by Tasha Fawkes
She rolls her eyes and laughs. “It's going well,” she admits, her cheeks reddening. “I don’t want to jinx it or anything, but he's a good guy. I like him.”
“Good. You deserve someone who makes you happy,” I say, wrapping my arms around her. “Thank you for this, Ash. It’s exactly what I needed.”
We lay back and watch some TV, while Ash orders a pizza. I pick at my bit, not really hungry. Every time Ash glances over to make sure I’m eating, I take a bite, just to make her feel better. Her pep talk did lift me up, but now I'm right back to where I was before. Feeling sad and sorry for myself. I know I need to break out of this self-pity, but God, it’s hard. I hang around Ash’s house until I can't avoid going home any longer.
Sighing, I get to my feet. “I should probably go,” I mutter.
Ash shakes her head. “No way you’re going anywhere,” she declares. “First, you're in no condition to be driving and second, you don't want to be alone, so why leave? I can tell that just by looking at you. Stay here. You’re welcome here for as long as you like.”
I throw my arms around her, grateful to have such an amazing friend.
“Are sure you don't mind?” I mumble, on the verge of tears. “I'll just crash on the couch,” I add.
“Of course. You know you're welcome here whenever you need to stay,” she says, hugging me.
She gets me some blankets and a pillow and I curl up on the couch, pretending to be asleep until she goes to bed and leaves me alone. Once she’s gone, the tears begin to really fall. I can't help it. I've been bottling everything up for so long and now it's all coming out. He hurt me so much and I'm not sure that I'm ever going to recover from that. I really believed that he truly felt something for me. I thought that he loved me.
I sit up and reach for my phone, navigating to my email. My hands shake as I hover over his email. It’s still unread and I want to be strong enough just to press delete and pretend I never received it, but I can't. I have to hear what he has to say. I click open and take a deep breath then I begin to read.
Shana.
God, how many ways can I say that I'm sorry.
I'm sorry that I hurt you. I'm sorry for the way I treated you, but the one thing I'm not sorry about is the fact that I've fallen in love with you. You mean absolutely everything to me, and I can't lose you. I’ll do whatever I need to do in order to get you back. Please, give me a chance. Give me a chance to prove to you just how much I love you. Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do. Just hear me out.
Rex.
I read his words over and over again, my heart aching for him. Am I really considering forgiving him? I shake my head. I can't do that to myself again. I can't open myself up and let him hurt me again. So what if he's telling the truth? So what if he really does love me? That doesn't change anything, does it? I turn my phone off and toss it across the room, then bury my face in the pillow. Soon, it's so wet that I have to turn it over.
I don't know what to do.
All I know is Rex is proving much harder to get over than I thought.
Nineteen
Rex
I'm an absolute mess.
All I can think about is Shana and how I lost the woman I loved in order to help my grandfather win some stupid years old feud. I lay in my bed, staring at the ceiling, which is how I've spent most of the last few days. I have to try to win her back. Only I’ve got no idea how to do that. A knock sounds on the front door, interrupting my thoughts. I sigh and force myself to get up. The only reason I'm answering the damn thing is the slightest, tiniest chance that it might be Shana.
Maybe she read my email and she's here to hear me out.
When I fling open the door and see Matt standing there, I groan and turn around, stalking back inside. He follows me in, closing the door behind him. I slump down on the couch without saying a word to him, the only acknowledgement I offer being the scowl on my face.
“Hello to you too,” he says. My scowl turns into a glower. “What the hell you doing?” he asks. “You look like you've been lying in bed all day.”
“Someone give the man a medal,” I mutter.
“Why are you so…mopey? he asks, looking perplexed.
“You seriously have to ask me that?” I say, shaking my head. That right there is proof that he doesn’t give a shit about my life.
“Ah,” he says. He sits down on the arm of the chair and stares at me. “Is this because of Shana?”
“No, I’m heartbroken over James,” I snap. “Of course, it’s fucking about Shana.”
“Fine, if you want her back that badly, then do something about it,” Matt retorts.
“Like it's that easy?” I say.
I shake my head, because God I hate him sometimes. Everything is so fucking easy for him.
“Yes, it is that easy,” he argues. “Look, for what it's worth, I'm not happy with the way things were done. Even to James. I don't think he deserved what he got in the end. I think our grandfather took things too far, and I didn’t appreciate being part of his plan to play that out.”
“Easy to say now,” I mutter.
“Well, what can I do about it?” he shrugs. “I feel bad, but so what? Why mope around like…well, like you, if I can’t fix the problem?”
“What if we can do something, though,” I mutter.
Matt looks confused. “What are you talking about?”
“I mean, what if we can fix this?” I say, my heart racing.
“What are you talking about, Rex?” Matt snaps. “There is no fixing this. That’s your whole problem, remember?”
But I’m too excited to listen to him. I jump up and pace the living room.
“I have an idea, but I’m going to need your help,” I say.
“Rex, just sit the fuck down and tell me what the hell you’re talking about,” Matt demands.
“Fine,” I grumble, sitting down. “It pays for us to have a smooth transition, right? What if we put Denton on as Chairman until he reaches retirement age? Then he keeps face, and we don’t have an uproar on our hands because we’ve run him out of his own company.”
Matt nods slowly. “It might work. It gives him the appearance of still having power, without actually having any,” he muses. His eyes shine as he smiles at me. “That’s kind of genius, Rex.”
“Save the praise for if—” I pause, “—When I get him to agree.”
Matt leaves me to get ready. After I have a shower and get dressed, I’m feeling much more positive. It's a long shot, but I have to try. Even if he agrees to meet me there’s no guarantee that he will actually go through with my suggestion. I pace my living room, trying to work out in my head what I'm going to say to him before I make the call. I'm the last person he's going to want to hear from. Hell, I’d be lucky if he doesn't hang up the second he realizes it's me.
Just do it. Just call him and get him to meet you for lunch.
I take a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves and then I pick up my phone. I dial his number and lift it to my ear and wait.
“James Denton.”
“Hi, James. Please don't hang up. Just hear me out.”
“Who is this?”
“It's Rex,” I mutter.
“And what the hell do you want?” he asks.
“I just want to talk to you. I want you to meet me. I have a proposition for you.”
“You know where you can stick your proposition,” he growls.
“Please, you’re going to want to hear this.” I pause, feeling like I’ve almost got him. “Trust me,” I add.
He sighs and then he finally speaks.
“Fine. The clubhouse. I'll be there for lunch, so meet me at eleven forty five. I'll give you fifteen minutes.”
He hangs up. I put the phone down and breathe, nearly gasping for air as my lungs cry out for relief. That wasn't even the hard bit, but it felt like it. I glance at the time and panic.
Shit. It’s after eleven already.
The whole drive over I’m still trying to w
ork out how I'm going to spin this. I run over every little thing that can go wrong, and trust me when I say there's plenty. By the time I walk into the clubhouse, my palms are sweating. I wipe them against my pants and take a deep breath.
I see James Denton sitting there waiting for me. He frowns as I approach him. I extend my hand and after staring at it for a moment, he shakes it.
“You're the last person I wanted to hear from. You know that, right?” he says.
“Then why did you agree to meet me for lunch?” I ask.
He shrugs slightly and raises his eyebrows.
“You did something I never thought was possible. You turned my board against me.”
“No, you turned them against yourself,” I say.
“I planted the seed. That's all. I gave them the opportunity to do what they’d wanted for a long time.” I frown at him. “But in saying that, I'm not happy with the way I did it.”
“So why are you here?” he asks.
“To make you an offer. If you join the newly reconfigured board and help us ensure a smooth transition, I’ll put you on as the position of Chairman for five years, until you reach retirement age. You save face, and we get a hassle-free transition.”
James frowns at me. “Why are you doing this?” he asks.
“Because it's the right thing to do,” I say with a shrug. “I didn't agree with what we did so I want to try and make it right.”
“Making it right would be to give me back my company.”
“Your company was sinking and you know it,” I reply. “Without us, you’d have been dead in the water within a year anyway.”
“And this has nothing to do with my daughter?” he asks, looking me in the eye.
I stare him right back. “I'd be doing this regardless.”
James nods. “I appreciate you reaching out to me. I accept your proposal.”
“Good,” I say.
I leave the restaurant feeling better than I have in days. I resist the urge to call Shana again because eventually, I have to take the hint that she doesn't want to speak to me. There's no point pushing her until she's ready to hear me out. I shake my head.
Who is this guy and what has he done with the real me?
I sit in my car, thinking about where I go from here. I don't really have any further role in the Harris Corporation, but I want to change that. I learned something over the past few weeks and that was how much I enjoyed being part of the business. I'm about to start my car and head over to Matt's office, when my phone rings. I look down and see Shana's name flashing on the screen. I stare at it for a moment, sure I’m imagining it. I’m almost too afraid to answer it.
There’s a good chance that she's heard from her father, and she thinks that this is some attempt to get her attention. I take a deep breath and press answer.
“Hello,” I mumble.
“I'll meet with you.”
“Really?” I frown. “What changed your mind?”
“I just spoke to my father. He told me what you did. I appreciate that, so I’ll meet with you. I'm not making any promises, but I'll listen to what you have to say.”
“Thank you,” I murmur. “Where would you like to meet? And when?”
“Now is fine. You can come over to my place if you like,” she says.
“I'll be there soon,” I say.
I take a deep breath and knock on Shana’s door. I’m nervous, because I still have no idea what frame of mind she's in. She opens the door and stares at me for a moment, before moving aside just enough to allow me inside.
“Thank you for this,” I say.
“Thanks for coming,” she says.
She follows me into the living room and sits down on the couch, carefully crossing one leg over the other. Her expression gives nothing away.
“What do you have to say to me, Rex?”
I laugh and shake my head. “God, where do I start? I just have so much that I want to explain to you,” I say. “I knew about the feud between our grandfathers much later than I think you realize. That’s still no excuse for not telling you, but by that stage, I’d already fallen in love with you.”
She frowns at me, her hands tightening into fists in her lap.
“You should've told me the moment you discovered it,” she says.
“I know,” I say, angry at myself. “I should have told you. I wanted to tell you so many times, but every time I tried to bring it up, I couldn't do it. I was sure you’d think that the only reason I was pursuing you was because...”
“You were playing a game?” she supplies. “Weren’t you?”
“In the beginning? Yes, but then I fell in love with you,” I murmur. She smiles slightly. “I developed real feelings. Feelings that scared the fuck out of me. Things I hadn't felt for anyone before. I fell for you, Shana. And now, for the first time in my life, I know exactly what I want.”
“And what’s that?” she asks.
“You,” I say.
She smiles. My heart pounding, I take my chance and move closer to her on the couch. I take her hand in mine and when she doesn't pull away, I kiss it.
“Please, give me another chance let me prove to you how much you mean to me,” I beg her.
She turns to me slightly then leans over and presses her lips against mine. She stands up and for a moment I think it's all over, until she extends her hand.
“Are you coming?” she asks.
I stand up, not hesitating to follow her into her room. She throws her arms around me and kisses me, her lips caressing mine. She tosses me down on the bed. I groan as she undoes the buckle on my pants and shrugs them off. I free myself of my shirt, tossing it on the floor, then I watch as she unbuttons hers and lowers it over her shoulders and off her arms.
She reaches behind to undo her bra, letting it fall to the ground. Then, she unzips her skirt and lets it pool around her feet. She climbs on top of me, her lips pressing against mine.
“God, I’ve missed you,” she whispers. “You have no idea how awful the last few days have been.”
“I've got a pretty good idea,” I mutter.
My fingers roam everywhere, all over her body as she gasps. I press myself against her and thrust my cock inside her. She groans, her mouth opening slightly as I grab hold of her hips and bring her down on my length. I rock her back and forth against me. She slides up and down on my cock, gasping as I fill her.
My fingers touch her stomach, moving up to her breasts. I tweak her nipples, rolling my fingers around them until they’re stiff. Bringing my hands back down, I grip her hips, driving myself deeper into her. I grunt as my orgasm builds, then I come, exploding inside her. She gasps, her body clenching down on mine.
Panting, she collapses on the bed next to me. A smile fills her face as she rolls over so she's facing me.
“If you ever lie to me again, I swear, I'll kill you.”
I shake my head and take her hand in mine.
“I’ll never lie to you again,” I promise. “Thank you. Thank you so much for giving me another chance,” I mumble.
We spend the rest of the day in bed. I stay the night, alternating between more sex and sleeping. The only thing that's stopping me from spending another day in bed with her is the fact that is the final reading of Grandfather’s will. I groan as she grips my arm, trying to pull me back into the bed.
“If it wasn't the final reading of the will, then I'd just not get up at all,” I mutter. “Come with me,” I suddenly ask her.
“Really?” she says with a smile. I nod and lean over and kiss her.
“I want you there. I want you everywhere.”
Twenty
Shana
Rex sighs as he walks out of the bathroom. He looks at me as I put my heels on, a glint in his eye.
“The reading has been moved to later this afternoon. Apparently Matt has some important meeting he couldn’t change,” he mutters. He sits down on the bed next to me. “I was annoyed, until I walked out here and saw you in that dress.”
<
br /> “And what does that change?” I say innocently.
“It leaves us with a few hours to fill in,” he says, stroking a loose strand of hair away from my eyes. I shiver and bite back a smile.
“I have no idea how we can do that,” I murmur.
I reach over and run my finger down his thigh, biting down on my lip as he watches me. His mouth twitches into a smile as he turns to me, his eyes dark with anticipation. God, I can see how excited I have him.
“Watch yourself,” he mumbles. “You don’t want to start something you can’t finish,” he adds softly, staring into my eyes.
“Oh, but I have every intention of finishing this,” I purr as I fall to my knees.
My hands work fast to unbuckle his belt, while he grunts and leans back against his hands. He watches me, a pained expression on his face as I reach inside and wrap my fingers around his cock. He groans as I free him, running my fist along his length.
“Oh fuck me,” he mutters, resting his palms flat on the bed behind him.
“If you like,” I say with a smile. “Though I was thinking more this…”
I place my mouth over his tip and suck. He grunts, his eyes widening as I take him all in my mouth. I slide my lips over his shaft, back and forth, sucking harder and faster, while my eyes remain locked on his.
“Fuck,” he hisses.
He places a hand on my head, guiding me as I suck him, willing me to work him harder. My mouth glides over his shaft until he hits the back of my throat, then I ease back until my tongue curls around his tip. He groans, his hips bucking forward. He frantically grabs at my hair, holding me against him as he releases. I gasp as his warm liquid coats the back of my throat, the feel of him coming in my mouth an incredible turn on.
He falls back on the bed, exhausted and barely able to move. Satisfied, I get to my feet and hide my smirk. I quickly freshen up, while he recovers from having his mind blown. We’re still running early when I’m ready to go.
“I think I’ve earned lunch,” I tease. “Your shout, of course.”
