A casually dressed, tall, thin man with dark hair appeared at the door. “Eric, the kids are home today. They’re at the pool, and Axton wants to show you his new dive. Do you want to bring your friends back there? Alice wants to meet Sage, too.”
Taking a guess, Sage asked, “Is that Reggie?”
“It is,” Eric said with a smile. He put his hand lightly on the small of Sage’s back. Desire shot through her, but she fought it. She stiffened and frowned at him. He dropped his hand. “Would you like to meet his family?”
“Who is Reggie?” Bella asked.
“My electrician,” Eric said, “but lately I like to call him my butler. Mostly because it annoys him.”
“Ooooo-kay,” Bella said.
Sage stepped away from both of them to meet Eric’s friend. Part of her was relieved that he was real. It meant not everything Eric had said had been a lie. She held out her hand to Reggie. “Sage Revere.”
Reggie smiled. “Nice to finally make your acquaintance. I’ve heard a lot about you.” He shook her hand.
Sage’s cheeks warmed. “All good, I hope.”
He shrugged. “Enough to know how much it means to him that you’re here.”
She looked around at the grounds and the frontage of the house that seemed to go on forever in either direction. It was everything she didn’t value about her old life, and so much more. Eric had gilded the old English estate beyond how any royal would. If this was who he was, she truly didn’t know him. “I should probably leave now. I’m not sure I need to know more than this.”
Reggie leaned down and with a twinkle in his eye said, “I’ll let you in on a little secret. Eric hates the house, too. I’ve been busting his chops for years, making it more and more tacky. If it glitters and shines, that shit is my sense of humor.”
Sage did a double take. Was he serious? He was. “Why would you do that to him?”
Reggie shrugged. “I keep hoping he’ll wake up and tell me to stop. One day he will.”
She nodded as she absorbed that Reggie was worried about Eric. His methods of helping his friend might be unorthodox, but Sage respected that he was there trying. “Why would he live here if he hates it?”
Reggie’s expression turned serious. “It was falling into disrepair, and he said he didn’t want to see it get reclaimed by the wilderness. Eric cares about a lot more than he lets on. He’d sell it, but everyone inside relies on him for their livelihood. He expects people to disappoint him, but he takes his responsibilities seriously when it comes to taking care of others.”
“I’m glad he has you. He speaks highly of you,” Sage said.
“Really?” Reggie perked up. “Was it about me being a knight of Vandorra? Wait, I bet he told you that I saved his sister’s life.”
“No. No, he didn’t mention any of that.”
“Then he probably told you that I’m a mechanical genius.”
“Sorry.” Reggie’s expression fell a little until Sage added, “He said he couldn’t imagine his life without you in it. I was telling him that Bella is my best friend—she accepts me exactly the way I am. He said he has a friend like that—you.”
A huge smile spread across Reggie’s face. “You are officially now my favorite person. Outside of my family. And Eric. And some of the staff, but I’ve known them a long time—”
Sage laughed. “I get the idea.”
“Your friend looks like she’s grilling Eric.”
“She’s a lawyer.”
“I can tell. Eh, he’ll be fine. Come on, I’ll introduce you to my wife and kids.”
Sage hesitated. “I can’t leave Bella like that.”
“Eric will win her over, don’t worry.”
“I don’t know. Bella’s pretty hard to impress.”
Reggie motioned for Sage to follow him. “Bella is important to you, so she’s important to Eric. It might take him a moment or two to convince her, but there’s a reason half the world is in love with him.”
“Bella,” Sage called out, “do you mind if I—”
Bella waved for her to go. Apparently, her interrogation would require more time. Sage walked away with Reggie.
Eric had been chewed up and spit out by directors. He’d been hounded by the press. He’d even survived questioning by an angry prince, but Sage’s friend was a pit bull.
The first part of their conversation was less about what she wanted to know and more of a rant on what she thought of him. That was followed by what she thought of his grandmother and the wrath she would bring down upon Eric as well as his family if any of them hurt Sage.
After she paused for a breath, she rained questions on him—some he answered, and some he told her were none of her business. By the time she began to lose steam, he was smiling. In a way she reminded him of Reggie—an aggressive, polished version, anyway.
“And what the hell was that tunnel you wanted us to go down when we arrived?”
“It’s my secret superhero lair.”
She blinked several times. “You’re serious.”
“I’ll show it to you when I show Sage.”
Bella gave him one more stern look. “Don’t think that her presence here means she has forgiven you. You hurt her.”
His smile faded. “I know I did.”
“Don’t do it again,” Bella said.
“I won’t.” Eric remembered something Reggie had said. “Listen, I’m an odd duck. Sage is an odd duck. I know I could make her happy.”
Bella didn’t look convinced.
They walked up the steps and through the house to the pool area in the back. Sage was sitting on the edge of the pool, shoes off, feet in the water, laughing at the antics of Reggie’s children. Alice was seated beside her, threatening the children that their lives would be shorter if they splashed Sage again.
Bella smiled for the first time since she’d arrived. “I hope you’re not dangerous, because Sage would love a lair.”
“Wait until you see it. Reggie doesn’t do anything halfway.”
Alice and Sage stood as soon as they realized Eric and Bella had joined them. Sage introduced Alice to Bella, then gave her best friend a long, pointed look.
Bella looked from Eric to Sage and shrugged. “He doesn’t seem dangerous.”
Eric caught Reggie’s eye and pointed at his own chest, mouthing, Not dangerous, then wiped a hand across his forehead in mock relief.
Reggie rolled his eyes.
Looking at the relaxed scene at the pool, Eric realized the presence of Reggie’s family hadn’t been an accident. He mouthed, Thank you.
Reggie smiled and motioned toward Sage with a thumbs-up.
Eric reciprocated before turning his attention back to Sage. Yesterday she’d been throwing shoes at his head and swearing. She looked relaxed and happy at the moment, but he didn’t need Bella to tell him that it didn’t mean she would let him off easily.
And that was okay.
He would do whatever it took to win back her trust. As he watched her laugh at something Alice said, doubts rose within him—was he good enough for her? What would she think of him once she knew he’d put himself in rehab?
She turned and caught him watching her, and her smile fell away. She had her doubts, too.
There was a time when that would have been enough for him to delay sharing everything with her, but she deserved a full disclosure.
Everything.
And if after that she decided she didn’t want to see him again, he would somehow find the strength to respect that.
Chapter Fifteen
With kids running ahead of them, Reggie and Alice with them, there was nothing intimidating about entering the tunnel entrance that led beneath the barn. Even Bella looked relaxed as she walked beside Sage.
Eric spoke as he entered. “I’d appreciate your discretion regarding the existence of what you’re about to see. No one knows about it.”
Bella gestured to the children. “How secret could it be?”
“Not only are my
children a vault with shit like this,” Reggie said with indignation, “but Axton helped me design it. People don’t trust kids anymore. But I’d put my faith in any child in the kids’ classes before half the adults I know.”
“Amen to that,” Alice said.
Sage directed her question to Reggie’s oldest. “Which part did you design?”
He chattered away as they walked about the initial design, planning the electrical and plumbing, and placement of certain things. The tunnel opened up to a large area. One side was for the storage of Wayne’s Ford and a collection of old things that looked like they belonged at a garage sale. The other side was flanked by large wardrobe units and a sizable mirror above a sink and table.
The children dragged Sage from one area to the next, explaining what was in each and which part they’d played in building the automated system. Sage considered herself well educated, but she didn’t know half the terms the children used regarding how it all worked.
Reggie looked about as proud as any father could. “Some families play Scrabble. This is our game night.”
Sage walked over to the makeup area. There, in a clear box, was the silicone scar. She ran her hand over the outside of the container. “Was it research for a part? Or some sick game?”
From close beside her, Eric answered, “Neither.” He took her hand in his and turned her toward him. “To understand why I did it, you have to understand what I was seeking.”
She tightened her hand around his while searching his face. “Then tell me.”
In the background, she heard Alice ask Bella if she’d like to see the upper part of the barn. Bella must have agreed, because a moment later only Sage and Eric were left in the room.
Eric’s eyes darkened with emotion. “I’m not proud of a lot of what I’m about to tell you, but each piece fits into the next, and without it the rest doesn’t make sense. You might decide it makes no sense anyway, but at least you’ll know.”
Sage held her breath, waiting for him to finally let her in.
To her surprise, he started his story back in Boston. The childhood he described had been a privileged one, but only in the material sense. He spoke of his parents’ divorce, which had torn his family in two, how he became someone who felt he didn’t fit into either family until ultimately he left both behind. He outlined his tumultuous relationship with his grandmother and swore he would never forgive her for her latest interference.
He told her how Water Bear Man started as a favor for a friend and his fiancée before it took a dark turn. He explained how he’d never felt worthy of the money and fame that had come to him so easily and how he’d donated the proceeds of the first movie simply because it disgusted him.
He shook his head. “I feel like a thirsty man surrounded by salt water. I can’t walk down the street without being mobbed. I can’t take Reggie’s children to the zoo or the beach. Not as Eric. Every woman I date, every person I meet, sees me in terms of what I can do for them. I could have a thousand people here if I said I was hosting a party, but not one of them would care that I love black-and-white movies. They wouldn’t be able to tell you a thing about me outside of my career. I started to feel like I didn’t exist anymore.” He nodded toward the superhero suit. “He took over my life, and I hated him for it.”
“I can understand that,” Sage said.
“At first I stopped doing appearances; then I withdrew more and more. I couldn’t sleep, so I took pills to help. Then I couldn’t get out of bed, so I took pills for that, too. The pills stopped working, so I moved on to stronger drugs that would. I was in a bad place. Very bad. Like, I started hoping I wouldn’t wake up. Had nothing changed, I probably wouldn’t be here.”
This was the pain she’d sensed in him; this was what he hid. “I’m so sorry.”
He caressed her cheek gently. “My sister Rachelle came to London and pretty much kicked my ass into a rehab clinic. I don’t know how to even begin to thank her and her husband.”
“I’m sure seeing you doing better is all the thanks they need.”
Eric shook his head. “No. See, that’s how I used to think. Somewhere along the way, I let my focus become all about me and how I felt. I knew I could do better. I knew there was another way, but I couldn’t find it as Eric or as Water Bear Man. I needed to step outside my life and discover who I am without all this. So I disguised myself with a scar, rented an apartment. I needed time as just me. Not the heir to a fortune, not a joke of an actor, not any of the versions of me I hated.”
“And then you met me.”
A corner of his mouth curled in a half smile. “Yes, I met you. You were not part of my plan.”
My radar didn’t fail me. “That’s why you were upset when Bella took a photo of you. You must have been afraid we recognized you.”
“I was.” He combed his hand gently through her hair. “I shouldn’t have lied to you about my name, but I wasn’t ready to return to my life, and I didn’t know you well enough to tell you any of this.”
“I can understand that.”
“I didn’t expect to fall for you.”
Sage stepped back from him as conflicting emotions swirled within her. The memory of the day before was still too vivid to simply accept what he was saying. “But you didn’t fall for me. Not really. You thought I was after your money.”
“Not until . . .”
His voice trailed away, as if he understood that the reason he’d doubted her was not what mattered. When his feelings for her had been tested, he’d assumed the worst of her.
Sage wrapped her arms around herself. “When we met, I thought I was meant to help you. You were different, but I felt your pain. As I got to know you, I wanted more. There were so many times when I believed we really connected. I thought you understood me in a way no one had before. Now I don’t know how much of that was a lie.”
“Just my name.” He looked down at the scar on the table. “And what I implied about myself.”
“And our connection? It couldn’t have been what I thought it was. It felt real. It felt solid, but it wasn’t. You didn’t come in that limo because you thought I wanted that, did you? You were testing me.” She swallowed hard. “How did I not see that?”
“I am so sorry, Sage. I wish I could go back and not doubt you, but I did. I messed up.” He waved at the wardrobes in disgust. “Every version of me did.” He slapped the side of the wardrobe with his open hand. “I am exactly as fucked-up as that sounded, but I need to know if you can love a man like me.”
“I don’t know.” Sage’s heart was breaking for him. Part of her wanted to wrap her arms around him and promise to help him make everything better, but a little voice inside her said it wouldn’t be the best choice for either of them. She looked from the superhero costume to Wayne Easton’s wardrobe to Eric Westerly’s fancy clothes and suddenly felt overwhelmed. “I need some time to absorb all of this.”
She stepped back.
He grasped both of her upper arms. “If you give me another chance, I swear on my life I will change.”
“People don’t change.” She frowned at his hands on her arms, and he instantly released her. But they can find their way to a better version of themselves. I have to believe it’s possible, because I’m on that very journey myself.
Is he? That would require knowing who he actually is, and how do I figure that out?
“Tell me what you want, Sage. How do I prove to you that I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything? Not just in my bed. I want it all. I want to be the man I am when I’m with you.”
She raised her hand in a plea for silence. She needed a moment to sort out how she was feeling. She had lost trust in herself and in him. In the past, whenever she’d felt lost, she’d told herself that she had a gift for knowing what people needed.
It takes so little for us to question ourselves, doesn’t it?
It was a lot to take in—the history with drugs, the lair, his lack of faith in her. Okay, the lair was actually cool. The r
est could not be dismissed. He was saying all the right things, but words meant very little in the end.
It bothered her that he had distanced himself from his family. For someone who had spent a lifetime chasing hers, she didn’t know if she could be with a man who ran from his own. Wouldn’t such a man one day leave her as well?
It would have been easy to walk away and say he wasn’t worth the effort, but wasn’t that what her parents had decided about her? Maybe I wasn’t a child who fit into my parents’ lives, maybe I didn’t always make it easy for them, but shouldn’t love reach beyond that?
She could almost hear Bella saying, “Don’t be a doormat, Sage.”
In her eyes, I should be strong enough to tell him to go fuck himself.
But that’s not me, and I wouldn’t like myself if it were. I want him to find happiness—with or without me. “I’ll give you another chance, but on one condition.”
Their eyes met and held.
“Name it,” he said with conviction.
“I’d like to have dinner with your family.”
“Which ones?”
“All of them. I appreciate everything you told me today, but I don’t know what I believe when it comes to you. You tested me, and although I don’t believe in tit for tat, I need to see you with them.”
“Most of my family is in the United States.”
She shrugged. “That’s my condition.” If he said no, she would have her answer to her other questions as well.
“When you say all of them, that doesn’t include my grandmother, does it?”
Sage took another centering breath, during which she found her answer. “Yes, it does. I know you’re angry with her, but families fight and make up. At least, the kind of family I want to be part of does. I know it seems like a huge request, but if you really want to prove that I matter to you—invite me to that dinner.”
“And then?”
Deep breath. “Then we’ll go for coffee.”
With a pained expression, he said, “I have no idea if they’ll all come.”
“Then let me meet the ones who will.”
He nodded. “Okay.” He let out a slow breath. “Okay.”
Hollywood Heir (Westerly Billionaire Book 4) Page 18
