Ryder sighed and shot a glance at Bailey before turning toward me again. “What if you didn’t have to live in a hotel for two months? What if you could stay here?”
I frowned. “We’ve already gone over this. You two need to live on your own and I need to get out of your hair. I’m not staying here past tonight.”
Bailey cleared her throat and sat up straighter. “What about staying downstairs in my old room?”
My heart stopped for a second as I imagined sleeping right next to Belle every night, but it started again just as fast. There was no way she would ever go for that.
I leaned back in my chair. “That’s not going to happen.”
“Why not?” It was Ryder who spoke up this time.
I held up my hand and listed my points for them. “First of all, I’m not imposing on Belle. Second of all, I’m sure she doesn’t want me living with her anyway. And third of all…” I didn’t really have a third point to make, but arguments sounded better in threes. “Third of all, just no.”
“I’ve already talked to her,” Bailey piped up. “She said she’s fine with it if you are.”
I raised an incredulous brow her way as my heart thundered in my chest. There was no fucking way Belle agreed to this. “Belle said she was okay with me living with her? For two months?”
Bailey shrugged. “Yeah. She didn’t have a problem with it.”
I highly fucking doubted that.
My chair legs screeched against the hard wood floor as I shoved it back and stood up.
“Where are you going?” Ryder asked.
I was already halfway to the door when I answered. “I’m going to talk to Belle.”
Right the fuck now.
Things weren’t adding up, and I needed to go straight to the source if I was going to get the answers I was looking for.
Besides, I’d been itching for a reason to knock on her door and this was the perfect excuse. She snuck out of my bed in the middle of the night without even a goodbye and now she’d have to look me in the eye again. I knew it was the only way I’d be able to tell what she was really thinking. How she really felt. Those eyes of hers were like little amber windows to the real Belle, and I was planning on finally finding out what lay in their depths.
Belle
When I heard the footsteps thundering down the stairs, that was the first indication my night was about to go to shit. The pounding on my door seconds later only confirmed it.
I froze there in my kitchen, bottle of wine in my hand and refrigerator door open. Maybe if I stayed completely still, whoever it was would go away. Maybe they’d think I wasn’t home. Maybe I’d be able to avoid whatever confrontation was on my doorstep.
But I wasn’t that lucky.
“I know you’re in there, Belle. Open up.”
My heart fell to the soles of my feet before jolting back into place. I could feel how wide my eyes were as I stared at the door like it was a cobra ready to strike.
What the hell was Remy doing here?
Although, truthfully, I’d been half-expecting a visit from him all night. The second I’d agreed to Bailey’s ridiculous request, I’d been preparing myself to see him. Mentally readying for battle. Physically bracing myself to be in his presence again.
And I could already tell none of it would help me.
He knocked again, this time a little softer, but I still jumped in place.
“Come on, Belle. You know we need to talk about this.”
I sighed and closed my eyes, but it was no use. I could still picture him as clearly as if he was standing right in front of me. There was no way out of this, and I needed to just get it over with.
I pulled the cork out of the wine bottle with my teeth and filled my glass up the rest of the way before I stowed it in the fridge. If I was going to deal with Remy MacAlister and make it out alive, I’d need all the liquid courage I could get. I took a long sip before taking a deep breath and walking over to the door.
After another couple of sips, I finally felt ready to face the man I hadn’t stopped thinking about in two weeks. I unlocked the door and pulled it open quickly, like ripping off a bandage.
Remy stood there, so tall and handsome I could only look at him for a brief second. He had on a plain white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up his thick arms. In the light of the foyer I could see those enticing tattoos again and longed to reach out to trace them with my finger, but held myself back.
I could not touch Remy. That would be my complete undoing.
“What the fuck, Belle?”
My eyes snapped to his, and I frowned. “Huh?”
Not exactly the greeting I was expecting, although I didn’t know why that was. After the way I left that night, he deserved to ask me that question. I guess I just wasn’t prepared to answer it. All that time had passed, and I still didn’t know what to say.
He sighed and shook his head. “Can I come in?”
Hell no.
Those two words were on the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed them. If I was going to keep what happened between us a secret, this conversation needed to be had in private. Even if my heart was already hammering against my ribcage.
I swallowed once and moved aside, the words stuck in my dry throat. Thankfully, he didn’t need a verbal invite and stepped through my doorway confidently. As he passed, he left behind a cloud of that expensive cologne that did stupid things to my stomach.
I held my breath as I followed him into the kitchen where he stopped and turned to me. We stood there for a long time, our eyes locked in a silent battle. I didn’t know what was going through his head, but mine was a jumbled mess.
All the times I’d wished I’d never have to see him again and now I couldn’t tear my eyes away. If anything, he’d gotten better looking since the last time I saw him. His facial hair was a little longer, highlighting his sharp jaw and plump lips. Lips I could distinctly remember all over my body.
I wrenched my gaze away from him and instead focused on my wine glass that was entirely too close to being empty. Taking another sip, I concentrated on his feet instead, noticing for the first time the expensive loafers he had on.
It was always like that with Remy. His wealth didn’t show in an ostentatious way, but it was there if you were looking hard enough. Like the understated watch on his wrist that was undoubtedly a Rolex, or the clothes he wore that were most likely tailor-made for him. He clearly had money, but he didn’t flaunt it. And damn it, that just made him more attractive.
“I have so many questions I don’t even know where to start.”
I looked up at him and got caught in his gaze again. It was full of those questions he mentioned, and my palms started to sweat as I tried to anticipate what he’d ask and how I’d answer.
“Let’s start with an easy one,” he said. “Why did you tell Bailey I could move in here?”
I shrugged. “She asked.”
He raised a brow and shot me an incredulous look. “She asked? That’s all you’ve got?”
I shrugged again. “She’s my best friend. I’d do anything for her.” Which was the truth, but here was some more for him. “Besides, it’s not like I could give her a good reason why you couldn’t. Not without telling her about us.”
I bit my lip and just barely held back a grimace. I’d had no intention of bring us up, but there it was. Five seconds into the conversation and we were already going there.
He took a step closer, and I did my best to hold my ground. “So, you only said yes so she wouldn’t suspect anything?”
I looked away, my teeth biting my lip so hard I was almost drawing blood. “Basically.”
I could feel his eyes on me, but I refused to look at him again. If I did, I didn’t know what would happen. There were endless possibilities when it came to Remy MacAlister and none of them were good. He made me feel so out of control, I never knew what to expect.
Finally, he sighed. “That’s what I thought.”
With that, he took off for t
he door and I watched his broad back retreat. His hand was on the doorknob when I finally called out to him. “Wait.”
He paused and turned, sweeping me up in that chocolate gaze again.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m going back upstairs.”
“Are you going to tell Ryder and Bailey?” I asked, but it wasn’t the most pertinent question I had. I don’t even know why it was the first thing out of my mouth, but it was and there was no taking it back.
“No.”
He watched me for a long moment before turning back to the door again.
“What are you going to do, then?”
“What I’d planned to do. I’m checking into the Marriott tomorrow and staying there until my apartment’s ready.”
I bit my lip again so more words wouldn’t spurt out of me. It didn’t help. “Are you moving because of me?” I winced at my question, thankful he wasn’t looking at me.
He slowly turned around again, his eyes dark as they ran down the length of my body. “What did you say?”
I swallowed harshly and squared my shoulders. Even though I wished I hadn’t asked that question, I wasn’t going to take it back now. “Are you moving because of me? Because of what happened between us.”
His eyes seem to get darker as he watched me. I didn’t know what was coming next, and he shocked the hell out of me by crossing the space between us, stopping only inches away. I desperately tried to control my breathing, but I was practically panting. His intoxicating scent was filling my senses and scrambling my brain. My fingers itched to reach out for him, so I fisted them tightly at my sides. I wouldn’t be the first to break.
He leaned a few inches closer until I could smell the oranges and hops on his breath. “You’re asking if that night with you could drive me out of my home? If I’m so hung up on the woman I had once that I need to move?”
Words were completely past my ability at that moment. I was stuck, like a fly in his web as he hovered over me, the heat of his body singeing my bare skin and my hands trembling at my sides.
“You think I’m still haunted by the feel of your curves beneath my hands or the taste of your skin? That the smell of your hair is still in my sheets and I can’t lay in my fucking bed at night without getting hard thinking of you?”
Holy fuck.
I opened my mouth to say something. I wasn’t sure what yet, only that I needed to speak, but he stopped me before I could. His thick thumb landed on my lips, pulling the lower one down slightly. His eyes fixed on my mouth, their color darkening even further.
I froze in place as my heart stopped in my chest. For a second, I was sure he was going to kiss me. That I was finally going to taste the lips I’d fantasized about for weeks. His face drew closer and my eyes closed without my permission.
Finally, when I could feel the heat of his mouth on mine, he spoke again. “I’m going to tell them I’m not comfortable imposing on you.”
In the next instant, all his heat was gone. My eyes flew open in time to watch him stalk across my kitchen and whip open the door.
“Goodbye, Belle.”
With that, he disappeared from view, closing my door behind him. I stood there for a long time, frozen in place as my mind tried to catch up. The blood in my veins was still sizzling like I’d been electrocuted, and my nipples were so hard it was almost painful.
My mind was blank save for one phrase. It repeated over and over again, filling the spaces unoccupied by Remy, which were few and far between. Finally, the words fell from my lips in the quiet of my kitchen.
“Holy fuck.”
Chapter 9
Belle
“I am a fucking idiot.”
I mumbled that phrase over and over as I got out of the Uber and stood in front of the imposing building. The sign above the front door read Ocean State Insurance Company and looked more like blaring red letters than the calming blue they really were.
I didn’t know what the hell I thought I was doing here, but that clearly wasn’t stopping me. With one last fortifying breath, I shouldered my purse and marched up the front steps. I stepped through the glass doors and found myself in a sleek lobby. There was a prim-looking receptionist eyeing me from across the room and I figured she must be the gatekeeper.
When I got close enough, she spoke up. “Hello. How can I help you today?”
You could give me a lobotomy before I do what I came here to do.
“Um. I’m looking for Remy MacAlister. Is he available?”
Her eyes widened for the briefest second before they did a quick but thorough inspection of me. Thankfully, my job required me to dress nicely every day, so I had nothing to be insecure about. But, boy, was that blue-eyed stare trying its hardest to make me fidget.
“Let me check,” she said, her voice distinctly cooler than it had been.
She picked up the phone and dialed a few numbers as her eyes raked over me again. This time, it irritated me. I tipped my chin up and stared her down, daring her to do it again. Thankfully, she got the hint and turned her laser vision elsewhere.
“Hello? Is Mr. MacAlister available? He has a guest in the lobby.” She waited a few moments before shooting me a quick look. “Okay, I’ll send her up.” Setting the phone down, she turned to me again. “He’s in between meetings right now. You can take the elevator over there on the right and head up to the twentieth floor. His secretary will meet you there.”
I shot her a smile that even I could feel was fake. “Thanks so much.”
She didn’t answer, not that I expected her to.
I used the elevator ride to fortify my resolve and steel my spine. I knew this conversation wasn’t going to go smoothly, but I had to do this. I’d barely gotten any sleep last night and the blame for that lay squarely on Remy’s broad shoulders. Between the buzzing in my veins from being that close to him again and not touching him, and the guilt over him having to stay in a hotel for two months, it was a wonder I’d made it to work on time.
And even though I had made it, my mind had been elsewhere the whole time. I’d barely gotten any work done before finally breaking for an early lunch. Instead of heading to my favorite sandwich shop, I grabbed an Uber and took it across town to his building. I wasn’t sure if Remy would even be there, but I knew I had to try. If I had any hope of getting this man out of my head, I had to resolve the guilt I could feel gnawing at my insides.
But I also had an ulterior motive.
Remy had gotten the best of me last night. He’d invaded my space and pushed me to the edge before backing off and disappearing. He’d had the upper hand and completely exploited it and that didn’t sit right with me. I needed to see him again, even if it was on his turf because I needed to prove to myself that he couldn’t get to me again like he had last night. That I could immunize myself against the effects of his charm.
Which was how I found myself in his office building in the middle of the day with butterflies tearing up my insides and my palms sweating so bad I was having trouble holding onto my purse straps.
When I got off the elevator, there was a sweet-looking middle-aged woman standing there in a pants suit and a pair of tortoiseshell glasses. “Hello there. You’re here to see Mr. MacAlister?”
I crossed the distance between us and nodded. “Yes, if he’s available.”
She smiled. “And may I ask your name?”
“Belle Garcia.”
“Is he expecting you, Ms. Garcia?”
I swallowed and discreetly wiped my palms against my pencil skirt. “Um, no. He’s not. I’m just a friend of his and I had something I needed to talk to him about.”
Damn it. Did that even sound like a reasonable excuse to bother a top executive at work in the middle of the day?
It was then I realized I should have come up with a better reason for why I wanted to see him. I guess I hadn’t thought about all the people I’d have to go through to get to him which was stupid. Of course there’d be someone manning the lobby, screening visi
tors. Of course he’d have a private secretary to ask questions like this. Ocean State Insurance was one of the biggest companies in the state and he was one of their highest-ranking executives.
This plan seemed dumber by the second.
The friendly secretary gave me another smile and waved at a set of plush chairs off to the side. “If you’ll just have a seat, I’ll check with Mr. MacAlister and get right back to you.”
I shot her a stiff smile and did as she asked. I’d sit and wait but knowing that talking to him depended on whether or not he let me in to see him made it clear I’d come for nothing. After last night, I was sure he didn’t want anything to do with me. I couldn’t blame him, really. It was shitty of me to sneak out of his place that night and it was obvious he hadn’t forgiven me.
“Ms. Garcia?”
I looked up to find the secretary smiling again. Man, she must get paid well to be so happy all the time.
“You can head on in, his office is that one right there,” she said pointing to a massive set of mahogany double doors.
My jaw fell open for a second, but I quickly snapped it shut and stood up. I hadn’t expected him to agree to see me. Now that I knew I was seconds away from being in his presence again, those butterflies turned into hawks and circled my insides like they were searching for their next meal.
I thanked the secretary and walked dutifully toward Remy’s office. As I did, I reminded myself why I was here. I reminded myself that I wouldn’t let him have the upper hand again. I reminded myself that I was Belle fucking Garcia, and I didn’t take shit from anyone. Least of all handsome men whose cologne made me want to have their babies.
I shook my head to dispel that thought. I needed to get it together if I was going to make it out of his office in one piece.
You’re here to offer him a room.
You’re here to prove to him that he can’t affect you again like he did last night.
You’re here to be a nice person and friend and that’s it.
With those thoughts running through my head on repeat, I squared my shoulders, tipped my chin up, and marched through his office doors.
Beyond Beautiful (Love in Providence Book 2) Page 7