The Unyielding Bachelor

by Miranda P. Charles

  “Please stop being friends with my daughter,” Betty hissed.

  Lexie faced the woman fully. “That’s not your decision to make,” she said calmly.

  “You’ve already made things very difficult for me, Lexie. I might not be able to stop you seeing my daughter because you’re one of Rick’s groupies, but next time there’s a family problem, stay the hell out of our business.” Betty opened the door to get out, but she wasn’t finished. “You know what? One thing I’m glad about is that Rick doesn’t want you. I’d hate to see you insinuate yourself more into this family.” With a tilt of her nose in the air, Betty left.

  Lexie stared at the closed restroom door with an open mouth. The nerve of the woman to tell her off like that!

  It wasn’t worth her time and energy to worry about Betty’s actions, so she wouldn’t. But she couldn’t help but feel depressed from some of her words.

  Rick didn’t want her. She knew that already. Why did Betty have to rub it in?

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Rick took a deep breath as he pressed Lexie’s unit number on the intercom.

  “Hello?” she said.

  “Hi, Lex. It’s Rick,” he answered, his heart racing.

  “Rick? What are you doing here?”

  He stared at the panel. Frankly, he’d just found himself driving here. “I came to return your notebook,” he said.

  “Oh. You really didn’t have to.”

  “Can I come up?” he asked hurriedly, hoping she wouldn’t turn him away.

  “Okay.”

  The door clicked and he pushed it open.

  He had no idea what he was going to say to her. He hadn’t found a solution to his problem. But for the last few days, he’d been living in hell.

  It still stunned him how he could get so jealous at the thought of Lexie dating another man, but it had hit him like a strong punch in the gut.

  In the past, even if he’d been trying to keep her at a distance, he’d known that Lexie wasn’t thinking of other guys. He’d known her attention was only on him. But now she was letting him go, and it shocked him to realise that he couldn’t accept that.

  So here he was, visiting her to... He didn’t know, exactly. He just had this compelling need to see her.

  He knew he was creating major problems for himself and Shelley by coming here tonight. But he had to. Thoughts of Lexie kept distracting him everyday.

  He reached her floor and his heart jumped when her door opened.

  “Hi,” she said.

  “Hi.”

  “Thanks for driving all this way to drop off my notebook.”

  “Oh, damn,” he said in dismay. “Would you believe I left it in the car? I put it in the glove box the other day so I’d be ready to stop by here if I happened to be in the area, which I am tonight. Let me get it.”

  “Okay.”

  He hurried back towards the stairs and stopped dead in his tracks. Could he really be so dumb? Seriously, his brain had stopped functioning. Raking his hair, he headed back to her.

  “Uh, Lex...”

  “Yeah?”

  “I just remembered it’s in my other car,” he said sheepishly. This was so embarrassing.

  Lexie laughed in surprise. “Oh, no. You wasted your time coming here.”

  “Can I come in still? I wouldn’t mind a drink. It’s been a long day at work.”

  “Sure,” she said with a frown as she opened the door wide for him. “What would you like to drink?”

  “Anything you have.”

  “As you know, Erin and I aren’t big drinkers so we only have a bottle of red lying around somewhere. Or I can make you coffee?”

  “Coffee would be great, thanks. Is Erin home?”

  “No. Sometimes she has to work night shifts. This is one of those nights.”

  He exhaled his relief. At least that was one thing in his favour tonight. He wouldn’t have to convince Lexie to get out of the apartment so they could have a private talk.

  “Make yourself at home,” she said, handing him the TV’s remote. “I’ll be back.”

  He placed the remote on the coffee table and followed her.

  Lexie went to fill the kettle with water, not noticing him by the kitchen entrance with her back turned to him. She placed it on its heating element, flicked the switch, then covered her face with her hands.

  His chest compressed. He was making things very difficult for her.

  “Lex?”

  She jumped at the sound of his voice.

  “Are you okay?”

  She smiled wryly. “Yeah.”

  No, she wasn’t. He could see it in her face. Damn it, he couldn’t stand that look.

  “I’m sorry about how I reacted that night you kissed me,” he said softly.

  Lexie stared at him, her jaw dropping. She clearly wasn’t expecting him to bring up this topic.

  He pressed on. “I’m also sorry about that night at my place when Aileen turned up, and for all those times when I ignored you—”

  “Rick,” she interrupted, shaking her head. “I’m okay. Really. Of course I’m a bit sad that... that you don’t want me, but I’m a big girl and I can take it. I’ll get over this. I’ll be fine.”

  He stared at her, his chest aching. Why the hell did it have to be this way?

  Because of that damned contract!

  “Lex, I have a good reason...” he started, struggling to find the right words.

  Lexie walked towards him and placed a hand on his arm. “Please don’t feel bad for me,” she said, her voice cracking. “Please.”

  Oh, no, Lexie. Please don’t cry.

  But she did. A tear ran down her cheek, followed by another. She impatiently wiped them with her hands. “Seriously, I’ll be okay,” she said in a stronger voice.

  He cupped her face, his thumb caressing the tears that continued to fall.

  “Rick, you should go,” she said, clasping his wrists and trying to pull his hands down.

  He resisted. “Why can’t I stay?”

  She sniffed. “Because this isn’t helping me,” she answered, her voice tremulous.

  He groaned. In the next moment, he found himself crushing her in his arms, his lips on hers. When he realised what he’d done, it was too late. Lexie had curved her arms around his neck and was kissing him back as avidly as he was kissing her.

  And it was like coming home.

  He devoured her mouth for a long time, pouring all his relief and frustration into that passionate kiss.

  And soon he felt more. Desire shot through his veins with alacrity he’d never experienced before.

  He backed her against the kitchen counter and his lips travelled to her neck. Lexie angled her head, giving him complete access as she raked his hair. He roamed her body with his hands, with one ending up cupping a breast and the other clutching her behind to press her hips harder against his.

  “Rick,” Lexie gasped softly, her own hands busy caressing his back.

  They should stop. He should stop. But he couldn’t find the will to let her go. Especially when Lexie had lifted a leg and curved it around him.

  God, he was starving for her. He hadn’t even realised how much until now. It was like a dam had been broken and there was no stopping the passion that was gushing out of him—and her.

  His hand that was cupping her breast was now snaking underneath her top. “Lexie,” he moaned. “I want you. I need you.”

  “Yes,” she breathed, grinding her hips against his hardness.

  Oh, fuck.

  “But we shouldn’t,” he said in anguish.

  Lexie stilled then pulled away. “I’m sorry. I know you and Aileen are—”

  “No!” He held her face between his hands so he could look deep into her eyes. “I’m not with Aileen, Lex. And I am dying to have you. I’ve been for so long. I’ve just been fighting it because there are issues I need to solve first.”

  She frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “Let me work on them, okay? Then I�
�ll tell you. But right now...”

  “Please tell me, Rick,” she said softly.

  He sighed. “I can’t start a relationship that could end up being more than casual. It’s an agreement I have with Betty. That was the only way she’d allow me to take over management of Shelley’s inheritance.”

  Lexie’s eyes widened. “What?”

  He led her to the couch so he could explain.

  “After my dad died three years ago, he left the bulk of his estate to me and Shelley. Only around five percent was left to Betty. Her share was even less than what he’d willed to his favourite charity. Betty was enraged when the will was read. She was expecting at least a third of Dad’s fortune. She thought she’d equally share it with Shelley and me. She was going to contest the will, accusing me of coercing Dad into leaving such a small percentage to her. But she decided against it at the last minute. I don’t know why, but I think it was because she knew she was going to manage Shelley’s assets anyway.

  “Shelley has limited access to her inheritance until she’s twenty-one. She could only get a monthly allowance determined by the trustee managing her assets on her behalf. I was supposed to be that trustee. Dad had told me that before he died. He didn’t want Betty looking after Shelley’s inheritance because he knew Betty was going to be irresponsible with it. You see, their marriage had already fallen apart a long time before Dad passed. Betty just wouldn’t give him a divorce, and Dad hadn’t had the energy to push for it.

  “Unfortunately, Dad had a fatal heart attack before he could update the will naming me as the trustee of Shelley’s assets. Being Shelley’s mother, Betty was successful in getting the legal rights to manage her inheritance. It didn’t take long for her to invest Shelley’s money in some dubious and high-risk schemes. Worse, she didn’t seek professional advice before doing so. I didn’t know about it until Shelley told me. She saw her bank statements that showed her account balance had reduced by a large amount. I confronted Betty about it. She said she was sorry it happened, but that no investments gave guaranteed returns. Shelley was angry, too, but she wouldn’t even think of suing her mother for negligence in her legal role as trustee.

  “The next few losses were for much larger amounts. Shelley and her mother had an almighty fight over those. That was the night Shelley took a taxi and came to my house in tears when we were all there for a party. Remember that?”

  “How could I not?” Lexie said dryly. “Betty still hates me for getting between her and Shelley.”

  He nodded. “That was the catalyst for me. I asked Shelley to give me copies of all her bank accounts so I could check them. There were monthly debits there that didn’t tie up with anything. We found out it was Betty paying herself a ‘salary’ for time spent managing Shelley’s money. It was on top of the generous trustee salary she was already getting.

  “That was the last straw. She was siphoning off her daughter’s money to line her own pockets. Who knows if she was all that innocent regarding those failed investments? Anyway, I just had to get her to hand over the management of Shelley’s trust account to me. My sister could end up with hardly anything by the time she turns twenty-one. But apart from that, Shelley and I don’t want to see the fruits of our father’s hard work treated with such disdain, and we want to preserve the legacy he left us.

  “Betty didn’t give in without a fight, though. Being a suspicious witch, she believes that a wife or even a girlfriend of mine could end up having access to Shelley’s money through me. She’s scared that I’d be under some woman’s thumb and be seduced into scamming my sister of her millions. So she insisted that I remain single for as long as I’m the trustee.”

  Lexie gasped. “That’s preposterous!”

  “Yes. To say that I was insulted was an understatement. I don’t need or want Shelley’s money. I have more than enough. But I suppose I’m not surprised by her suspicious mind because that’s what she would do if given the chance.”

  “So you agreed?”

  “I felt I didn’t have a choice. The witch dug in her heels. She badly wanted to keep the trustee role so she came up with something she thought I’d never agree to, just to stop me from accusing her of not even wanting to negotiate. But I just as badly wanted to wipe the smugness off her face. So yeah, I signed on the dotted line.”

  “Just to wipe the smugness off her face?” Lexie asked in disbelief.

  He smiled wryly. “I signed that contract when I was angry and vengeful. I’m sorry now that I accepted the terms as they were. But at the time, all I cared about was not letting her continue to get away with what she was doing. Shelley didn’t have the heart to stand up against her mother, so I had to do it. Besides, I thought at the time I wouldn’t have a problem with meeting the condition. It was a ridiculous proviso, but I honestly believed then that it wouldn’t interfere with my life. I thought waiting until I’m thirty-six to have a serious relationship was actually ideal.”

  “But being single means not being married, right? Dating is fine?”

  “Under the contract, being single means not being in a serious relationship—married or unmarried. So I’m stuck with the casual, no-strings-attached variety.”

  “Oh.”

  He saw uncertainly and disappointment play on Lexie’s face. He took her hand and stroked it. “I don’t know what’s in store for us for the future, Lex,” he said softly. “But I can’t stand the thought of not giving it a try. Would you be okay with seeing where this thing between us could lead knowing that we have to hide it from everyone until I find a way to get out of the contract?”

  Lexie smiled—a happy, shy smile that instantly brightened him up.

  “What are the repercussions if she catches you dating a woman?” she asked.

  “She’ll force me to hand back trusteeship of Shelley’s assets to her and...” He took a deep breath. “She’ll also get to be twenty percent shareholder of my company.”

  Lexie sat back, stunned. “Rick...”

  “Yup,” he said dryly. “I’m a moron.”

  “Can’t you say that the contract is unconscionable?”

  “I’m not likely to get away with that. I was a successful, wealthy entrepreneur of sound mind when I signed it. I wasn’t under duress and I knew exactly what I was getting into. I was just plain stupid.

  “My lawyer has lambasted me for not running it past him before I signed. He pointed out that if Betty becomes a shareholder and really wants to create problems, she could find reasons to go against decisions I make as the director of the company. Then she could call on sections of the corporations law and say that my actions are unfairly prejudicial and discriminatory to her as a minority shareholder. She might not win if something like that ever goes to court, but she could still wreak havoc along the way. And I know she’ll try to do damage if given the chance. Betty hates my guts. Admittedly, I didn’t think of these repercussions until the deed had been done. But like I said, I thought I’d be fine with casual relationships, anyway.”

  Lexie looked at him, searching his eyes.

  “Can you imagine me staying away from you after what happened in your kitchen?” he asked in a low voice.

  She gave him a small smile. “I can’t imagine me staying away from you after what happened in my kitchen. But Rick, the consequences are too great.”

  “What would you have me do? Stay away from you again?”

  She sniffed. “I don’t want that either. You said you’re trying to find a way out of the contract?”

  “Yes.”

  “When do you think you could be free of it?”

  In six years.

  But he knew he’d lose her then. Maybe not immediately, but somewhere along the way. Six years was too long a time to hold a relationship back from progressing.

  “I don’t know,” was what he said out loud. “But soon, hopefully. I’m working on a couple of options.”

  “Okay. I guess we’d have to hide until then.”

  His heart jumped. She was okay with i
t!

  He grabbed her hand and kissed her palm. “We have to be very, very careful. You can’t tell Shelley about us. We can’t even tell our friends—for the time being, at least. Much as we trust them, it’s harder to keep a secret when more people know. They’re bound to act differently if they knew, and that alone could be telling.”

  “It’s gonna be so hard not to tell even my best friends about us.”

  “I know. I’m sorry about that.” He hugged her tight, revelling at finally being able to hold her like this.

  “Rick...”

  “Yes, babe.”

  “If Betty learns you’re going out with me, it will be worse. She hates my guts, too.”

  “I know,” he whispered, letting out a ragged sigh as he squeezed her tighter.

  Lexie looked at the clock on the wall. “We have an hour and a half until Erin comes home,” she said.

  That had him hurrying to kiss her again. In no time flat, desire was raging inside of him. There were still plenty of things to discuss, but they stayed at the edge of his consciousness, overpowered by the fire Lexie was fast stoking as she pulled him down with her on the couch.

  “Rick,” Lexie said against his mouth.

  “Mm?”

  “We could always say we’re just friends with benefits,” she said, rubbing her leg against his.

  “Are we having a conversation or are you trying to seduce me?” he asked, distracted by her actions. He rearranged them so he was comfortably lying on top of her.

  She wrapped her lovely legs around his thigh.

  Argh.

  “Betty won’t be able to accuse you of being in a serious relationship if we ourselves say it’s only casual, can she?” she asked.

  He sighed. “I’m afraid that won’t work. Aileen and I tried that. Betty came very close to taking me to court to prove I was lying. Her argument was that dating someone exclusively for more than two months can’t be considered casual.”

  He felt Lexie’s energy wane as she unwrapped her legs from around him.

  “So you were serious with Aileen?” she asked.

  “No,” he assured her. “It wasn’t exactly casual, but it wasn’t serious.”

  “She still wants you,” she mumbled.