Book 4
By
Amanda Heartley
Copyright © 2014 Amanda Heartley
Published By: Sexcessica
CONTENTS
Chapter 1 — Tristan
Chapter 2 — Ginny
Chapter 3 — Tristan
Chapter 4 — Ginny
Chapter 5 — Tristan
Chapter 6 — Ginny
Chapter 7 — Tristan
Chapter 8 — Ginny
Chapter 9 — Tristan
Chapter 10 — Ginny
Chapter 11 — Tristan
Chapter 12 — Ginny
Chapter 13 — Tristan
Chapter 14 — Ginny
Acknowledgements
Other Books
About The Author
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2014 Amanda Heartley
Published By: Sexcessica
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Book Description
The Hottest New Adult Romance Of The Year Just Got Hotter! The sensual and heartwarming story of Tristan and Ginny and their love for each other continues...
Tristan follows his heart back across the Atlantic to Ginny, ...and she's in no mood for his apologies.
To make matters worse, and thanks to his dad, Tristan's ex-girlfriend from London has landed a top job at Armstrong USA. She puts the moves on Tristan but Ginny fights to claim what's hers! After a wild ride to Vegas on his Harley, the two love birds are in heaven once more... but not for long!
Family tragedy tears them apart again and Tristan can't cross the pond so easily this time.
Will they finally find everlasting happiness? Can their love survive the separation? Find out in this exciting and captivating fourth book of Oceans Apart.
Book 4
Chapter 1 — Tristan
The doctor finally signed Mike off to return to work at Armstrong and I think I was happier about it than he was. Since Ginny had left, we’d talked about a lot of things and of course, his accident was one of them. I still felt a tinge of guilt, even though he insisted it wasn’t my fault, so him coming back to work alongside me again was a huge weight off my mind. He still had a bit of a limp but there was no pain anymore. The physical therapist had done a great job with him and Armstrong Construction had taken care of paying his salary and medical bills so he didn’t have to worry about anything while he was off. My dad took care of our employees like that. Pity he couldn’t see his way to wanting happiness for his own son.
We walked into the canteen. It was his first day back on the job and all the crew were there to greet him. They gave a big cheer as he walked in, clapping their hands above their heads and whistling. It brought a huge grin to his face.
“Glad to see you back, mate!” one of them cried out. “You been taking care of those nurses, stud?” The whole room erupted into laughter. They all knew what he was like with the ladies.
He looked around at the faces of his workmates, “Thanks guys, glad to be here, it’s been too long,” he answered sheepishly. “I didn’t realize you’d all miss me so much. And you guys call yourselves rufty-tufty construction men? You’re all just a bunch of fucking pussies! Now finish your bacon sarnies and get to work before I get emotional.”
Mike trying to be firm always made me smile. He was too nice a guy to be a hard-nosed boss. “Okay Mike, the guys still love you and want your babies, now take a bow, and let’s get out there and get our shit done.” I nodded to the crew and grabbed my hard hat. “I’ll see you guys down at the site. Let’s go!”
We walked out of the building and Mike hobbled over to my work truck and opened the door. “It’s good to be back mate, thanks for all you’ve done.”
“Don’t mention it. You going to be okay?”
“Yeah, I feel good. I’d feel better if you’d get us down to the site so I can get back into the swing of things. I’ve been going stir crazy back in my apartment.”
“Give us a minute. I can only drive so fast.” Traffic in London was always a bitch and even when we got out of the city, getting stuck on the motorway was nothing new. Good thing the site we were working at was only a few miles from the office.
“Mike?”
“Yeah?’
“I need to run a few errands today. Won’t take long. You’ll be okay with the guys?”
“Why wouldn’t I? I’ve been working with these blokes for years. What are they gonna do? Bite me?”
“I just want you to be alright, that’s all. Crushed ankles are nothing to joke about.”
We finally pulled into the construction site and Mike limped over to the site office. He was talking to O’Malley and I figured now was a good time as any, so I pulled out my tablet and logged in to my bank account; £178,362.49. Not a lot but I had some other investments I could cash in. If I was going to do this, I had to do it now. Mike would be okay and the guys were smart enough. They were even smarter now, having to work on their own since Mike got hurt.
I launched Facebook and checked if Ginny had been online. Maybe she’d posted a few pictures or updated her status. My heart sank when I realized she hadn’t. In fact, she hadn’t been online since she left London. She also hadn’t replied to any of my messages or returned my phone calls. I knew I fucked up. Bad.
I climbed out of the truck and walked over to Mike and O’Malley. “I need to step out for a little while, you guys good for a few?”
Mike called out, “Yeah, we’re all right, where you goin’ mate?”
“Out, we’ll talk later.” Mike had been my best friend for years and we talked about everything. This time, I had to keep it to myself. I felt bad that I was hiding things from him, especially since we were closer friends now than we’d been before the accident. Guilt will do that to a guy.
I drove down the road a little way and pulled into an empty car park. Pulling up my accounts on the tablet again, I called the private number to my old school friend at the bank. My hands shook and my heart raced, but my mind was made up.
“Good morning, Bank of London, Jenn speaking, how may I help you?”
“Mr. DuPont please.”
“I’m sorry, he’s in a meeting. Would you like to leave a message?”
“Please tell him it’s Tristan Armstrong and it’s urgent. I’m sure he’ll take my call.”
“Certainly, Mr. Armstrong. I’ll try and contact him now.”
“Thanks Jenn, I’ll hold.” I sat for a few minutes scrolling through everything in my investment portfolio and figured it wouldn’t be too hard to transfer everything. Get it away from the business and maybe even move it to a different country. My thoughts went to Ginny and how sweet and spontaneous she was. I closed my eyes so I could visualize her face for a moment and jumped when I was interrupted by the voice on the phone.
“Tristan?”
“Piers?”
“Yes, how the devil are you, old chap? Jenn told me it was you but I really am in a meeting right now, can this wait?”
“No, it can’t wait. I need you to liquidate all my assets, including my apartment. I’ll get you the name of the agent. He called last week to say some Chinese billionaire was desperate for a penthouse with a view and offered me three and a half million quid for it. Cash. I’ll be in
at 2 o’clock to sign any papers, okay?” I hated to be rude to the guy, we go way back to the playing fields of Eton, but I needed this done today. There was no time to waste.
“Tristan, are you sure about this? I think we need to talk about the ramifications. Do you have any idea how much money you’ve got invested? Have you talked to your father about this?”
“Piers, I know you mean well, but it’s my money. I don’t have time to explain and if you’re the friend I know you to be, you’ll make it happen.”
“Of course Tristan, you can rely on me and you know I’ll handle it with the usual discretion, but is everything all right?” the banker replied with concern in his voice.
“I’m fine. Trust me Piers, and don’t touch any accounts I have with Armstrong, just my personal accounts. See you at two.”
“Fair enough, dear boy, but I do hope you know what you’re doing. Cheerio for now.”
I hit the END button and sent a message...
‘Sunday at 2’
I kept my work clothes on because I didn’t want to draw attention to myself when I walked in to the bank. I headed straight for DuPont’s office, striding past the secretary, who I assumed was Jenn. She stood up and followed me calling, “Sir! Sir! You can’t go in there—”
I stopped at the closed door and turned to her, “Mr. Armstrong, I believe I’m expected?” then opened the door and walked in. I immediately saw Piers sitting behind his huge banker’s desk. The chair in front of him turned around and my father said, “Come in son, let’s talk.”
“Dad?” My fucking jaw dropped. I gave Piers a look that could kill and said, “Thanks you backstabbing tosser. I guess all our years at Eton mean nothing to you?”
“Tristan, I’m sorry, old bean, I had to. There’s a stipulation on all the Armstrong accounts, yours included, if there’s any large movements of money.”
“And you couldn’t have told me that when we spoke on the phone?” I asked as I sat down. I turned to my dad and said, “You don’t need to be here, these are my private affairs.”
“Son, I think you're making a big mistake. This bank has helped Armstrong for many years. They helped build the company to what it is today.”
I could tell this was going to be a bigger deal than I thought. I had properties my dad didn’t even know about, unless he did now. “Piers, I thought as an officer of the bank, you had the legal obligation to keep my accounts private?”
“Your financial accounts are private, Tristan. Your father was only notified of the meeting.”
I glanced at my watch, “Look, time to go.” I stood up, “Nice to see you, Piers, Dad. I can see myself out.” I turned toward the door and heard the old man’s voice.
“Sit down, son. We need to talk.”
I shrugged and sat back down, “Dad, I really have to get back to work.”
“I know, this will only take a minute.” He turned to the banker. “Can you give us a few minutes, please?”
Piers got up and said, “Yes sir, Mr. Armstrong, take however long you need.” I returned his brief nod with a glare. I’d told him over the phone this was a private affair and he had to blast it to my dad. I sat there tapping my foot, waiting for the ass chewing to begin, but what my father said next totally shocked me.
“Son, I just wanted to tell you I’m proud of you. Getting your head on straight and working your arse off like I knew you could. Now, you know I’d rather you be more active on the board, but if out in the field with the crew is where you want to be, I’ll stand behind you,” he nodded his head. “I do need someone to run the company if ever I’m gone and I’d hoped it’d be you, but son, I understand.”
“What do you mean gone? Where are you going and don’t any of your board members know how to run the company?” I paused and took a deep breath. What is he saying? “Dad, I’ve got to admit, you’ve shocked me with all these words of understanding, but what’s this all about?”
He looked at me straight in the eyes and said, “Son, your mum and I have built Armstrong from the ground up. It was my dream and she stood by me for all the years we’ve been together. We’re a multi-billion dollar company now. Through perseverance and hard work, your mum and I and some close friends made my dream come to fruition. You, son, were her dream.”
I noticed how old and weary my dad was looking. When did he get so old? “Yes, Dad I understand, but where are you going with this?” I made a note to call mum and find out if Dad had lost his mind. He hadn’t been this pleasant for a long time.
“I just wanted to let you know I’m proud and I don’t know why you’re selling off your assets. It’s really none of my business but I trust we raised you well enough and you know what you’re doing.”
Chapter 2 — Ginny
I didn’t know what to say. Kari obviously knew he was coming and didn’t say anything to me, and he knew he was coming and didn’t tell me, either. Was I supposed to be excited? Jump up and down in sheer happiness? I’d been crying myself to sleep for two months, ignoring texts and messages from him and now this. If anything, my heart was ripped to itty-bitty shreds.
I could hear Kari and Tristan talking to each other as we walked across the sand and back to the car, but none of it registered in my brain. I didn’t know what I felt; angry, hurt, stupid, needy, powerful or beautiful. All these emotions were bumping around in my heart, and instead of letting these two traitors see me shed a tear, I went into survival mode. Numb.
When we reached the car, Kari was blabbing away and opened the trunk while Tristan packed up the beach stuff. I tried not to watch him as he shoved the chairs and bags in. I climbed into the passenger seat, and didn’t want him to see my face, so I watched him out of the corner of my eye. He closed the trunk and walked around the car toward me. I was still so numb, I didn’t feel anything. It was surreal. Like a dream to me. My soul had stepped out of my body and was watching from the sidelines.
He leaned in, but I couldn’t bring myself to look at him. All the self-esteem and self worth I felt this morning was in the toilet and I knew if I looked, I’d start crying like a baby, so I took a deep breath, said a quick prayer and asked, “Why’d you leave?”
“Gin, baby—”
“No, I’m not your baby. Why did you leave? You left me there like a fucking idiot.”
I needed to know why he left me at his apartment back in London. My heart was numb. Numb, cold and unfeeling, or at least I tried to make it that way. Reality was, I wanted to jump into his arms and have him make all the hurt go away. But two months had already passed and I was getting me back in order, until he showed up out of the blue.
“Gin, I’m sorry. I—”
“No Tristan, not this time. No sorry.” I glanced at Kari in the drivers’ seat and figured she probably didn’t know what to do. She obviously knew he was coming and didn’t tell me she’d even talked to him. I stepped out of the car and stood as tall as I could with my 5’4” frame. Looking up at him, into his beautiful blue eyes, my heart beat frantically. After two months of heartache, I finally said my piece.
“I spent every fucking penny I had on that trip! You have no fucking idea what it’s like. You’re just a fucking rich guy who thinks he can treat people like shit. Well you know what, rich boy? Money isn’t everything. I even thought I loved you. I thought you were him! That guy! My guy!” Tears started pouring down my cheeks and he reached his arm over to touch mine, but I jerked it away.
Kari let the top down on her car and I glanced down to see her looking at me. She turned back to her phone and I figured she was probably texting or Facebook'ing her new boyfriend, Chuck. She waved her right hand as if to shoo me away and said, “It’s all good. Do what you gotta do.”
“Okay, I’ll just be a minute.” I turned back to Tristan. He’d moved in closer to me and I could feel the hair on his arm brushing lightly against mine. His touch still gave me the chills. “I really need to go. Sorry you came all this way for nothing, but...oh wait! Been there, done that.”
“Ginny at least let me talk. Just give me five minutes. Please,” he pleaded. I had to admit, it felt great to have the upper hand here.
I looked up at him and realized he still had my heart. I couldn’t deny my feelings but I also couldn’t show them. I didn’t want him to see any sign of weakness, but when I looked into his eyes, I just about melted. The sunlight bouncing off his hair made him look like a surfer boy and even though he wore a white t-shirt under his loose button up, I could see the outline of some of his tats. I took a deep breath, crossed my arms and said, “Okay, five minutes, dickhead. Start talking.”
He kicked a few pebbles across the parking lot with the toe of his shoe. When he finally raised his head, his blue eyes met mine and my heart melted right there. Strong, Gin, stay strong.
“Look, Ginny. I know I fucked up. I had a lot of shit going on and yeah, I know I say I’m Tristan fucking Armstrong, and think I’m a tough guy, but I snapped. I didn’t know how to deal with everything that was going on.” He took a breath and looked across the sand toward the ocean. “You know, at work, I can take on anything. I’m good at what I do. At the gym, I’m good, I can handle that. But you…you? Ginny, it’s different with you.” He hesitated a minute and looked back at me. “With you, I feel like it’s all new, like I don’t know how to do this. I finally found something good and clean and pure in my life and I don’t know how to act. So yeah, Gin, I fucked up. And I’m sorry.”
Tears stung my eyes. “It took you two months to tell me this? Two fucking months? Tristan! You left me alone in a foreign country! If your mom hadn’t showed up, I wouldn't even have known how to get home! You left me! Alone!”
The tears had turned into sobs and I opened the car door and shuffled into the passenger seat. “Kari, let’s go.”
“Are you sure?” she asked starting the car.
“Yes, let’s just go.” I couldn't look at him. I thought I wanted things to work out with Tristan, but after seeing him, I wasn’t so sure. He fucking left me alone at his apartment in London and I had to think things over. Right now, I just wanted to go home and take a long hot shower.
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