by Bella Jewel
“That whore.” I gasp, smothering a laugh. “You should go and show her who’s boss, Mom.”
My mother straightens. “Oh, I did. She baked some cupcakes and brought them over. She knows your father loves cupcakes.” Her eyes flash. “I told her right where to put those cakes.”
I laugh softly. “Right up her bum hole, no doubt.”
“Tia!” she chastises again. “Your mouth has run away with you.”
“Actually, it ran away with Betty. The two of them are close friends.”
My father barks a laugh again, and my mother puts her nose up in disgust. I stand, walking over and wrapping my arms around her shoulders. “Calm your farm, Momma. I’m only joking.”
“I should think so.”
We spend the rest of the day just lazing about before going out to dinner that night. I haven’t heard from Reign all day, but maybe that’s a good thing. I don’t know how I feel about this situation, and I certainly don’t like how it’s probably going to end for me. Which is badly, by the way.
We arrive home just after eight p.m., full and content. We’re all laughing as we get out of the car, still teasing Mom about Betty. I hear someone clear his or her throat, and I spin around to see Reign standing at my front door. What. The. Fuck? I told him he couldn’t come over; I made it clear.
“Hey,” he says, then moves his gaze to my parents.
“Ah, Reign,” I mutter, walking over to him and leaning in close. “What the hell are you doing?”
“We have to talk,” he murmurs and then lifts his head and stares at my gaping mother.
“I’m so sorry to interrupt your time with Tia. I just need a quick word with her.”
“And who is this fine young gentleman?” my mother says, pulling herself together and sweeping past me to stretch out her perfect hand to Reign.
God, help me.
“Reign Braxton, Ma’am. You must be Tia’s mom.”
He kisses her hand and I can practically hear her swoon. Shame on you, mother.
“And you know our Tia . . . how?” my mother prods, smiling up at him.
“She works for me.”
“Isn’t that lovely?”
My father walks up, extending his hand. “Nice to meet you, son.”
Reign shakes it and nods. “You too. I won’t be a minute with her.”
“Don’t be silly, come in and let me make you a cup of tea.”
Oh, God. A cup of tea. I want to groan.
Reign flashes me a cocky grin and turns to her. “I’d love to.”
Oh, no you don’t!
I reach out for him, but my mother has already dragged him in the front door. Letting out the groan, and figuring what the heck, I follow them inside. My mother is already chatting to Reign as if they’re best friends, having known each other for years and years. My dad squeezes my shoulder as he walks past me.
“She is your mother.”
I grunt. “You married her, you old fool.”
He laughs and kisses my head. “Best day of my damned life, too.”
I smile. Regardless of Betty and her old, dirty flaps, my dad has never had eyes for anyone but my mom. It makes me sad. I want a man that looks at me that way, that will never let his eyes travel to another woman’s, never forget how much he loves me and why he chose me in the first place. So many relationships end on a cruel and bitter note. I wonder when and how they forgot what it was they once adored about the other person.
“Tia,” my mom says, snapping me from my thoughts. “Reign here tells me you’re doing wonderful things for his business.”
“He’d say anything I told him to. He loves me.” I grin and he smiles.
“She’s only in it for the pay.” He winks at my mom.
“That’s my Tia. She never holds back.”
I’m so glad she’s proud of me for being . . . money hungry?
Surprisingly, Reign gets along really well with my parents, I mean super-dooper well. They laugh and joke, talk about things like fishing and cooking, and by the time he stands to leave, they actually look like they’ll miss him.
“I’m afraid I have places to be. I promise to return Tia after I’ve spoken to her. It was lovely to meet you both.”
He kisses my mom’s cheek and shakes my dad’s hand again, before turning to me with a devilish grin. “Outside, Tia?”
I scoot out of my chair, flashing my parents a smile, before following him outside. He turns to me as soon as the front door is closed behind him. “I have information about Autumn.”
I lose my smile. “Tell me.”
“The man they think is after her goes by the name of Mario Supremo.”
“What is he, a fucking pizza? What a stupid name,” I grunt.
Reign laughs, putting his hands on my shoulder. “Calm down and let me finish. That’s not his real name, though we’re finding it hard to dig out his true identity. However we have managed to find where he used to work. Jackson is looking into it. In regards to the MC club that has been hired to track her down, there’s no way for Jackson to get involved in that without causing an all-out war between clubs. That’s their business; it isn’t his. He is trying to get someone following the biker that’s on her trail. He can offer her protection if he can track her down.”
I take all this in, slowly shaking my head.
“Is she in danger?”
“It seems Mario isn’t too happy, and we’re still tryin' to get to the bottom of why. Obviously Autumn did something that really pissed him off, not to mention it put him in jail. Men like that don’t put time and effort into just any girl for no good reason.”
“I’m worried for her, Reign,” I say softly.
He cups my cheek, his calloused finger grazing over my skin. “We’ll figure this out. In the mean time, there’s nothing you can do.”
“It won’t stop me from worrying.”
Reign shakes his head, leaning down to press a kiss to my lips. “Maybe not, but you just need to try and think about other things until we have more information.”
I nod, looking up at him. “Are we still on for our awesome business trip away?”
He grins. “And the best part? I got you a golf outfit.”
I moan really loudly. “Shit, Reign, are you trying to ruin my reputation?”
“I just know how much you love golf.”
“You’re an asshole, you know that? You better be careful. I can do seriously bad things to you while you sleep. The first of those things involves a toothbrush, a toilet and an evil laugh from me.”
“I can return that favor, and believe me, I’ll make you cry, little girl.”
I cross my arms and huff. “Ha! You only wish you could make me cry.”
He steps forward, his eyes lusty. “It’s apparent you underestimate me.”
“Back atcha, big guy.”
With a twinkle in his eye, he turns and walks off down the path.
“Good to see you too, Reign. Have a nice evening. No problems about the cup of tea, it’s fine. I have plenty of money, so don’t you worry yourself at all about taking a poor girl’s teabag.”
He chuckles but doesn’t turn. “Night, gorgeous.”
Well shit.
Sassy . . . gone.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
“Holy shit!” I squeal, launching myself onto the massive king-sized bed.
I jump up and down, waving my hands in the air, doing small circles. I’m filled with excitement. The room Reign got for me at the resort we’re staying at is stunning. It’s all plush carpets and white walls, with perfect crisp linen and a big spa bath. It overlooks the grounds, and I can see the sparkling blue pools as well as the ocean at the back. White curtains whip in the breeze that washes through the open balcony doors.
“Jesus, I can hear you from two doors down,” Reign says, appearing in my room.
“I am so excited,” I squeal, leaping off the bed and rushing over to throw myself into his arms. He catches me with an oomph and takes two steps backwards.
“Where are we going first? The pool? The beach?”
“Golf.”
“Oh nooooo,” I groan, letting my body slide down his until I land on the floor at his feet. “You’re a horrible boss, Reign Braxton.”
He stares down at me. “Then we’re going to a business dinner.”
I roll to my side, curling in the fetal position. “Kill me now. Take a bullet to my brain, and put me out of my misery.”
“Then I might take you to the pool and fuck you until you scream my name.”
That has my head jerking up. “Go on . . .”
He kneels down and runs his finger up my thigh. “Imagine how hard your nipples will be in that cold water. They’ll ache for my mouth.”
“Mmmmmm, I could be swayed.”
He leans down and lifts me, pressing my lips to his in a hungry, demanding kiss. Then he lets me go and stands. “Now get dressed in the golf outfit I got you.”
He disappears and I turn to the suitcase. Crawling over, I flip it open and gape at the ugly outfit on top.
“I hate you Reign Braxton!” I bellow. “You will die a slow and painful death for this.”
I hear him chuckling all the way down the hall.
~*~*~*~
“Stop fidgeting,” Reign chastises as we walk across the lush grass to the group of people waiting to start the game.
“I look so fucking ugly, old women would run from me. You did this on purpose, didn’t you?”
He smirks.
“I fucking hate you.”
“Language, babe,” he says, giving me a warning look.
“Bite me.”
I don’t even want to look at myself. Green-and-white golf pants, a white polo shirt with a cardigan pulled over the top that has big green diamonds on it . . . I fucking hate him. HATE him. It only gets worse when I see Slutena in the crowd. She’s wearing a tiny skirt that shows off her long, bronzed legs. Her top half is similar to mine, only she makes it look so much better. She flicks her long, blond hair over her shoulder as she sees Reign approach.
“Bitch,” I mutter.
Reign tightens his grip on my hand. “Enough.”
I huff but keep my mouth closed as we stop. Everyone greets everyone else, and then we’re all set. I’m stuck with Reign, some other young man, and Slutena. I mean fuck, why do we all have to get put together? This isn’t a coincidence. I give everyone skeptical looks as I climb onto the golf buggy, crossing my legs. When the young man gets in beside me and I see Reign and Slutena get in the front, I want to beat somebody.
“So, I hear you’re quite good at your job?” the younger man says to me. “Everyone says great things about you.”
“My job?” I snort. “Yes, I am very good at it. In fact, I think Reign would call me superb. I work wonders with his need to . . .”
“Tia,” Reign growls from the front. “Enough.”
Gritting my teeth, I stare out at the open course, wanting to beat someone. When the refreshments come around, I dive right into the beer. Slutena gets a wine; of course she does. She stands there, sipping it like she crushed the goddamned grapes herself.
“It’s your turn, Selena,” Reign says, turning to her.
“I’m a little blank,” she says innocently. “I’m afraid I’ve forgotten how to hold it. Would you show me, Reign?”
“Seriously?” I snort to myself, though I see Reign’s jaw tick and Selena’s eyes narrow.
Then he walks out, wrapping his arms around her as he teaches her how to swing. I roll my eyes and sit back in the cart, sipping my beer. As we go around the course, I watch them flirt and carry on. I won’t lie, it pisses me off. When Reign finally decides to give me a turn, I’m angry. I know it’s probably childish, but I don’t care. He deserves it.
“It’s your turn,” Reign says, approaching me.
I stare at him. “Are you going to show me how to hold it?” I say innocently, batting my eyelashes.
He steps forward, leaning down close. He growls into my ear, “You’re being bratty. Quit it.”
“Or what?” I snap, taking the long stick thing out of his hand.
I walk out, whack the ball and spin around, handing it back to him.
“What the fuck was that?”
“I was hitting the ball.”
“No, you were acting like a brat.”
“Quit calling me a brat,” I mutter.
I am handed another beer, and I take it gratefully.
Reign takes my arm. “I brought you here because you’re supposed to act professionally and give me a good name. Not act like a spoiled child because you don’t like what I’m doing.”
“What you’re doing,” I snap. “Is falling at that woman’s feet. You’re not even trying to see the real side to her.”
“Since fucking when did my business become yours? I never asked you to delve your nose into my shit when I hired you. Why the fuck do you keep bringin’ it up?”
“No, and you certainly didn’t say you were going to fuck me either.”
He growls, low and deep. “Last chance, pull your shit together, or leave. I don’t need you here acting like a damned child.”
I swallow, hurt. It’s asshole Reign again. The one that always comes out when that bitch is around.
“You know what,” I say, stepping forward with a scornful expression, “I think I’ll go.”
Then I do something I know I’ll regret later. I tilt my beer and pour it down his shirt. That’ll teach him for being a prick.
I turn and walk off, but not before I hear him hiss my name in warning. Yep, I’ll probably lose my job, but I don’t care. In fact, I’m done caring. If he wants Slutena, and insists on turning into this jerk when she’s around, then he can have her and everything she entails. I’m done.
~*~*~*~
I don’t go back to my room. Instead I spend the afternoon walking around the grounds, exploring. I end up sitting at the beach, toes curling in the soft sand. It’s calmed me, and I realize that maybe I was being a bitch to Slutena. It can’t be helped, though, the woman is pathetic. I wish I understood what he saw in her, I truly do.
My phone rings in my pocket. It’s been ringing for hours. Sighing and knowing I can’t escape Reign forever, I pick it up and answer. I don’t get a word in before he barks at me. “What the fuck kind of game do you think you’re playing at? If you can’t handle being here, then go the fuck home. You’re making a fool of me when all I needed you to do was act your age and do the right thing. You wonder why the fuck I keep goin’ back to her? You wonder why I don’t come to you? This is why. You’re childish. At least she knows how to act correctly and with manners. Grow up, before you have no job to come back to.”
I end the call before he can finish, because I have stopped breathing. A sob rises up in my throat over his words. My fingers tremble as I shove my phone back into my pocket. My heart throbs; it literally pounds in my chest as I push to my feet. I’ve no doubt I deserved that, but I never expected it to hurt the way it did. With shaky legs, I make my way back to my room, not sure what to do next.
Just as I reach my door, the elevator pings open and Reign and Slutena appear. He’s got his hand around her waist and she’s holding onto his arm, laughing. When both of them see me, they stop. Her nose rises slightly, and I’m sure he’s told her just what a pathetic waste of time I am. I meet his eyes for a second, and his angry glare seems to soften just slightly at my tear-streaked face.
I unlock my door and step in, closing it loudly behind me before locking it.
My heart . . . it hurts.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
I go over all the reasons I should pack my bags and leave, but it all keeps coming back to the fact that I need this job. I didn’t tell Reign, but the other accounting firm I was working for decided they no longer needed me (I only got the call yesterday), which is fine because I took on all Reign’s work. However, now I’m likely to lose my job because of my big mouth and my stupid, needy heart.
I
know to keep my job, but most of all, to keep my friendship with Reign, that I have to put my dress on and attend that dinner tonight. I have to smile, and be polite, and mingle, and make up for earlier. I don’t know how I’m going to do it, because I know he really doesn’t want me there; he made that very clear.
But I have to.
I spend the next two hours getting myself ready. I curl my hair softly, letting it fall in loose waves around my shoulders and down my back. I’ve put on a light layer of make-up, giving me a natural yet elegant look. The dress Reign got for me is all his taste—like he stared at it and just knew it would work. It’s long, sleek and black. It’s got tiny sequins all over it. The front dips low, exposing a good amount of cleavage, and the back drops right down to my hips.
I fight back my emotion as I pull out the gorgeous diamond necklace tucked in my shoebox. I pull it out and clip it on, swallowing as I get a final look at myself in the mirror. The dress hugs me in all the right places, making me long, lean and yet curvy. The black strappy heels give me that extra height I need. My hair looks stunning, falling around my shoulders. I just need to take a few calming breaths to get myself together.
When I’m ready, I take one last deep breath. I can do this—it’s only me holding myself back. I need to go and show Reign that I’m not a bitchy little child, but instead a woman who can behave exactly how she is supposed to, exactly how he wants me to. I clutch my purse to my side and step out of the room. As luck would have it, Reign and Selena are stepping out, too.
The moment he sees me, his face scrunches in shock, and then I see that breathtaking look a man gives a woman that just enters a ballroom wearing something stunning. The look you only see in movies. His eyes widen and his gaze travels down the length of my body, his lips parting slightly. He stares at me for what seems like hours before turning to look at Selena again.
Then his mask of anger is back, and my moment is gone.
He takes her arm and walks her to the elevator. I hurry along behind him and slip into the elevator before it closes. He doesn’t even try to stop it. The tension in that small space is so intense that my chest feels as though I’ve got a large brick sitting on it. I keep my eyes to the floor, not knowing if I should speak or just stay silent.
