by Sam Crescent
Cathy looked Hadley up and down as if she was nothing more than a piece of dirt under her shoe.
“Really, you bring trash to a place like this, among people of such high standing? I thought better of you, Easton. She isn’t fit to be here. You’re a disgrace.”
The hand Hadley held out, lowered down, and Easton saw she had been hurt.
“I think it’s time for me to go.”
Before he could stop her, Hadley was already veering toward the door, leaving him behind.
“Fuck!”
“Seriously, dear. You think you can do better than me with that fat bitch.”
“Cathy, I never liked you, and I never wanted you. You were easy, and I needed some release. Don’t you ever, I mean this, ever, talk to her again, or even be in the same vicinity. If you even try to push this, I will end you.” And he would. He had the money and the power to end every single person in that room, and Cathy would be first on his list.
Pushing his wine glass of water into her hand, he brushed past her, heading toward Hadley.
“Hadley,” he said, calling out her name the moment he left the main building. Turning to the guard outside, he gave a description.
“She went that way, sir,” he said, pointing up the street.
Easton didn’t wait around. He ran in that direction, and caught up with her within seconds. “Damn, you’re fast. Why did you leave?”
“Because what that woman said was the truth, Easton. I don’t belong there.”
“Cathy has gotten through life being evil to others, and you were an easy target. She didn’t know who you were, or if you could even help her. Also, she’s jealous.”
“Of me, why?”
He took in a deep breath. “Because she has been wanting the two of us to get together to forge an empire. She is the heiress to a fortune. Anyone who wins her over, will be unstoppable. I mean it. She has the power to wipe out all competition. Most men wouldn’t turn that away, and most haven’t. She usually gets bored, and walks away from me. Me, I walked away. I didn’t want her.” He ran his hands up her arms. “I want you.”
“Those people, Easton. It was like they knew why I was in your life.”
“They don’t know, and can we stop bringing that up, please? I don’t bring it up, and I’m getting tired of it. Yes, I brought you into my life for ease, but don’t you think it means a little more now?”
“You introduced me as your fiancée. Will that cause problems?” she asked.
“Probably. Let’s handle this one problem at a time, what do you say?”
She nodded. “Yeah,” She glanced down at her dress. “I really did like this dress.”
“It looks stunning on you, babe.” He wrapped his arms around her back, and pulled her close, pressing a kiss against her lips. “Don’t run from me again. I don’t like it. I will do everything in my power to keep you safe, everything.”
“I believe you.” She stepped up close to him, and pressed her head against his neck. “I’m sorry. My first instinct was to just run like hell. I don’t like conflict, and I felt she was trying to goad me into something.”
“She was.” He kissed the top of her head, and closed his eyes.
The real problem was his comment about her being his fiancée. That wasn’t going to go away. Cathy would make sure of it, and what was more, he didn’t care. He loved the thought of having a claim to Hadley.
The contract, their business with each other, meant nothing.
To him, their relationship already meant so much more that he easily forgot about how they’d first met.
One step at a time.
That was what he really needed to focus on.
Chapter Six
The following Monday at breakfast, Hadley opened the newspaper and gasped. Glancing over at Easton, she saw that he was watching her. Looking back at the picture, she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.
“Eligible bachelor is taken as Easton Gray proposes to mystery woman.” She read out the headline, and the picture of them kissing after he’d run after her. “This is bad,” she said.
“Why is it?”
“You’ve read this article?” she asked.
“Yep, I’ve read it, and I don’t see it ever being a problem.”
She stared at him. “How can you not see this being a problem?”
“Because, I’m the one that told Cathy you were my fiancée. Do you have a problem with that?”
“You’re paying me to sleep with you,” she said.
He slammed his hand down on the table, and glared. “No. You know what, I’m not, okay? I’m not paying for sex at all. I like you, Hadley.”
“It has been a month.”
“We have spent every other waking moment with each other. You’ve brought me lunch at work, and hand me cookies to take to work. Don’t you think we’ve come far from just that one interview?”
“Yes, I do.”
She loved his company more than anything. It scared her how much she had become part of his life, and how the little things really meant so much to her. She loved the way he held her at night, and when she was cooking, he’d come up and kiss her neck, wrapping his arms around her waist. When they were watching movies, he’d put his arm across the back of her neck, and tease her hair. She hadn’t showered alone since she had met him. He even had a large box of condoms in the shower, though they had stopped using them the moment the physical had come back clean, and she was on birth control.
“What do you want to do?” she asked.
“I was made aware yesterday evening of the headline they were printing, so I made some contacts, and I would like you to wear this.”
He placed a blue velvet box on the table top, and she tensed up. “An engagement ring?”
“Yeah, I would really like you to be my girl.” He opened up the box, showing the expensive engagement ring.
“Oh boy.”
She stared at the ring, and then at him.
He took the ring out of the small box, and slid it onto her finger. She was surprised that it fit. “I guessed right.”
Okay, this was starting to freak her out a little. Biting her lip, she smiled at him. She was a superstitious person, and believed that if the ring the guy had picked didn’t fit, then it was never going to work. “You picked out the ring?”
“Yeah, I did.”
Her other belief was if the guy picked out the right ring, then it was destined for them to be together. Yes, yes, yes, it was corny, and she understood that, but how could she not believe?
“Will we be getting married?” she asked.
He smiled at her. “I don’t know, Hadley. You tell me.”
“This is really sweet.” She leaned over, and pressed a kiss to his lips. “Thank you.”
“I’d be careful when you go out. Let Russell drive you. He’s the driver across the street. He’ll take care of you.”
“I need protection?” she asked.
“Yes. For me, I want you to have protection. I’ve got to head to work. Thank you, Hadley.” He kissed her again, and she closed her eyes.
Her stomach fluttered, and her heart started to pound. Licking her lips, she watched him leave.
She could do this.
Totally could do this.
****
“You proposed?” Arnold asked.
Easton nodded as he put down his phone after ordering a dozen red roses. He’d sort of sprung his proposal onto Hadley, and knew she was a little … surprised.
“Wow, this is … unexpected. Is this what you wanted?”
“Yeah, it is.”
“Do you love her?” Arnold asked.
“It’s twenty questions?” Easton asked, smiling.
“You know I’m shocked. You didn’t want to have anything to do with women, and now all of a sudden, you’ve proposed to a woman you’ve known a little over a month.”
“I know. The thing is, I’ve not proposed to her, and I don’t think she even realizes what I’ve asked of her.” He looked throu
gh the mail that was on his desk.
“Is the proposal real?”
“Yes, it is. I want her, Arnold. I wish we’d had a chance to build up to this, but I screwed up by introducing her as my fiancée to Cathy.” He’d done it on purpose though. Cathy was the kind of woman to try to call him out to give him the chance to reveal that he was lying. He wasn’t lying. He wanted Hadley. “This is so much more than the advert. She answered the call, but I know we are going to be perfect for each other. The ring fit.”
“The ring fit? What does that mean?”
“Okay, I’ve never told you this, but I believe if you buy a wedding band for a woman, and you guess the wrong size, and it doesn’t fit, it’s never going to work.”
“Wow, you really believe that?”
“Partly, and because I know what I feel. I know what I want, and I want Hadley.”
Arnold sighed. “You’ve always known what you want, even before anyone else has the time to understand it. What is the plan now?”
“Now, I convince her that she’s in love with me, and then, I marry her, settle down, and have lots of sex and maybe a couple of kids as well.”
“Sex, babies, and a future. Wow, for a Monday morning, you really do have everything all settled in place. I look forward to the end of the week.”
Chapter Seven
Hadley smiled at the delivery guy, and signed for the latest bouquet of roses and the small wrapped gift. The past week, she’d had all different kinds of special. Easton had gone above and beyond with the gift giving. The first bunch of roses had been sweet, and beautiful. Now, she was wondering what he was trying to do.
He’d never done this before, and even though she didn’t know him completely, something was missing. She had missed something.
Closing the door, she put the roses in another vase that she had bought the other day, and made her way back into the kitchen.
Staring at the rectangular box, she wondered what it was. Apart from the engagement ring, he’d also sent her a couple pairs of earrings, a bracelet, and necklaces. There was even a brooch.
Tearing the wrapping off, she stared at the velvet box, and then flicked open the lid, and paused. Inside was a single sheet of paper with the words “marry me” in capital letters.
“Did you think it was another piece of jewelry?” Easton asked.
She spun around to see him leaning against the doorframe of the kitchen.
“You want me to marry you?”
He smiled. “Hadley Green, you have been a big surprise to me. When I opened the door, I had no idea who you were, but the moment I saw you, I wanted you. Getting to know you, being around you, for me, you’ve given my life a hell of a lot more meaning.” He stepped forward, and took her hand. “I’m falling in love with you, and I hope you’re falling for me, too.”
Her cheeks went bright red as she stared at him. “I am.”
“Good. I want you to be mine, and I don’t want it be because of some agreement. It started that way, and I don’t want it to end that way.” He cupped her cheeks and tilted her head back. “You’re so beautiful, Hadley. Please, give me a chance, and I promise you, I can make you a happy woman.”
Tears filled her eyes, and she held onto his arms. “I’m a little surprised right now. I never expected something like this to happen.”
“Believe it, baby, believe it.” He stroked her cheeks, and leaned forward to take possession of her lips.
“So you think we need to renegotiate?”
“Our contract?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“I think some points need to stay the same. You have to be at my beck and call. Whenever I want you, you’re to come to me.”
She giggled. “That’s not the points I was thinking.”
“What were you thinking?”
“The point that says you have to pay me. I don’t want to be paid anymore, Easton. I just want to be with you.”
“Deal.” He pressed his lips against hers, and it silenced her.
She was so damn happy, and she couldn’t believe how quickly her life had turned around.
Sometimes, taking a chance meant you were on the path to find happiness. For Hadley, it had all started with answering an ad.
Epilogue
Two years later
Easton sipped at his brandy as Hadley read out the interview that he had been asked to give. Running his fingers across her swollen stomach, he chuckled.
“‘Did you know that Hadley was the one?’” she read.
“From the first moment I met her.”
“‘Are you looking forward to becoming a father?’”
“More than anything.”
“‘What is the most romantic thing you’ve done?’ What kind of interview is this?” she asked, turning the pieces of paper over. “This is all … not work related.”
“I know. It’s a piece for some kind of romance magazine who want to show that romance is out there in the world, you just have to grab at it. I would say the most romantic thing I did was put an advertisement in the paper. The woman I love more than anything answered the ad, and I’m here, happy as can be.”
“You mean that?” she asked.
“Yeah, I do. I don’t think we should let them get a copy of that advertisement though. The fine print gives everything away.”
“I’d be called a lot of names.”
“And then I’d have to sue a lot of people, and it would get ugly, really ugly, and I’m not interested in that.” He pressed a kiss to her lips. “I love you. I love you so much.”
He took the papers from her hands and placed his drink on the floor. Sliding between her thighs, he lowered her negligee exposing her large breasts.
“I love you so much as well. You’ve made me the happiest woman alive.”
He pressed a kiss to her lips, and glided down to take one of her nipples into his mouth. He made sure to be careful as she was very tender.
“So, you’re happy?” he asked.
“Yes, very happy.”
All of his life it had been about money, and building his business. He never for a second thought there could be something more to life, something worth fighting for. Staring into Hadley’s eyes, he remembered that day two years ago when she’d entered his world, and turned it upside down. She didn’t have a clue what she was doing then, and nor had he.
Over the past two years she had shown him how to love, and how to be loved in return. It wasn’t about the gifts, or the money, or even having his name.
Being in love was about so much more, and he loved to show her every chance he got. Life was too short to have regrets, and he was going to make sure the both of them never had any regrets.
The End
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