“Perfect. It explains my absence and your sudden engagement.” Feeling satisfied with their story, Lillian climbed the stairs to the house.
She didn’t pay attention to whether Reed followed her. Right now, the more distance she put between them, the better. When she got to the back door, she hesitated. Reed appeared next to her and reached out, grabbing the handle and turning it.
He pushed open the door and extended his hand for Lillian to follow. After Reed introduced her to a woman named Clarissa, who was his grandfather’s assistant, he led her up a grand staircase in the middle of the house and down a hall lined with doors. She watched as he paused just outside the last door. A look of unease spread across his face.
He was nervous. Why was he nervous? Should she be nervous, too?
Deciding not to dwell on the unknown, Lillian met his gaze and gave him a smile. “It’ll be okay. I can pull this off. You’ll be single and CEO of Williamson Investments before you know it.”
His gaze lingered on hers. he nodded and opened the door.
A clicking sound filled the silence as she followed Reed into the room. A giant, four-posted bed sat in the center of the room. Machines with blinking lights surrounded the bed. Lillian’s gaze fell on a thin man who was lying on top of a mound of pillows. His grey hair was combed over, and his skin was thin and pale.
He opened his eyes and when his gaze landed on Reed, he smiled.
“Reed, you came to visit me,” he said.
Reed swallowed and nodded, approaching the bed.
Not sure what to do, Lillian hung back, keeping to the shadows.
As if he suddenly realized that she was no longer next to him, Reed scanned the room. When his gaze fell on her, he motioned for her to come closer.
She shook her head for a moment, but when she saw the pleading in his gaze, she moved until she was standing a few feet away. Reed reached over, grabbed her hand, and brought her closer.
“Who did you bring with you?” his grandfather asked. His tired gaze swept over Lillian and then back to Reed.
“Grandpa, this is Lillian Brunette.” He lifted her left hand and showed the ring on her fourth finger. “We’re engaged.”
Mr. Williamson’s eyebrows rose as he studied Reed. “Engaged? I didn’t know you were dating anyone.”
Reed nodded and told his grandfather the exact story that they had perfected outside. Mr. Williamson listened but his expression never changed. Did he believe it? Would they actually be able to pull this off?
After Reed finished, Mr. Williamson turned his attention over to Lillian. “Reed, leave us.”
Lillian’s heart picked up speed as she involuntarily held tighter to his hand. There was no way she wanted to be left alone. What if she said something stupid and ruined Reed’s chances? This was way too much pressure to put on her.
“I—um, is it okay?” Reed glanced down at her. She could see his internal struggle.
Holding her breath, Lillian calmed her nerves and nodded. “Of course.”
Reed gave her hand one more squeeze and made his way out the door which he shut behind him.
Now alone, Lillian suddenly realized how large this bedroom was. Solid oak floors with matching trim caused this room to be dark and intimidating. She hugged her chest as she turned to see Mr. Williamson studying her.
“So, Lillian, my grandson says you’ve been dating for a few months?”
Lillian swallowed and nodded. “Yes,” she squeaked out. She cleared her throat and tried again. “That’s right. We met, and then I went to Europe.” Ugh, why did her answers seem so robotic? What was wrong with her? She needed to get a grip, or she was going to tip off Reed’s grandfather.
“What part?”
Lillian’s mind felt muddled. “Excuse me?”
Mr. Williamson shifted on the bed, pushing himself up higher. “What part of Europe were you staying in?”
Suddenly, her entire mind went blank. How does one forget every country in a continent? “Oh, you know. All the major cities. It was an art museum crawl so to speak. You know, like a pub crawl.” She wanted to smack her forehead. Who says that?
Mr. Williamson studied her and then slowly began to smile. “I like you.”
Her eyes widened. “What?”
“I like you. You’re not like the girls that Reed used to bring around. You’re different, and that’s refreshing.” He smoothed the blanket that was draped over his lap. Then he brought his gaze back up to Lillian. “You will still need to get married. I can’t make any changes to that. If Reed doesn’t, he will lose the company to Mason.”
Lillian nodded. If only his grandfather knew that she was contractually bound to marry him, he probably wouldn’t have said that. But the more she was getting to know Reed, the more it felt like an opportunity instead of an obligation.
His grandfather sighed and leaned back on the pillows. “Once it becomes legal, I’ll sign the company over to him.”
Relief flooded Lillian’s body. She hadn’t screwed anything up. Reed was going to get exactly what he wanted and that made her happy. Then thought of what that meant for her poked its way into her mind. Once Reed got the company, would he still want anything to do with her?
She mentally slapped herself. What was wrong with her? Of course not. He wasn’t going to want to stay married. She wasn’t his wife, and he wasn’t her husband. And they most certainly didn’t love each other.
When she glanced back over at Mr. Williamson, she saw that his eyes were closed. Not wanting to disturb him anymore, she tiptoed from the room. She shut the door quietly behind her and turned, yelping when she saw Reed standing inches from her.
His eyebrows rose expectantly. “So?”
She let out the breath she’d been holding and took a step back. She needed to calm her mind and her racing heart. There was an expiration date to their relationship. She needed to remember that. He wasn’t here for the long haul. As soon as he got what he wanted, he was going to leave her. Just like everyone else in her life. Just as the baby inside of her would do.
But she couldn’t say anything. The last thing she wanted was for Reed to stick around because he felt guilty. So she forced a smile. “He approves. As soon as we get married, he’ll sign the company over to you and we are through.”
Reed’s lips spread into a wide grin, and before she could stop him, he wrapped her up into a hug, pulling her off the ground and spinning her around.
When he set her down, he kept her close as he glanced down at her. Her heart hammered in her chest. Why was he this close? Didn’t he know how confused he made her feel?
He hesitated before he dropped his lips closer to hers. Was he going to kiss her again? Her mind screamed at her to back away, but her heart begged for him to lean down, tell her he wanted her to stay forever, and then kiss her.
Her heart sank when he brushed his lips against her cheek and then whispered, “You’re amazing. Thank you,” into her ear. Then he pulled back and clapped his hands as he blew out his breath. “Best news ever,” he said, grinning at her.
She nodded, forcing her confusing feelings down into the pit of her stomach. “Of course. It’s in the contract. Get you the CEO spot so we can move on with our lives.” She forced a smile even though the words she just spoke tasted bitter on her tongue.
Reed hesitated as his expression grew serious. A look passed over his face and he parted his lips.
Lillian wasn’t sure she wanted to know what he was going to say. She didn’t need him to tell her that she was a great girl and as soon as she became single, she’d have her pick of men. She didn’t need him to assure her that the perfect guy was still out there. Right now, she needed some fresh air.
“I’m feeling a bit nauseous. I’m going to go outside.” She turned and started down the stairs.
When she got to the bottom, she breathed a sigh of relief. Reed had not followed her, and she was grateful for that. Right now, she needed a break from all of this. She needed a moment to collect her tho
ughts and stifle her feelings. If not, by the time this was all over, she was going to find herself alone with a broken heart, and she wasn’t sure she could survive that again.
Chapter Twelve
The next morning was Saturday. Reed stretched out on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. The early morning light was peeking through the slits in his drapes. He rubbed his face and glanced over at his clock.
Seven-Thirty.
After their intimate conversation at his grandfather’s house, they kept the topics light until they needed to leave. On the boat, Lillian spent most of the time with her arms wrapped around her chest, staring out at the ocean. When they got to his apartment, she said she was tired and slipped into her room.
Reed had watched her retreat before he made his way to his room where he dove head first into work. He hadn’t been able to fall asleep until midnight. As much as he wanted to say that it wasn’t because of Lillian, he knew that would be a lie. It very much had to do with how confused he felt about her.
Now awake, he groaned and sat up. This was not what he should be dwelling on. Right now, he needed to focus on marrying her, and that was it. Leave all the thoughts about feelings at the door.
He pulled off his covers and stood. Then he made his way over to his bathroom and flipped the shower on. Fifteen minutes later, he emerged with a towel wrapped around his waist. He walked over to his phone only to find that he had twenty missed calls from his mom.
Which didn’t surprise him. He swiped his phone on and hit play to one of the many voice messages.
“Reed, it’s your mother. I heard you went and visited your grandfather. He seems in good spirits, so I thought we might as well get this wedding over with.”
Reed snorted as he got dressed. Just like his mother to feel like the wedding equated to seeing the dentist. It was something to check off the list.
“Get Lillian and meet us at your grandfather’s estate this evening at five. Everything will be taken care of. We just need you to show up.” The phone grew silent indicating that the message was over.
Reed reached over and played the next message.
“Reed. Where are you? Why aren’t you answering? Call me as soon as you get this so I know you are coming. I don’t need to remind you how important it is make sure this wedding happens. I would hate to hear what your grandfather would do if Mason decided to up his wedding. Thank goodness, Hannah is in Milan sorting out a clothing debacle this week and has given us time. I’ve been so stressed trying to juggle all of this.” She sighed. “I’m ready to get this over with.”
Reed buttoned-up his shirt as he rolled his eyes. His mother always had a the sky is falling mentality. He rolled the cuffs of his sleeves and grabbed his phone.
Three rings and his mother answered.
“Where have you been?”
“Well, good morning to you, too.” He pressed the phone to his ear as he turned the door handle and headed out into the hall.
“Reed, I am not amused. I’ve been running around since five this morning, trying to make sure this wedding is going to be perfect. The least you could have done is answered my phone calls.”
“Mom, calm down. I was in the shower. I figured you didn’t want me calling you while I was in there.”
There was an exasperated sigh on the other end of the call. “I’m not in the mood for this. Please just tell me that you and Lillian will be at your grandfather’s estate tonight.”
Reed walked into the kitchen where he grabbed an apple out of the bowl. “We’ll be there.”
“Thank you.”
“Love you.” Reed said.
“Love you, too.”
Reed hung up the phone and set it down on the counter. He turned and pulled open the fridge where he grabbed a jug of milk. Soft music carried from down the hall. After Reed poured glass of milk, he replaced the container and followed the music.
He paused just outside of his old office and listened. A whirring sound contrasted against the classical music. A smile played on his lips. Lillian was using the studio.
Reaching down, he turned the handle and pushed open the door. Lillian’s back was to him. Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun at the top of her head. Her elbows were brought up and rose and lowered in a smooth movement. She was humming along with the music.
Reed’s gaze fell to the cut off shorts she had on, accentuating her long, slender legs. As his gaze made its way up, he saw that the collar of the oversized t-shirt she wore would slip off her shoulder every time she brought her arms down. His heart pounded in his chest when he remembered how smooth her skin had been under his fingertips.
He shook his head and stepped into the room. “You seem to be enjoying this,” he said.
Lillian yelped and let go of the tall vase she was working on. It bent and began flopping around as the wheel continued to spin. She grasped her heart as she whipped her gaze over to him. “You scared me,” she whispered as she took calming breaths.
Reed raised his hands. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to distract you.”
She pushed some of her hair away from her face with the back of her hand. Despite her best efforts, she wiped a streak of clay across her cheek. The wheel stopped spinning as she stood. “Did I wake you?” she asked as she scraped the clumped pile of clay off the wheel and brought it over to a bucket and dropped it inside.
“No,” he said as he leaned against the wall and watched her.
She glanced over at him. “I should have known that. You look more prepared for the day then I do.” She waved toward her clothes.
“How long have you been at this?”
She squinted as she placed the lid on the bucket. “Since six.” She wiped her hands on her shorts and smiled over at him. “I forgot how amazing this was. So,”—she took a deep breath and closed her eyes—“relaxing.”
Lillian looked calmer and more at ease. Better then she’d ever looked.
“It suits you,” he said, taking a step toward her.
She glanced over at him and her expression grew serious. “Business meetings today?” She nodded toward his clothes.
“No. These are my relaxing clothes.”
She folded her arms. “You’re staying here?”
“Well, actually, we”—he motioned his hand to his chest and then hers—“are expected at our wedding tonight.”
Her eye widened. “Wedding?”
“Yeah. Mom wants us to do this before Mason ups his wedding date.”
Lillian chewed her lip as she raised her hand and rubbed the back of her neck. “Okay. Well, I guess it’s probably better to just get it over with.” The excited glint in her eye had disappeared.
Reed’s heart squeezed a bit. He didn’t want to upset her. For some reason, he had a desperate need to make her happy. He glanced over at her. “Hey, why don’t we go out this morning. We’re not needed until five, so we have plenty of time. We could go somewhere and spend some time away from everything. I could show you my version of a pottery studio?” He shrugged as she studied him. Was it terrible what he was asking?
She folded her arms. “What do you have in mind?”
His heart picked up speed. She didn’t hate the idea of spending time with him. That was positive. “Why don’t you take a shower and get ready. I’ll arrange it all.”
She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and smiled. “Okay. That’s probably a good idea.”
He nodded as she passed by him. When she shut her door, Reed pulled out his phone from his back pocket to call Sondra, his housekeeper at his Hampton home.
She answered on the second ring. “Good morning, Mr. Williamson,” she said.
“Sondra, I just wanted to let you know that I will be spending the morning and part of the afternoon there.” He paused. “And perhaps the evening. Late.” If Lillian loved the home as much as he did, she might want to spend the evening of their wedding there.
Sondra clicked her tongue. “Perfect. I will prepare the house. Will it be just you?”
>
Reed shook his head. “No. It will be me and my fiancée.”
There was a choking sound on the other end. “Oh, congratulations, Mr. Williamson. Wow. That’s amazing. I’m happy for you and Hannah.”
“No. Not Hannah. Her name is Lillian.” As he studied the door frame that he was standing in front of, a strange feeling crept into his chest. Hearing Hannah’s name did nothing for him. It was as if he’d forgotten about her. Besides the few mentions here and there from his mom, he hadn’t thought of her once. Lillian had taken up more of his thoughts than anything else.
He swallowed as his emotions rose in his throat. What did that mean?
“Well, wonderful. I can’t wait to meet her. I will have Jackson fix a few meals and leave instructions for you on how to prepare. I’m guessing it will be a do not disturb situation?”
Reed’s stomach lightened at what Sondra was implying. Thoughts of Lillian’s smooth skin rushed into his mind. He cleared his throat when he realized that Sondra was expecting an answer. “Yes, that will be fine. Thank you.”
“Of course, Mr. Williamson. The house will be ready for your arrival.”
After they said goodbye, Reed hung up the phone and called his helicopter pilot. After he arranged their pickup, Lillian emerged from her room looking refreshed. Her wet hair was pulled back in a low bun. She had on a bohemian style dress that hit her right below the knees. She was wearing a heart locket that accentuated the hollows of her neck. Reed couldn’t help but stare at her. Every time he saw her, she got more and more beautiful.
As if sensing his approval, Lillian reached up and rested her hand where his gaze had lingered. She glanced over at him. “Cassie picked it out. It’s not really my style,” she said, pulling up the skirt a bit and moving it around.
“It should be. It looks as if that dress were made for you.” Heat raced to Reed’s cheeks as he pinched his lips shut. He hadn’t meant for his voice to come out that low or for him to sound so intense. Hoping to make up for his blunder, he shot her a smile. “That’s Cassie for you. She has a way of making everyone look amazing.”
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