiser, Sydney. About your mother.”
She nodded, finally looking up at me.
I touched her cheek with the back of my hand, running my knuckles against her soft skin. “She couldn’t be more wrong about you, Peach. She doesn’t understand your passion or your talent. All she knows is being a trophy wife that doesn’t have to work, and doesn’t want to. I don’t want you to think that you’re not worth it because you are. Has she always been like this?”
Sydney shook her head. “No. She never really liked the idea of me paintin’ but she never rode me so hard about it, not until Ryder died. When that happened, everything hit the fan.” She wiped her eyes. “She blames me,” she whispered.
Blames her for what? For his death? The frustration I’d had tripled in my chest. My phone sung loudly in the quiet room. I looked down at Joey’s number and the time.
I reached forward and brought her frowning lips to mine. “We need to leave now. I want to talk more about this on the plane in private. Are you okay to go? We can always cancel and go next—,”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I need to go now. I know getting out of Savannah is gonna help me. Being here, knowing my parents are here, makes it worse. I want to be out of this state, away from them.”
“I understand,” I said, taking her hand and grabbing her suitcase. “We can leave whenever you want. Where you want to go, we’ll go.”
She didn’t talk on the way to the limo, only held my hand tightly. She felt so small and fragile next to me. How could someone be so cruel to her? I didn’t understand why. The guilt I’d felt almost knocked me over, now, it felt like an airborne disease that was gonna slowly kill me.
I had to get out of this deal. I had to fix this small, southern beauty that I knew deserved better.
And I would if it was the last fuckin’ thing I did.
Joey’s aviators told me he was pissed. He always tried to hide his eyes behind his sunglasses when he was pissed.
But, I didn’t care, because I was pissed too. He opened the door for us at the airport, slamming it behind Sydney. If he was a normal employee, I’d have fired him for it.
Sydney gave me a look over her shoulder, but I ignored it. I couldn’t tell her the real reason we were mad at each other, and I didn’t want to lie. I’d based our entire relationship off of a lie.
“Cash,” Joey said.
Stopping, I gestured for my pilot to help Sydney onto the plane. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
I watched until she disappeared into the small private jet, and turned toward Joey. The distressed look on his face almost made me feel bad—almost.
“Look, Cash,” he said, stepping forward. “I know Asher and I were harsh the other night, but we only have your best interest in mind. We know how crazy you get when you’re angry.”
I gave him a bored look. “What in the hell are you talkin’ about? I don’t act crazy.”
Joey ran his hand over his head. “Look, Cash—,”
The jet came to life from behind me, and I checked my watch. “I understand your concern, but there isn’t anything to worry about. I need to leave. We can talk more when I get back.”
I didn’t give him time to answer. Sydney stood in the doorway, facing away from me, looking out at the plush cream walls and seating circling a huge dark ottoman. “Sydney.”
She turned. Those beautiful eyes were wide. “This is—beautiful. I’ve never been on a private jet before.”
Stepping forward, I palmed her face, rubbing my thumb against her soft cheek. “Come sit back here. We can put on a movie.” She followed me to the king-size sofa, taking a seat beside me. Dillon, my pilot, came over the speaker a few seconds later and told us we were leaving soon.
“You have Netflix?”
I nodded, handing her the controller.
“Pick something.”
Watching her flip through the movies, I noticed the tattoo on her wrists again. I trapped her wrist with my palm and pulled it toward me. “What does this mean?”
She swallowed, a sadness covered her face. “Ryder and I got this on my eighteenth birthday. Infinity was our thing.”
“You were close?”
She nodded, skimming the TV. I felt her pain without her even saying a word. There wasn’t anything about her that I didn’t want to know, but I knew she didn’t want to talk about it right now.
“I saw you with the little girl at the banquet. Do you want kids?”
The hurt disappeared, and she clicked on Sweet Home Alabama before turning to face me. “Yeah, one day. What about you?”
I’d never really given children too much of a thought before. It wasn’t that I hadn’t wanted them but that I was never serious enough with a woman to consider them. “Someday.”
Sydney twirled her finger against my arm. “You said your mother used to paint?”
I nodded. “Yeah, she loved it.”
“What about your dad?”
“What about him?”
She bit her bottom lip. “Where is he?”
I pretended to focus on the TV. We didn’t talk about my dad much growing up. He’d took off when I was really young, not long after Asher was born. “He was never in my life.”
“Well, it looks like you turned out well without him.”
I lifted a brow, pulling her thigh over my own. “So funny you should say that. I’m pretty sure that you hated me when you first met me.”
She gave me a sly smile. “Not at first,” she whispered. “When I met you at my parents’ house, I was—speechless.”
I could tell. She hardly looked at me, and when she did her face would turn pink. “And something changed?”
She smiled toward the TV as the plane took off the platform. “Nothing changed. I was tryin’ hard to stay away from you.”
I studied her face. “Why? Why were you scared to get close to me?” I had my theories.
“I’ve told you I’m not used to this. The date, the gestures, I still don’t know if it’s real.”
Tucking her hair behind her ear, I watched the insecurities on her face. “What does a man have to do to show you that you’re worth it, Peach?”
She closed her eyes and smiled. “Just give me time.”
I nodded. I could give her time, all the time she needed. “In the meantime,” I whispered. “Have you ever been fucked ten thousand miles high?”
The sly smile on her face turned my insides to mush. “You’d be a first. Just like the limo.”
I swung my leg over hers, trapping her against the plush leather sofa. “Will add it to our list.”
Her blonde hair spread around her like a halo. She looked so innocent, so pure, excited. It wasn’t what I’d been used to before. I’d had plenty of girls in college, but Sydney was youthful and shy, but dangerously experienced. I hated that she made me feel this alive because I’d only gotten involved with her because of a bet. I’d never been a guilt-ridden person, but it ate at me slowly.
Sydney smiled. “I’ve never had sex in Dallas either.”
I pushed my feelings back, settling my hips against her cor
e. “We can make that happen, Peach. Just say the word.”
She grinned. “Word.”
Sydney
When our plane landed an hour later, I had just slipped my shirt back over my head. Cash sat across from me, his demeanor relaxed, his arms outstretched on the cream-colored seats around us.
A nervous flutter had taken over my stomach as his light eyes watched me get dressed. I’d only been underneath him a few minutes before my body forgot that the pilot could probably hear me screaming.
Cash ran his fingers through his dark hair. “After we check into our hotel, I thought we could go down to the office and then get something to eat. I’ve worked up an appetite.”
“Sounds great.”
The pilot came back a couple seconds later, and I did my best to hide my face. “Sir, we’re ready to depart when you are.”
Cash stood and offered me his hand. When I finally met his eyes, he smiled ear-to-ear. It was only the second time I’d really seen him smile. “You’re blushin’.”
“Can we please leave,” I whispered.
Cash led me toward the stairs and out onto the runway. A car waited for us only a few short feet from the plane. Our driver opened the back door and ushered us inside.
Thirty minutes later we pulled up to the front entrance of the Hotel Crescent Court. My parents had stayed here several times while in Dallas, and always talked about the lovely service.
Cash interlaced his hand with mine as we made our way through the doors. It felt warm and large. I hadn’t had such a warm and comforting feeling in a really long time. If ever. Cash and I just made it to the counter when I heard my name.
I felt jolts of adrenaline swarm my stomach. I turned to see Jacob, my brother’s best friend growing up, coming toward me. He hadn’t changed in the three years since I’d seen him, he just looked older, more mature. That chocolate hair I’d dreamed of running my hands through was still shaggy, hanging over his dark eyes.
I felt myself slip into a giddy state the moment fear overtook me. He’d been the only guy to ever show me affection without sleeping with me. I always thought, maybe, if Ryder hadn’t been his best friend that we could have been more.
“Sydney, damn, it’s good to see you.” He came closer to me; his arms went out in a hug that reminded me of home.
He slipped his hands around my waist, and my body sunk into his embrace.
“Don’t be a pussy!”
Something about that word always lit a fire under my ass. I knew I had one, but hell, I didn’t like to be called one. I gave Ryder and Jacob the finger over my shoulder and ran toward the giant rope swing. My hands tightened on the rope for dear life as I swung over the lake beneath me.
There was nothing like a summer day in Georgia, the humid breeze on my sun kissed face, and the feel of adrenaline soaring through my veins. I let go over the sixty-foot drop, feet first into the shimmering water.
I came up for breath, swimming toward the sand bar. “Who’s the pussy now?” I shouted, smiling when I heard their laughter.
They jumped in a few minutes later. Ryder made it to the bank first, splashing me on his way out. “I guess I can give you credit for that one, baby girl.”
I gave him a smile, trying my best not to look at his best friend, climbing out of the water. Jacob was two years older than me, tall and broad. I’d always known that if I ever had the chance, I’d want to sink my fingers into those dark locks of his.
“Pretty impressive, Shortstack,” he said, flashing me a smile. “Next time try not to squeal like a girl on the way down.”
Jacob made his way to the other side of me, shaking his head like a wet dog. “I’m gonna go get the speaker for my phone. I’ll be right back,” Ryder said. I watched as he raced toward his truck that sat on top of the closet hill.
Jacob wrapped his arm around my shoulder. “Ready for school next week?” he’d asked.
I let out a long sigh. “Hell no. I still have two more years to go after this. You’re on your last year.”
He poked his bottom lip out. “Is Shortstack gonna miss me?”
Yes. I hated that my heart thumped an extra beat, and only because he sat next to me. “Maybe,” I said, shoving his shoulder.
Jacob tugged me closer, pulling on my long wet braid. “You still datin’ that Johnson kid?”
My heart hammered. “No, we broke up before the summer was over.”
I tried not to watch his face, but I found myself give him a long sideways glare. His tongue snaked out and dampened his bottom lip. “Well—,”
“I got ‘em,” Ryder yelled. “What y’all in the mood for? Country or rap?”
“It’s been so long.”
I blinked away my tears as something pinched my side. Cash’s fingers tightly gripped my hip, which forced me to look up at him. That strong jaw I always admired was clenched tight.
When I looked back at Jacob, he still wore a smile. “It has. I haven’t seen you since the funeral. What are you doin’ down here?”
He slipped his hands into his jeans, the sleeves of his button-down jean shirt pulled at the muscles he hadn’t lost since high-school. “Business. I’m doing logo designs now.”
“That’s right. I remember my mom saying something about that.”
Cash’s fingers tightened harder. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend, Peach?”
Jacob’s brow lifted, but he stopped me before I could say anything. “There isn’t a reason. You’re Cash Jenkins,” Jacob said, offering his hand. “I’m Jacob Reed. Sydney’s friend.”
I willed Cash to shake his hand, and after a few short seconds, he did. Cash didn’t let go of me, and I felt Jacob noticing the gesture. “What you are you two doin’ down here?”
“We’—,”
“Sydney is here with me on business. She’s painting for me, and we’re checking out the building we’re opening down here for another Jenkins Brothers building.”
“I love the deer feeder y’all came out with last year.” He turned toward me. “Do you remember that time we all went huntin’, and Ryder got stuck in that trap?”
I burst out laughing. “How could I forget? We had to go back by ourselves to get help, and we got lost.”
Jacob’s laugh brought back so many memories all at once. I didn’t know whether I wanted to cry or scream.
“It’s been nice to meet you,” Cash snapped. “But we need to get going to—,”
Jacob pulled out a card and handed it to me. “I would love for y’all to come to dinner with me tonight. I’d love to catch up with Sydney, and I would also like to talk to you about your logo designs. I know you’ve had the same logo since the start, and I love your brand. Would you be interested in havin’ dinner tonight to talk about a change?”
My eyes snapped upward toward Cash. I couldn’t read the look on his face, and I prayed he wasn’t rude to Jacob. Jacob had always been overbearing and pushy; it was his nature. Cash’s light eyes lowered to mine, and I felt it in my stomach. He didn’t want to spend our weekend in Dallas with him; I could sense it.
“Sydney, would you like to catch up with Jacob tonight?”
My mouth went dry. Since when did he give me the choice? I opened my mouth slowly, contemplating what I’d say.
“We can meet tonight,” Cash finished for me, his eyes moving toward Jacob. I didn’t know what to think, what to say.
Jacob smiled and lowered his face to press against my cheek. It felt like I’d taken a nose dive into the Grand Canyon. The good vibes of our plane ride took that nose dive with me, hell; our plane had just crashed.
The silent ride up the elevator to the top floor felt like decades. The light music they played didn’t do much for my nerves. Cash hadn’t looked at me since we stepped onto the platform. Even when the elevator dinged and we walked toward the door of what I realized was a penthouse, he hadn’t said a word.
He swung the door opened, bringing light to the most beautiful room I’d ever seen. I hadn’t even placed
my purse down on the plush ottoman by the door when he turned on his heel and pressed me back against the door. “What was that downstairs, Peach?”
The beast was definitely back. There was the sexiest snarl on his face, his piercing eyes pinning me to my spot against him. I felt my knees go weak, but I did my best to let the door support my trembling weight. It wasn’t that we hadn’t had spats before, hell, I’d thrown coffee in his face. But the look he gave me, the primal you’re mine and no one else’s had me shaking with desire.
“I—he was my brother’s friend. I was just sayin—,”
“You were fuckin’ fantasizing about him, Sydney. I saw the look on your face when he called your name. You knew it was him before you turned. I don’t like that.”
I swallowed the heavy fear in my throat. “No, I just grew up with—,”
He cut me off with one look. “No, you’ve had something with him, haven’t you? Did you sleep with him? I’d hate to take my fucking girlfriend to dinner with a guy she’s fucked. I won’t do it.”
Out of all the sentences, out of all of the situations, in the world, I felt my knees grow weaker. Girlfriend? I was his girlfriend? I hadn’t been anyone’s girlfriend since third grade. “I’ve never slept with him. Or kissed.”
Cash lowered his head, bringing those beautiful eyes to mine. “Then why did you act the way you did? Tell me now or I swear I’ll make what’s supposed to be the best weekend ever, hell.”
Wasn’t it hell already? Shit, I felt like a criminal. I didn’t want to admit anything to him, but at that moment he scared me, and I feared him in the best way. I also felt that I could tell him anything. I could tell him what I needed to without him judging me. “He’s the only boy that I ever felt liked me because of me, but he was my brother’s best friend and nothing ever happened because of it.”
Cash’s tensed shoulders softened, his face relaxed. “Oh,” he whispered. “You don’t think I like you for you?”
I wanted to believe that. I felt that way for Jacob before I’d ever been burned by multiple guys. I’d been hurt when I meet Cash. “It’s different,” I whispered, hoping he’d understand why. “Because now I’m the girl I am, and then I hadn’t been hurt.”