Inwardly, he groaned. She knew his last name, yet she hadn’t tied it in with him. That was good. He worried that telling her at this late point in time, she would hate him. He wouldn’t be able to handle it if she loathed him for keeping the truth from her.
Perhaps he should say something. They couldn’t stay in this cabin forever. Eventually, she’d find out, and he didn’t want her hearing it from anyone else but him.
Justin leaned closer, twisting a lock of her blonde hair around his finger. Her lilac scent stirred butterflies inside him, hinting of the passion he’d yet to taste. He wanted to hold and kiss her like never before. He couldn’t remember ever having this urgency to possess a woman heart and soul. He definitely never had those feelings with Robin.
Her silken hair slipped free as he stroked down her cheek with his knuckles. Smooth skin, delicate to the touch. Passion grew within him, fast, spreading through his body like wildfire.
He lifted the corner of his mouth in a half grin. “Brooke, are you sure you want me to talk about when I went to school with Robin and Monroe?”
Her lids lowered and her smile relaxed. “No.”
He wanted to sigh with relief, and yet at the same time, he knew what she wanted without her having to say anything.
He dropped his gaze to her tempting lips. “Tell me what you’re really thinking.”
Closing her eyes, she sighed and cuddled her face against his hand. “I want more of this.”
“More of what?” His voice came out abnormally low. He cupped her face and she looked at him.
“More snuggling, caressing, and kissing...”
Swiftly, he took her in his arms as his mouth swooped down on hers. She kissed him back with as much passion as what rushed through him. It felt like heaven kissing her, but he knew things had to stop. He didn’t want her thinking he took advantage of vulnerable women. He never had, and never would.
He withdrew and gazed into her questionable eyes. “Angel, we need to slow things down. As much as I enjoy how close we’re getting, the truth is, we really don’t know each other very well. And I want to know everything about you.”
She nodded. “You’re right. I do want to get to know you better, too.”
Smiling, he winked. Just as long as she didn’t ask him his last name. Softly, he pressed his lips to hers, brushing them across her mouth. “You know, when I first found you in the Jeep, I was upset about not having some privacy here at the cabin to think about my problems, but now I’m glad I wasn’t here alone.”
“You are?”
“Yes. I’m having a lot more fun with you here, and I’ve been able to actually relax and enjoy myself for the first time since my father died.”
Her smile softened. “When did your father die?”
After kissing her lips briefly, he reached down and pulled an edge of the afghan over his legs. Although telling her about his life wasn’t something he wanted to do, now would be the best time to tell her the truth. She’d been honest with him. Now it was his turn.
He adjusted himself on the couch so she wouldn’t have to strain her neck to look at him. “My father died four years ago of a heart attack. I’d been attending college when he died. After the funeral, Mother informed me that my father turned his company over to me, so not only was I trying to finish school, I was trying to run a big company.”
She reached up and caressed his cheek. “I’m sorry. You must have been extremely overworked and stressed beyond reason.”
He chuckled as he caressed her fingers. “You have no idea how stressed I was, but my mother kept pushing me to work harder. When I finally graduated, I thought my life would get somewhat back to normal, but once again, Mother had something different in store for me. She hounded me about making changes in the company, and when I did, she complained because of it. Then she was on my back about settling down and getting married.” He took a breath, pausing in thought. Now would be a good time to tell her the truth, since this was what led into meeting Robin and getting engaged. He opened his mouth to continue, but was interrupted when the telephone rang.
Both of them looked at the phone on the end table near the couch.
“I wonder who that could be?” she asked.
Only one person knew where he was. He pulled away from her and picked up the phone. “Hello?”
“Justin, you’re not going to believe what I found out,” the familiar voice began.
“Brad? Is that you?”
His friend’s voice rang with laughter. “Who else would know where you are?”
“Are you sure nobody else knows?”
“Nobody, but Robin has her father’s men looking everywhere for you. I tell you, she’s one upset woman. You don’t want to mess with her just yet. She’d tear you apart limb from limb, man.”
“Yeah, if her father’s henchman doesn’t do it first.” Justin threaded his fingers through his hair.
“You’re not kidding!” Brad proceeded to tell him everything that happened after Justin left the church – pretty much what Brooke had related to him after talking to her sister yesterday.
When Brooke snuggled against him, Justin’s heart dropped to the pit of his stomach. Hopefully, she hadn’t heard anything... not until he told her, anyway.
He glanced at her. She looked at him through confused, hooded eyes. Could she be piecing together the story this very moment? His gut twisted.
“Thanks for the warning, Brad. Unfortunately, we can’t go anywhere right now. We’ve been snowed in.”
A long pause came from the other end of the phone before he heard his friend’s wary voice, “We’ve been snowed in? We? I thought you were at the cabin by yourself.”
Justin chuckled as he slipped his arm around Brooke, now looking at him with wide eyes. “Yes, I said it right. I happened to find a little angel sleeping in the Jeep when I arrived at the cabin.”
Brad chuckled. “Is this so-called angel a woman, by chance?”
Justin gave Brooke a wink, but her body stiffened. “Yes, and she’s the prettiest angel I’ve ever seen.”
Brad laughed harder. “You have a lot of explaining to do, Monroe. Now fess up. What happened after you left the church yesterday?”
“Sorry, Young. But I have more important things to do besides explain things to you.” He caressed Brooke’s cheek, but she remained stiff, her gaze locked to his.
“Monroe, you better tell me.”
Justin grinned. “Goodbye, Brad.” He turned to hang up the phone all the while his friend kept calling his name. “Monroe? Monroe!”
With his heart lodged in his throat now, he tried to wrap Brooke back in his arms, but she pushed him away.
“Is your last name Monroe?” she asked in a shaky voice, tears welling up in her eyes.
He clenched his teeth. She knows!
TEN
JUSTIN SIGHED ONE LONG exasperated breath and ran his fingers through his hair. “Yes.”
“You’re, Justin... Monroe? The same man engaged to my cousin?”
“Correct again. I was engaged to Robin.”
Tears swam in Brooke’s eyes, her lips quivering. “You – you – lied to me?”
He squeezed his eyes closed and swore softly. Looking at her, he shook his head. “I didn’t lie to you. I just didn’t tell you my last name.”
“Why?” her voice rose.
“Because at first it didn’t matter, then once we got to talking, I didn’t want to tell you because then I knew you wouldn’t open up to me.”
“That’s a stupid excuse, Justin.”
Inwardly he growled and grasped her wrist, but she pulled it free again. “Brooke, will you just listen?”
“Listen to a liar? No, I’m done listening to you. I’m done being fooled by all men!”
“Brooke, please understand, I didn’t tell you the truth because I wanted you to get to know me. The real me – not the fiancé of a Robin Pierpont. Believe me, they are two different people.”
“Believe you?” She laughed
forcefully. “You really want me to believe you? I don’t think so, Mr. Monroe.”
Closing his eyes, he rubbed his forehead. “Oh, Brooke. Tell me what I need to do to make this up to you.” He looked at her. Sadness coated her expression and tugged on his heart. “I’m so sorry. If I could take it all back, I would. I would do things a lot differently.”
Silence lasted a few moments as liquid filled her eyes. “My cousin is going to marry you,” she said softly.
He lifted his eyebrows and cocked his head. “Tell me, Brooke, how is that possible? I left her at the wedding rehearsal, remember?”
“But you also told me she would take you back because she never gives up on what she wants.”
He shrugged. “She’d take me back if I wanted to go back. I don’t. Not for all the money in the world.” He held out his arms, hoping she’d come back into his embrace and cuddle next to him like before. “Brooke, come here.”
She shook her head, tears streaming from her eyes. He hated seeing her like this; hated knowing he made her like this.
“Let me hold you and prove to you Robin means nothing to me.” His voice softened. “Robin never did. Our marriage was arranged by my mother. Our parents knew each other, which is how I met Robin. We were going out even before I knew I was dating her. My mother bought the engagement ring, not me. I was never in love with Robin.”
She sniffed. “Then why did you go along with the wedding?”
“We have the same lifestyle. Her family is wealthy and so is mine. My mother decided that if we married, it would increase our holdings. Also, since my father’s death, my life has been a whirlwind of emotions.” He shrugged. “I’ve tried to run an oil company, I’ve tried to settle business affairs, plus keep up with my mother’s social life – or the life she wants me to have. I wanted a wife and family, but I didn’t have the time, which is why my mother did everything for me.”
“But, Justin, Robin still wants you. I know she does, and she won’t let anything stop her, especially not the cousin she hates so much.”
Pain shot through his chest and he cursed himself for not being fully honest with her. “Brooke, please come here.”
A few earth-shattering minutes passed as his heart tore to pieces. She clutched the afghan with white knuckled-hands. After a moment, she scooted next to him. He took her by the waist and pulled her closer. Her body was stiff, and it crushed him that she was back to being fearful around him. He needed to do something to change her mind. But what?
With the pad of his thumb, he wiped the trails of wetness from her cheeks. “Do you know why Robin hates you so much?”
“No.”
“It’s because you’re everything she’s not. You’re a kind, sweet, and loving woman who happens to be more beautiful both inside and out than she will ever be. You also have something else going for you that she’ll never have.”
“What’s that?”
“My respect. I’ll never be able to look at her without remembering how she treated you.” He took Brooke’s face in his hands and pulled her to him. He kissed her wet eyes, her damp cheeks then her swollen lips. “Brooke,” he mumbled against her mouth, “I’ve fallen in love with you in just twenty-four hours.”
After he’d said it, he wondered if it were true. Yet, when he pulled away and met her wide-eyed stare, he knew he’d meant every word. Love didn’t happen that quickly, did it? But there was no other explanation for the way his heart burst with emotion right now. Why else would he want to hold her and kiss her forever? “Did you hear me?”
She nodded. “I don’t know if I believe that, though. You’ve not been very honest with me since we met.”
Pain, like a sharp knife, plunged into his chest. He didn’t blame her for thinking that, but he wanted to make it up to her. He wanted her to stop hurting. “I know everything is happening fast between us, but I can’t deny this feeling I’ve had in my heart since I found you on the backseat of the Jeep. Being with you has been the best time of my life. I can’t remember having so much fun or laughing so hard. You taught me that, Brooke. You have opened my eyes to so many things that I’m missing in my life.”
Silence stretched between them again for a few awkward moments as tears continued to fill her eyes. “Why did you leave the wedding rehearsal? Because you had cold feet?”
Heaving a sigh, he sat back against the couch’s cushions. “How well do you really know Robin’s father?”
She rolled her eyes. “He is as rude and obnoxious as his daughter. Why?”
“He’s a powerful man.”
“Yes. Heaven help the man who ever goes up against him.”
He chuckled. “True. The morning of the rehearsal I learned just how powerful he is. When he doesn’t want something in his life, he gets rid of it.”
She shrugged. “Usually.”
He narrowed his gaze. “Do you know how he gets rid of people?”
She flipped her hand in the air. “He probably fires them or sends them out of the state or country.”
“Or... he arranges their deaths.”
All humor disappeared. Her eyes widened. “What did you say?”
“The morning of my wedding rehearsal, I heard him talking with a man named Snakes and they were discussing my death.”
She gasped as her hand flew to her mouth. “Are you kidding me?”
“Tony Pierpont told Snakes that killing me would be his wedding present to his daughter.”
“Why would he kill his daughter’s fiancé?”
“He was going to wait until after the wedding. That way, I’m out of the way and Tony’s spoiled daughter will be even richer than before. We never signed a pre-nuptial agreement.”
Color drained from Brooke’s face. “Snakes is a nasty little man from Mexico who’s an undocumented immigrant. He’s my uncle’s right-hand man.”
“Well, he’s also a killer, or would have been if I stuck around to marry Robin.”
She blew out a sigh. “What are you going to do?”
“Brad’s doing some checking for me while I hide out. He’s contacting those higher up in the legal system to see how quickly we can get Tony Pierpont arrested.” His chest grew tight as anger consumed him. “But I can’t sit and wait forever. It’s time I took charge of my life for once.”
He kissed her forehead then moved off the couch. He marched into the bedroom to get his cell phone to find Robin’s phone number. The soft padding of feet echoed behind him.
“Justin? What are you going to do?”
He flipped open his cell and searched for Robin’s name. “I’m going to make some phone calls.” He glanced over his shoulder and winked. “Why don’t you go back by the fire and keep warm? I’d hate for you to catch a cold.”
“Is your phone getting service now?”
He glanced at his cell. “Yes. Now that the storm has passed, I think we can both get service.”
Her head bobbed with a nod before she walked back into the front room.
BROOKE DIDN’T KNOW what to believe anymore. Obviously, she couldn’t trust her own heart. Justin had made her trust him. He’d made her fall in love with him, too. True, he didn’t force her, but because of his actions and words, how could she not have become transfixed by his charm? How could she have gone unaffected?
Now she didn’t know whether to trust him or not. If she were a man, she wouldn’t marry Robin, so hearing Justin say that, she wanted to believe him. He might have apologized to her, but it was difficult to know what to believe anymore.
Sitting by the fire didn’t accomplish anything, especially when she could hear him on the phone. Quietly, she snuck back down the hall and stopped in front of the bedroom door which was opened. She flattened herself against the wall, but unless Justin came out, he wouldn’t know she was here, anyway.
Immediately, she could tell by his tone of voice he was talking to Robin. However, it surprised Brooke to hear how curt he was with her cousin. Perhaps he had been telling Brooke the truth after all.
“Robin, we need to talk.”
There was silence for a second before Justin said, “No, I don’t want to talk to you in person. Just over the phone.”
Brooke heard him grumble before she heard Robin’s voice. He must have put the phone on speaker.
A small sob came from Robin. “Daddy was right. You have cold feet.”
“No, in order to have cold feet I would have to want to marry you.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” The pathetic whine left Robin’s voice and was replaced with anger.
“Robin, we didn’t even go out that much. We don’t really know each other. My mother threw us together before we had a chance to know if marriage was right.”
“Of course, it’s right. With the money from your father’s company—”
“Exactly! It all comes down to money. Robin, you’re not marrying me, just my money.”
“So? What’s wrong with that, Justin? It’s done in most wealthy families.”
“Oh, really?” His voice grew irate. “I thought that was only done in the eighteenth century.”
Robin huffed. “I’m serious, Justin.”
“And so am I.” He didn’t say anything for a couple of seconds. “Robin, I don’t want to marry you. I’m wealthy enough without your father’s riches – just as you are without mine.”
“Father won’t be very pleased with this.”
“Let’s not worry about his feelings right now. How do you feel?”
Brooke didn’t hear anything for a few moments and she wanted so badly to peek around the corner and look into the room, but she was afraid he’d see her. Finally, a heavy sigh came from Robin.
“I guess if you don’t love and want to marry me, I can find someone who will.”
“I’m glad you think that way Robin, because I don’t love you the way a man should love a woman he’s going to marry.”
“Have you talked to Daddy yet?”
“No. You’re the first person I called. I thought I’d talk to my mother before speaking to your father.”
“Fine.” Robin’s irritation came through her sharp tone.
The Billionaire's Secret (The Tycoons, #4) Page 7
