“Of course, well that would be lovely! I’m sure we’d all be very glad to meet her!” Camille smiled warmly at him, small lights of hope in her eyes.
“Certainly!” Pierce added with a pleasant tone and a nod. “I’ll be here. I wouldn’t miss it.”
“I’ll make sure that I’m here.” Lucas added, glancing at Carter and then back at his brother. “What’s her name?”
“Regina.” Ryder answered, grateful that his brothers and sister were at least receptive to the event.
“I’m sure she’s lovely. It’ll be nice to have another lady here at dinner.” Camille winked at him and gave him a heartfelt smile.
He reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze, smiling back at her, and then reached for his glass of bourbon. His father said nothing.
Chapter9
Regina walked into the strip club with a wide smile on her face and a lightness to her step. Garrett saw it in an instant. He held his arms out to give her a hug and when he let her go, he looked down at her with a raised brow full of questions.
“To what do we owe this blissful state?” He drawled happily. “Is your world no longer crashing down?”
She bit at her lower lip and reached for his hands, taking them into hers. “It is no longer crashing down.” She told him, wondering how she was ever going to tell him that she was leaving. He was one of the most loved people in her life.
He studied her face and spoke with a kind voice. “You’ve gotten some other kind of job that will take better care of you than this place could?”
With a slow nod, she answered him. “I did.”
Garrett sighed and she saw a sad smile on his face. “Well, of course you’ll be leaving here, but hopefully you’ll be heading on to greener pastures, and you’ll be well looked after. I don’t want you to feel bad about leaving. You have worked hard here, and to be honest I don’t think you were ever paid what you were worth, but your pay scale wasn’t up to me. I’ll be so sorry to see you go, but I’m so glad that it’s because you’re going to something better. I always want better for those who I love, and I love you.”
“I love you too, Garrett.” She replied as tears formed in her eyes. She leaned up and kissed his cheek.
“So, who is it you’re leaving us for?” He asked with a curious smile as he reached for a bottle of champagne and poured some of it into two glass flutes.
She laughed and sat on one of the barstools at the bar. “Well, you remember the rich guy? Carrington?”
He looked at her in utter amazement. “Oh my god…” he began as he set the champagne bottle down near her and came to sit beside her, handing her a glass of golden bubbly. “You didn’t! You’re going to take that fake bride job and marry him?”
Regina nodded. “Yeah, I guess I am. I’m surprised by it too, but I guess he was the real deal and he really is looking for someone to marry him so he can get his inheritance. I don’t mind doing it. In fact, he took me out shopping today and we were all over Fifth Avenue. I don’t even drive down that street because it’s so expensive.” She laughed at her joke.
Garrett whistled long and low. “Well you’ve just fallen into a tub of butter, you have. I couldn’t be happier for you.”
“I know that.” She told him with a grin. “That’s why I’m so glad to give you this gift.” She reached into her purse and took out a card in an envelope. She handed it to Garrett and watched as he opened it.
He smiled at first, but his eyes widened as he opened the card and saw a stack of one hundred-dollar bills inside it. He blinked and looked up at her. “What’s all this?”
“It’s a thousand dollars. I don’t want you to worry, I can afford it. I just wanted to thank you for all that you’ve done for me. You’ve been a good friend, and I wanted to share some of my good fortune with you and give you something to help you along. Sort of pay it forward. Spend it on bills or spend it on something completely frivolous and fun. Whatever you want.” She grinned at him and gave his shoulder a pat.
He shook his head in awe. “God honey, I just don’t know what to say! I just… this is the nicest thing.” He sniffed and closed his eyes, willing himself to hold back a few tears. She leaned over and wrapped her arms around him, giving him a good hug.
“Okay now I think I want you to spend it on something frivolous, but that is up to you.” She winked at him.
He laughed and wiped at his eyes. “Well, I’ll be honest, there are a pair of white vinyl go-go boots I’ve had my eyes on for a little while and I’m just dying to have them. They’re beautiful.”
Regina chuckled. “Then go get them, and I want a picture of you in them, though not too racy.” She winked at him and he nodded.
“Oh girl… you have no idea.” He laughed with her and they toasted one another with their champagne, wishing each other the best of luck.
“I thought I’d give you a week notice, that way you’ll have time to find someone else and I can train them so you don’t have to.” She said with a small smile, watching her friend as he read the card again and dabbed at his eyes once more.
He shook his head, looking back at her. “No, we’re going to be fine here. Jenna was asking for more shifts and this way I can give them to her. She wants to switch to the night shift anyway, and there were a couple of girls coming in looking for a job, so I can put one of them on days and have Jenna train them. It will be fine. You’ve paid your dues here and then some, so let’s call this your last night. I’ve got a rock-solid reference for you if you ever need one, though I doubt you ever will.” He gave her a wink and they both laughed a little.
“Are you sure? I feel like I’m leaving you shorthanded, and I don’t want to do that.” She offered once more.
He held his hand up and wouldn’t hear of it. “No, no, honey. You just go get ready for your new life, and invite me to the wedding. Even if it isn’t real, I still want to be there.”
“I wouldn’t do it without you.” She promised him happily. “Even though it isn’t real.”
“I wish you all the luck in the world, however this works out for you. You deserve it, my darling.” His eyes glistened again.
“You’re the best, Garrett. I’m keeping you forever.” She hugged him once more and they finished off their champagne. He kissed her cheek goodbye, and she left the strip club, knowing that she would not ever go back to it, and feeling more relief than nostalgia as she looked in the rearview mirror of her car and saw the building growing smaller in the distance, vanishing as she turned a corner and left her past behind her, heading into the new life waiting ahead of her.
Chapter10
It was a strange sensation for Regina to come home from school and not have to rush off to work. She walked through her front door the next afternoon and realized that she had most of the afternoon in front of her, free from obligation; at least until she had dinner with the Carrington’s. The very idea of it made her stomach restless with butterflies, so she kept it out of her mind and focused on the wide expanse of hours before her that were unfilled, leaving her free to do her homework, or take a nap, or even do nothing more than read a book or look at social media.
She stood in her living room and looked around, realizing that she was going to have to start packing soon because she wouldn’t be living in her home much longer. She had brought a few boxes home with her from the bar, and she picked one up and began to pack some of her things into it. As she moved around the room, sliding a few books off the bookshelf, picking up a vase and wrapping it in newspaper, and as she looked more closely at the belongings that she had, she gazed at the small amount of property that she owned and realized that most of it meant nothing.
She began to wonder what her new life would be like; the blank canvas of it open before her with every possibility awaiting. It could go in any direction, and though she felt a little nervous and anxious about it, she was looking forward to it. It would be one of the greatest changes of her life, and she knew that even though she was anxious on the surface, she
was ready for the challenge of it deep down, and she was going to take it on with the best that was in her.
A short while later she had a few boxes packed and she felt a sense of accomplishment. She knew she had some time before the wedding, but she wanted to be ready to go when the time came. The less she had to do around her home, the easier it would be to walk out of the door and into her new life. She made a list of the few things she would take with her, and decided that most of it would go to a women’s shelter where other ladies and their children might get some good use out of it. She certainly wasn’t going to need it where she was going.
There was a knock at the door and she was brought out of her reverie, thinking of the days to come. She went to open it and found Ryder standing there in snug dark jeans and a cobalt blue shirt partly unbuttoned. The shade of his shirt brought out the light blue in his eyes and she thought to herself, not for the first time, that he was absolutely arresting and just barely resistible.
“Hi, come in!” she said with a smile, wishing that he wasn’t coming into her humble home. He walked in and took a look around. He kept a poker face, not letting any of his thoughts reach his eyes.
His thoughts were yet again that he couldn’t believe she lived in such a place, but he wouldn’t say it to her or let it show. He didn’t want her to feel bad about it. He had wondered on his own time, why it bothered him so that she lived the way that she did, and he had come to realize that it was because he thought so highly of her that he didn’t like her living so lowly. That, and any woman who was going to be his wife, whether it was a real marriage or not, should not be living in such a mean state.
“I thought I’d come by a little early to help you get ready for dinner tonight,” he said with a half coy smile and a fun flash in his eyes. She felt her stomach tighten slightly.
“Help me?” She wondered how he was planning to help her.
“Help you choose something to wear. Help you feel prepared.” He raised an eyebrow at her. “Help you.” He paused a moment and looked at her flirtatiously. “Did you have some other kind of help in mind?”
She shook her head and held up her hands. “No, I don’t. I do appreciate your opinions, though. What do you think I should wear tonight?” She moved the topic of conversation swiftly back to the subject of clothing, to deter his mind from anything else, should he still be considering anything beyond giving her his opinion by way of what she should wear.
He lifted his chin slightly. “The red dress. The one I bought you at the last shop. You should wear that.”
She frowned slightly, remembering how he’d run his hands over her back and her hips and tried to kiss her the last time he had seen her in that dress. “I don’t know, I feel like it might be too much for a first meeting. Too revealing. Too… sexy.” She finally spoke the word she didn’t want to say.
Ryder shook his head. “No, trust me, it’s perfect. It’s exactly what I want you to wear, and I’m your employer, so please take my suggestion under advisement, and wear it. You look stunning in it. I want you to stun tonight.” He held back the inward grin that he felt. She would look beautiful, but it was a very sexy dress and it would add some fuel to the fire that his father would feel when he found out that she was a cocktail waitress. The only way it could be more infuriating to his father would be if she was a stripper. It was just on the edge of being acceptable and over the top.
Regina acquiesced and went into her room while Ryder sat on the small sofa in her living room and waited for her. She walked back out a short time later with her hair pulled up into a twist at the back of her head and the red dress on, hugging her hourglass form. She wore the matching heels and a red clutch purse.
He whistled long and low when she walked into the living room, eyeing her again with a hungry look. She looked away from him for a moment and wished that he was less obvious about his flirtatious nature.
“You look incredible. I love that dress on you.” He said in a low voice. “I’d like to add a little to it, though.” He said with one corner of his mouth pulled up in a saucy grin. He reached one hand into his pocket and pulled out a small box. Opening it, he showed her a diamond necklace and matching earrings. She gasped as she looked at them, and raised her eyes to meet his.
“What is this?” She said, barely above a whisper.
“It’s a gift. You’re doing a great thing for me, and I want to show you my appreciation.” He said simply as he lifted the necklace from the box and reached around her neck, fastening it deftly and then handing the earrings to her.
The closeness of him as he set the necklace around her neck made her draw in her breath and she caught his scent again. Though the lavender and lemons were no longer there, there was a deeper, more savory scent that made her blood run a little faster and her skin warm slightly. She ignored it and looked away from him as he stood so close to her.
When he gave the earrings to her, she took them and walked over to a decorative mirror hanging on one wall. She took in her reflection as she placed each diamond in her ears, and she glanced at his reflection as he stood behind her watching her. She saw his eyes move over her form again, and then meet her own gaze in the mirror. She saw the hungry look in his eyes and she steeled herself against it.
No matter what he looked like, or smelled like, and especially no matter what he did for her, she was determined that they were going to keep their bond a business relationship only, and she would not be swept away by his charming romantic ways.
With the diamond earrings in her ears, she gave herself a quick look and stared for a moment at the woman looking back at her.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, taking a few steps toward her. He saw the expression on her face and it concerned him.
She blinked a few times. “I don’t look like myself. I look…” she trailed off at a loss for what and who she was looking at.
“You look beautiful. You look like you with the kind of style that truly suits you best; a style that bespeaks elegance and sensuality. You’re breathtaking.” He said quietly, coming up behind her and running his fingertips down the back of her bare arm to her elbow and then letting his hand fall to his side.
She felt an electric shiver go through her and she drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I guess it’s time.” She said quietly, turning to face him.
He nodded and smiled. “It is time. We’ll go together the whole way.” He held his hand out to her and she smiled gratefully and took it. Even if he might look as though he was lusting after her, she could see that he saw them as a team, and she knew that as the other half of his team, he wasn’t going to let her down. They were in it together, and that was a comfort to her.
They left her home and he settled her into his car, and with a quick wink and a smile as he put it in gear, they zoomed off, leaving Manhattan in the mirrors behind them as they raced toward the Hamptons on Long Island.
Regina didn’t speak most of the way. She was too nervous. Her mind was focused on the night ahead of them and on how she hoped that it would go. She had no clue as to what was to come, but she faced it anyway, praying silently for the best, and swearing to herself that she would do all that she could to make the evening a success.
They drove into a country like setting, and slowly the houses and properties seemed to grow further apart until she wondered if they were going to run out of land. Finally, they came to the end of the island, and he pulled the car through an electric gate and down a long, winding path through immaculately manicured grounds.
It was a massive estate, and as she watched it all moving past her, she could hardly believe it. “Is all of this land your family’s land, or is it part of a shared property with other people?” she asked in a quiet voice filled with wonder.
He looked nonchalant. “This is all Carrington land. The estate belongs to my father, and someday it will be passed on to all of his children. I hope.” He looked over at her then. “That’s part of why you’re here.”
She turned he
r eyes toward him and gave him an understanding nod. “I’m going to do my best, I promise.”
“I know you will.” He spoke pleasantly, belying the tension that was growing steadily inside of him.
They rounded the last curve in the road and the house came into sight. It wasn’t as much of a house as it was nearly a castle; grey stone and more than three stories tall in some places. It was a tremendous place, and it seemed to stretch out a great distance on both sides and further toward the back. There were different areas of it; it wasn’t a square or a rectangle, but more of an edifice with extensions like arms reaching out in many directions.
“Is that… is that your house?” she asked incredulously as she stared wide eyed at it, unable to tear her eyes away.
He pursed his lips a moment. “That’s it. We all live in our own quarters, and we kind of meet in the middle for family functions.” He parked the car before the garage, which was split into two sections; five cars on one side and five on the other, holding ten vehicles all together. Beyond the garage to one side was a larger building with a big door that could have been an airplane hangar, though she had no idea what was inside it.
The Billionaire's Secretly Fake Bride (MANHATTAN BACHELORS Book 3) Page 11
