The Faithful One: Billionaire Bride Pact Romance

by Checketts, Cami

  “Okay.” Moriah grabbed her keys and slid out the back door.

  Trin finished her sandwich and straightened up the kitchen. She wandered into her office and responded to emails and confirmed some reservation requests. Movement at the door pulled her eyes off her computer. Zander stood there, freshly showered but wearing a T-shirt and silky Under Armour shorts like he was planning on working out more. He looked … unreal handsome.

  She stood and crossed the room to him. His eyes didn’t betray any of the sorrow of last night. She didn’t want to bring it up again, but wondered if he’d recovered from the nightmare and all the pain it had brought back.

  “Hey,” he said, reaching out for her hand.

  Trin gladly gave it to him. He squeezed it softly and smiled. “Moriah’s going to watch the place so you can have a break.”

  “She told me. What if I don’t want a break?” She was partially teasing him.

  He stared at her. “Please take a break with me, Trin?”

  Trin’s breath caught. The house would be okay with Moriah here. Maybe it was time she did escape with a handsome man like Moriah suggested. Yet, she couldn’t help but tease him, “Oh, sorry. If I’m taking a break I need to go shopping for some new shoes and meet up with a guy I met online for drinks.”

  His face slackened and he blinked at her. “Are you … serious?”

  Trin held it for a few seconds then burst out laughing. “No! Like I’d meet some guy for drinks. Of course I want to go with you.”

  He half-laughed then pulled her close and held her. Trin inhaled his delicious scent and didn’t care if they went on a date, or just stayed right here and hugged. Actually, she’d prefer the latter.

  He grasped her shoulders and held her back so he could look into her eyes. “Don’t tease me like that. I about had heart failure thinking of you dating some dude you met online.”

  “I forget you had no siblings to learn how to take a tease.”

  “A quality I need to acquire for sure. How many siblings do you have?”

  “I’m the oldest of four. So I basically initiated the teasing.” She wasn’t very close to her half-siblings now, but they’d had fun together when they were growing up.

  “You’re good at it. Go change quick.”

  “Into what?”

  “Something comfortable.”

  “Okay.” She grinned as she pulled away from him and slipped out the office door then outside. Changing quickly into a fitted T-shirt and yoga pants, she charged back out her apartment door and ran right into Marcus. He steadied her, his hands lingering on her arms.

  “Hey, my beautiful boss. You in a hurry?”

  “Yeah.” She pulled back, wondering if she needed to correct his unprofessional comment. “Everything going okay?”

  “Sure. I’m almost through the list from yesterday. You’d think eventually nothing else could break, but I guess not.”

  “I’m just grateful you’re so handy.”

  Marcus took a step closer and his green eyes twinkled at her. “I’m good at a lot of things.”

  “I’m sure you are. I need to go.”

  “Oh ... Okay.” His voice said he didn’t think it was okay.

  She scurried around him, but could feel his eyes on her back. Marcus had hinted a few times that he was interested, but Trin definitely wasn’t. He was a nice-looking, fit guy, but she was busy with her work. Zander was leaning against the back door. Okay, so maybe she was making an exception for another nice-looking, fit guy.

  Zander’s eyes flitted over her head. She turned to see Marcus still watching her. He and Zander locked gazes and Trin could almost feel the battle of wills. Marcus turned away and stomped to the shed.

  “Was he bothering you?” Zander asked.

  She shook her head. The last thing she needed was some silly guy struggle over her, or Marcus getting fired because Zander thought he was hitting on her. Marcus would be back on the streets without this job and this place to stay. She wasn’t going to do that to him, and she could handle a few innuendos.

  Zander’s lips pursed, but he didn’t say anything more about it. He took her hand and they walked side by side to his Audi. “Is this your car?” she asked, never having thought about it before.

  “Just a rental.” He smiled. “Funny, but I don’t own a car.”

  “Seriously?”

  “I’m a wanderer. I have a condo in Midtown, New York, but I’m rarely there and when I go there it’s just easier to walk or call an Uber.”

  “Yeah, but you probably use the Uber Black or whatever the most expensive one is.”

  He shrugged and opened her door. Trin settled into the car, once again feeling the gap between them. Mr. Keller paid her well, but she wasn’t using Uber Black to get around. Thinking about Mr. Keller made her wonder if Zander had called him yet. He’d promised last night over dinner that he would.

  He climbed in and gave her a smile. They were both quiet on the drive until they pulled into Vaughan Road Park. Trin turned to him. “I used to come here with my grandparents.”

  “So, is this a good memory place or do you want to go somewhere else?”

  “It’s a great memory. I told you how much I love my grandparents.” This made her feel almost as comfortable as her house. It was that connection that kept her going.

  He parked the car and focused on her. “Yeah. I, just, I don’t like to go anywhere I used to go with my mom.”

  “Oh.” She sat back against the seat. “I see.” She didn’t know what to say. Maybe it was because her grandparents had lived full lives when they died and they weren’t murdered and she didn’t find them dead. She shook her head and wished she had some way to help him.

  He swung open the door. She placed a hand on his arm and he turned to her. “Zander? Have you ever thought of getting some professional help?”

  “My dad set me up with a counselor after my mom died.”

  “Did it help?”

  “I don’t know. I never went to the appointments.”

  So that was no help. “Did your … recovery center have someone professional you could talk to about … things?”

  Zander nodded. “Don’t worry, Trin. I’m doing okay.” He climbed out of the car and walked around to open her door.

  Trin didn’t know how to tell him that she wanted to help him be better than okay. She was just okay too, working her life away and never realizing what she was missing until Zander came along. Could they find something more … together? She was getting way ahead of the relationship.

  She stepped out of the car and he shut her door then popped his trunk and pulled out tennis rackets and balls. Trin’s stomach did a happy leap. “Oh, Zander. I love tennis. How did you know? Moriah again?”

  “No. You told me you played for Huntingdon College, remember?”

  “Oh, yeah.”

  They walked to the tennis courts and he handed her a racket. Trin hadn’t played much since she’d graduated a couple of years ago and suddenly worried that she was going to be horrible. They hit around for a few minutes to warmup and then started a game. Trin fell back into her serve and swing quickly. She beat Zander soundly the first couple of games, but then he warmed up and gave her a solid run for the next two games.

  “Have you played much?” she asked him as they stopped for a drink of water. She was sweaty and tired and it felt glorious. This was the type of fun she hadn’t allowed herself since she graduated and started managing the bed and breakfast.

  “My mom taught me when I was pretty young, but it’s been a lot of years since I picked up a racket.”

  “You’re really good,” she said.

  “Let’s get married.”

  “Wh-what?” Trin’s heart and voice both stuttered.

  “We’d have really athletic children.” Zander grinned, his eyes twinkling like he knew what she’d been thinking, or fantasizing.

  “If that’s all that’s important to you,” she said stiffly.

  “Of course it is. Ever
y guy wants athletic children.”

  She shook her head and couldn’t help but laugh. “Did you play college football?”

  “No.” His eyes got a faraway look. “I couldn’t after … everything that happened. NYU never gave me an offer anyway.” He shrugged.

  “So you lived at home? Or was that too far of a commute?”

  Zander eyed her strangely. “I thought I’d told you.”

  “Told me what?”

  “I haven’t been in my parents’ home since my mother’s funeral.”

  Trin studied him and swallowed hard. This man most definitely needed someone to help him deal with his trauma, but she wasn’t about to suggest that to him for the second time in a day.

  “Let’s play.”

  She picked up her racket and jogged to the court. All of her thoughts earlier about making something work together were definitely wishful thinking. Zander was a great guy and she enjoyed being around him, but a serious relationship with someone with his traumatic emotional history was probably never going to happen. That thought shouldn’t be as devastating as thinking about her house being sold.

  Chapter 10

  Chapter

  Zander snuck into the kitchen late in the morning of November twentieth. In a week he was going to have to fly to Australia to get acclimatized and settled for his race, but he was taking advantage of every moment with Trin before that. After he completed his training each day he helped her with whatever work she had to do then they played tennis when Moriah could be there in the early afternoon. Trin seemed to be getting more comfortable leaving the house so that made him happy.

  Unfortunately, his dad was still being deliberately vague and wouldn’t give Zander a straight answer when he called and asked if he was selling the house or replacing Trin. Why didn’t his dad want to help him make Trin feel confident in her job? It was making Zander crazy, but probably making Trin even more crazy. The Cloverdale was so much more than a job to her and he suspected she worked so hard to prove her worth.

  Despite that worry in the back of both of their minds, almost every night he’d pick up takeout or they’d cook dinner together. It was a comfortable pattern that he didn’t want to end, but she’d balked the one time he asked her to leave the house for longer than an hour or two to play tennis. He hoped she’d go with him tonight, and since she hadn’t hired an evening and night manager yet like he’d asked her to, he had to enlist Moriah’s help. It frustrated him she wouldn’t even try to hire somebody, he was about ready to go over her head and do it, but she claimed she’d had some shoddy help in the past and had to be careful. It was really that she didn’t trust anybody else with her house. It was a miracle she’d brought Marcus on like she had.

  Moriah was singing as she mixed up dough of some sort in a large bowl.

  “Hey,” Zander said.

  She jumped and whirled, laughing. “Boy! You sneaky thing. What’s going on? Where’s my girl? You two are never apart lately.”

  That was exactly how Zander liked it. He needed Trin close by more than he’d ever needed a glass of vodka. “In her office doing paperwork.”

  “You fancying something sweet to eat?”

  “No.” He held up his hands. “If I keep eating all your treats I’m not even going to be able to complete my Ironman let alone place.” The triathlons he’d participated in the last two weekends hadn’t been PRs and he could definitely blame the sugar. He’d relaxed too much with his diet over the past few weeks.

  She laughed. “Who cares? Sugar’s better than a medal any day.”

  Zander couldn’t help but smile at the feisty, cute girl. He’d gained two friends at this welcoming house and he was loathe to leave next week. “I need a favor.”

  “Tell me and I’ll fulfill it.”

  “I want to take Trin on a real date. I keep bugging her to hire more help but she hasn’t done it yet and I’m tired of waiting.”

  “What you got in mind?” She was still smiling, but her voice was a little wary.

  “I know there’s a vacancy in one of the rooms tonight. Could you bring Turk here to stay? I’ll buy you pizza, pay you extra, and get you passes for the Montgomery Zoo.”

  Moriah’s smile widened. “I would’ve done it for the pizza, but good heavens, I ain’t gonna turn the rest down. Sure thing. Let me finish these cookies and go pick up my little man.”

  “You’re a saint. Let me know when you’re back and I’ll kidnap her.”

  “Now that’s a plan I can get down with.”

  Zander thanked her and edged out of the kitchen. He glimpsed Trin in her office. She already looked gorgeous with her dark red hair hanging in waves down her back and a silky button down blue shirt over some patterned leggings. She walked out of the office and toward him and he found himself once again admiring her legs.

  “I bribed Moriah for some time alone with you.”

  “Oh?” She smiled and her beautiful face lit up. “Are we playing tennis or something? I can go change.”

  “No. She’s going to bring Turk here for an overnight party and you and I are going on a date.”

  “An overnight date?” Concern filled her voice.

  “No. Just a regular go out to dinner, kiss in the moonlight type of date.” Overnight? No way. The few times he’d kissed Trin had been an explosion of emotion, passion, and sensation. He was amazed either of them had been able to stop at kissing. He’d had a lot of different women come onto him over the years, especially when he was on The Bachelor, but he hadn’t let anyone get close. Now that he was becoming such good friends with Trin and wanting so much more, he had to be careful or he’d become more addicted to her than any substance and never recover if things went wrong. He was a wanderer and Trin was married to this house. He couldn’t get enough of her, but reality had to come into play at some point.

  She relaxed and squeezed his hand. “Sounds great. Let me finish up these reservation requests and some billing issues then I’ll freshen up and we can go.”

  “Perfect. We have to wait for Moriah to come back with Turk anyway.”

  * * *

  Trin was trying to relax and enjoy this time with Zander, but she truly hated being away from her house. Like it was her firstborn son or something. She almost felt like she needed to prove to Zander, and maybe to herself, that she could take a break. She knew he was frustrated that she hadn’t hired any more help, but it was hard to trust just anyone with her house.

  Zander took her to dinner at Jalapeños. Trin had the carne asada. The beef was tender and succulent, but it was the creamy guacamole that she couldn’t get enough of. She and Zander talked easily during dinner and then sauntered down the nearby Riverwalk. She could do this, she could be away and be okay. She just hoped Moriah was doing all right.

  The river was so peaceful tonight. There were some families and couples walking around. Zander held her close to his side and whispered, “I wanted to have a romantic spot to kiss you, but I don’t want a ten-year old as my audience.” He gestured to a blond boy walking past who stuck out his tongue at them.

  Trin laughed. “Anywhere with you is romantic.”

  “Yeah?” Zander arched an eyebrow. “Let’s get back home quick then.” He steered her toward the stairs.

  Home. She wanted to kiss him right there for the mere suggestion. Was Zander coming to feel about her house the way she did? It was home and it was love and happiness. Maybe there was hope for them if he cared about her house as much as she did, and would help her keep it even if his dad had different plans.

  Zander held her hand, but didn’t say much on the drive home. The tension in the air was palpable. It seemed he wanted to kiss her as badly as she wanted to be kissed.

  He pulled into the guest parking, jammed the car into park, and jumped out of his door. Seconds later, he was opening her door and offering his hand. Trin shivered from anticipation and she couldn’t help but admit to herself that she was glad to be home. She placed her hand in his and he tugged her out of the car, s
hut the door behind her and then pinned her against the car with a hand on each side of her head and his body flush against hers.

  “My, my, Mr. Keller,” she whispered. “You act like a man who hasn’t tasted a pair of lips in a while.”

  “You have no idea how thirsty I am for you, Ms. Dean.”

  She giggled. He smiled and trailed a hand along her cheek and into her hair. Trin leaned into his touch. Zander bent down and gently tasted her lips. Trin clasped her hands around his neck and pulled him in tighter. Zander groaned and deepened the kiss. Exhilaration shot through her. They were reaching new levels of intimacy and she was not going to complain for a second. The kiss continued until she was breathless and could hardly stand on her own two feet.

  Zander pulled away and studied her. “Thank you for going to dinner with me,” he said formally, offering her his elbow.

  They walked toward the back yard and her apartment. The moonlight caressed the strong planes of his handsome face. “It was my pleasure, Mr. Keller.”

  They reached her door and he turned toward her. “Trin, I absolutely loved that kiss, but you calling me Mr. Keller has me thinking of my dad and … not a great thing right now.”

  She laughed, but then she thought of his dad too. “Isn’t it weird to you that he won’t tell you why he sent you here?”

  “Trin, don’t worry so much.”

  That was easy for him to say, this house wasn’t his livelihood and connection to family.

  “Maybe he just wanted me to have a relaxing place to train,” Zander said.

  “If that’s true, why would he tell you to do an Undercover Boss situation?”

  “I don’t know.” He jammed his hand through his short, dark hair. “But you’re worrying too much.”

  “If someone might rip your life out from under you, you’d worry too.”

  He reached for her shoulders and gently caressed down her arms. “You don’t know my dad like I do. When he’s ready, he’ll tell me what he’s thinking, but I promise you that I’m going to make it good for you. He’ll do whatever I ask.”

  She pulled back, the thought of her house being sold or her being fired ticking her off. “Oh, yeah, I forgot. Your father has never told you no, why would he start now?” Oh, my, that was low and she sounded bitter, but honestly silver spoons were nothing compared to how Zander had been raised.