Lily (Beach Brides Book 10)

by Ciara Knight

  Josh fisted his hands, but Lily’s arm shot out in front of him, keeping him from stepping forward. “I don’t want to work with you again. I’m going to do this on my own.”

  “You? Without me?” He laughed, a deep, condescending laugh.

  Connie moved in this time. “Leave. You said what you’ve come to say, but Lily’s already made up her mind.”

  Stephon smiled menacingly. “Yes, well, regardless she needs to be in New York for the show in two weeks, or she’ll owe me for loss and damages. It’s in our contract.”

  “What contract? Any contract I had with you ended the day you kicked me out. You wouldn’t even let me into the gallery or our apartment. You put me on the street with nothing. I had to call my sister to come get me. I will not work for you ever again.

  Stephon moved closer, but Josh jumped between them. “You heard her,” he snarled.

  “Then you will hear from my lawyer. Cross me and I’ll ruin you. Forget ever selling your work again. Not to pathetic art enthusiast wannabes who’d commission your second-rate work, or to smalltime advertising agencies. I’ll rake them through the media until the company can’t land even the smallest of clients.” Stephon tossed a manila envelope onto the table. “I’ll expect you on Tuesday, the 14th, by 5:00 p.m. No excuses, or I’ll see you in court.” He hesitated then leaned in toward Lily. “They don’t understand, but you and I both know you can’t do this without me. You’re nothing without me.” He stormed out, leaving Allen, Connie, Lily, and Josh standing in the middle of the room dumbfounded.

  After a quick glance at Allen, Connie stepped toward her sister. “You can’t. It’ll destroy you.”

  Josh took her hand, but she slid away. “We all knew I’d never finish that drawing. Besides, you heard him. I’m under contract.” She dropped into her chair. “You don’t get it. If I don’t do what he wants, he won’t just take me to court. He’ll ruin you, too. All of you. He won’t stop until he gets what he wants or he gets revenge.”

  “I don’t care.” Josh moved to her again, but didn’t touch her this time.

  “I do. Besides, he’s right. This is probably my only chance to rebuild my reputation. He created me, and he ruined me. He’s the only one who can bring my work back to the light.”

  “That’s not true,” Josh said. “I don’t know what he taught you, but I know that the art I’ve seen you create is not something that can be learned. Your talent was already inside you.” He dared to touch her arm, lightly. “Don’t do this,” He pleaded, his heart shredding by the sudden turn of events.

  Lily wouldn’t look at him. She only kept her gaze on the envelope on the table. “I’m sorry I couldn’t do it. That I couldn’t finish the drawing for your advertising campaign. Better that you know now, while you still have a couple of weeks to develop something different, than if I failed at the last minute.”

  “Lily.”

  She gripped the arms of the chair. “I think you should go now.”

  Josh looked to Connie, but she looked as lost as he felt. Allen went to the front door. “Come on, man. We’ll work this out somehow. Let’s go for now.”

  Josh backed away from Lily. Not even an hour earlier, he had believed in them, believed they had a shot. Now, in just a matter of minutes, everything had fallen apart. He thought he would fall apart, or lose it if he didn’t get out of there, so he followed Allen out the door. The entire ride back to the hotel, they didn’t say a word until Allen pulled into a parking space and turned off the car.

  “Give her until morning, then go talk to her. She’s just in shock. That was a heavy threat he threw in her face,” Allen said, trying to soothe him.

  “Thanks, but it’s up to Lily now.” He’d seen it in her eyes. She was gone, lost to the man who had some sort of inexplicable control over her. He couldn’t compete with that, and he couldn’t watch that monster manipulate her either. “I tried to help her. I even put her well-being before our company.” He shook his head. “How stupid could I have been? Now, we need to figure out how to save this contract and our company. It’s time to stop living this beach fantasy.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Lily sat at her easel, staring at the blank canvas. Her insides were knotted with so many emotions at once that she thought she’d collapse from the pain.

  “Are you really going to let him win?” Connie asked from behind her. “You’ve been staring at that easel for two days. I can’t stay here and watch you suffer at that man’s will again. You need to fight.”

  Lily slammed her brush down on the table. “How? He owns me.”

  Connie pulled a chair out and sat by her side. “You’re my sister and I love you, so I want you to know that what I’m about to say I’m saying out of love and concern.”

  Lily gave her a sideways glance but didn’t say anything.

  “You’re stupid.”

  “Thanks. Glad you love me so much.”

  Connie moved to the edge of her seat. “I’m serious. You’re stupid for letting that man ever convince you that you lack talent. You’re stupid for letting him come in here and dictate your life.”

  “You heard him. I don’t have a choice.”

  “And you’re stupid for believing him. You know he’s a lying jerk, yet you aren’t even questioning if what he said was true or not. Have you read that contract? Have you tried to verify if it’s binding?” Connie gripped her hands. “If you want to fight, I’m pretty sure we can find a lawyer.”

  “I know, but—”

  Connie held up her hand. “And one more thing. You’re stupid for letting Josh go when he obviously loves you.”

  The knots in her belly uncoiled as blood raced through her with hope and fear. “He doesn’t love me.”

  “Oh, really? Then why do you think he stuck around the last few weeks?”

  Lily rubbed her temples. “Because he needed that drawing.” The drawing she couldn’t give him.

  “As I said, you’re stupid.” Connie grabbed her shoulders and shook her. “Wake up or you’re going to lose everything and end up back where you were a two years ago. It’s time for you to let go and trust another man.”

  Lily shook out of her sister’s grasp and bolted from the chair. “What are you talking about?”

  “The fact that you won’t complete that drawing no matter how much time and effort you put into it.”

  Lily threw her arms up in the air. “Don’t you see? That’s why I have to go back. I can’t paint or sketch. Stephon says he can fix me, that I’ll be able to paint again.”

  Connie quirked an eyebrow at her. “Do you really think he has that kind of power? That he’ll wave a magic wand and make you suddenly be able to create art again?”

  Lily collapsed onto the couch. “I know. I guess deep down I always knew I was done. I have to return for the show, but I already know that when Stephon bleeds me for every last cent he can, he’ll send me away again.”

  “Then don’t go. Don’t let him win.”

  Lily dropped her head in her hands as tears pricked the corner of her eyes. “He already has.”

  Connie dropped to her knees in front of Lily. “You still don’t see it, do you?”

  “See what?”

  “That Steven has nothing to do with that picture.”

  Lily shook her head, tears streaming down her face.

  “It’s Josh.”

  She swiped the tears from her cheeks. “What are you talking about?”

  “You’re scared to open your heart to someone else because Steven broke your trust. You don’t want to open yourself up to that kind of pain again. It isn’t the past that’s keeping you from finishing that piece. It’s your future. You’re still seeing Steven standing there next to you under that arch of flowers when you should be seeing someone else. Someone who has stood by you even when you repeatedly shut the door in his face. Someone who didn’t give up on you when you made him chase you all over Cape Hope in a three-piece suit.”

  Lily sat there frozen as her siste
r’s words sunk in. “I…I’m not…” She sucked in a stuttered breath. “It doesn’t matter. Josh is gone. He’s leaving today. It’s over.”

  “Only if you let it be over. Go finish that drawing and take it to him for his client. We’ll fight Steven…Stephon, or whatever his real name is. We can beat him together. We’ll hire an attorney with the money you earn from the advertisement and use it to make that jerk eat his words.”

  “No, I owe you, remember? You deserve to get paid for helping me all this time. I’ve barely been able to cover our bills with what I’ve made since we’ve been here.”

  Connie chuckled. “Do you really think I’ve stayed here this long so that you’d pay me to be your art dealer? I stayed because I love you. You’re worthy of love. Mine and Josh’s.”

  Lily swallowed a lump of indecision. She would do almost anything to get away from Stephon, even if that meant never selling another painting for the rest of her life. “But what if Stephon goes after you and Josh?”

  “Then we’ll fight back. We’re grown-ups. We know how to fight our own battles. But first you have to take the drawing to Josh and see what he says. You’ll know what to do from there. And don’t tell me you can’t finish it. If you allow yourself to open up to the possibility of loving Josh, you’ll be able to finish it. And it’ll be amazing.” Connie stood up and slipped from the room without another word, leaving Lily with nothing to do but face her biggest fear.

  She opened her sketch pad and allowed her emotions to flow. By the time the clock in the hall struck three in the morning, she was signing her initials. Exhausted, her eyes swollen from crying, her back aching, yet feeling exhilarated, she sat back and stared at the finished piece. It was better than she’d ever thought possible. The depth and brightness of the man’s blue eyes stole her heart, just as the real ones had the first time she saw them. She only hoped it could win Josh’s.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Josh opened his briefcase and pulled out the alternate proposals he had put together in a hurry. They didn’t even begin to compare to the original proposal, but he had to try something. Allen entered his office with a cup of coffee and a solemn expression. His friend had remained by his side all this time, even when the company didn’t take off as quickly as they had hoped. And now, Allen was planning to be here when it all crumbled around him.

  Allen placed the cup on his desk. “Mr. Gregory will be here in thirty minutes. Is there anything else I can do?”

  “Go.”

  Allen quirked a brow at him. “What?”

  “You’ve done enough. Just because Lily and I didn’t work out doesn’t mean you have to give up on Connie. Fly back to Florida when this is over. If it goes like I anticipate, you probably want to take a break before figuring out your next job.”

  “We’ll be fine,” Allen said, but his tone betrayed his confidence.

  Josh said nothing and returned his attention to his proposals, tweaking a few last details. He tried to remain focused, but the idea of Lily returning to that man made his stomach churn. How could she do it? Maybe she wasn’t the woman he thought she was. Maybe he’d been wrong again. He had a track record for misjudging women who captured his attention. And Lily definitely captured his attention. Besides, he’d only known her for a few short weeks. Barely long enough to really get to know someone.

  Hearing the front doors to their office open, he groaned inwardly. Great, Mr. Gregory was early. That was just what he needed. Well, I might as well get this over with. He sighed and straightened his suit jacket as he stood. Satisfied, he gathered his documents and headed to the conference room to set up for his meeting.

  He opened the door to find Lily standing at the front of the room. He stopped short and his papers slipped from his hands as a surge of emotion rolled over him. He was delighted to see her, but upset to face a woman he thought he knew and who had let him down. What could she possibly say that would change things between them? He couldn’t be with a woman who wilted under the demands of her ex and allowed him to control her with threats. “What are you doing here?” He flinched at the cold sound in his voice and awkwardly bent down to gather up his documents.

  She looked good, wearing a dress with a belt that accentuated her thin waist. The powder blue color made her hair and eyes pop.

  “Please, give me five minutes,” Lily said, barely above a whisper.

  He glanced at the clock. “My meeting with Mr. Gregory, the one who wanted your artwork, is in twenty. I need to prepare and set up.”

  “Five minutes,” she said again. “It could change things.”

  He set his material on the conference table but remained on the opposite side of the room. “I don’t know what it’ll change, but go ahead.”

  She let out a long breath, and that was when he noticed her hands were shaking. He wanted to comfort her and run from the room at the same time.

  “Remember when we spoke about why I couldn’t finish the drawing? Why I haven’t been able to paint or sketch for the last year?”

  He nodded.

  “Well, I thought it was because I didn’t have the talent.”

  He groaned, but she continued.

  “You thought I couldn’t finish it because I was still giving my ex power over me. That I was still connected to him in some way.”

  He gripped the back of the leather chair to keep his emotions in check. “Yes.”

  “We were both wrong.” She took another quick breath. “It had nothing to do with Stephon or my past, but everything to do with you.”

  Josh grabbed his foam display boards and headed to the front of the room. “It won’t work. You can’t expect me to stand by while you go back to Stephon.”

  “It’s you. It’s been you since the first day you walked into my cottage and showed me that picture. I had originally drawn it with the hope that things would remain the same, that I’d get to keep living the lie he had created. But unexpectedly it turned into possibilities. Yet I was scared of those possibilities. Scared that you’d let me down, or that I’d let myself down. I had been profoundly hurt, but that wasn’t it. I couldn’t draw or paint because I couldn’t feel any love in my life. But now I do.”

  “Really? I thought so, too, but the minute your ex enters a room you doubt yourself.”

  “You’re right. I did, but I won’t anymore.”

  “I’ve seen it, Lily. What’s changed? What makes you so certain it won’t happen again?”

  Lily turned over the board on the easel at the front of the room, and he stumbled back a few paces at the sight of the drawing. Better than the original, this version was full of hope and happiness and love. He moved closer to study the man and woman under the arching limbs of the tree with the ocean stretching out beyond them. To forever. It was Lily and him. There was no mistake. The man in the drawing had the same eyes she’d drawn after meeting him the first time. “It’s amazing. When did you…how did you…?”

  She chuckled nervously. “I stayed up last night and worked on it until three this morning, then I paid an exorbitant amount of money to fly here in time for your meeting.” Lily shifted between her feet. “Not that I mind.”

  “What about Stephon and the contract?”

  Lily rung her hands. “I’m going to use the money I get from this, if you still have a need for the picture, and I’m going to hire an attorney. I want out for good. I don’t care if it ruins my career, or if I can never sell another painting. Even if I have to work a desk job and can only paint for myself, it’s worth it. I won’t let him have anymore control over me, so I’m going to fight. My only concern is for you. I won’t do this if you’re worried about how it will affect your company. Stephon can be unrelenting.”

  “You’re worried about me and the company? Not about what he’ll do to you?”

  “Of course.” Lily stared at him for a moment as if it was a stupid question then toed the carpet with her shoe. “I would never want to hurt you. I know we haven’t been dating long, but I care for you. Deeply. I d
on’t want to cause you any trouble.”

  He searched through his memories, yet he couldn’t remember a single woman who had ever offered to sacrifice her needs or her wants to protect him. They had only taken from him, never given. In that moment, he knew that Lily was the most perfect woman he’d ever met. He closed the rest of the space between them and swooped her into his arms. Taking her lips with his, he kissed her as if it were their last kiss, their first kiss, their everything kiss. A kiss that left them both panting and clinging to each other.

  “I can’t believe you’d take this risk.” He glanced at the picture and knew how much she cared for him, how much courage it had taken for her to paint it and bring it here. “Lily, thank you. Not for the picture, but for trusting me. And I want you to know, I think I’m falling in love with you.” He kissed her again and again until someone cleared their throat behind them. He broke away and turned to find Mr. Gregory at the door.

  “Excuse me for the interruption, but I thought we had an appointment.”

  “We do,” Josh managed between short breaths. “My apologies, sir. This is my…girlfriend. She’s the amazing artist who created this piece for your campaign.” Josh proudly stepped aside, and Mr. Gregory gasped.

  “Oh, my. That’s magnificent. Even better than the original.” He stepped forward, analyzing the drawing. “Um, is that you?”

  “If you don’t like it, I can change it whatever you wish,” Lily offered.

  “No, no. It’s perfect. It’s exactly what I was hoping for. Thank you. Now, where do I sign so we can get this campaign moving?” Mr. Gregory asked.

  “Allen has the contracts ready. He just needs to make a few tweaks.”

  Just then, Allen walked in. “If you’ll come with me, Mr. Gregory, we can get started. I have some fresh coffee made. Would you like a cup?”

  “I’d love some, thank you.” Mr. Gregory paused at the door then glanced over his shoulder. “That’s brilliant work, my dear. It’s going to be a classic campaign, used for years.”