by K. A. Linde
Yes, he had been under a severe amount of stress and strain regarding the club, but it certainly hadn’t been her fault. As much as she wanted to be angry with him, she couldn’t bring herself to it. He had left her there all alone, but at least he had a reason. He hadn’t just jumped ship. And she wasn’t going to risk their entire relationship on one screw up on his part. She would wait to hear back from him and they could go from there. With those thoughts still filling her mind, she finally drifted off to sleep.
Hours later Lexi was awoken by a vibration emanating from her phone. She reached over to her nightstand to silence the sound and plopped her head back down on the pillow. A second later the noise began again. Rubbing her tired eyes, Lexi reached forward once more and retrieved the cell phone. The bright light that flashed when she hit a button made her immediately close her eyes again to shield herself. Then as they adjusted to the brightness, she saw the two text messages.
Clicking on the first message it read, “Everything is fine here. You were right.”
A smile crept onto her face. She loved those words. They were some of the best words in the English language. She knew she had been right. All along he had been freaking out for no reason. In all likelihood, everything had settled down by the time he had arrived back in Hartsfield.
Remembering that there was one more message, she pressed the next button, which said, “Sorry I screwed up. I’ll make it up to you. Give you that New Year’s kiss for real. Forgive me?”
Lexi yawned dramatically at the early hour before typing out a response. “Yes, what’s the plan?” she asked before falling back into an easy slumber.
PRESENT
The next morning Lexi awoke to the sun beaming in through her windows. She smiled at the interruption of her slumber. The weather had been so awful in New York for the last month; it was intoxicating seeing the sun. She slowly crawled out of the bed she had slept in…alone, and peered out the window. The view was nothing spectacular since they were in the middle of the city, but it was still green. That was another thing that Lexi had been missing a lot of since being in New York. To get to greenery, she had to visit Central Park.
She threw on a pair of sleep shorts and a loose tank top, and mechanically stumbled down the stairs. Walking to the coffee maker in the kitchen, Lexi fiddled with the device until it started brewing her life force. She stared at the machine hoping it would finish quicker, but knowing that if she watched it that it would take longer. She pulled two mugs from the cabinet as the machine finished and poured the steaming brew into each mug.
“This is the best part about you being back in the house,” Ramsey murmured as he staggered bleary-eyed into the kitchen.
Lexi flushed and turned back to the coffee maker. She couldn’t acknowledge that kind of comment yet between them. “Here,” she said handing him his favorite mug.
“Thanks,” he moaned chugging the steaming contents.
Lexi giggled a little as he sputtered from the heat of the beverage. “Why do you drink it like that every time? You don’t even like black coffee.”
“If you can drink it that way, I can,” he said between sips.
“I’m used to it. I’ve been drinking it like that for years.”
“So give me years,” he said wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her against him. He chuckled at her unease, and whispered, “Calm down.” He nuzzled her neck as if everything were back to normal. It was a nice feeling. She missed this kind of thing. But she couldn’t get caught up in it…not yet. They had too much to discuss.
“I’m calm,” she said pulling away from him and taking a sip of the coffee. She was thankful for the distraction.
His smile didn’t falter. He just proceeded to guzzle the remaining contents in his mug and pour himself a refill. “So, are you ready for today?” he asked eyeing her carefully.
“Yeah…” she said slowly. “We’re going to your—parent’s house, right?”
Lexi had never been to Ramsey parents’ house. It had been a continual source of contention. She hadn’t wanted to go, because she feared their judgment. And she wasn’t certain that he had ever wanted to bring her with him. Not that he was ashamed of her, by any means; he just didn’t want to humiliate her in front of his judgmental parents. They didn’t approve of him, and any girl that he would bring home would only suffer under the same criticism, even someone who was currently studying law at a top university. The lack of family connections on Lexi’s part was never brought up, but she knew it was also a problem.
He nodded seeing only slight hesitation in her demeanor. Reassured by the fact that she wasn’t freaking out, he continued, “Some kind of formal luncheon. Should be mostly big investors. Nothing to worry about.”
Lexi was pretty sure that Ramsey was the only person that didn’t bat an eye at the prospect of being surrounded by a sea of “big investors.” She wasn’t exactly sure what these people would look like, but if they were anything like his father then she was already intimidated. She knew how to handle wealthy people, but she wasn’t so sure that she knew how to handle these kinds of people.
“Right. Big investors. No biggie,” she said shrugging her shoulders in an attempt to mirror his indifference.
He chuckled at her obvious discomfort. “You’ll be fine.” Lexi poured the remaining contents of her drink down her throat to keep from responding. “Hey, are you sure you’re ready for this?” he asked tentatively. She knew he wasn’t talking about dealing with big investors now. He was talking about Jack and Bekah, and the thought made her skin crawl. The last thing she wanted to do was deal with them together, but she couldn’t help it now.
She had woken this morning feeling refreshed and prepared for the events of the upcoming week. Yes, things hadn’t exactly gone as planned since her arrival in Atlanta, but things rarely did. She knew people were hiding things from her and it drove her crazy, but wasting time wondering wasn’t going to help her. Sleep had given her some perspective on the situation, and she was ready to push forward.
“I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t ready,” she told him before turning and walking back up the stairs to change.
They arrived at his parent’s house a short while later. She stared up at the giant edifice, more surprised at the enormous house than she thought she was going to be. After all she had been expecting something spectacular, and they had delivered.
“This way,” Ramsey said directing her to the side of the house. “You don’t want to go through the front,” he warned.
“I don’t?” Lexi asked raising an eye questioningly.
“Not unless you want to be bombarded with a bunch of questions or run into a sea of bridesmaids,” he informed.
Lexi gritted her teeth. She really needed to use the restroom. This was so inconvenient. “Do you think I could sneak in? I have to use the restroom, but I would prefer to avoid both situations.”
Ramsey’s eyes flitted to the giant house and back to Lexi. “Yeah. Follow me,” he said walking around the side of the house. She trailed after him, skipping down the hill that lead to the backyard. “Here,” he said stopping at an obscured side entrance. He pulled the door open and glanced inside making sure the coast was clear for her. Hearing his sister’s voice, he quickly shut the door and waited. “There’s a bathroom at the end of the hallway on the right. Give it a minute, I think Bekah just walked by.”
“All right,” she said nodding. “Are you going to wait?”
“I have to go talk to my dad,” he told her. “He already knows we’re here. I’ll see you afterwards. We’ll be in the pavilion at the bottom of the hill.”
“Okay,” she said taking a deep breath as he trekked down the hill away from her. Waiting another minute, she opened the door and peered around the corner. Not hearing any voices, she darted down the hallway and into the bathroom. After relieving herself, she washed her hands slowly, dawdling. As she was drying them with a white fluffy towel, her phone vibrated in her purse. She retrieved it and saw the
name flash on the screen. She knew she was alone, but it still made her stomach tilt at the thought of answering this number. She hadn’t spoken with him on the phone since leaving New York. They had talked on the phone almost every day before she left. It felt like such a long time ago.
“Hey,” she said finally deciding to answer. She weakly pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Hey, babe, I didn’t hear from you last night.”
“Sorry, I didn’t get a chance to call you back. I really wanted to. It’s good to hear your voice.”
“It’s good to hear from you, too. Are you free now?” he asked.
Lexi bit on her lip and wondered how long she could get away with hiding out in here. “Yeah, I should be able to talk for a bit.”
“How are the wedding festivities?”
Lexi shrugged then remembered he couldn’t see her. “I’m not a big fan of weddings to be honest.”
“Most girls love them,” he said with a chuckle.
“I’m not like most girls.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice. So, if you don’t like weddings, why did you leave me here all alone?” he asked.
“It’s one of those things I have to do, I guess,” she murmured. “I would have never left otherwise.”
She could almost hear him smirking. “It’s okay. I’ll let you make it up to me.”
Lexi couldn’t contain her throaty laughter at the statement. “Oh, I bet you will. How do you expect me to make it up to you?”
“Use your imagination.”
“I have a vivid imagination. A rather dirty, vivid imagination,” she purred into the line.
“That’s what I like to hear, babe. Tell me how you’re going to make it up to me.”
“I can think of a few things…involving a suite at the Plaza,” she began tentatively.
“I’m listening…though I was thinking about a cabin in Connecticut. No one can hear you out there.”
“I’m not loud,” she murmured softly.
“I’ll turn you into a screamer,” he responded just as soft and husky.
Lexi shifted her legs together, her lower half throbbing. Her face heated as her imagination took over and she closed her eyes. “Maybe I want them to hear me scream.”
“Now you’re talking. Tell me again.”
Lexi paused caught up in what they were doing. She licked her lips imagining all the things he would do to her if she were back in New York. She reached forward with her free hand and pressed against her dress to the pulsing core beneath.
“Babe. Tell me again.”
“I want you to make me scream.”
“And I will. What else do you want?”
Lexi shuddered against her own touch. “I want you to fuck me.”
“I want to give you what you want.”
“Don’t be as gentle as last time,” she told him.
He chuckled again in her ear. “I’ll never be gentle again.”
“Fuck,” she moaned, forcibly pulling her hand away. She couldn’t do this here. She wanted to, but she couldn’t. She didn’t have time, and this wasn’t the place. Her lower half disagreed with her. It really disagreed with her.
“Come…back to me.”
Lexi leaned her head into her hand and tried to control her breathing. The door handle jiggled jolting her out of her reverie. Had she locked it? “Hey, I have to go,” she told him quickly. “I’ll call you later.” She hung up abruptly and buried her phone back in her purse.
The door handle turned again. “Hold on,” she called, clearing her voice afterwards. She glanced back up at her reflection. Her cheeks were flushed and pupils dilated. God, had she been that close to climax? Splashing some cold water on her face and the back of her neck, Lexi decided there was little else she could do. She turned the locked door and opened it to find the devil herself standing before her.
“Oh, Lexi,” Bekah said smiling that ever-present, sugary sweet smile. “I didn’t realize you made it.”
“Yep,” she said, wanting to be far, far away. “Just freshening up.”
“Oh, I’m sure,” she said smiling even brighter.
Lexi wanted to punch her in the face. That was rational, right? Her lips strained around the edges as she tried to hold herself together. She didn’t know how long Bekah had been standing there, and she didn’t want to know. She just didn’t want to be near the wench. “Excuse me,” she muttered, inching out of the bathroom and around Bekah.
“Who were you talking to?” she piped up, when Lexi moved past her.
Lexi stopped moving and glanced into Bekah’s devious blue eyes. “What?” she asked playing dumb.
“I heard you talking to someone. I assume you weren’t talking to yourself,” she said fluttering her long black eyelashes. She was too damn good at this routine.
“Chyna,” Lexi finally told her, letting the lie slip off of her tongue.
As she turned back toward the exit, Bekah continued, “She must really miss you.”
“She does,” Lexi agreed, trying not to let the queasiness of the situation wear on her face.
“Well, you should be back in New York soon. She shouldn’t have to wait too long.”
Lexi smiled, seeing her point to maneuver the Knight into position. “We’ll see about that.”
“Yes, I believe we will,” she said wiggling her fingers at Lexi before disappearing into the bathroom Lexi had just occupied.
Lexi raced down the hallway and out the side entrance as soon as Bekah shut the bathroom door. She felt sort of like vomiting as she leaned back against the mansion. Had Bekah heard anything that she had said? What had she been thinking? She seriously could not get any closer to being caught.
That solidified it; she couldn’t talk to him again. It was too dangerous. If someone actually heard what they had been talking about, well, she couldn’t even think about that. It was one week. She had too much to think about with Ramsey as it was. She needed to deal with that situation—figure out what they actually were—before agreeing to let her Mystery Man fuck her until she screamed in a cabin in Connecticut.
Taking a deep fortifying breath, Lexi pushed off from the side of the house and trudged down the hill. The back yard was several acres at least. The perfectly cut lawn ended at a clear blue lake, and from across the great distance she could see a hole from the Club’s golf course. An overgrowth of beautiful trees separated their lawn from the surrounding houses giving them the privacy that they had paid for.
As Lexi looked across the expanse, finding the pavilion Ramsey had mentioned, her gaze immediately landed on Jack. Their eyes met across the lawn, and Lexi couldn’t help herself, she smiled. She could tell even from this distance that he had cleaned up. His suit was pressed, beard shaven, and hair cut short once again. He looked every bit a part of the family already.
When she had seen him the day before, he had been a mess. Disheveled, uncouth, and haphazard were the words she would have used to describe him. Yes, he had looked like her Jack. He still made her catch her breath at the sight of him, but somehow it had been different. While he looked more like the Jack she had first gotten to know in that quaint coffee shop all those years ago, something about him had just been downtrodden.
She knew now, of course, that he looked that way because he had been second guessing himself. Could the man who refused to commit, who hated the idea of marriage, actually go through with his plan? She hadn’t thought it possible, and apparently he hadn’t either. Lexi still had her doubts.
For one, she hadn’t told Bekah about their affair in the hallway. The tattered dress, proof of their indecent night together, was stuffed in the bottom of her closet somewhere. She wasn’t exactly proud of herself. After all those times she had told herself that no matter what, she was not going to give into him. Then she had let everything slip through her fingertips, everything.
Breaking eye contact with Jack, she traipsed the rest of the way down the hill. Guilt crept up into her stomach, poisoning her b
lood stream, and traveling through her veins as her eyes landed on Ramsey. She didn’t know what they were, but she knew that even though they weren’t together, she was doing him wrong. Jack still struck a match in her body, and her conversation with Mystery Man…well; she didn’t even need to think about that.
She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and walked up the pavilion steps. The smile Ramsey sent her way as she approached his side was adorable, and only made her feel worse. He knew what she was thinking…or at the very least, he could tell she was nervous. She silently praised the lord that he didn’t actually know what she was thinking; otherwise he wouldn’t be smiling at her.
“You remember Lexi, yes?” Ramsey asked his father when she finally reached him
Lexi smiled brightly at the imposing man standing before her. He was at least as tall as Ramsey if not an inch taller. He had a hard, grim face with deep-set wrinkles as if he had been frowning his entire life. His belly had long since bulged over his waistline, and the tailored suit did nothing to hide his porpoise figure. His blonde hair was sprinkled with salt and pepper gray, and his own forced smile was anything but kind. In fact, he blatantly stared at Lexi as if he should know her from somewhere, but somehow he found her too insignificant to remember.
“Oh yes, Lexi,” he drawled after a moment. He took a sip from the scotch in his hand. “Pleasure to see you again.”
The statement sounded like a rehearsed line, and Lexi tried not to take offense to the fact that they had been introduced several times previously. “You too, sir,” she piped up.
“Where the hell is your sister?” Ramsey’s father growled his attention already lost.
“I think she went inside for some lemonade, dear. Don’t you remember?” his wife asked him. Her petite stature looked almost comical next to the man. Despite her age, she was no larger than a size four, and she probably would have been offended by the statement. Her blonde hair was perfectly straight and curled under softly at the ends. Her face had seen its fair share of surgeons…and that wasn’t the only thing on her body that had seen a surgeon. Lexi glanced away immediately feeling her cheeks burn at the thought.