Adore Me

by Kelly Elliott

  “I didn’t know what to do, Blake! No matter what I did, my sister would be hurt even more. I thought I was doing the right thing.”

  “Nash, you kept this from her. You kept the truth from her.”

  His eyes filled with tears. “And there is not a goddamn day that goes by when I don’t feel guilty about that, Blake. At the time I thought I was doing the right thing.”

  “Some of the worst things that have happened in life happened because people thought they were doing the right thing.”

  Nash looked away.

  “Tell her the truth. Before she and I can move forward, she needs closure. She needs the truth.”

  It was then I saw Morgan. She rushed into the building and ran right into someone, knocking everything out of the guy’s hands.

  “Morgan?” I asked, standing up and rushing out of Starbucks.

  Nash was right beside me. We got to her at the same time.

  “Morgan, what’s wrong?” Nash asked, grabbing his sister by the arms.

  She turned and looked at me.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked, my heart beating so damn hard in my chest I thought it might beat right out and land on the ground at my feet.

  “He had a baby. He . . . he had a baby.”

  Nash jerked his head and looked at me. “You told her?”

  Morgan’s face went even more pale, if that was possible.

  “What? You knew?” she asked Nash, then turned to me. “Blake . . . you knew?”

  “Wait, Morgan. Just calm down, and let’s get out of here.”

  She glanced back and forth between me and Nash. When the single tear slipped free, I wanted to kill someone.

  “Can we go to your place, Blake?” she softly asked. “The three of us.”

  I wrapped my arm around her waist. “Yes.”

  Taking out my phone, I called Grace. “I’ve got a family emergency and am leaving for the day. I’ll check in later.”

  Hanging up, I pushed my phone into my pocket and led Morgan to a taxi.

  The three of us slid in, and Morgan stared out the window during the short drive to my condo. Nash and I exchanged looks with each other. He looked sick to his stomach.

  No matter how this went down, no one would come out a winner.

  I handed Morgan a cup of tea, and she pulled her legs up under her and took a drink.

  Nash stood at the large window looking out over Austin.

  “How long have you known?” Morgan asked me.

  “Not long. Nash told me Wednesday night.”

  The pained look on her face nearly killed me.

  Her gaze looked past my shoulder to Nash. “And you? How long have you kept this from me?”

  Nash slowly turned and made his way over to the chair across from Morgan.

  “Not long after the funeral.”

  Morgan closed her eyes and slowly shook her head.

  “Wh-what?”

  “Mike sent me a letter the day he died. I didn’t see it until after the funeral, and when I read it, it shocked the shit out of me. He admitted to having an affair with Lance’s wife, Lynn. I guess it had been going on for almost a year.”

  “What did it say? The letter.” Morgan asked.

  Nash looked at me, and I nodded. He needed to tell her the truth. All of it.

  “He said he couldn’t live with the guilt of Lance’s death and the affair. And that a piece of him loved you enough that he couldn’t break your heart by leaving you for Lynn.”

  Morgan pressed her lips together, forcing herself not cry.

  My brave, beautiful Morgan. I wanted to pull her into my arms and hold her. She dropped her hand to mine and intertwined our fingers. I gently squeezed her hand, letting her know I was there for her.

  “Why didn’t you tell me, Nash?”

  His voice cracked as he answered. “I . . . I didn’t know what to do, Morgan. He begged me not to tell you. He didn’t want you to know what he had done. I showed Butch the letter, and he agreed. We couldn’t bear the thought of hurting you again.”

  Morgan looked away from her brother. It was obvious she was struggling with her emotions.

  “I understand why you didn’t tell me,” she whispered before focusing back on him. “But I really wish you would have told me. I’ve been blaming myself for his death, not knowing why he was so unhappy. Nash, the guilt nearly drove me mad.”

  He came up and dropped to the floor at his sister’s feet. Taking her other hand in his, he said, “I’m so sorry, Morgan. I knew in my gut you needed to know. I didn’t know what to do.”

  Morgan ran her fingers through her brother’s hair while his body shook from his tears.

  “Shh . . . it’s okay, Nash. It’s okay.”

  “It’s not okay. I’m so sorry, Morgan.”

  Leaning over, she let my hand go and kissed the top of his head. Morgan made her brother look up at her.

  “I understand why you did it. I do. Mike should never have put that burden on you.”

  Her thumbs wiped away her brother’s tears.

  My God. This woman was incredible. Here her entire world had turned upside down, and she was comforting her brother.

  “I love you, Morgan. More than the air I breathe, I never wanted to hurt you.”

  She smiled. “I know, Nash. I know.”

  I STOOD AT the window, my arms wrapped around my body as I watched the day get swallowed up by darkness.

  “Morgan, do you want something to eat?”

  Blake’s voice warmed me. I glanced over my shoulder and gave him a smile as I replied, “Sure. I’m starving.”

  The events of the day swirled in my head, and I tried to make sense of it all.

  Mike’s lover, the mother of his child, had lied to make an appointment. The way she had told me the truth was cruel, but in my heart I knew it was the only way she thought she could do it.

  Then finding out Nash knew . . . I had been so angry with him, and I was even more angry that he had pulled Blake into the mess.

  “I ordered us a pizza and can make us a salad. I haven’t really been home since last Wednesday, but I think the lettuce is still good.”

  I walked over to him. He opened his arms and wrapped them around me, holding me close to him.

  “Pizza is fine; no salad. Did you order a large?”

  He chuckled, and the sound vibrated through my body.

  “Yes, I did.”

  We stood there in silence for a few moments before Blake pushed me back and looked down into my eyes.

  “Tell me what I need to do to make this better for you. Tell me, and I’ll do anything.”

  My heart swelled in my chest. This man truly loved me. The way he looked at me, touched me, made love to me. Blake was what I had been longing for. The missing piece I had been searching for in all the wrong places. The one person to heal my wounded soul.

  I reached for his hands and guided him over to his sofa. I sat, pulling him down next to me.

  “I love you, and I love that you want to make this better. But I realized something today, just this very moment, to be honest with you.”

  “What’s that?” he asked, kissing the back of my hand. The gesture nearly made me melt on the spot.

  “You are the only man in my life who has ever truly known me.”

  His brows pulled in slightly.

  “I know it seems crazy because we’ve only been together for such a short period, but when you look at me, I can’t even explain how content I feel. The first time we were together, I knew.”

  Smiling, I looked down at our intertwined hands before I met his eyes.

  “Blake, I don’t need saving. I don’t need a prince on a white steed to swoop in and protect me. I need someone to take my hand and be there with me as I figure things out. I need someone who wants to run away with me from time to time just to be alone together. I need you.”

  He let go one of my hand and brought it to my face. I leaned into the touch and let out a slow, soft breath.

 
; “Then I’m here for you. I will go with you to the ends of the earth, Morgan.”

  Slowly leaning back onto the sofa, I pulled him to me and let myself go. I let everything go. The past. The guilt. The confusion. The only thing I held onto was my future. I wasn’t certain what that future would be, but I knew would be as amazing as this moment was, because I had Blake in my life.

  Rolling over, I ran my finger along Blake’s jawline. He played like he was about to bite it, and I jumped and let out a giggle.

  Blake and Nash had asked me how I found out about Mike’s baby, but I had needed to process the event before I retold it. Now, at three in the morning, after Blake had made love to me again, I was ready.

  “She made an appointment under a false name. Then she told me her story. Her husband was in the army. He died, and his best friend came to her shortly after. One thing led to another, and an affair began. She told me everything. How he wrestled with cheating on his girlfriend. How after the first time they were together, he told her he felt so guilty that he went back home and asked me to marry him. I had no idea she was talking about Mike in the beginning. It was only after she told her husband’s name and then it all came together. No, that’s not true.”

  Blake drew his brows in as he kept his gaze locked on me.

  “I was beginning to piece it together as she told her story. She gave him an ultimatum.”

  Blake pulled me into his arms. “What sort of ultimatum?”

  “The week before Mike killed himself, he found out Lynn was pregnant with his child. She told him he had to pick. Her and the baby, or me.”

  Kissing me on the forehead, Blake whispered, “I’m so sorry.”

  “Do you know what bothers me the most? He gave up the chance for his child to know his father because he couldn’t tell me the truth. I can’t help but wonder why he would do that. Why he thought I was such a weak person he couldn’t leave me. He didn’t know me at all. All those years together, and neither one of us truly knew each other.”

  His arms tightened around me more.

  “Maybe that wasn’t it at all. Maybe he truly couldn’t pick. He loved you both.”

  Lifting my head, I stared into his eyes and smiled. “But you know that’s not true. The letter he wrote to Nash said he meant to pick Lynn.”

  “But he couldn’t. There was so much more going on in his head, Morgan. Things that neither you nor Lynn saw. I think demons tormented his soul, and he didn’t know how to control them. It was no one’s fault—not even Mike’s.”

  I stared at him, letting his words settle into my mind.

  “You’re right. I tell my patients that all the time.”

  He winked. “It would be good of you to remember this, for future arguments and such. The part about me being right.”

  Laughing, I snuggled closer to him, letting my face press against his chest. The sound of his heartbeat eased the tension in my body, and I relaxed even more.

  “What happened with Lynn after you figured it out?”

  “I asked her why she felt like she had to tell me the truth and why she felt like she had to deceive me to do it. She said she couldn’t stop the nightmares. So I sat back down, looked her in the eye, and told her she needed to let go of the guilt or she could never move on. That Lance would have wanted her to move on. I didn’t have to say anything to her regarding Mike. I’ve just now figured it out myself. I think she’ll be okay, though. At least, I hope she will be. Then when she left, I freaked out and came looking for you. You know the rest.”

  Blake rolled us over and hovered over my body, using his fingers to sweep away my loose hair. Then he kissed the tip of my nose, forehead, jaw, neck, and each side of my mouth, finally placing the sweetest of kisses onto my lips.

  “You are the most incredible woman I have ever known.”

  I felt his hardening erection against my body and smiled.

  “Ready so soon?” I teased.

  “For you, I’m always ready.”

  “Good, because what I really want right now is you. And no sweet lovemaking. I want more.”

  His brow lifted. “You want to be fucked?”

  “Thoroughly.”

  Blake’s fingers found their way between my legs, pushing deep inside me. He growled at how ready I was for him. I raised up slightly, and he pushed fast and hard into me, causing me to cry out from both the slight burn and the extreme pleasure.

  Reaching over my head and holding onto the headboard, I lifted my hips, silently begging him to take me.

  “This will be fast and hard, princess,” he grunted as he pulled out and pushed back into me.

  “Yes. Please. Harder.”

  “Damn it. I’m not going to last long. Baby, I need you to come.”

  He moved back onto his knees, lifting my hips and finding the angle I needed. I reached my hand between us, finding that tight bundle of nerves that ached for relief.

  It only took a few motions with my fingers and I came. Bursts of light exploded behind my closed eyes, and I called out Blake’s name as he pushed in, letting himself go while he buried his face in my neck.

  The sex might have been fast and hard this time, but I could feel how much this man loved me, and that feeling set me free.

  THE MOVIE HAD ended, but I let the credits roll as long as I could, relishing the feeling of Morgan lying nestled against my side. It had been a month since Lynn told Morgan the truth about Mike, and things had been going amazingly. We split our time between my house and Morgan’s, at mine one week and hers the next.

  “Have you decided whether to join Nash in the partnership?” Morgan asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

  “Yes. I was going to talk to you about it.”

  Morgan sat up faced me, crisscrossing her legs and tilting her head. Her sweet smile made my heartbeat pick up slightly in my chest.

  “Me? Why?”

  “Well, it’s your decision too. If I break off and start a new partnership with Nash, I won’t be making as much money as I make now. At least not for a while. I have my trust fund, though, which gives me a decent allowance every month. I’ve been putting it away until now, and I’ve stockpiled a decent savings and a pretty good stock portfolio.”

  She laughed. “Blake, I don’t care about how much money you have. I’m perfectly content with my little house and simple life. You should know that by now.”

  I leaned over and kissed her on the mouth. “I know that. But I’m walking away from a six-figure job.”

  “So? You and Nash could do amazing things together. Nash has expanded the construction company so much. It isn’t just homes anymore. You could still design your skyscrapers.”

  “I know that. We’ll find a few good clients, and things will pick up. Not to mention my stress level will drop dramatically.”

  Morgan took my hand in hers. “No matter what you do, I’ll support your decision.”

  With a wide grin, I pulled her to me. Morgan straddled my lap and looked down into my eyes.

  “I’ll tell Nash it’s a yes.”

  She squealed and pressed her lips to mine.

  “I’ll keep some of my trust-fund allowance for monthly expenses for a while, rather than investing the whole forty thousand.”

  Morgan’s smile dropped. “Wait, forty thousand a month?” Her eyes moved back and forth as she did the mental math. “You get almost half a million a year from your trust fund?”

  I smirked. “Did I never tell you how my granddaddy made his money?”

  “No. You didn’t.”

  “Oil. My father learned a lot from his father-in-law, so invested in oil too. Between them, they made more money than they knew what to do with. Dad really doesn’t even have to practice medicine anymore. He does it because it’s truly his passion.”

  She looked up at me like what I had told her made no difference in the world.

  “Morgan, you’re not even batting an eye. I don’t even have to work if I don’t want to.”

  With a small shrug, she
replied, “I knew your family had money, but that makes no difference to me, Blake. I love you for you. Not your pocketbook.”

  “I could design you your dream home and pay cash for it. That means nothing to you?”

  “No,” she said with a chuckle. “The only home I dream of is one with us and maybe a kid or two. A dog, two cats, and lots and lots of bird feeders.”

  My eyes went to the living room window, where Morgan had hung three feeders. She loved her birds, and someday I would buy her enough land so she could have as many feeders up as she wanted.

  “I think I can make that happen. But you know we can’t stay in my place after we get married?”

  Her eyes widened in shock. “Married?”

  “Yeah. It’s too small. Who wants to raise kids in the middle of Austin?” I looked around her cute little house. “Then there’s your place. It’s not big enough to have kids and animals. We’ll need more room.”

  When I looked back at her, she was staring in disbelief. “You’ve thought about this? About . . . marrying me?”

  “I have. I told you, I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you, princess.”

  Her mouth opened, then snapped shut. Then opened, then shut again. She was about to say something when the doorbell rang.

  “Wait, I . . . we . . . wait.”

  I was confused as I watched her walk to the door. Didn’t all women dream about getting married and having kids?

  Morgan looked out the peephole and then gasped.

  “What in the world?” she said, throwing the door open.

  I stood and saw a large guy standing in the doorway. His hair was cut into a military buzz, and the fucker was built like a brick house.

  “Jarod? What are you doing here?”

  He reached down and picked her up, swinging her around before placing her back down. A part of me wanted to knock the shit out of him for touching her, but the other part was curious as hell about who the guy was. There was no way he was a patient.

  Jarod looked past Morgan and smiled bigger when he saw me.

  “You must be Blake.”

  I frowned. Who is this guy, and how in the hell does he know who I am?