Tempted: A Standalone Billionaire Boss Romance

by Ava Harrison

  “I love her.” I don’t say more because what more is there to say. I haven’t even wrapped my head around my own feelings yet, but I know Bailey is my world.

  “What really happened tonight? Why do I feel like you aren’t telling me everything?”

  I look at her long and hard. She’s the opposite of Bailey, yet I can see the love in her eyes. It makes my heart hurt.

  “As much as I want to tell you, Harper, I need to tell Bailey first. However, that being said, I heard what the doctor said. She had drugs in her system. The first sign of trouble, and she reverted back to her old habits. You need to be ready. When she gets better, you need to be prepared to send her somewhere. I know you know about her past, but as someone who has lost someone important to them, she needs help. No matter what she says, she won’t get better on her own. Don’t let this happen again.”

  She looks like I’ve slapped her.

  “What do I tell my mother? How do I tell her I knew but never told anyone?”

  She clearly only knew the surface of her sister’s habits. Bailey said as much, but I assumed her family would have at least suspected. How the hell had she kept something like that a secret from her mother?

  “I’m scared, Drew. I can’t lose her.” She begins to cry.

  I grab her hand to offer a semblance of support. “I’ll help. I’ll get you the information on the best inpatient facility around. She’s going to get better. But I have to tell you that this is partially my fault. She walked in on something that looked bad. It wasn’t what she thought, but she didn’t give me the chance to explain.” She gives me a wary look.

  “I swear to you, Harper, I would never hurt Bailey. I was ambushed by an employee, and Bailey walked in at the worst time possible. I love her.” As soon as I say the words, I know they are true. I feel them in my soul. “I’m not sure how it happened, but she’s changed my world.”

  She gives my hand a squeeze, then gives me a very stern look. “I don’t blame you for this, Drew, but I can tell you blame yourself regardless of what you’re saying. You’ve been through so much and now this. I just . . . Ugh. I don’t know what I’m trying to say, but I do know that Bailey has to get better.”

  “She will, Harper. For now, you should get some rest. You smell a little too.” She giggles. “Where’s Cal?” I ask, noticing his absence. She lowers her gaze to the floor.

  “He’s stuck in a meeting out of town. He said he’ll try to make it here this evening.”

  Fucking asshat.

  “I know it’s not my place, but I think that’s bullshit. There isn’t anything more important than being here for you. If he loves you, he’d be here.” She stiffens.

  “He does love me. I told him to take care of his stuff,” she says defensively. I throw my hands up in surrender.

  “I’m just saying. You need support, and he should be here.” A tear slides down her cheek. I reach out and wipe it away. “Go get some rest, Harper. There isn’t anything you can do for her right now either. She’d want you to take care of yourself.”

  “Okay,” she whimpers.

  I release her hand and stand.

  “Where are you going?” she questions.

  I throw her the best smirk I can manage. “I’m going to take that shower you said I need. Then I’m going to make some calls and get some things lined up for Bailey.”

  44

  Bailey

  My eyelids flutter. I’m fighting with every ounce of strength I have to open them. Hazy light filters in through the barely visible crack. But the exertion is too much, and darkness descends yet again.

  Where am I? How did I get here?

  Soft muffles scratch at my subconscious, but I can’t make out words or decipher who the voice belongs to. My brain flips through a series of memories like flashes of light.

  Standing in my apartment.

  Heading to the club.

  Drew.

  Monica . . .

  Monica. That’s why I’m here.

  Memories crash down upon me. Suffocate me. Seeing Drew with Monica, finding Reese . . .

  Drinking.

  Drinking until I forgot.

  Then what?

  My memory is hazy. It hurts too much to think.

  I saw Reese . . .

  He took me to the bar. The private one in the VIP section.

  Monica was there.

  My back muscles tense as my fists clench.

  She poured us drinks.

  Lots and lots of drinks. And then it did its job. It faded. Everything faded.

  Did I pass out? Is that why I’m here? No. There’s more . . .

  Think, Bailey.

  What happened after you drank?

  You saw Drew coming. Yes, that’s what happened. I saw him looking for me. Reese led me to his private table.

  My eyes flutter open, every part of my body quivers.

  Am I hurt? I try to move my arms, but they feel too heavy to lift.

  The door opens, and I see a doctor walking in.

  “Hello, Ms. Jameson, I’m Dr. Bell.”

  “Is everything okay?” I croak out.

  “How are you feeling?” he asks, approaching my bed with a clipboard.

  “I’m fine. What’s going on?”

  “Due to the tox report we ran, there might be some questions that need to be asked.”

  Tox screen?

  “What do you mean, tox report?” I know I drank, but this man’s words make no sense. “Why would I need to have a tox screen run?”

  “When you came in, you weren’t responsive. Your alcohol level was three times the normal limit, but it was the drugs that had us worried.”

  “The drugs?”

  “Yes, we found cocaine as well as narcotic painkillers in your system.”

  “I don’t understand,” I croak out, because I truly don’t. I didn’t do drugs.

  I wouldn’t have done them.

  Would I?

  45

  Drew

  I sit quietly in this chair, waiting for my turn to see her. We’ve been told she can have visitors for a short period. At first, I wasn’t going to be allowed in as I’m not family, but since I’m fronting the hefty bill for the rehab facility in Arizona, her sister pulled some strings and put me on the list.

  I have no idea what I’m going to say to her. The question of why comes to mind, but I know why. Monica. Well, in all fairness, what she walked in on probably looked like I was a willing participant. Regardless, there is no reason big enough to ever be in this position. As much as I care about her, and I do, very much, I can’t have something like this happen ever again.

  “Drew.”

  I look up to see Harper standing above me. She looks conflicted. I cock my head to study her.

  “What’s up?”

  She continues to stare at me. The look of contemplation on her face has me anxious.

  “She doesn’t want to see you.”

  The truth of those words hurts more than if she’d slapped me across the face.

  “I don’t know why she’s being so stubborn. I told her it wasn’t your fault and she needs to hear you out. I don’t feel like it’s my place to set her straight. She needs to hear it from you. I—”

  I cut her off. She’s rambling, and as much as I appreciate her struggle to make me feel better, I don’t need her to soften the blow. The damage has been done, and it was served on a silver platter courtesy of Bailey.

  “It’s fine, Harper. If she doesn’t want to talk to me, it’s okay. As long as she’s going to be all right, I’ll survive.” I get up to head out, but Harper stops me.

  “Drew, don’t go. She’ll come around. I think she just doesn’t want you to see her like this. She’s mortified. She says she doesn’t remember taking drugs. She swears she didn’t, but the tests don’t lie, and now she’s finally starting to understand that. She’s embarrassed.”

  “I’m okay. Hopefully, she’ll come around. For now, I’m going to get going. I have some more arrangeme
nts to make for her relocation to Serenity Vista. Call if anything happens?”

  “Of course.” She gives me a sobering stare. “Thank you so much for saving my sister.” She rushes forward and envelops me in a hug. I squeeze her back.

  As soon as I hit the highway, I dial the club. Carter answers on the second ring. “Silver, how can I help you?”

  “Carter, it’s Drew.”

  “Man, how is she? I’ve been a wreck over here.”

  “She’s doing all right. You’ll be able to see her tomorrow if you want.”

  “Of course, I want to see her. I’m freaking out,” Carter barks.

  “I know. Listen, can you do me a favor and hold down the fort tonight? I need to take a personal day.”

  “You’re the boss. I’ve got everything under control over here. Some guy named Mathis called about an hour ago. He said he was returning your call.”

  Shit. I hope that’s all he said. I haven’t had a chance to tell anyone my plans. He was supposed to call my cell.

  Mathis is a guy I met in boarding school. I heard around town he was shopping buildings, looking to start a new club. He owns clubs around the world, so I reached out to him about buying Silver. The place is a money horse, and it would be a waste to sell to anyone else. There is no need for Mathis to have competition when I just want out. He’s a decent guy, and that’s what Silver needs.

  He will pay top dollar, and the transaction will happen quickly and without hassle. The best part is that he has already agreed to keep all my staff. It’s a no-brainer. We just have some last-minute details to work out.

  “Anything else?” I ask, hoping for a big no.

  “That’s all. Oh, and Drew? Monica put in her resignation.”

  I laugh at the pure audacity of that girl. “She was fired, Carter. There is no resignation. Can you make sure that if anyone calls for a reference for that girl, you tell them to call me directly?”

  “Sure thing. Take it easy and kiss my girl for me.”

  I hang up, completely wiped out. I’m so tired, but I have a lot of work to do. But first there is someone I need to see.

  I pull up to the gated community of Long Cove. The attendant asks for my pass in which I advise him why I’m here.

  “Name please?”

  “Drew Lawson,” I say, knowing that my name is still on that list. Nobody ever updates their permanent visitor list unless there’s a stalking situation.

  “Have a good day, Mr. Lawson.”

  I drive up the road until I find 1680 Romalade Drive. It’s been some time since I’ve been here, and it was under very similar circumstances. This time, I plan to leave with a very different outcome.

  Marla answers the door with a look of shock marring her face. “Drew. What can I do for you?”

  “Hello, Marla. Can I come in?” My voice is not pleasant. This woman won’t even care what I have come for. She’s too concerned about herself to bother worrying about Reese.

  “I just wanted to talk to you about Reese and getting him help.”

  She just stares at me with a look of boredom.

  “Why would you want to waste your time talking about something so pointless? Reese will never give up his drinking and drugs.”

  The look of disgust must be evident on my face because she scoffs. “Come on, Drew. This is Reese we’re talking about. If Alexa’s death wasn’t enough to wake him up, he’s a lost cause,” she says flippantly.

  “I think he needs help.”

  “And what do you think I can do about it?”

  God, I hate this wretched woman. I can understand why Reese is so fucked up. But as much as I want to tell her to go fuck herself, it’s not worth it.

  “Well, I just thought you should know . . . He was involved—”

  “I don’t care. I’m done with this conversation. We’re heading out to the Cayman Islands in two days. I have too much to do to worry about Reese.”

  I shake my head. Her son could be the one lying in the hospital from a drug overdose, and she wouldn’t care. It’s sick. They are sick. I have nothing left to say, so I turn and walk out.

  46

  Bailey

  I’m staring out the window, watching the rain trickle down the windowpane, when I hear a low cough reverberate around the room. Pulling my focus away from the outside, I sweep my gaze over to the door where the sound is coming from. Harper stands there. Her body is stiff, unmoving, and I can see her chest vibrating through deep breaths.

  “Can I come in?” she asks. She doesn’t wait for me to answer as she inches her way farther into the room.

  “Hi.” My words come out sheepish. My teeth gnaw at my lower lip as I think of something to say, but I don’t know where to start. We spoke earlier today, but now, as every second passes, I’m at a loss for words.

  “I-I’m sorry. I should have told you about Drew and me. I should have come to you instead of drinking. Instead of taking . . .” My words dry on my tongue. They feel heavy. It’s as though I have rocks in my mouth and can’t speak the words. “I’m just sorry.”

  I apologized before, but there are not enough ways to say sorry to make up for what I have done. For what I have put her through, for what I’ve put my mom through. Even though I can’t remember, Harper was right; a test doesn’t lie.

  If the test says I did drugs, then I did, regardless of whether I was too drunk to remember.

  The night is a blur.

  I was hurt, angry, and worse, wasted. I made not one but two awful decisions that night.

  I can barely remember being with Reese, let alone doing drugs with him at his VIP table, but I’m sure that’s where it happened.

  I feel sick to my stomach.

  Regret sits heavy in my heart. As much as I try, I can’t remember, and it’s making me tremble with fear.

  What if I had waited at home for Drew?

  What if I never went to check on him that night?

  I shake my head back and forth, refusing to let myself think about it. It didn’t happen.

  Regardless of how hard I try to push the thoughts away, the damage is done.

  Tears prick the backs of my eyelids and then slowly trail down my cheeks. My cold finger swipes across my face, wiping away the moisture that has collected.

  Harper takes a seat in the metal chair adjacent to my bed and places her hand on my arm. “You okay, Bae? We need to tal—”

  I start to shake my head because I don’t want to talk about it. Not now. Not when it’s still fresh. Not when it feels like a serrated knife has cut through my skin and pulled me apart, leaving me open and bleeding all over the floor.

  “Bailey.” Her voice comes out more forceful than before, and I know we have to do this. “I think you need to hear him out.”

  “I can’t . . .” Tears begin to come in earnest as I envision his body pressed against Monica.

  “Bailey, it’s not what you think.”

  “I know what I saw. I can’t look at him right now, let alone talk to him. I just can’t.”

  “Listen to me. I’m not one to defend Drew, but he explained what happened.”

  “He explained that he was about to have sex with Monica?” I bite out.

  “That’s not what happened. She came on to him. She ambushed him, Bae. You just walked in—”

  “I can’t believe you believed him. God, Harper. I saw her. I saw her naked!”

  Harper’s eyes widen, her surprise evident. Guess he forgot to mention that tiny piece of information.

  “Oh, did he not tell you that Monica the whore was butt-ass naked while kissing him?”

  “No, Bailey. He told me he loves you, and you misunderstood.”

  My heart starts to pound in my chest at her words. I shake off the feelings threatening to rise. “He doesn’t love me.” He doesn’t. “He cheated on me.” He did. I keep repeating those words in my head, trying to hold on to my anger. Anger is easier to handle. With anger, it’s easier to walk away, and I need to get as far away from Drew and his club
as I can.

  “I think you should hear him out.”

  “No, absolutely not. I don’t care what you say. He doesn’t love me, so there’s no reason to see him.”

  “If he didn’t love you, if he didn’t care, why is he paying for your—” She stops herself mid-sentence, placing her hand across her mouth to silence her words.

  “Paying for my what?” Her hand quivers, but she doesn’t speak. “My what, Harper?”

  She drops her hands, placing them on her hips, her chin turned up. “Your rehab, Bailey. Drew is paying for your rehab.”

  My stomach drops as I let out a soft gasp. “He’s-he’s paying for my rehab?” I stutter out, shock flying through me. I’m caught completely off guard by this. Why would he do that? Guilt? Was he paying because of guilt?

  “Why would he pay, Harper? Is it because he feels guilty?” I search her face for the answers I’m scared to find.

  “No. Trust me, I would never lie to you. I saw his face. I saw his eyes. He loves you. There was no lie.” Her voice fades into a hushed stillness. I can see unshed tears glistening in her eyes. “He loves you.”

  “He loves me?” I ask softly, my voice rough with emotion.

  “Yeah.” She nods while grabbing my hand and giving me a sad smile. “He does.”

  “What do I do? Do I speak to him?” My eyes close, and after taking a deep breath, I reopen them and look into Harper’s eyes. Her gaze is soft and full of emotion.

  “I think you need rest. To heal more. As much as I know you should talk to him, he’s not here right now. He left to take care of some things. Truth? I don’t think you are strong enough at the moment anyway. I think just before you’re discharged might be better, so I say you rest now. Clear your head a bit more, and then you can say goodbye.”

  I can feel my heart break. It breaks into a million tiny pieces for everything I have done and for the pain I must have caused everyone. The familiar itch spreads through my limbs, and I realize Harper’s right. I’m not strong enough to see him today. I’m not sure when I will be. Right now, I need to take care of me. I need to heal. When I’m ready, he will be there.