by Ali Parker
"Shit, I bet. I hate it here. Everyone rushes around like they got someplace to be, and you know what?"
"What's that, Sir?" I lifted my cup to my lips and tried to contain my smile. The guy reminded me so damn much of Olivia's dad it wasn't even funny.
"They don't have anywhere to be. People that rush around all the damn time are just scared of what they'll have to face if they pause for a minute." He huffed loudly.
"And that would be?" I set my cup down and glanced at my watch. Luke was late. Idiot. Frank was going to give him hell and waste half the meeting on why it was imperative for my brother to learn respect. Though I agreed, it was rather uncomfortable.
"That without busyness they aren't anything. They have no assets of true value." He shrugged and leaned back in his seat. "Though, unless something has changed in your life, you don't either."
Here we go.
"And why don't you remind me of what those assets are? You know I love learning something new from you." I relaxed enough to let the twang of my accent seep back into my words. I tried like hell to hide it most days of the week and had gotten rather good at it. For some odd reason, New Yorkers thought that anyone who spoke with a slow drawl were slow people, which wasn't true at all.
"Do you have a big piece of land in God's country somewhere, Caden?"
"No, Sir. None other than the land my momma and daddy own. That'll be mine one day."
"And what about a nice house with a porch all the way around it where you and the missus can catch the kids all afternoon on Sundays. You got that, boy?"
"No, Sir. I sure don't." I smiled at the old man's excitement about the kind of life he had and the one I wanted.
"Right. How about that sweet southern belle? You got one of those to keep you warm at night and mend your heart when the world chews you up and spits you out? You got some little ones running around, tearing shit up and reminding you that a house of love is often overused and dirtier than one where busyness rules the day?"
I sat back as my smiled faded. "Damn. I want all of that."
"Right you do." He popped the table and laughed, pulling me from my thoughts. "All country boys want that. Just because you're wearing this fancy-ass suit and are smarter than all these Wall Street Junkies, doesn't mean your heart doesn't long for the things that belong to you as a man. Stop living someone else's life, hm?"
"Frank. Are you trying to steal my brother away from me, again? I'm almost jealous of your power." Luke patted my back and took the seat beside me as he extended his hand to Frank. "Good to see you."
"You're late." Frank winked at me and shook my brother's hand. "That's what's wrong with you city boys."
I picked up my coffee and tried to stifle my smirk as our biggest investor gave my brother shit for twenty minutes on the hidden meanings of being late. I usually hated it, but this morning... I rather enjoyed the show.
***
I sat outside the office in my Lexus and waited for Olivia to come down. Luke had texted her after the meeting with Frank to get her stuff together and be looking for me. She walked out of the building and the wind picked up as if on cue. Her hair flew up, as did her blue wavy dress.
Her white panties were lacy and looked like sin on her as I jogged toward her as quickly as I could. I knelt in front of her and trapped her dress to her legs as a laugh bubbled up out of me.
"Did you see my panties?" Her sweet face was painted pink.
"Everybody did, but I'm thinking it didn't affect them nearly as much as it did me." I smiled as she swatted at me. "You remember old Frank Billingsly?"
"Let go of my dress, Caden. Get up." She tugged at my shoulder.
"The wind is still blowing. It will die down. Chill out." I brushed my hand down farther toward her knees so I wasn't holding her thighs. Every part of me ached for the chance to see those white panties again, to take them off with my teeth before giving her a night she wouldn't forget. I had to get my mind off of it all or I'd likely throw her over my shoulder and take her in the back seat of the car. Frank had unfortunately unlocked all the parts of me I kept tucked away. The old bastard had a way of doing that every time I saw him. I'd work for him one day... and I'd have the ranch with the big house, the beautiful bride and a whole yard full of kids.
"I know of Mr. Billingsly. He went to college with my dad." She stepped back and grabbed her luggage. "Come on. It's better now."
"I'll walk behind you just in case." I chuckled at the look she gave me over her shoulder. Where we'd been avoiding each other for the last few days, now was the time to make amends and figure a few things out. I wanted to start slow, to learn where she'd been and what she'd been up to since high school instead of diving into the trauma of our youth. Going to Texas together would give me that chance. I just had to play my cards right.
"He looked a lot older than your dad." I popped the trunk and took her bag for her.
"He's not. Daddy just aged well."
"How have you never met Frank if your daddy was good friends with him?" I lifted an eyebrow and closed the trunk before walking to my side of the car.
"They would have coffee in town at the Texan Restaurant. I just never went by there. I was too busy with cheer practice or running around with friends."
"Or sneaking kisses from a certain football player behind your daddy's barn?"
She rolled her eyes and got in the car as a laugh bubbled up in the center of my chest.
"You didn't really just bring that up, did you?" She glanced over at me with a smile on her lips. Her dark blue eyes seemed to have the power to drag me into the most tranquil of places.
A soft sigh left me as I nodded. "I did. I can still remember the taste of cinnamon on your lips."
"Stop it." She popped me in the chest and turned in her seat to face the front as a smile drew up her lips. "You're so damn corrupt."
"No, I'm not. I'm a good southern boy. I was just reminding you of a fun time in our lives." I shrugged, feigning innocence as I pulled out into the busyness of downtown. "What did you think your life would look like? Before all that shit happened with us. What did you want life to look like when you grew up?"
"I don't know."
"Yeah you do. Tell me. Come on. Let's be friends for this trip and then we'll get back to stabbing at each other when we get home."
"I don't stab at you. I would never do that." Her tone hardened and she glanced over at me.
Maybe I had it all wrong. Maybe she hadn't spread that shit about me. Maybe someone else had and we'd eaten the lie it created, letting it destroy us because we were in a vulnerable time in our lives.
Wouldn't that be some shit?
Chapter 19
Olivia
I didn't answer his question right away because I had to pull back layers of lies about what I wanted in life to find the truth. We drove in silence with the radio playing something jazzy in the background. We pulled up to the airport a little while later and got our bags loaded onto the private jet that Luke had purchased a year or so ago. After getting a drink to help settle my nerves, I sat down next to Caden and let out a soft sigh.
"All right. I think I'm ready to answer your question now." I glanced over at him, trying not to let myself drown in his strong gaze. His eyes were the color of springtime - dark green with flecks of gold.
"Which one?"
"Was there more than one?" I took a sip of my drink and tried to calm my nerves. My hands were shaking slightly, which was embarrassing. I was scared to death of flying, but he'd most likely take it as me being nervous to be alone with him.
"Yeah. I asked if you still loved me, and I asked what you thought your life would look like."
"True." I set my glass down and glanced out the window as the plane started to move backward. "I thought we would be married by now. You'd be through with school, and I'd be at home with our kids."
"How many did we have?" He smiled as I glanced back over at him. Why did he have to be so fucking adorable?
"Three. An ol
der boy-"
"That we named Charles after your daddy?"
Tears blurred my vision. "Yeah. And a little girl after your momma's sister Elizabeth, and a little boy after your daddy."
He reached out and touched the side of my face. "Don't cry, okay? It's supposed to be a fun thing to think about where things would have gone."
"But it's not fun. It sucks in a way that I can't begin to describe." I pulled his hand from my face and picked up my drink. "I'm scared."
"Of what?" He moved closer and took my free hand in his.
"Of flying." I gave him a weak smile and shrugged. "I don't know why. I just am."
"Don't be. I'm right here." He wrapped his fingers around mine and lifted them to kiss my hand a few times. "And the answer to the other question?"
"I don't wanna talk about it." I swallowed the hot lump of regret in my throat. I'd made a million wrong decisions in my life, but it felt like the one with the most weight was not letting him explain himself all those years ago. Every choice I'd made after graduation had a direct correlation to losing the one thing that mattered most to me - Caden Taylor.
***
"What? Is there not two single rooms available?" I moved up and put my forearms on the counter as I glared at the hotel attendant.
"They are two separate rooms with an adjoining living space. That's just the way the suites here work. I can look for something else if you like, but we're pretty booked up. It's a lot like two rooms, these are just nicer."
"Look, please." Caden touched my lower back and gave me a nod, letting me know that he would take care of it for us.
"No. It's fine. I'm being ridiculous. If it's two rooms that have doors that lock, I'll be good." I dropped my hands to my side and realized how silly I sounded as the clerk looked at me and then back at Caden like he might be a serial rapist. I chuckled at the thought.
Caden grabbed our bags and handed them off to the bellman as I gave him an apologetic look.
"Forgive me. I'm just worried about being alone with you. I didn't mean anything by-"
"It's okay. I get it. I'm scared shitless too." He winked and moved to the elevator. "But, you and I aren't kids anymore. We're grown-ass adults, and we both care about Luke. Though you're far too good of a woman for him, he's still your man. Simple as that."
I nodded as my stomach soured. Was Luke my man? It didn't much feel like it anymore. He was my lover, but that was a carnal need that I was using to fill the real gap in my soul. The desire to belong to someone. Someone like Caden.
"Here we are." He opened the door and smiled at me. "No more being worried. We'll be fine. I'll keep my hormonal teenage boy outbursts to a minimum and you don't show off your damn panties anymore and we'll be good."
"Did you like them?" I couldn't help but tease him as I walked to the door.
"Is that a fucking joke? They were on you. I loved them." He moved up to the door, and I couldn't help but notice the way his hands shook a little. It melted every part of me.
"What's on the agenda for tonight?" I walked into the plush penthouse suite and breathed in deeply. A large bouquet of yellow tulips sat on the table with a card. They had to be from Luke. How in the world he knew what my favorite flowers were was beyond me. It left me feeling like shit thanks to the thoughts running through my mind.
"We have dinner at Mr. and Mrs. Parkmount’s house tonight. They live over in River Oaks. The ritzy side of town."
I turned and smiled at him as I paused in the living room. "I'm well aware of where River Oaks is. Remember your mother would pile us all up to go look at Christmas lights over there and Jake Isaac would always tease you about selling out to have one of those big places one day. He said he would come do the lights for you."
"Not for me. For us." He winked and walked over to stand behind me. "I'm going to see him later this week. We don't have it planned, but I know he would love to see you."
"He's here? In Houston?" I turned as warmth spread through me. Jake was Caden's best friend in high school, and like the big brother I never had. He was a year older than us, but so damn good to both of us.
"Yeah, he is." Caden reached out and touched the side of my face. "Come with me."
"Stop touching me." I smiled and turned from him to walk toward the flowers. "I'll have to lock myself behind that door over there."
"I'll find a key if necessary. You have to eat. Jeez."
I chuckled and plucked the card from the bouquet as the sound of a door closing behind me caused me to turn. He was in his room and had given me the privacy of reading Luke's note alone.
Olivia,
I don't know where this is going, but even a friendship is better than nothing. I've been searching the sea of faces around me every day for six years looking for you. It's going to be an uphill battle to figure things out, and understand where I fit into your life, but I'm in no hurry, baby. Anything you're willing to give me - I'll take it.
I always have and still do.
Caden
Hot tears rolled over my cheeks as I leaned in and smelled the flowers. Of course Luke didn't know about my love of yellow tulips. Only a few people in my life knew. My daddy, who was gone, and the boy who had my heart.
I turned and stared at the closed door for a long while, wondering what the fuck I was getting myself into. Maybe it was just a friendship right now, and that was honestly more than enough. Unfortunately, the beginning steps to even considering any sort of relationship with Caden included tearing off the Band-Aid that laid over the past and examining how well the wound had healed.
I needed to know... had he really said all those things about me after us taking each other's innocence that night, or had something else happened?
"You all right?" He stuck his head out of the door like he was waiting for a bomb to explode.
"Yeah." I laughed and wiped at my tears. I lifted the card in the air. "This just means a lot to me."
"Good. I hoped it would. Now, go get dressed, and if you need help adjusting your pretty white panties-"
"Caden!" I shook my head and walked toward the bedroom.
"Too much? Too soon?"
I didn't respond. I couldn't. Emotion held my voice captive.
Chapter 20
Caden
"Hey, I was just teasing you about the panties." I couldn't help but stand back and let my eyes move across her. She looked like every wet dream I'd had in the last ten years. The navy dress she wore flared at the bottom, giving it a southern belle look and yet she was all business. "Wow. Damn."
"You like it?" She turned around slowly, giving me the time to move closer, but not too close.
"I love it." I forced my eyes back up as she finished her parading around in front of me. I was working to catch my breath as I studied her closely. A million promises flooded my mouth, but stayed trapped behind my teeth. I couldn't offer her the world yet, but I wanted to. I wanted to offer anything that would bring her back to me, back to where she belonged.
"Good. I wasn't too sure about this bottom part." She bent over and ran her hands over it. She was starting to soften ever so slowly. I could see parts of the girl I knew springing up around the ice-cold woman who'd walked back into my life a few weeks back.
"It's perfect. I think you'll woo the Parkmounts with not only your brilliance, but your beauty too." I turned and picked up my wallet and the room key. "I rented a car and had it delivered. Hope you like it."
"Like the car?" She gave me a quirky smile and walked to the door.
"Yeah. You'll see." I chuckled under my breath, unable to help myself. I wanted to remind her of everything I could over the next few days without drowning her too badly. She needed to know that I wasn't at all the stiff prick I had to play in the office. I was still me, and I had a strong feeling that she was still very much her.
"I'm a little worried about this." She ran her hand down her hair and turned as I walked to catch up to her.
I offered her my arm and lifted my eyebrow. "Your hair? It lo
oks good."
"No, about this car you rented us. It's not a convertible is it?"
"What? No." I held the elevator door open and smiled as she walked back. "And if it is?"
"Then you ride in it, and I'll call a cab. You know how bad my hair looks when the wind catches ahold of it." She pressed her hands behind her back, which only seemed to accentuate the fullness of her breasts. My body reacted quickly to the thought of stripping her from her pretty dress and hitting the emergency button on the elevator panel.
"I like it when you look like a cave woman." I shrugged and laughed as she yelped and popped me. Melting. She was melting.
"A cave woman? No you didn't." She moved to the front of the elevator and stood by the door.
I reached out and grabbed her wrist, turning her and forcing her flush against me.
"Why are you with Luke, Olivia? Tell me one good reason why you belong to him and I'll stop." I brushed my nose by hers and breathed in deeply as she stiffened in my arms.
"He makes sense in my life, and he won't ever hurt me." She locked gazes with me. "I won't let him."
"Because you'll never love him?" I reached up and brushed my fingers down her hair before leaning in for a kiss.
She pushed at my chest and denied me, which only made me want it all the more.
"Right. Sadly enough, I think he prefers it that way." She shrugged and gave me a noncommittal look before turning and walking out of the elevator.
I watched her go as I moved in behind her and took a slow breath. I needed to be careful and not force her into anything. I wanted to, but I needed her to come to me in the same demanding need that I planned to come to her.
No. She belongs to Luke. But does she? Or does she still belong to me?
"There." I pointed to the snakeskin-green viper in the corner. "Look familiar?"
