David walked in through the open door and leaned up against the doorway, his arms folded over his chest. I didn’t care what he heard.
“You want to know who she’s sleeping with?” Vaughn asked, completely serious.
I thought about it for a few seconds before I realized that was exactly what I wanted to know. “Yes. Exes and any current men she’s dating.”
“Evan, what are you doing?” David asked, stepping forward.
I ignored him. “Find out if she’s been married too,” I added the idea just coming to mind. “I want to know if she’s been engaged, everything. Check her social media presence as well.”
Vaughn nodded. “Got it. Complete profile. Financials?”
I grimaced, mulled it over, and shook my head. “No. If there’s anything alarming, let me know, but I don’t need the dirty details.”
“When?”
“Yesterday.”
“I’ll be in touch,” he said and walked out of the office.
I trusted Vaughn. He knew how to keep me alive and my business safe. I trusted him with my life.
David shut the door and took a seat. He had that look on his face that said he was about to lecture me.
“Don’t say it,” I warned.
“I’m going to say it.”
I shrugged. “I don’t care.”
“Evan, what are you doing?” he asked, throwing his hands in the air. “You just got out of an engagement. An engagement, I remind you, with a woman that is making it her life’s mission to destroy your reputation. The public is eating up the sob story she’s spinning. It isn’t going to be long before they all gather the pitchforks and come after you. Come after the company.”
“There’s nothing they can do to the company,” I told him. “And I don’t give a shit what she does to me. My reputation is solid in the business world. I don’t care if people think I’m a cad.”
“Yes, you do, which is why you were going out with Amber in the first place.”
He had a point. “It doesn’t matter. I’m done doing that.”
“Why are you going after a woman that broke your heart?” he asked with genuine shock. “Are you a glutton for punishment?”
“No. She’s the only woman I want. She’s always been the only woman I want.”
“She left you. She dumped you. I was only thirteen, but I remember how hard you took that. It wasn’t a good time for you.”
“It’s not what you think,” I said.
“Isn’t it? You’re digging into her past to see if you should be jealous. What’s that about?”
I shrugged. “I want to know all there is to know about her.”
“Man, let it go. Take a minute to get over this thing with Amber.”
“I was never under her,” I retorted. “I tried to be in love with her. Isn’t that wrong? Should a man have to try to love a woman? Shouldn’t that just happen?”
“I don’t know. I have no fucking clue and I don’t think I want to. Watching you do what you do has made me anti-relationship.”
“They aren’t all bad,” I said with a smile. “I loved what I had with Cherie.”
“Until she broke your heart and walked out on you.”
“That was a long time ago.”
“Just promise me you’ll take it slow,” he said. “Don’t get caught up in this Cherie thing. Whether you want to believe it or not, you’re on the rebound. You’re vulnerable.”
I rolled my eyes. “Give me a break. I’m not fucking vulnerable. I know exactly what I want. It’s been the only thing I have wanted since forever. She’s the woman for me. She is the only woman I will ever truly be happy with.”
He leaned forward and looked me dead in the eye. “What if she doesn’t feel the same way?”
I refused to believe that. “She will.”
He opened his mouth to say more. I shook my head and held up my hand. “Leave it. I’m a big boy. I know what I’m doing.”
“And if you don’t?” he questioned.
I couldn’t let myself start thinking about any other outcome than the one I wanted. “I’ll be fine.”
He sighed and got to his feet. “Okay, but please be careful. And for what it’s worth, be discreet. We’re already in a shitstorm. It isn’t just you in this.”
I nodded, understanding his warning. “Noted.”
He left my office. I knew I could be rash at times, but when I had a gut feeling about something, nothing got in my way. It was why I was a billionaire. I didn’t let anything stop me when I was onto something. It felt right with Cherie. I knew I would never feel that way with anyone else. I had tried. For fifteen long years, I had tried to find someone to fill the void she had left in my life. It hadn’t worked. It wasn’t going to work.
I wasn’t sure where her head was at, but I planned on winning her back. I was going to show her I was the man for her. I would woo her. I would lavish her with expensive gifts if that was what she wanted. Anything. I would do anything for her.
Chapter 16
Cherie
I slowly opened my eyes and stared up at the ceiling. Part of me wanted to believe last night had been a dream. I knew it wasn’t. It couldn’t be. I was a little sore. Too long without sex had left me damn near a virgin again. I couldn’t believe I had slept with him.
I wasn’t sorry it happened. It had been wonderful. It had been so much better than I remembered. It had been a completion of body and soul, like sliding in the last piece of a puzzle. He just fit so perfect with me. It was as if our bodies had been made for one another. He was the other half to my whole.
I stretched, feeling the little tingly sensations running up and down my body. He was a skilled lover before, but now, he was so good. I wanted it again. I didn’t think I would ever get enough of him. We only had a brief interlude, but I just knew sex with him would always be off the charts. It would always be explosive.
Which was why it couldn’t happen again. It would be feeding a dangerous addiction. An addiction I couldn’t afford. Evan was way out of my league. I was sure he wanted to fulfill some fantasy he had about us one last time. I had dumped him, and we never really got that closure. Our last time together had been beautiful, but he didn’t know it was the last time.
I didn’t want to believe he used me. He wasn’t that low, but I knew I didn’t fit into his world. We had some old feelings for each other and the moonlight had been the trigger. The great outdoors was our thing. We were like two dogs in heat when it came to the fresh air and a moonlit night. It was a nice night together, but it was our only night.
Evan was a billionaire used to things I had never experienced. He rubbed elbows with world leaders and A-list celebrities. He probably ate caviar for breakfast. He went to dinner at a crab shack in a limousine. That was not my life. I worked to pay bills, and sometimes, it wasn’t always enough. I bought used furniture and drove a car that was almost twenty years old. We were so different. Once we had been the same, but that wasn’t the case anymore. Time had changed us. I was happy for him. I was truly proud of him and all that he’d accomplished. I wished him well, but when it came time for him to get married, I wanted nothing to do with that wedding—not for all the money in the world.
I forced myself to leave the comfort of my bed and get in the shower. I wasn’t planning the wedding of the decade, but I still had other clients that deserved my full attention. I headed to work, praying the AC was working.
I walked through the front door and stopped, took several steps back and doublechecked the suite number. It was my office. Tara emerged from my office holding a bouquet of tropical flowers.
“What is this?” I asked, looking around the office. There were several huge arrangements already in the small space. The floral smell was intoxicating. “Is this a florist trying to win our business?”
“You tell me. They are all addressed to you.”
“From who?”
“There is no name on the card. I figured you would know. Prepare yourself. There are more in your off
ice.”
“Seriously?” I asked with shock.
She nodded. “These are not the cheap arrangements either. Look at these things. I’ve only seen some of these flowers in the magazines. They are even more beautiful in person.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever smelled anything so sweet. There is not a candle that can compare to the real thing.”
She put down the arrangement on the small table in our seating area. “So, who are these from?”
I couldn’t stop the smile that spread over my face. “Evan.”
“Evan, the billionaire who just ended his engagement to the supermodel?”
I nodded. “The one and only.”
She slapped my shoulder. “Oh my god! You have a rich boyfriend.”
“I do not have a rich boyfriend, or a boyfriend in general.”
“Tell me why he bought an island of flowers and keeps sending them to you. We’ve had four deliveries. I’m sure more are coming but they can only fit so much in their little vans.”
“I don’t know what he is doing,” I said.
“Bullshit. What happened?”
I squeezed my eyes shut. “I slept with him last night on the beach after we had dinner,” I blurted out.
Her mouth fell open. “You did what?” she shrieked.
“We went out as friends just to catch up. It isn’t anything serious.”
“Uh, you had sex with him. That’s pretty serious for Saint Cherie. I thought you were embarking on nunhood.”
“Shut up.”
“I think, judging by the amount of flowers I’m swimming in, he thinks it’s serious.”
“It can’t be. He just broke up with his fiancée. I don’t want to be the rebound girl. Not to mention, if him and I started dating, it would fuel some horrible rumors.”
The phone rang, keeping her from saying anything more. I walked to my office and was taken aback by the number of arrangements filling the area. Thankfully, it felt like the AC was working. I took my seat and tried to focus on the wedding coming up soon. It was a little hard not to think about Evan when I was surrounded by him.
I had a feeling that was his plan. Or maybe he was feeling guilty. He had no reason to feel guilty. I had been just as complicit in the situation as he. I wouldn’t have turned him down. I wanted him and he had picked up on it.
It was a couple of hours later before Tara came into my office carrying two bags of takeout. “It’s early.”
“I was hungry.”
“You wanted to gossip,” I said with a laugh.
“You know it. I want the details. How did it happen?”
I shook my head. “It just did. It was like no time had passed at all. Deep down, he’s still the guy from the neighborhood. He likes the simpler things in life—he thinks. I’m sure it’s fun to visit the slums but he doesn’t belong in my world any more than I belong in his.”
“You’re not in the slums,” she retorted.
“Compared to his wealth, I am.”
“Do you think he cares about that?”
I shrugged. “He will tell me he doesn’t but how can he not? His world is filled with luxury and servants and things I can’t even dream about. I don’t know how to act around people like that.”
“Look at these flowers. This says he wants you. No man does this if he isn’t interested.”
I smiled, taking a bite of the fried rice. “He might be interested but I think it’s more of a passing fancy. He’s enjoying his trip down memory lane, but it isn’t going to last. I don’t want to get hurt. I don’t think he would intentionally hurt me, but that’s what it would come to. He has a life to get back to. I think this is kind of one of those breaks from reality from me. Eventually, he’ll have to return to his world and I’ll be left behind.”
“But what if he doesn’t?”
“He will. He has to.”
She pulled out the bag of fortune cookies and shook it. “You know what’s in here,” she said in a sing-song voice.
“No. I’m not playing that game with you.”
“Yes, you are.”
I groaned. “Fine. What’s your bet?”
“If I win, you have to go out with him if he calls.”
I wrinkled my nose. “You know I suck at this game.”
She laughed. “You’ve guessed the fortune inside the cookie right a few times.”
“Few, very few times,” I mumbled. “If I win, you have to call the guy from the coffee shop that gave you his number.”
“Deal,” she agreed.
I reached into the bag and pulled out a cookie. She did the same. I pretended to be using my mental powers to read the message inside the cookie. “Mine says I’m going to come into some good luck.”
She laughed. “Classic. I say mine will say I am going to go on a vacation soon.”
“Ready?” I asked.
She tore into her cookie while I did the same. I rolled my eyes, discovering I was wrong. I was always wrong. She looked at me, her eyes dancing with excitement. “Well?”
“Again? I swear you’re cheating somehow. Do you call them and tell them what fortunes to put in our cookies?”
She laughed. “You chose that cookie. I didn’t. How could I possibly know?”
“I don’t know, but you did something.”
“I didn’t. Don’t think accusing me of cheating gets you out of our deal.”
“He isn’t going to call,” I told her. “He had to get it out of his system and now he did.”
“Why would he go through all this if he wasn’t interested in taking you out?” she asked.
I shook my head. “I don’t know. He’s a nice guy. He’s trying to make me feel good. I kind of took off and left immediately after it was over.”
“Why?”
“Because for one, we were on the beach, and for two, because it shouldn’t have happened in the first place.”
“Ah, so he feels bad,” she said, nodding.
“Probably.”
“I don’t care,” she said, jumping to her feet. “When he calls, you say yes, or you are going to pay dearly.”
“I’m not worried,” I told her.
She left my office, leaving me alone with the flowers and my thoughts. As much as I wanted to believe her, I knew Evan couldn’t date me. He knew it too. I tossed the food cartons in the trash and focused on the arrangements for my client’s wedding.
“Phone call for you,” Tara shouted. “And you better say yes or I’m going to make you buy me dinner for a year.”
My heart flip-flopped. It couldn’t be. I took a deep breath, calming my nerves before picking up the extension. “Hello,” I answered.
Evan’s deep voice came through loud and clear. “Hey, baby.”
“Evan,” I said with surprise. “Thank you for the flowers. You’ve gone a little overboard.”
He laughed. “I wanted to make sure you said yes.”
“Yes, to what?”
“I want to take you out tonight. My turn to pick the place.”
I was going to say no and then I remembered my deal with Tara. She would never forgive me if I balked on our deal. We had been playing the game for years and made each other do some pretty crazy things. Going out with Evan was going to be right up at the top for craziest dares.
“Okay,” I said, knowing it was a mistake.
“Great, I’ll pick you up at seven.”
“What should I wear?”
He chuckled. “I’d prefer it if you wore nothing, but wear your dancing shoes with whatever you want.”
“Got it,” I said with a laugh before hanging up.
It was hard not to feel good with his constant compliments. He always made me feel beautiful and cherished. It was dangerous. I didn’t want to get too caught up with him. My heart was still fragile, and he had the power to completely destroy me.
I promised myself it was just the two of us having some fun. We were enjoying the ride with no expectations. That was how it had to stay. I would make sure h
e understood I didn’t expect anything. That way, he wouldn’t feel guilty when it came time for him to move on with someone more suitable.
I would force myself to walk away. Again. He had a life to get to and I would not be the thing holding him back. It was like history repeating itself all over again.
Chapter 17
Evan
I sat down on the bench in my massive closet and tied my shoes before getting to my feet and stepping in front of the mirror. I adjusted the collar on the black shirt before putting on a belt. I wanted to show Cherie a good time. Last night, she had gotten skittish. I didn’t want to scare her off before I got a chance to prove to her we were supposed to be together.
Fate had brought us back together. I didn’t want to risk losing her a second time. Unlike the other women I had been dating over the last few years, Cherie was different. She wouldn’t be impressed with the exclusive restaurants or the clubs reserved for VIPs. I had to show her I was the same guy she had fallen in love with all those years ago.
Then again, that was the guy she had dumped in order to move to the city and have fun. I pushed that thought aside. I couldn’t be angry at her for that. We had both been young and I had been talking about forever. That was a lot for any seventeen-year-old girl. I had offered her a life of poverty and expected her to jump at the chance. I had been wrong to expect anything from her.
Now I had made myself into something and I could offer her the life she deserved. I wasn’t the poor kid with no prospects anymore. Before I could get to the part about me taking care of her, I had to show her how good we were together. That started tonight.
I walked out to the waiting limo and climbed in the back. When we got to her house, instead of texting her, I got out of the car like a real man and headed up the walk.
“Hi,” she said when she answered the door.
She was wearing a pretty blue dress with a knee-length hem. Her heels were a little lower than what she had worn last night, and her hair was pulled back in a low ponytail. It showcased her beautiful features.
“Damn, baby,” I said, making eyes at her. “You look good.”
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