Unstoppable: A Sweet Romance (Jersey Girls Book 2)

by Lisa-Marie Cabrelli

  Not this time! She was not going to sit around and wait for life to decide for her. She wasn’t going to wait like she’d waited for Claire to show up before she had the nerve to deal with Nick. She wasn’t going to wait like she’d waited for Phil to break up with her. Nope, not this Maureen. This Maureen was going to take life by the horns and wrestle it to the ground until she got what she wanted. If the Stephen she had just spent the last few days with was the real Stephen, then damn it, she was going to have him. If that wasn’t the real Stephen, then she would go home and nurse her broken heart.

  Right now, she also needed to help Claire. She had rescued her when she needed it most, and now she needed to help Nandita, because she was young, sweet, and undeserving of exposure to a guy as horrible as Brad.

  She was going to be Magnificent Maureen, and she didn’t need anyone to tell her that. Now was the time.

  She threw the phone on the couch; it bounced off the downy cushion and fell, unhurt, to the seagrass rug. It wasn’t exactly the drama she was looking for, but it had felt good to throw something. She stormed into the bedroom and got dressed in her old, reliable khaki shorts and black t-shirt. She looked in the mirror at her sunburned nose and unwashed hair and thought, Forget it. I am me, and I am magnificent.

  She moved with purpose through the house, grabbed the keys, locked the front door, and pushed the front gate so hard that it bounced against the picket fence before it slammed behind her. She stood, breathing heavily, on the edge of Eastern Road. Now what? She clearly hadn’t thought this through. She had no clear idea of where she was, but she knew she wasn’t within walking distance of the yacht and had no car. She was just about to turn and start walking when she saw a beat-up Honda turn off a side street and move toward her. She impulsively threw out her thumb.

  Hitchhiking, Maureen? Seriously? Your mother would kill you.

  She was surprised when the car slowed down. The windows were open and loud rap music blared from the speakers. The driver was a young man with a head full of dreadlocks, and a woman sat in the passenger seat in a tank top and tiny shorts with one leg bent and her bare foot propped up on the open window. The car pulled up next to her, and the guy reached back and opened the back door. He didn’t say anything, but nodded to her, dreadlocks bouncing. She took a deep breath and climbed into the back seat, closing the door behind her. The driver took off down Eastern Road without a word.

  Maureen leaned forward between the front seats. “I’m trying to get to the yachts at Marina Village.”

  Dreadlocks raised his eyebrows at her in the rearview mirror and nodded, and Maureen settled back in her seat and let the loud rap music wash over her. She smiled. She felt magnificent.

  53

  Let’s Make a Deal

  Stephen walked back into the bar and sat down opposite Lulu, who was still pouting. God, she was going have horrible wrinkles around her mouth when she got older.

  “Maureen, huh?” She sipped on her martini. “What’s she like?”

  “If you think I’ll discuss her with you, Lulu, you have lost your mind. I came here to discuss one problem, so let’s talk.”

  How had he once thought this woman was so beautiful? The day she had approached him at Sara’s wedding and he realized she was interested, he had thought he was the luckiest guy in the world. Now it was so easy for him to spot the ugliness hovering just beneath her alabaster skin. She was spoiled and entitled. It wasn’t all her fault, though; she was the baby of a very wealthy family, and her parents had ruined her. Stephen caught himself feeling a little sorry for her. He didn’t believe she could ever be happy.

  “I know, I know,” she said, turning to stare out over the ocean again. He recognized the strategy: she was making sure he got her good side. “We're here to sort out the fact that you are stealing my yacht.”

  “It’s my yacht, Lulu. You know that, and the settlement is very clear." He paused to let her sweat a bit. "To be honest, though, I don’t want it.”

  She turned to him and her face lit up with a smile. “Oh, I knew you wouldn’t take it from me, Stephen. I knew you still loved me enough to let me keep it.” She swigged the last of her martini and raised her hand to the bartender for another. He started mixing immediately.

  Stephen felt his temper flare, but he tried to dampen it—there was no way he would get what he wanted if he yelled at her. He knew her modus operandi well, and a raised voice meant a call to Daddy, crying. That wouldn't get him what he wanted. He gritted his teeth and went on, trying to stay calm.

  “Let’s make this crystal-clear, Lulu: I have no love for you. You shattered any traces of affection I had for you on the day I opened that cabin door. I don’t love you. For some reason, I still allowed my anger toward you to take over my life for the last two years, but I'm done. I'm not giving the yacht to you, I'm making a deal with you. It’s up to you if you want to move forward, but no deal, no yacht. Is that clear?”

  Lulu smiled at him and a bit of her ugly showed through. It was just a flash, but he caught it. At last, he knew where to look. “Well, now, isn’t this a sexy Stephen? I have never seen you so confident. Okay, I’ll play. What do you want?”

  “I want out.”

  The bartender stopped in front of the table and placed her drink in front her. She gave him a dazzling smile. “Thank you, Roger.” After he walked away, she turned back to Stephen, all traces of the smile gone. “Out of what?”

  “Out of the business partner agreement. I only agreed to remain with the company for five years to protect my employees—not because you asked me to. It took me a long time to figure out that you didn’t trust Paul enough to let him run the company on his own. You added the business partner agreement as a stipulation to the divorce to protect your interests. Paul wanted us to split up the company, but you persuaded him to sign the agreement. As usual, it was all about you.”

  “Oh, Stephen, that’s not true. How could you think that?” She leaned forward and went for his hands again. He drew them away quickly. “I knew how distraught you were. I knew that, if you lost your work, as well as me, it might kill you. I had the lawyers draft that agreement to protect you. I didn’t want you to lose everything when losing me was so devastating.”

  Revulsion made Stephen gag. How had he ever loved her? How had he ever spent his life trying to figure out how to make her happy? She would never be happy; she would suck the joy out of everyone around her without ever finding any for herself.

  “I want out, Lulu. Get Paul to rip up the agreement and buy me out of my half of the company. If you do that, the Lauren Belle is all yours, and you are welcome to it. If you don't, you'll never set foot on her again.”

  “Fine, it’s a deal—and it looks like the only winner here is me." She smiled around her martini glass, her eyes drooping as if sleep was overtaking her. She was drunk.

  "What's that supposed to mean?"

  "Daddy has found someone who wants to buy the company, anyway. If you leave before the sale, I guarantee you'll be the loser. You take half of the value of the company today and we'll get a hundred percent next year. As you said, we need to get it out of Paul’s hands, anyway, before he runs it into the ground. He didn’t turn out to be half the man I thought he was.”

  Stephen felt his stomach turn. He needed to get out of here—he needed to get back to the boat, so he could reassure Maureen that it wasn’t her friend on the yacht. Seriously, what were the chances?

  He studied Lulu's gloating, drunken face. This moment, right now, life was changing—he could feel it—and finally, he was ready. It was time to let go and move on. He laughed loudly. How had he ever spent the last two years blaming himself for everything? She was the devil!

  “Done,” he said. “Let’s get it signed and executed today. You win.”

  Lulu turned away and lifted one hand, wiggling her fingers at him in a half-wave. “You’ll hear from my lawyer by the end of today.”

  Stephen stood and walked out of the bar without another word. The
warm breeze hit him as he passed the stairs leading down to the white-sand beach, and he felt it lift him from the ground. He was free.

  54

  At Last

  Nandita wasn’t surprised Misty had left her. As she looked over the past few weeks of her friendship with the other girl, she saw a clear pattern. It had begun when Misty had asked to see some of her notes from psychology class. She had supplied them willingly, and that had turned into a habit of simply passing her notes to Misty as soon as the class was over. She spent half the class texting and never picked up her pen, and she didn’t seem to be into studying much. That hadn’t bothered Nandita, though, because she’d been attracted to the fact that Misty seemed focused only on making life as entertaining and uncomplicated as possible. She had drawn her in.

  Nandita had started her first semester at Rutgers filled with nervous anticipation. Unfortunately, she had quickly discovered that it was difficult for her to connect with the other students, partially because of the massive cultural differences and partially because the majority of the other students lived together in the dorms. They came into every classroom in tight clusters of giggles and nudges, and she had regularly felt excluded. That was, until Misty came along. She was loud and confident and didn’t seem to have many close friends, but everyone knew who she was. Nandita had found her striking presence comforting, and she’d felt included for the first time.

  She wondered what Misty was doing now. After she had left her alone on the boat, the kind man, Joe, had shown her to a gorgeous cabin. She had unpacked her clothes, explored the luxurious space, and then sat down on the bed, wondering what to do next. Should she go back out on the deck? Was that acceptable? She considered leaving a few times and even opened her cabin door once to wave to the pretty, but scowling, Ginny passing in the corridor, but ultimately, she just stayed put.

  She had brought a few of her textbooks and was reading about the onset of Schizophrenia when there was a knock on the door from Joe. “Mr. Henderson should be arriving any minute. Maybe you want to go outside and meet him,” he looked at her textbook and smiled, “unless you are too busy studying?”

  Nandita jumped up, her belly filling with a riot of butterflies. Even though it was wrong, she had to admit that she couldn’t wait to see Brad. Her hands shook a little as she smoothed her cotton capris and tucked her shiny hair behind her ears. “Thank you, Joe. I’m not too busy.” He opened the door wide and they headed to the outdoor living room together.

  She stood on the back of the yacht and watched as Brad made his way down the sidewalk of Marina Village. He was as handsome as she remembered, and he had an aura of something special. She smiled as she watched the young girls turn to follow him with their eyes as he passed. He was unlike any man Nandita had ever met. She felt her breath catch in her throat as she imagined their meeting. After spending so many hours on the phone, she felt as though she knew him intimately. Would he kiss her? She panicked for a moment. Would she let him kiss her?

  As Brad came closer, she noticed he was walking overly briskly. When his features finally came into focus, she could see that he looked a bit tortured. His head was swinging back and forth like an FBI agent walking in front of the President. She half-expected him to press his fingers to his ear like they did on TV. When she turned to ask Joe if Brad was okay, she realized he had gone, presumably to prepare for Brad’s arrival. The wide, open deck suddenly felt like a shooting gallery, and she resisted the urge to flee back to her cabin.

  Pulling her hair behind her ears again, she practiced a calm and welcoming smile. He was close, now, turning onto the deck in front of the boat and heading for the gangplank steps, still swiveling his head like a prairie dog.

  Brad took the gangplank steps two at a time while looking out at the Marina Village, and he almost knocked Nandita down before he noticed she was there. He caught her by the forearms as she stumbled, but he didn't take his eyes off Marina Village. It was like she was invisible. She moved her face into his line of sight and gave him a timid smile, waiting for his smile of recognition in return, but there was nothing. He glanced in her general direction, turned his attention back to the village, and then back again to her. He finally saw her, but did he even recognize her? She felt a wave of disappointment wash over her.

  “Brad?”

  His agitation was palpable as he focused on her face. “Oh, Nandita!” he said. “So glad you’re here—so glad to have you. Come on inside. Have you seen the inside? It's nice inside.” He dropped one of her arms and used the other to half-guide, half-drag her through the patio doors into the inside living space. He threw himself onto one of the leather sofas, and the tension seemed to drain out of him. “Have a seat,” he motioned to the couch opposite him.

  What was going on? “Brad? Are you okay? You seem upset about something.”

  “Upset? No, I’m not upset.” He glanced through the doors again and settled deeper into the couch. She stayed where she was, her heart trying to exit her chest with its pounding. “God, I didn’t even welcome you properly, did I, Nandita?” He jumped up and moved to where she stood. He took her face in his hands and his mercurial mood turned soft. She felt prickling heat emanate from his palms; here was the Brad she had expected. “God, you are beautiful.” He leaned forward and planted a tiny, soft kiss right on her lips. “I’m sorry that took so long. I've been thinking about you for days.”

  It scared her that he had been acting like nervous prey just minutes before, but she still felt herself relax under his touch. This was the Brad she knew. He had probably just come from a tough meeting or something. “Thank you for inviting us, Brad. It’s very kind of you.”

  Brad’s brow crinkled. “Us?”

  “Yes, Misty is here, also, remember?”

  Brad released her and moved to the couch again. He checked his watch and called out for Joe. “Oh, right, Misty. I forgot she was coming. Where is she?”

  “She went out with one of your friends. Joe wasn’t sure if you were going to be back to the boat this evening.”

  “Yeah, well, I wasn’t sure I would be, either.”

  Joe came into the room with a bucket, champagne bottle, and two flutes. He nodded and started to pour, but Brad waved his hand and said, “I’ve got it, Joe, thanks. Would you mind hanging out on the outside deck for a few hours to let me know if I have any visitors arriving?”

  “No problem, Mr. Henderson. Let me know if you need anything else.”

  Brad poured a glass of champagne and handed it to Nandita. She took it, but didn’t take a sip. She had never had alcohol in her life. “Sorry, Nandita, where did you say your friend was?”

  “She went out with a friend of yours.”

  Brad poured himself a full glass and drained it with a series of large swallows. He reached for the bottle again. “Friend of mine? What friend?”

  “I think his name was Myron.”

  His flute was halfway to his mouth when he froze. He looked up, all traces of relaxation gone. “Myron?” He stared at her so intently that her legs went a little soft.

  “Yes, I think he said that was his name. Why? Is he not a friend of yours? I mean, Misty went off with him to an island.”

  “Rose Island?”

  Nandita nodded. Brad scowled. Her soft legs now had pins and needles, and she moved closer to the couch opposite Brad. He was with her now and everything was supposed to be okay, but something weird was happening.

  Brad pulled his glass to his lips and took a slow swallow. “Did they say when they’d be back?”

  “Um… I think he said they would be out all evening.”

  He smiled and put the champagne flute on the table, patting the couch next to him. “Looks like I might have you to myself, then. Why don’t you sit and relax?”

  Nandita stayed standing where she was. “So, he is a friend of yours, this Myron person? Misty will be okay?” She was annoyed with her friend, but she still wanted her to be safe.

  “Yeah, he’s a friend—Misty will be f
ine. Now, come sit next to me and share this champagne. Do you expect me to drink the whole bottle?”

  Would she be okay? She would never forgive herself if Misty was in danger. "This Myron can be trusted, right?"

  "For God's sake, your slutty friend will be fine. Now, I've had a very stressful day. Are you sharing this champagne with me, or am I drinking it myself?" Brad looked up at her. “Now what? Are you okay?”

  Was she okay? She tried to nod, but just felt her head wobble. Two Brads wavered in front of her eyes, and she felt a splash of champagne on her wrist as it spilled over the glass. Brad’s hand appeared and lifted the champagne flute away. The floor vibrated with heavy steps, and Joe’s strong arms caught her as she crumbled, stars bursting in front of her eyes. God, she really was fainting, and Brad hadn’t even kissed her, this time.

  Satish's face hovered behind her closed eyes, and there was Claire, crying. Her vision cleared, and she found herself propped up with pillows on the couch, her palms and face damp with cold sweat. Joe’s concerned face hovered over her. She looked over to Brad, who was drinking her champagne, and saw a wave of irritation cross his features.

  He smiled, then. “I think you'd better go rest,” he said to her kindly. “It must be the travel getting to you. It can wear you down, if you aren’t used to it. Joe, why don’t you take Nandita back to her cabin?”

  “Yes, sir,” Joe said, and he scooped Nandita into his arms as though she were a child.

  He deposited her at her cabin door and asked if she needed anything.

  “No thanks, Joe. I think I just felt tired for a minute.”

  “I know a panic attack when I see one, Miss.” He lowered his voice. “I’m not sure where you nice girls met Mr. Henderson, but I don’t think he’s your type of man. I know he really disappointed Miss Maureen.”