by Lee, Nadia
“I’m not saying that to push you into anything you aren’t comfortable with,” he said. “I want you to know I’ll wait until you’re sure.”
But when would she be that sure? Wasn’t a relationship always a risk, and hadn’t she just proved to herself that she wasn’t some pushover? She’d never talked back to her mother that way or demanded her respect. At her most defiant, she’d just stew and then become depressed and upset.
Looking into Blaine’s eyes, she knew he’d do as he said. He’d wait for her. He’d never make her do anything she didn’t want to do, and her opinions and preferences mattered to him. She wouldn’t have to pretend to be something she wasn’t.
So what’s the problem, Catherine? Take him. Grab him and don’t let him go.
She finally lowered her arm and spoke in a shaky voice. “I love you too…but there’s something I have to tell you.” She took his hand and led him to the couch. “Please don’t interrupt until I’m finished. I’m not even sure if I can talk about it calmly. It’s something that’s been an issue in my life for a while.”
“It can’t be that bad.” He spoke lightly, but his brow knit slightly, giving him away. He turned her hand in his until their fingers were linked. She drew a measure of calm and peace through the connection.
“There’s a good chance that I might not be able to have children,” she spoke fast so she could get it out before she lost courage. “I wasn’t able to conceive during my marriage, and I don’t know why.”
“Didn’t you see a doctor?”
“No. Jacob didn’t want to. He wanted it done naturally or not at all. But we tried for a long time, and it never happened. Whatever else anyone can say about him, Jacob took care of himself physically, so there’s a fifty-fifty chance that whatever was wrong was wrong on my end. I want you to know that because…well, you said you wanted children.”
“I want children with you, Catherine. But if we can’t have ’em, then okay. We can try some fertility treatment, and if that doesn’t work, it just wasn’t meant to be. We can always adopt. It doesn’t matter to me or have any effect on my love for you.”
“That’s really sweet, Blaine.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “But don’t answer without giving it some serious thought,” she said. “I don’t want you to regret this.”
“Already done. When you told me you wanted children and things didn’t work out, I kinda thought it might be something like this.”
She blinked as tears gathered in her eyes. “Blaine, I had no idea.”
“How could you? We never got a chance to talk about it. So I’m telling you now.”
“There’s more. My mother. She’s going to expect you to maintain her household and possessions. Don’t let her guilt you into it. She won’t downsize and will always insist on living in a house that’s too grand for her circumstances, simply out of pride.”
“Don’t worry. I can handle her.”
“Also I might not be able to live in Cooter’s Bluff. I know you like the town and everything, but I’m going to need to be able to travel easily when necessary. And—”
He put a finger on her lips. “It’s okay. I’m probably going to have to move anyway. I’ve been hoping I could stay here, but even if I get an assistant, there’s going to be people waiting every time I step outside.” He cupped her face in his rough callused hand. “Now look, is there anything else I should know, or are we about done here?”
Suddenly, all the tension in her life seemed to have vanished, and her heart could beat without the terrible vise around it. Blaine’s beloved face blurred. She wiped the tears away, so she could always remember all the details of his shining eyes and loving smile. “No.”
“Good. Now tell me you love me again. This time without any buts.”
She laughed. “I love you.”
“I love you, too, baby.” He kissed her on the mouth, gathering her in his arms. She devoured him, all the pent-up desire sizzling through her body like wildfire.
He pushed her dress up while she undid his belt buckle. She was so primed for him, she felt like she could climax just from the pressure of his thigh pressing into her mound. His mouth closed over her breast through the dress. She moaned as heat streaked through her and gathered between her legs. She felt so hot and so wet, and her skin seemed so tight, like the need inside her was ready to explode.
They never made it to the bedroom. He surged into her on the couch, and she wrapped her legs around him and gloried in the most intimate connection they shared. She arched and raked her fingernails down his sweat-slickened back.
“Baby, let go. I got you,” he whispered into her ear. “I always got you.”
His words pushed her over the edge, and she came hard, her muscles milking him inside of her. “Oh my god, Blaine.”
He moved his hips faster and harder, pounding into her like he wanted to be a part of her and never leave. Another orgasm spiraled out of control, and she screamed until she turned hoarse, Blaine joining her at the peak.
When she could finally breathe again, Catherine hugged Blaine, knowing she’d never be alone.
“Lemme take you upstairs so we can do it right this time,” he whispered hotly against her neck.
“That was already pretty right,” she whispered back with a satisfied smile. “But I’m up for round two if you are.”
“We have a lot to make up for. If I hadn’t been such an idiot about that folder Irene found, we wouldn’t have lost so much time.”
“The past is past. What matters is what we have now and our future together.”
And the future had never looked brighter.
Chapter Thirty
Four weeks later
Catherine’s flight was delayed, and it was already almost eight by the time she reached home. Not just any home, but hers and Blaine’s. They’d found the most perfect penthouse overlooking gorgeous downtown Nashville a week before and decided to rent it. Nashville was a great location—close enough to Cooter’s Bluff that he could visit his friends—or vice versa—and big enough to satisfy the needs of Catherine’s new job.
The moment she opened the door, the heavenly scent of sizzling beef and bacon greeted her. She breathed in appreciatively. “That smells amazing,” she said.
“My specialty burger and fries,” Blaine called out from the kitchen.
She set her rolling carry-on suitcase by the door and went to the open space that served as kitchen, dining and living room. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing those delectable forearms. She grabbed a fistful of his shirt and brought him down for a long kiss. Her toes curled in her stilettos as their tongues tangled and his hands cupped her butt. Her body revved up, and she rose on tiptoe for closer contact.
He pulled back. “It’s gonna burn.” He took the patties off the skillet.
“Need any help?” she asked.
“Nope. Got it.”
She went to the built-in wine rack and picked out a bottle of a great red she’d found in California. “What about some cabernet with our burgers?”
“Sounds great.”
She uncorked it and watched him put everything together. He knew exactly how she liked hers—with extra cheese and pickles. When her phone rang, she picked it up. Hmm. An email from Meredith. What could this be about? Catherine had started to use emails and texts in the last two weeks, and Meredith sent all sorts of stuff. “Do you mind reading what it says?” Catherine handed her phone to Blaine.
“Hold on.” He put the plates on the glass-top table and thumbed the touch screen. “Okay. She sent it to a bunch of people…Amandine, Gavin, Kerri, Ethan and you. She says, ‘Mom’s moving in with Barron. I can’t believe it!’ Oh and Kerri just responded. ‘Good. Barron needs somebody he can’t boss around.’”
Laughing, Catherine took her seat at the table. “That sounds like Kerri. Wonder why Meredith’s so shocked by this though. She should’ve seen it coming in Thailand.”
“Maybe she feels odd about her mother dating
again?”
“You think so?”
“Kids can get weird about that kind of thing. I was less than thrilled when Mom started going out again. In retrospect it’s obvious she deserved to have a life.”
“You’re right. I’m sure Meredith will get over it.” She took a big bite of her burger and almost wept. There was no way she would ever get used to eating like this. “So how did everything go in Cooter’s Bluff?”
“We actually ended up meeting in Greensville, so it wasn’t so bad. Anyway, it’s all official now. Rick owns The Line.”
Catherine smiled. “That’s great.”
“Yeah. It’s the most logical thing to do. He deserves it.”
“So what are you going to do now? I have my art work, but…” She tasted the wine then poured two glasses. “I know you’re getting restless.”
“While you were away, I talked to Gavin about setting up a charitable foundation in my mom’s memory and running it.” He gestured with a fry. “To help women and children in poverty. I remember how difficult things were when I was growing up. Don’t want that for others.”
Her heart just went gooey at that. “Gavin would be the right man for the job. He runs a few foundations with his wife.”
“Yeah, that’s what I heard. You interested in helping out?”
“Of course.” She reached over and tangled their hands. “It’ll be my pleasure.”
He pulled her over and set her in his lap. “You know I love you more and more every day, don’t you?”
“I do.” Her forehead touched his. “And I love you so much sometimes I feel like this is all a dream.”
“It’s definitely not a dream,” he said, slapping her butt. “Did I tell you our new bed got delivered earlier today?”
“It did?”
“Yep. And,” he said significantly, “I assembled it.”
“Did you now? We should do some QA on that. Make sure it’s done right.”
“I agree,” he said, his lips grazing hers.
As he picked her up and carried her to the master bedroom, happiness suffused her until she was warm and tingly all over. Only a few months ago, she’d had nothing and felt like the world had taken everything from her. Who would’ve thought this was where she’d end up?
And she knew this time it was forever.
——
When Meredith reunites with her best friend’s older brother, things are about to get explosive! Read The Billionaire’s Scandal to find out what secrets and scandals are in store for Meredith and the Lloyd family!
The Billionaire’s Scandal
Seduced by the Billionaire, Book 5
Nadia Lee
Dynamic and powerful, billionaire Daniel Aylster III wants to get rid of The Lloyds Development for mismanaging the construction of his latest hotel…until he meets its new CEO, Meredith Lloyd. It’s been ten years since he’s seen her, but his baby sister’s best friend has grown into an irresistible beauty.
A single mom determined to prove herself, Meredith refuses to let Daniel fire her company without giving her a chance to fix the problem first. Nothing is going to stop her from succeeding, not even her crazy attraction to Daniel.
Forced to work in close proximity, Daniel and Meredith realize they may have a saboteur in their midst. When their shadowy enemy makes a game-ending move, Meredith must reveal a devastating truth that could tear her family apart and cost her the only man she’s ever loved…
For Takahiro Marumoto.
Chapter One
Daniel Matthew Aylster III walked through the barren field in the cemetery. The October air had unusually sharp teeth that bit through his coat—winter seemed overeager that year. But now that he was in northern Virginia again, it seemed right to pay his respects.
Despite being outdoors, he felt a bit claustrophobic as the sky hung low, its clouds heavy and sullen. The evergreens added some color, and a man was raking leaves to keep the place tidy, but the dead probably didn’t care.
He hadn’t been back since his sister’s burial. The memories of Judy still pained him, and he’d done his best to stay out of the country afterward.
Was there an afterlife? He’d like to believe so, and that Judy was happy…except he was a realist. This life was all there was. He wished there was something he could’ve done to make her happy, but that hadn’t happened. No, he’d been in Bali, while his sister had died in some hospital with no one but clinically professional people around her.
When Judy had died, the decision was made to bury her next to their mother in Virginia. Their father had ruined almost everything, but not this. Judy’s spirit—if it existed—was probably happy where she was, and Daniel had made sure her rest wouldn’t be disturbed by having their father next to her.
Their father was buried in Houston with his parents. It was his death that had brought Daniel back from Europe.
Daniel stood before the family graves. Judy had only been eighteen, so beautiful, so full of zest and mischief. He could still hear her laugh…and feel her tears. Their father had been an equal opportunist when it came to tormenting his children. Their stepmother had protected her own daughter by sending her to boarding school, but she’d kept Daniel and Judy in Houston to placate their father.
His hands clenched.
There was a fresh bouquet of flowers on the grave. Bright orange daisies and tiger lilies—Judy’s favorites. Guilt twisted in his gut. He’d never sent anything. It must have been their uncle Claude; he’d loved Judy as if she were his own daughter.
Daniel turned to go back to his car and bumped into a short, wiry man who looked to be in his late fifties. “Sorry, sir,” Daniel said.
“Huh. You’re new.”
The man had a voice that reminded Daniel of old leather. Daniel looked at him. Gray hair puffed from underneath a faded Redskins cap like cotton candy, and he wore dusty coveralls and carried landscaping tools.
“Excuse me?” Daniel said.
“It’s always the woman who visits,” the man said, leaning on his rake and watching Daniel curiously.
A woman? Daniel couldn’t think of any woman who might have visited. “You are…?”
“Ted. The groundskeeper. Been working here since I was about your age.” He sniffled. “It’s always the same woman comes by every month. Thought it was a mother who’d lost her baby, except that’s no baby there.” He gestured at Judy’s grave, then sniffled again. “You best get going. There’s a storm coming. I can feel it in my bones.”
* * *
Meredith Lloyd placed her hands over the seatbelt buckle as the private jet hit the runway. Her entire body tensed, twitchy as a sprinter at the starting line. As soon as the plane stopped, she jumped to her feet.
“Eager to see your son?” the cabin attendant teased.
“Yes. It’s been so long.”
Meredith gathered her purse and laptop bag, which was stuffed with extra paperwork, as the attendant opened the door. The air in northern Virginia was colder than that in Houston. Meredith pulled her coat closer as she hurried down the steps.
She hated the days away from her son Eric, but she couldn’t really move him to Houston. He loved his school and his friends here, not to mention his favorite uncle. He’d be crushed if she took him to a new city.
She would never do that to her son.
Her gaze zeroed in on the waiting champagne-colored Mercedes. The driver, Nancy Elgerton, gave her a wide grin. Now there was a lovely sight. With a responding grin, Meredith broke into a trot—
“Merry.”
—and stumbled, her heavy laptop bag unbalancing her further. A pair of strong, masculine hands righted her before she pitched head-first into the asphalt.
“Weren’t expecting me?”
She looked up at the unforgettable face of Daniel. Tall and muscular, with the same shade of brown hair that her late best friend Judy had had, he was the only one who called her Merry. His sharp blue eyes seem to know her innermost secrets as he stared down at her. Her m
outh dried, and her heart pounded, pumping too much blood into her head. Don’t panic. Maybe he doesn’t know everything…yet.
“What are you doing here?” she finally managed.
“Helping myself to some of your time, since you won’t see me any other way.”
Huh? “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Really.” His voice was drier than the sub-Saharan desert.
Suddenly realizing he still had his hands on her, she pulled back and hefted the laptop bag. “If you want to see me, make an appointment.”
“Tomorrow morning at nine.”
“Tomorrow’s Saturday.” She and Eric had started a new tradition of going over to her mother’s for brunch.
Something like relief mingled with contempt and condescension crossed Daniel’s handsome face. “Too delicate to get out of bed before noon on the weekend? How do you plan to fix The Lloyds Development?”
She sucked in a breath. Her family business was struggling at the moment, but it was low of him to question her abilities so directly. “That’s unfair.”
“Then meet me at nine tomorrow. I don’t have the time or inclination to play appointment games.”
Just like that, her entire body went cold. He can’t know, can he? She stood stiffly, making sure there was some distance between them. “Fine. Send me the location.”
“Your number?”
“What?”
“Your number. I’m not dealing with your worthless assistant anymore.”
She rattled off her cell phone number. He didn’t have to be nasty about her assistant when it was probably just a miscommunication. This was one of the busiest times of the year for Meredith. “Satisfied?”
“For now. We’ll talk more tomorrow.” He walked away and disappeared into his limo. It pulled away in a stately fashion.
Nancy got to her just as her knees buckled. “Are you all right?”
Meredith stared at her, numb and unable to comprehend. Her heart was thundering like a galloping Arabian, and she fought to take in air.