She shook her head and bit at her lip. How did he know how much she thought about him?
“Seeing you again.” He smiled and lowered his voice, “You’re more exquisite than any scenery I’ve viewed from Thailand to New Zealand.”
“Thank you.” She blushed, but held her head high and tried to take the compliment graciously. What was it about this man that made her forget she was a confident, business professional?
Byron escorted her to a side table where they had a good view of the bride, groom, his parents, and Summer’s parents, but they had a measure of privacy too. The wedding party was all celebrating, talking, and starting on their salads as Byron and Marissa took their assigned seats. It was awkward that she was right up front like she was part of the family, or Byron’s date, or something.
Byron’s parents glanced over at her. His mom whispered something to his dad then they both stared and smiled some more. She’d been forced to fire employees and not felt as uncomfortable as she did at this moment.
Marissa managed what she hoped was her confident smile, took a sip of her water, then focused on her salad. The dressing was tangy and rich, a creamy poppy seed and she loved the strawberry-spinach salad’s crunchy sweetness. She enjoyed a few bites uninterrupted, grateful she could eat at all with Byron nearby.
His knee rubbed against hers and the bite of spinach stuck in her throat. She swallowed then glanced up. Their gazes met and tangled, an entire conversation passed between them, almost without her permission. The earnestness and warmth of his look was a dagger through her abdomen. How could she still love him so much? She knew who he was, what he was. He wasn’t future husband material and never would be. When he was eighty he’d still be smoking hot and still have women crawling all over him.
The waitress came to request their drink orders. She nodded to Marissa’s request of a lemon for her water and fawned all over Byron as he ordered lemonade.
“She’s interested, you realize that?” Marissa couldn’t help but fling at Byron.
His eyes broke concentration on her face for half a second as he glanced at the retreating young thing then he focused back on her and it was a wonder Marissa could breathe at all.
“Was she?” He reached for her hand under the table, rubbing his thumb along it.
“It happens so often you don’t even notice anymore?” She should pull her hand away to safety, but it felt too good.
Byron’s dark eyes sparkled. “The jealous look is a good one on you, but then everything looks good on you.”
Marissa sputtered for a response, but couldn’t come up with one.
“You’re the epitome of successful, classy, and beautiful—the long, shiny, dark hair, the absolutely gorgeous face and toned body that looks fabulous in those pencil skirts. But it’s your goodness and beauty inside that is the reason I’m devoted to you for life, Riss.”
“Nobody calls me Riss but you.” Devoted for life? Why couldn’t he have said those words in his usual teasing tone? She was free-falling into his romantic gorge of death. How to catch herself?
“Their loss. It fits you.”
“And you’re never going to commit yourself to one woman, so let’s just forget you even suggested it.” She pulled her hand back and hoped the sharp comment would give her a safety rope to hold onto and push him back to his side of the cliff.
Byron’s eyes reflected a deep sadness, but he didn’t complain. The waitress was approaching with a loaded tray. “So the waitress was checking me out, eh?”
She rolled her eyes. “You know she was.”
“Doesn’t matter.” He thanked the waitress as she set their drinks down then he focused back on Marissa. “There’s only one woman I want checking me out.”
Marissa couldn’t hold his gaze. Why was he doing this to her? Three years since he ripped her heart out and she’d stayed strong. She’d built a fabulous life for herself, without him, without any man. Sure she dated, but she never allowed it to get serious. How could Byron yank her back into his looks, and his touches, and the desire to spend every minute with him?
She toyed with another bite of salad, but couldn’t force herself to eat anymore. Glancing away from the too-handsome man who was still gazing at her, as if waiting for her to confirm that she was the woman for him, she studied the rest of the wedding party. Besides Summer’s friends and their husbands, there were some guests that she could easily pick out as family members of either the groom or the bride. A nice-looking group overall, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Her eyes caught on a gorgeous brunette who was laughing with the man seated next to her. The recognition was instantaneous for Marissa and it felt like someone had just shoved a hot poker into her abdomen.
The girl glanced over and noticed Marissa staring at her. Her eyes flickered to Byron, of course. She gave a coy smile and a little wave then turned away. Marissa’s entire body was rigid. It couldn’t be the same girl. Why would she be here? Did Byron invite her? Why was he sitting next to Marissa when the woman he cheated on Marissa with was less than fifty feet away?
“Riss?” Byron touched her hand. “You’re freezing, love. Are you all right?”
Marissa closed her eyes. The pain washed over her anew. Byron, whirling that beautiful girl around then holding her close. She’d known in that instant that every rumor about him was true and Marissa wasn’t the love of his life, she was just another number. She’d sprinted away from the scene in Byron’s office that night, and escaping was the only option for her right now.
She thought she mumbled, “Excuse me,” but wasn’t sure as she pushed back from the table and walked swiftly away from the wedding party. She ripped off her heels and broke into a run as she passed the trucks they’d rode up in. Within seconds, she was dodging mud puddles and sprinting down the mountain road. It didn’t matter that she was barefoot and had no clue how far away her hotel was. She might get lost in these mountains. As long as she was away from that girl, and Byron, she could survive.
“Riss!” Byron caught her much too quickly. He reached for her arm, but she pulled free and ran off the left side of the road, into the thick trees. It was stupid behavior, especially for a city girl, but being mauled by a bear or mountain lion sounded preferable to explaining to Byron why she was reacting so insanely.
Branches scratched at her face and arms. Her blouse snagged and tore. Rocks and twigs pummeled the soles of her feet. She didn’t care. She kept running. Her toe caught on a root and she went down, hard. Slamming into the uneven ground, her shoes went flying from her grasp. Her hands took the brunt of the beating, but she scratched up her knees also.
“Marissa!” Byron was there before she could even try to pull herself up. He dropped to his knees beside her. Marissa rolled over with a groan and sat up. She hadn’t even realized she was crying until the tears dropped from her chin down to her chest.
“Are you okay?” Byron whispered.
She stared at him. No, she wasn’t okay. She’d never be okay without him, but she couldn’t tell him that. She shook her head, and tried to push to her feet. Byron wrapped his arms around her, tugging her to him. He sat back against a tree, pulled her onto his lap like a little child, and simply held her. It was too much. Marissa didn’t fight the tears anymore. Three years of missing him, and denying that she wanted him, and now here he was, holding her. With that woman who had torn them apart half a mile away, eating salad and wondering where her boyfriend had gone. Marissa barked a harsh laugh. That woman probably had no more hold on Byron than Marissa did. He’d most likely been with hundreds of women in the past three years.
Byron pulled back and stared at her. “You’re scaring me, love. What’s going on?”
Marissa shook her head and blew out her breath. “Please stop calling me love. We both know it’s not true.”
Byron blinked at her. “Riss. If you would only believe me. You’re the only woman I’ve ever wanted to call love.”
“Ha!” She tried to break free from his grasp, but h
e was too strong. “Let me go.”
“If you want me to, I will, but, please, please don’t want me to, Riss.” He relaxed his hold and brushed a hand through her hair, dislodging some twigs. He picked them out and smiled gently at her. “Three years. Three long years I’ve wanted to see you, hold you, talk about why you ran from me, but you would never let me. Please don’t run away now. I can’t wait another three years to see you again.”
His words were so tender, so heartfelt, she broke down again. The tears came in a rush and they clogged up her throat and made it impossible to respond to him. She buried her face in his suitcoat and sobbed. Part of her knew she needed to get it together. Byron probably thought she was insane and she looked the opposite of a professional.
Yet she needed this cry almost as much as she needed him. She was ruining his suitcoat and he wouldn’t want to see her for at least three years after this display of emotion, but his hands rubbing against her silky shirt, sitting on his lap like this, it was a dream come true and nightmarish anguish at the same time. She’d missed him like she could never describe and as soon as he let her go, she’d never see him again. She couldn’t handle ever seeing him again.
Finally, she got a grip and pulled back. He was watching her with too much concern in his eyes. “Is all this for me? Have I hurt you, Riss?”
She blinked at him. Had he hurt her? Only every day.
“I would never want to hurt you.”
Marissa pulled free and pushed to her feet. Byron stood quickly, and without her heels on, he had her by half a foot. She’d always thought they were the perfect height for each other.
“You have no idea what you’re talking about,” she muttered. “Every woman is a game to you.” She wanted to run, but she held her ground and looked into his eyes. She’d faced down entire board rooms and stood strong in her convictions, she could win against Byron’s beseeching eyes. Those dark eyes that usually sparkled with humor and mischief were now very serious as they studied her.
“You’ve never been a game to me.”
She wanted to believe him, everything in her begged her to believe him, but the proof was all there. Every photo on the Internet with a different girl. Every old friend of hers from college, who still lived in Charlotte, informing her about all the women he went through.
“Aargh!” she screamed. “I can’t do this with you.”
She turned away, but Byron caught her arm and turned her back. “Do what, love? Why can’t you give us a chance? Why did you run away from me three years ago and refuse to see me since?”
The years melted away. She’d been finishing her MBA at UNC’s business school, Kenan-Flagler’s, when a friend introduced her to Byron. The connection had been instantaneous, and she was certain she’d found the love of her life. They only dated a couple of months, but Byron was fun, romantic, smart, successful—everything she’d wanted. She’d been the oldest of ten and her life was focused on working hard, getting the full-ride scholarship, being a good example, and making her parents proud. She loved her family, but had never experienced life like she did with Byron. He made every moment sparkle and shine, and might be the only person who could make her laugh and simply enjoy herself.
It had all crashed down on her the day before she’d graduated. She’d been offered the most amazing job with KJ’s Fun Zone. Byron had teased that he wasn’t going to let her move to Ohio, but she knew he’d support her and they’d make their relationship work. What they had was too magical to let it go.
She’d had some extra time with classes and finals done, and decided to surprise him at his company, Mumford’s Sons. Walking out of the elevator she saw him in the lobby, hugging the breathtaking brunette like he hadn’t seen her in a year and was in heaven holding her. The girl smiled up at him so worshipfully then leaned in to kiss him.
Marissa had been warned by many people that he was a player, but she was too gone over him to listen. When the proof smacked her in the face, she’d turned back to the elevator and disappeared from his life. He’d tried time and again to get her to see him. She’d even heard that he’d gone to Canton, Ohio to look for her, but she’d been smart and gone home to Vermont for a few weeks to recoup before she started her new job. She’d been such a mess her saintly mother had actually told a lie for her when Byron showed up on their doorstep. She’d hidden out until she was certain he’d left town.
Could she tell him the reasons now? All these years she’d never told him why she ran, simply that she needed to be friends. He’d begged her to see him, but he’d respected her boundaries, and they’d become good friends through emails, texts, snaps, and phone calls. She loved him more than she could ever admit, but she knew she’d been smart to break it off. Byron could never settle down.
“I didn’t run, I needed space.”
His dark eyes penetrated through her. “I’ve given you lots of space.”
“I’m sure it was difficult for you, dating a different woman every week.”
Byron’s eyebrows rose. “Keeping tabs on me, love?”
“That’s what friends do,” she insisted, folding her arms across her chest, forcing him to release his grip on her forearm. She couldn’t handle any more touch from him.
“You’ve been a good friend to me,” he said, his voice low and soothing, “But I need more.”
Marissa’s heart rate sped up. “Need or want?”
His grin appeared then and she knew she wasn’t going to survive this conversation emotionally intact. “Both, love.” He took a step closer and although she kept her arms folded, his chest brushed against them, sending off alarms in her head. “I need you close and I want you like I’ve never wanted anyone.”
Marissa had to back up. She unclenched her arms and grabbed hold of a tree branch for support. “I’m not one of your little flings, Byron.”
“I know that.” He nodded. “Believe me. I’ve learned that lesson well the past three years. The last thing I want from you is a fling.”
“What do you want from me?”
He smiled again, but this time it was more gentle. “I want all of you, Marissa. I want you by my side morning, noon, and especially night. I want you today and every day until I die, then I pray a merciful Lord will let me have you by my side in heaven.”
Marissa stared at him, her mouth sliding open then closing, she probably looked like a clownfish. Could she believe his speech, any of it? “Byron,” she finally whispered. “I fell so hard for you, but you couldn’t even be committed to me for a couple of months. How can you claim to want me for life, because I swear I am not sharing you with any other woman.” The last few words were said so vehemently she expected him to back up a step. He came closer, gently touching her cheek and causing her to tremble all over.
“I wouldn’t even notice another woman if I had you.”
“Ha!” She barked out. “You want to know why I ran today, and three years ago?”
“I’d give away my company to know.”
Marissa was certain he was exaggerating now. He’d worked harder to build Mumford’s Sons with his brother than even she had worked to make KJ’s Fun Zone skyrocket. Yet the seriousness in his voice couldn’t be denied.
She swallowed and finally admitted, “That perfect little brunette.”
Byron’s hand dropped and his forehead wrinkled. “What brunette?”
Marissa drew a long breath. “Three years ago I came to your office to see you. It was the day before graduation.”
He nodded. “You didn’t walk at graduation. I had no clue where you’d gone.”
“I saw you hugging that brunette. The one who’s here today.”
“I have no idea …” His eyes widened and a second later he connected it. “Lucy?”
“I don’t know her name.” In fact, she wished the girl didn’t have a name. It made it all too real and horrible.
“Long, dark hair, small, right? Like five feet nothing?”
Marissa gave a jerky nod.
Byron shoo
k his head and laughed. Why on earth did he laugh? Couldn’t he see her pain? He sobered quickly, crossed the distance between them, and cupped her face with his palms. She wanted to pull away, but simply couldn’t do it.
“Oh, love. Lucy is my cousin. That day you saw us at the office I hadn’t seen her in over a year because she’d been doing volunteer work in South America then went to California for school. I remember picking her up and hugging her because I was so excited to see her, and she probably kissed me, she always does. Chance and I always joke about how we have to turn our heads quick, or she gets us on the lips.” He gave a half-laugh again. “She’s here for Chance’s wedding. What you saw was completely innocent. I swear I never cheated on you and I never would.”
Marissa’s mind was spinning. His cousin. Oh, my, no! She’d ruined the past three years because she saw him picking up, spinning, and kissing his cousin! She blinked quickly, forcing herself not to cry again. She’d cried enough today, but honestly this was horrible.
“Byron, why didn’t you tell me?”
“Tell you?” He gazed at her incredulously. “Riss, I didn’t have a clue why you left. I chased after you and couldn’t find you in Ohio or Vermont. You kept sending me these messages that you just needed space and then that you just wanted to be friends. I’ve done everything I could these past three years to break through your wall, and been rebuffed for everything but a ‘friend’. What else did you expect me to do?”
A quick breath burst out of her and she did the only thing she could do. She kissed him full on the mouth. He reacted quickly, tucking her into his arms and taking full advantage of her willing mouth. The kiss was as magical and wonderful as she remembered their kisses being. Sunshine and happiness exploded through her as the pressure of his mouth increased.
When she finally pulled back, she was breathing hard. Why had she waited so long for this, for him? They would need to kiss for days to make up for lost time.
Byron was grinning at her. “I love you, Marissa Yates.”
She felt the words seep into her. She’d wanted to hear them from him for much too long. “I love you too,” she admitted.
The Daring One: A Billionaire Bride Pact Romance Page 12
