Falling_A Bad Boy Billionaire Romance

by Cali MacKay

  Having dealt with my father’s death, I knew that I had to muster the courage to get my life back to normal, so I could start living again. It was the only way to beat back the depression and sadness that had gripped my heart, even if it meant taking baby steps, one at a time. And Slater was right…getting out of the house was the first step.

  “I can’t focus long enough to actually make any sense of my work, so heading to the lab is pointless. But if you want to head out for a bit, I wouldn’t mind. I know it’d do me some good.” And just maybe I could steal another minute or two alone with him, away from the gloom that was lingering around my home.

  Not that I was hoping Slater would kiss me this time around. I knew that he was way out of my league, and any fantasies I might be harboring were just that—fantasies. Fantasies fueled by a lifetime of loneliness and romance novels, now amplified by my grief and the fact that I had no one else in my life.

  “You know…I think I’ve got just the place to cheer you up.” Slater smiled at me, his blue eyes alight and his dark hair scruffy, sending my thoughts back into my fantasy. He’d think me so foolish if he ever found out. But before I could say anything, he turned his attention to Colton. “We’ll only be a few hours, though if that changes, I’ll be sure to let you know.”

  “I’ll be right here.” Colton gave Slater a look that spoke volumes, though I’d be damned if I knew what he was trying to say. “If you need anything at all, just call.”

  I’d expected Slater to call the car around, but instead he grabbed my hand and led me to his SUV. He opened the door and gave me a hand climbing in, before going around and hopping into the driver’s seat. “I figure it might be easier to go unnoticed in my car.”

  I buckled myself in, with a silly realization.

  “Is it insane that it’s been ages since I sat in the front of a vehicle? We’ve had drivers my whole life—even though my father liked to drive around in his Aston. But Mother would have a fit if he tried to take me along, so it was a rare occurrence, and then once he died…” I let out a ragged breath, my heart still heavy. “I miss having him around—even more so now that my mother’s gone.”

  He reached over and gave my hand a squeeze before taking off down the road, his gaze constantly checking his rearview mirror, as if wanting to make sure we weren’t being followed. “It makes sense, love.”

  Having him call me “love” warmed my heart, even though I knew it was just a casual endearment for him and nothing more. But at the moment, I was feeling so down and lonely, that it’d be easy to get attached to anyone who showed me a bit of attention and kindness, when the reality was that Slater was paid to be by my side, and I had no doubt he’d be nothing but a casual acquaintance once I no longer needed a bodyguard.

  The thought of not having Slater in my life left my heart aching with a pang.

  I may end up making a fool of myself, but my father had always told me that I needed to take chances in life, and live my life to the fullest.

  Yet I hadn’t.

  I’d been timid and shy, and I’d done whatever my mother wanted, not wanting to upset her.

  But she was gone now—and it was a lesson I should learn from.

  Life was short, and since we may not get a tomorrow, we might as well make the most of today.

  Chapter Eleven

  Slater

  I didn’t know if my plan would work, but I figured it was worth a shot. Izzy had been feeling down after her mother’s death, which was only to be expected. But I needed to try to cheer her up. Seeing her look so sad and forlorn made me want to take care of her and make her happy again—and at the moment, I was hoping that some furry friends would be just the thing to bump her out of her sadness.

  I pulled into the parking lot of the shelter that my mom spent almost all her time at, especially now that my father was gone. Luckily, with grandchildren finally making their way into my mother’s life as my brothers all started families of their own, there was a lot more joy than there had been in recent years. Not that it stopped my mother’s pack of rescue animals from growing. “Hope you don’t mind. My mom volunteers here, and every few weeks they get a new shipment in of animals that have come from high-kill shelters all over the country. Figured we could maybe give them a hand.”

  Her eyes lit up as she smiled at me—the first smile I had seen since her mother’s death. “I think I’d really enjoy that. My father had a few dogs when he was a bachelor. I remember them being so much fun though I was still quite young. And then…”

  “And then, once those animals were gone, your mother refused to have any more animals around?” I hated to think ill of the dead, but that woman had been a manipulative bitch. I hated that she’d controlled and influenced so much of Izzy’s life—and not for the better, unfortunately.

  She shrugged, looking down at her hands in her lap. “I could make excuses for her, but I won’t. And though I love her and miss her terribly, I know that she wasn’t the easiest person to live with. So much of my life has been about what she wanted, my every move made only after I’d thought out just how my mother would react, and whether or not it would be worth dealing with the fallout of her anger or disappointment. I hate to say it, but I feel like I haven’t really lived my life as a result. I’ve only lived some mediocre version of what my life could have been. I know I shouldn’t be blaming my mother when she was just murdered, but I can’t help feeling the way I feel.”

  “Izzy… I know you’re wrestling with a whole lot of emotions, but you’re not a horrible person for wanting to live your life and finally being able to do so.” I shifted in my seat and took her hand in mine as I cupped her cheek with my other hand, needing her to know that she wasn’t alone, and I truly did care about her. “I know I didn’t know your mother long, and maybe it’s not my place to say this, but…it was clear that she ruled with an iron fist, and took only her own needs and wants into account. You shouldn’t feel guilty for wanting to finally live your life the way you’ve always wanted to. And doing so may not have made your mother happy, but I think your father would have been ecstatic for you.”

  “I know you’re right, Slater. But I still feel like a horrible daughter, especially when it’s only been weeks since she passed away.” Her voice was thick with emotion, and I found myself pulling her into my arms and holding her to me as I felt my heart slip just a little down an awfully precarious slope.

  “Hush, love. Your mother was lucky to have you as a daughter, and I won’t have you thinking otherwise. You loved her, and you did your best to make her happy. No one could ask anything more of you.” I pulled away just enough to look at her, and tilted her chin up so that her eyes would meet mine, and so she’d know that I was here for her. “It’s now time for you to live your life the way you want to live it—guilt-free. No matter what you want to do, no matter what you want to try, I’ll be right here. I’ll have your back, Izzy.”

  She must’ve taken my words to heart, because the next thing I knew, she was closing the distance between us, her lips on mine in a tentative kiss filled with question and uncertainty.

  Except that there was nothing uncertain about the way she made me feel.

  I sank my fingers into her hair, deepening our kiss, my tongue sweeping over hers as I tried not to lose all control, my heart hammering inside my chest. Never had I wanted anyone as much as I wanted her, even if I knew the situation was less than ideal. But none of that mattered at this very moment when I had her in my arms, and when she tasted sweet as honey.

  Yet she’d been through so much… I paused, giving her an out. But she didn’t take it, deepening our kiss until I was helpless to do anything but give in to what was between us.

  By the time we pulled away, my breathing was heavy and I wanted to do a whole lot more than simply kiss her. When I finally managed to mutter her name, there was no hiding how badly I wanted her, my voice thick with need. “Izzy…”

  “I’m so sorry, Slater. I shouldn’t have—”

  I s
topped her words with another kiss, refusing to let her question her impulse to kiss me, when it’d been all I could do to hold back from the moment I first laid eyes on her.

  Before meeting Izzy, I thought I’d never fall in love. Yet it was becoming clear that I just hadn’t met the right woman—until now. And I may be jumping the gun when it came to Izzy, since I’d only known her for a few weeks, but I’d spent each day with her, and there was very little not to like. She was smart, sweet, and interesting—and now, with her mother gone, I was hoping to coax her out of her shell to see what other amazing things she was capable of.

  I somehow managed to end our kiss before I took things too far and scared her off. Yet I couldn’t pull away from her, my head bent to hers as we caught our breath. “I don’t want to hear any nonsense about how you shouldn’t have kissed me. And just so you know, you can feel free to kiss me whenever you damn please.”

  Although she blushed, her lips curled into a shy smile. “I think I’d like that.”

  “Come on then. We have a busy day ahead of us—though I have to warn you. There’s a good chance my mother will be here.” Unfortunately, my mother was far too smart and tuned in to her kids to not pick up on the fact that I was completely smitten with Izzy—although even a blind person could probably see it.

  “It’ll be nice to meet your mother.” She gave me an easy smile before I went around to her door and helped her hop down from my SUV, fully aware that it was a bit of a climb to get in and out of the vehicle. “Even though we’ve spent the last several weeks together, I still feel like I don’t know a whole lot about you.”

  “I don’t know that there’s a whole lot to know.” Not that I’d be telling her about my family’s past business ventures anytime soon, even though it made me feel like a shit for keeping things from her. “All you need to know is that there are far too many of us Blackthorns around, since I’m the youngest of six brothers.”

  “Wow…I can’t even imagine. I always wanted a brother or sister, but it never happened. That said, six total—and all boys? I bet you were all a handful.” She let out a little laugh, as if imagining the trouble and mischief that we had gotten up to while growing up.

  I leaned over and stole another kiss, knowing it’d have to last me awhile. “You have no idea. Although, if you stick around long enough, I’m sure my mother will be happy to embarrass me with all sorts of stories from my youth.”

  “I think I’d like that.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Isabelle

  My heart had yet to slow from those mind-blowing kisses. Yet those very kisses had also made one thing abundantly clear. Not only was I way out of my league with Slater—I was also woefully inexperienced. Which would only make sense given that I must be Seattle’s oldest virgin.

  Before I could panic, he grabbed my hand and led the way to the shelter, bringing my hand to his lips, the gesture sweet and unexpected. I didn’t know why, but in my mind, Slater came across as a bit of a badass, despite the suit he often wore—though I liked him even more when he was dressed down, like he was at the moment: jeans, a t-shirt that kissed every muscle but didn’t hide the ink on his arms, a loose flannel shirt left hanging open, and a worn leather jacket to protect against the chill in the air.

  “I’m not sure if my mom will be here, but figured I’d give you a heads-up.” He pulled open the door and maneuvered his way through the lobby, the women behind the front desk all greeting him with warm smiles, and letting him know that his mother was in the back.

  It was clear he not only knew his way around the shelter, but that everyone knew him, and seemed to like him. Not that I would’ve expected anything different. There wasn’t anything not to like, as far as I was concerned.

  We entered the rear of the shelter and headed over to a woman who was organizing a pile of towels and blankets that had just come out of the dryer. The moment she spotted us, her face lit up, and I knew that it had to be his mother—though I hadn’t been expecting the Irish lilt to her voice. “Slater…what a surprise. I hadn’t been expecting you, love.”

  Love. He used the word just like his mother did. Which made me like it all the more, almost as if it was an endearment reserved for people they were fond of or close to.

  “Hey, Ma.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek, before turning to me with a smile, still holding onto my hand, which clearly didn’t escape his mother’s notice, her gaze flicking down to our joined hands before returning to our faces. “I’d like to introduce you to Isabelle Rutherford. Izzy, this is my ma, Deirdre.”

  “Isabelle… It’s so nice to meet you.” Deirdre pulled me into a warm hug, the gesture so kind and sincere that it played havoc with my emotions, especially when I’d never gotten a hug like that from my own mother. She pulled away, though she held onto my shoulders a moment more, her eyes soft with sympathy. “I was so sorry to hear of your tragic loss, my dear. And the threats to your life… No one should have to deal with so much.”

  Tears stung my eyes as I swallowed down the lump in my throat and nodded, knowing that if I attempted to speak I would lose what little control I had over my emotions. Slater pulled me into his arms, and when he spoke, it was to his mother. “We figured we could help with the new animals that were coming in today.”

  “Och, dear… They were delayed due to weather, and won’t be here until this evening. But we’re always looking for volunteers to socialize and play with the dogs and cats, if you’re still looking for something to do.” She tilted her head toward a side door. “Slater, you know where everything is. Why don’t you show Isabelle around and see what she might like to do. Just make sure you stop by and see me before you go.”

  “Will do, Ma.” Slater kissed her cheek, and then took my hand and led the way, giving me a smile that warmed my ragged soul. “Dogs or cats?”

  “I like them both. You?” It still felt like I didn’t know a whole lot about Slater, even though he’d spent nearly every waking moment with me these last few weeks.

  “Both, but these days, I’m not really home enough, and it wouldn’t be fair if I had a pet. Luckily, if I ever need a fix, I can always come here—or go to my mother’s, since she’s taken home far too many animals.” At the end of the hall, Slater pulled open the door and we were hit with the sound of dogs barking and the smell of cleaning products, though we quickly stopped so he could grab a leash. “This way… I always have to check in on my favorites, to see if they’ve been adopted.”

  I thought that was the sweetest thing ever. It would be so easy to misjudge Slater, given that he carried himself with a bit of a sexy, bad boy vibe and certainly looked like he had some edge to him, almost as if he had a way of getting himself into a fair bit of trouble. And yet, he was so sweet and caring on so many levels that it really caught me off guard.

  “This here is Lola. Don’t let her size fool you, though. She’s as sweet as can be—aren’t you, girl?” Slater pet the massive dog through the bars of her cage, clearly recognizing him, her tail wagging furiously. “Unfortunately, she’s been with the shelter almost six months.”

  “That’s heartbreaking—and she’s so gorgeous.” I’d never seen a dog like her. She was massive and shaggy, her fur the color of espresso and her eyes a golden brown. “Can we take her out?”

  “I’m sure she’d love that.” He carefully opened her door and clipped the leash to Lola’s collar before letting her out of her large kennel. Lola immediately trotted over to me and pushed her body against mine, looking for some attention. “She clearly likes you.”

  “How is it that no one has adopted her yet?” It was hard not to want to take her home, especially knowing that she’d been here so long. And if I could help the shelter with a sizeable donation, I’d do just that.

  “She’s a few years old, she’s huge, and she’s shaggy, which means she sheds like crazy. And people? They want puppies that won’t shed and won’t eat them out of house or home, or knock over little children with a swipe of the tail.” Slater scrat
ched Lola behind her ears. “But there’s one more thing. She’s bonded to Winston, which means the shelter would like to see them get adopted together, if at all possible.”

  “Winston?” I looked around at all the cages, wondering which one he might be.

  “He’s a cat, so he’s in a different part of the building. We can pay him a visit later.” With Lola’s leash in hand, Slater brought us outside to a fenced-in play area, securing the door before letting her off the leash.

  The moment she was set free, she jogged over to one of the balls and started chomping on it, while happily tossing her head back and forth, and trotting around on the artificial grass. When Slater called her, she ran over and dropped the ball at our feet, before backing up, her eyes glued to the ball, her body tense in anticipation. He grabbed the ball and tossed it, sending Lola running.

  And just like that, with Slater at my side, and Lola running around, I took a deep breath of the cool, fresh air and felt the weight of my grief start to lift.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Slater

  Damn, it was good to see Izzy smile as she played with Lola. There was something special about animals and the way they could touch someone and ease their pain. And to me, that always felt even more true when it came to shelter animals, since they frequently carried their own heartaches, and yet were still willing to trust and love with patience and kindness.

  Izzy tossed the ball and then turned to me, her smile lighting up her eyes as her red hair caught in the wind. “Thank you so much for bringing me here. For the first time in weeks, I feel like I can breathe again. Lola…she’s just so perfect.”