Come What May (Forever and Always #9)

by E. L. Todd

  “That’s okay. It’s not forever.”

  “All I can give you is my friendship, for now. That may change down the road, but for right now, I’m too broken to be with anyone. But we can keep hanging out.”

  She seemed disappointed. “Okay.”

  “I’m sorry…”

  “You don’t need to apologize. I just thought we could fight the loneliness together.”

  “You were in a relationship that broke your heart. He was a total jerk and an ass. I won’t be the same way to you. If we’re going to be together, it’s going to be in the right way.”

  She seemed frustrated. “Cortland, that’s incredibly sweet. It is. But don’t you need to just get laid?”

  Her blunt words caught me off guard.

  “I’m sorry. You’re very attractive and I’m not bad to look at either. Would it be the end of the world if we hooked up a few times, meaningless sex? It may grow into something more down the road. But in the meantime, I’d like to picture myself with other men. It will help me move on.”

  Was I talking to a girl version of Ryan? “I…I’ve only done that once, and it happened to be with a girl I loved.”

  She stared at me, pressuring me to consider it.

  “I…I’ll think about it.”

  She smiled. “Good. Because I would rather do this with a friend than some guy I met in a bar.”

  I didn’t have a response to that. I struggled to picture myself with other women. When I started masturbating again, it was a struggle. I felt guilty and cheap. Having sex with a real person sounded terrifying. If I were normal, I would have slept with someone by now. When Scarlet left New York and came to Seattle, she slept with me within a few weeks. What the hell was wrong with me?

  Now I wished I’d never fallen in love with Monnique. I regretted our relationship and wished it never happened. Why did I fall for the girls who were unavailable? Monnique obviously had hidden issues I was completely unaware of. If I had known, I would have stayed away.

  All I wanted was to settle down with a girl I loved. That’s it. Nothing complicated. I hated seeing Sean and Scarlet together. They were so damn happy. Ryan and Janice were even worse. Even Mike, New York Playboy, had found the right one. Would I ever find her? When I was with Monnique, I thought I was so lucky because I found the girl of my dreams. Little did I know that love wasn’t reciprocated.

  I’m not a bad guy. I always treat women with respect. I listen to everything they have to say. And I’m a total gentleman. I have a good job and I’m responsible. What am I doing wrong? Why couldn’t Monnique just love me?

  Hazel stared at my face. “What are you thinking?”

  I forgot she was there. “I just wish I was happy.”

  “With Monnique?”

  “No. Just happy. That’s all.”

  19

  Scarlet

  “Give me the phone!” Sean tried to take it from my hands. I dodged away from him then ran across the hard wood floor. He immediately stopped and held up his hands. “Don’t run!” The command was heavy in his voice. His eyes were wide with authority. “The floor is slippery.”

  “Then don’t try to steal my phone!”

  “Fine.” He kept his spot on the other side of the room. “I can’t risk you falling.”

  I smiled triumphantly then dialed.

  “Scarlet, stop.”

  I ignored him.

  “You already tried once. Calling her isn’t going to change anything.”

  “This is my last attempt. I swear.”

  He stepped toward me and I stepped back. “Monnique isn’t coming back, Scarlet. Calling her isn’t going to change anything. It’s been three months. Cortland is finally moving on. He spends a lot of time with Hazel. Just let it go.”

  “I’m not trying to get them back together.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Then what are you trying to do?”

  “She walked out on all of us so easily. She was my best friend and now I’m just her enemy.” I shook my head. “I just can’t believe that. It’s like we all meant nothing to her.”

  “Yelling at her won’t make you feel better. It’ll just make you feel worse. I guarantee it.”

  “Cortland is going to get the last word,” I said firmly. “Even if it comes from me.” I pressed send then held the phone to my ear.

  Sean glared at me. “Hang up.”

  “No.”

  He clenched his fists at his sides.

  It rang until the voicemail picked up. I never expected her to answer it, but a nasty message would suffice. I started talking after the beep. “Hey, it’s Scarlet. I just wanted to let you know that Cortland has moved on. He’s dating a wonderful girl we all love. Her name is Hazel, and she’s a part of our family now. I don’t know when it’s going to hit you, but it will very soon. Cortland was the greatest thing that ever happened to you, but now he’s gone. And you can never get him back.” I hung up then took a deep breath.

  Sean shook his head. “That was below the belt, Scar.”

  “I don’t care. I want her to feel like shit. She threw Cortland away because she’s an idiot. It’s important she understands just how stupid she is.”

  “That was very catty of you.”

  “I’m never catty,” I said firmly. “So, this is my one time.”

  Sean sighed then ran his fingers through his hair. “Well, there’s no point in being upset about it now. Just don’t call her again.”

  “I won’t.”

  “Okay.” He closed the gap between us then wrapped his arms around me. “What would you like to do for the rest of the night?”

  I shrugged. “I can watch you do push ups.”

  He smirked. “Those hormones kicking in?”

  “Maybe.”

  “That’s a turn-on for you?”

  “What?” I asked. “You get turned on by my huge gut, but I can’t be aroused by you doing push ups?”

  “First of all, you don’t have a gut. And second of all, I’ll get to those push ups right now.”

  “If only I had some popcorn.” I sat down on the sofa.

  “So you could throw it at me?” he teased.

  I crossed my arms over my chest. “Drop and give me twenty.”

  He smiled. “Yes, drill sergeant.” He got down on his knees.

  “Um, aren’t you forgetting something?”

  “What?” he asked.

  “Your shirt.”

  He pulled it off and tossed it to me.

  “Ooh…I’m a Chippendales.”

  Sean put his weight on his arms.

  “Um, aren’t you forgetting something?”

  “Now what?”

  “You still have clothes on.”

  He chuckled then pulled down his shorts and briefs. “Fucking slut.”

  “So?” I sat back and enjoyed the show.

  Sean moved to his hands and made a straight line with his back. His form was perfect. The muscles in his arms tightened as he suspended himself. And I was aroused at just the sight. I was glad I had a gorgeous husband.

  “Come on,” I said. “Get to it.”

  He chuckled then began his workout.

  I watched him move up and down. He started to sweat when he hit fifty.

  “Now do sit ups,” I commanded.

  “Yes, wife.” He turned over then did his curls. I stared at the muscles of his stomach. Everything was chiseled and tight. I felt the moisture soak between my legs just from looking at him.

  Sean did a hundred sit-ups before he took a break. Sweat started to drip down his chest. He lay on the floor and caught his breath. “Is this sexy enough or you?” He finally turned to me, seeing my hand between my legs. His eyes widened. “I take that as a yes.” He moved to the couch and grabbed my hips. He yanked me down until I was flat then he lifted up my dress and ripped my underwear off. Ever since we got married, Sean was always gentle with me, always making love to me, never fucking me. But I could tell he wanted something different now.

  H
e moved further over me, the sweat clinging to his chest. I loved watching him get hot and sweaty. My hormones were all over the place, and I was aroused by things that wouldn’t normally catch my attention. Without any warning, he slipped inside me and stretched me. He pinned one leg to the back of the couch and held the other off the edge. Hard and faced, he fucked me. He pumped into me with the adrenaline from his workout. I looked up at him, seeing him use his entire body to rock my world. Sean was enjoying every second of it. A darkness was in his eyes, and his orbs smoldered with desire. “I could fuck your pussy all fucking day,” he said between thrusts.

  I gripped his shoulders and steadied myself while he pounded into me like I was a whore. It felt so good that I started to shake. “God…yes.”

  “Say my name.” He was sweating because he was working so hard.

  “Sean!”

  “Come on!”

  “Sean!” I yelled again. I was just on the brink of my orgasm.

  The doorbell rang but it didn’t shatter the moment. I had no idea who would be here right now, and I didn’t know anyone who would ring the doorbell. And we lived in the country so we didn’t have any neighbors. But the thought ceased the harder he rocked into me. Our unknown visitor might hear us, but at the moment, Sean and I couldn’t care less.

  “You’re getting wetter…” Sean placed his fingers over my clitoris and rubbed it in a circular motion. “You’re about to come for me.”

  I bit my lip. “Fuck me…Fuck me.”

  His ass flexed and he pushed me further into the cushion.

  “Right there…” I felt the explosion between my legs. It felt so good, achingly amazing, that I yelled, saying incoherent things.

  Sean grunted while he watched my face. I knew he liked watching me come. When I was finished, Sean pushed himself inside as far as he could go then released. “Hmm…” He stayed inside me a few extra seconds until his cock stopped twitching. I loved staring at his face when he came inside me. The look conveyed pure pleasure.

  The doorbell rang two more times. Now that we were both satisfied, we gave it more attention. “Who the fuck is that?” I said, out of breath. We were both hot and sweaty.

  “I don’t know.” He pulled out of me then grabbed his clothes. “Did you order a pizza?”

  “Why do you automatically assume that?” I snapped.

  “Because you’re the pizza queen.”

  “When did I get this title?”

  A fist banged on the door.

  “What the hell?” I said.

  Sean adjusted his clothes, but his hair was ruffled and his forehead dripped with seat. It was pretty obvious what he was just doing. I didn’t look any better. My hair was messy and all over the place. And by the pleased look on my face, it was clear I just had an exceptional orgasm.

  We both walked to the door but Sean looked through the peephole first. “It’s my mom…”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me? Why does she always drop by when we’re fucking?”

  “Open the door, Sean!” Diane yelled.

  “That witch can hear us?” I whispered. “Do you think she heard what we were just doing.”

  He sighed. “I wouldn’t be surprised…”

  She banged on the door again. I expected to see Diane again, but not like this. She owed me an apology and I hadn’t received it yet. And by judging her hostile behavior, I didn’t think I was going to get one.

  Sean reached for the door but I stopped him. “Should we change or something?”

  He shook his head. “I think it’s a little late for that.” He grabbed the handle and pulled open the door. “Mom, is everything okay?”

  She looked us up and down and cringed.

  Yep. She knew what we were doing.

  “Have you no shame?” she snapped.

  No shame? What was she ranting on about now?

  “How dare you have sex when I’m standing on the front door step!”

  She just got worse. I couldn’t take her shit anymore. “We were screwing before you even came to the door. And we’ll fuck whenever we want to fuck.”

  Sean’s eyes widened when he looked at me.

  Diane gave me a look of hate. “Could you show some class?”

  “No,” I snapped. “I never said I was classy.”

  Sean raised his hand. “Mom, did you come here to yell at us? Or did you have something else on your mind?”

  She put her hands on her hips. “I heard Scarlet was pregnant—really pregnant.”

  Sean didn’t speak. Neither one of us wanted to reveal it yet. Sean was going to call his dad and tell him the good news next week. We had no idea how she figured it out.

  “Is it true?”

  My dress was loose so she couldn’t tell.

  “Yes,” Sean said. “She’s almost through her first trimester.”

  Diane didn’t look happy. “And you just weren’t going to tell us? This is how you treat your parents? We gave you everything, Sean Henry Preston. And this is the thanks we get?”

  “Why do you make everything about you?” My pregnancy reduced my inhibitions. My mouth wouldn’t close.

  Her eyes lit up in flames. “Ungrateful…” That was all she said. She shook like she wanted to explode and say a few more things.

  “You have yet to apologize to my wife,” Sean said firmly. “When you come to your senses, we’ll discuss this more.”

  “So you’re blackmailing me?” Diane asked incredulously. “So if I don’t apologize for something I didn’t do, I don’t get to see my grandkids?”

  “I didn’t say that,” Sean snapped. “And I was going to call Dad next week. We just wanted Scarlet to finish her three months before we told everyone.”

  “Well, everyone at the office seemed to know,” Diane said.

  I knew that would bite me in the ass. Fucking Mike.

  “How do you think that made me feel?” Diane said indignantly. “I’m having a grand baby, and my inferiors knew about it before I did!”

  I rolled my eyes. God, she was a fucking bitch. And how dare she talk about her employees like that.

  “They aren’t your inferiors,” Sean said firmly. “Don’t talk about people like that.”

  Diane turned her look to me. “You should be ashamed of yourself. You’ve taken my son away from me, taken his money, and now you won’t even let me see my grandkids. You’re the worst mistake and the biggest embarrassment to this family.”

  Wow…she just crossed a line that can never be uncrossed. Diane did and said a lot of things that pissed me off and hurt my feelings, but it was nothing like that. The words went straight to my heart and confirmed every fear I ever felt. I wasn’t good enough for Sean. I would never be good enough for Sean.

  Sean’s face turned red, and he had a crazed look in his eyes. He didn’t touch his mother, but he got right in her face. “I never want to see you again. Get off my property and get the fuck out of my life.”

  She flinched like Sean slapped her.

  “No one talks to my wife like that. I’m sick of how selfish you are. If things aren’t your way, then they are wrong. Scarlet is a much stronger and better woman than you’ll ever be. She’s not selfish or ungrateful, and she isn’t blessed either. She worked damn hard for everything she has in life. I love her more than anything, and I look up to her as a role model. She’s been through hell and back, and she deserves your respect. Maybe she doesn’t seem to be very classy or elegant, but that’s because she’s real. She isn’t fake and she doesn’t bullshit. And I will not let you talk to my wife like this. I want you out—gone. I fucking mean it. Why would I let my kids know their grandmother, who’s a horrible person and a fucking bitch?” His words sliced through the air. The silence afterwards was deeper than normal. Diane’s eyes coated with tears. For the first time, she was speechless. I held back my own tears because I didn’t want Diane to know how much she hurt me. Those words confirmed every fear I ever felt. “Now get off my fucking property.” He pulled me inside then slamm
ed the door in her face.

  Sean placed both hands on my shoulders and look straight into my eyes. “Don’t believe anything she said.”

  I tried not to cry but the tears spilled. “I don’t want it to be this way…”

  “It’s not your fault,” he said gently.

  “I just want us to get along. I just want her to like me…”

  He kissed my forehead. “I know. But her opinion means less than nothing to me. I wish we could all be a family, but we obviously can’t. I won’t stand by and let her talk to you like that. No one has the right to speak to you in that way.”

  I sniffed and wiped my tears away.

  “I’m the one who should be embarrassed, Scarlet. Not you. My mom is a rich, ungrateful, stuck up, ignorant woman. She doesn’t realize how the world really is. She’s never worked a day in her life, and she doesn’t understand what the word ‘poor’ even means. She thinks she’s better than everyone else because she has maids and servants. Of course she’s going to think you are odd. But that’s because you are the exact opposite of what she is. You appreciate everything because you came from nothing. I’ve never been more humiliated in my wife. I can’t believe that’s where I came from.”

  I controlled myself and finally stopped crying. “I’m sorry I snapped at her.”

  “Don’t apologize. You stood up for yourself. You should have said more.”

  “I don’t want to keep the kids away from your parents.”

  “I know,” he said gently. “There’s nothing in this world that will stop my dad from seeing them.” He smiled at me. “They are going to have the greatest grandpa in the world.”

  That made me feel a little better. “I don’t understand how he could possibly love her.”

  Sean shrugged. “He said she was great in bed.”

  I rolled my eyes. “That’s only a small part of the relationship. If you were an ass, I wouldn’t be with you.”

  “Good thing I’m not.”

  I looked down at the ground, replaying the episode in my mind.

  “Scar?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Please don’t leave me.”

  My eyes softened when I looked at him. “Sean, stop saying that. I’m not going anywhere.”