by Ali Parker
“Nothing really.” Sighing, Candice ran her fingers through her hair. “We talked about Leslie. And Kason.”
“Ah.” I nodded and set my glass down beside me. “You confronted her about it?”
“Not exactly.” Candice shook her head. “Mom called and wanted to have lunch. We talked, and the subject came up.”
“What did she say?”
“That she wants to keep Leslie in check,” Candice scoffed. “That by bringing Kason to the banquet, Leslie will be on her best behavior.”
“And what do you think?”
Candice’s eyes closed again. Her head fell slowly from side to side. I could see the pain pouring off her, and all I wanted to do was take it away. I slid my hand over her lower back and moved closer. With her eyes still closed, she laid her head on my shoulder.
“She’s not wrong,” Candice whispered. “God, I hate to admit that, but it’s true. Leslie is the wild one. She’s known for making scenes, and the banquet is not the place for that.”
“So, you think it’s a good thing that she brings Kason?”
“No.” Candice popped her head up. “Yes. I don’t know.”
I smiled and rubbed her back, waiting for her to explain. There were so many thoughts spinning through her beautiful head, I knew she needed time to make sense of them.
“I just feel like I should tell her,” she finally said. “Leslie is in the dark about who Kason really is. If anyone understands that, it’s me.”
Guilt gripped my stomach. I cleared my throat and dropped my hand from her back. She narrowed her eyes and looked over at me. I tried to smile, but it felt tight on my lips. With a sigh, her shoulders slumped forward.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
“I know,” I said quickly. “It’s not your fault. I just still feel like shit for lying to you.”
“I know you do.” Candice touched my cheek gently. “It was my mother. She’s the one doing all of this, and now, she’s manipulating Leslie too. How can I just sit back and watch that happen?”
“You want to tell Leslie,” I said with a knowing nod.
“Can you blame me?”
I shifted my weight uncomfortably, unable to meet her gaze. None of this was easy, especially not for Candice, but I still felt like everything was my fault. If I’d never taken the job, if I’d never gotten involved with Candice, none of this would be happening.
“What do you think?” she asked. “Should I tell her? I mean, what if he really cares about her?”
“I can’t make that decision for you,” I said.
“But you have an opinion.” She pressed. “I can tell.”
She wasn’t wrong, but god, did I wish she was. The thought of Leslie being hurt like Candice had been was horrible. I barely knew Candice’s little sister, but it was obvious how much Candice loved her.
“Kason is good at his job. He’s meticulous and calculating. He’s charming. Most women find him undeniable, but—” I took a deep breath. “He’s not the type of person to ever see Leslie as anything more than a job.”
Candice’s face fell. She hung her head and brought the glass of bourbon to her lips. I watched as her energy drained from her body.
Wrapping my arm around her shoulders, I pulled her into me. She sank against my side, her brown hair tickling my nose as I twisted around to kiss her head. We sat there together for a few minutes, thinking about how we’d gotten ourselves into such a screwed-up situation.
“Do you know him really well?” Candice asked.
“Who? Kason?” I asked. She nodded against my shoulder. “Yeah, we’ve been buddies for a long time. Since college.”
“But he’s not a good guy?” she asked. “You don’t think he might really like Leslie?”
“It’s complicated.” I shook my head and let out a deep sigh. “I think, deep down, he has a good heart. Very deep down. It’s just … This is a job, Candice. At the end of the day, Kason is a Romeo, and I’m not sure anything, or anyone, can ever change that.”
Chapter 56
Candice
“This is a job, Candice. At the end of the day, Kason is a Romeo, and I’m not sure anything, or anyone, can ever change that.”
My heart raced painfully against my ribcage. I could feel every breath my lungs sucked in like sharp razor blades digging into my most sensitive organs. He blinked. I looked away. My stomach rolled with nausea.
“What?” he asked. “Candice, what is it? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” I forced a smile on my face.
“Come on,” Ryan scoffed. His soft hand rubbed gentle circles over the small of my back. “Tell me. Did I say something wrong?”
I stared at him with wide eyes, waiting for him to put the pieces together. Just when I thought he would never understand, his own eyes opened and then closed. He exhaled a long, slow breath and shook his head.
“I didn’t mean me,” he said. His eyes opened slowly. “I was talking about Kason, Candice. Not me. I’m not that person anymore.”
“I know that,” I said quickly. “I still can’t help but wonder.”
“Wonder what?” Ryan asked.
“If you’re really with me for you,” I said. “Or for my mother.”
Ryan chuckled darkly. Tilting his head back, he stared up at the black sky as it was illuminated by the lights of the city.
I knew I’d offended him, but could he blame me? After everything he’d already put me through, it was natural that I would hang onto a few doubts. Watching his face flood with emotion, I knew he didn’t agree.
“I told you already,” he said without looking at me. “I’m in this relationship because I want to be.”
His eyes stayed focused upward, his jawline tight with frustration. I ran my fingers over his leg, barely touching him at first. He still didn’t look at me until I slid closer to him, pressing my hip against his.
Finally, he inhaled sharply and turned his head.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “Really.”
The air blew out of his lungs. “It’s fine.” He smiled. “I understand why you’re worried, okay? I do. I just wish you could trust me.”
“I do.”
Doubt covered Ryan’s face, but I didn’t feel a shred. In that moment, I was sure. It was like all my fears from before had suddenly vanished, and for the first time, nothing stood in the way of us being together.
“Do you?” Ryan asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
“Yes.” I moved closer. “Trust me, I’m just as surprised as you are, but I do. Ryan, I believe in you. Even when I’m not sure I believe in myself.”
His smile was brighter than the city lights. Those green eyes I’d grown to love sparkled as they searched my face. Leaning in, he kissed me so gently that I barely felt it. As he exhaled, the kiss deepened. I felt a familiar stirring deep inside my stomach.
Moaning, I rolled my head to the side and grinned.
Ryan didn’t let me get far. He kissed me again, his lips claiming mine before they had a chance to part. I moaned again and wrapped my arms around his neck, sitting up to press my body against his.
It wasn’t until Ryan broke the kiss that I realized now wasn’t the time. My body so desperately wanted him, but my mind was still spinning from lunch with my mother.
“You’re still upset,” Ryan said knowingly.
“Of course, I am.” I groaned and rested my hands against the step behind us. “My mom is impossible. I finally thought everything was going to be okay. She was going to back off, leave me alone, and let me live my life. But now, she’s turned on Leslie, and there’s not a damn thing I can do about it.”
Ryan hesitated. When he finally spoke, he chose his words carefully.
“Is it possible,” he began, “that she isn’t trying to manipulate, that she’s actually trying to help.”
I jerked my head back, my cheeks flushed with color. It wasn’t like Ryan to defend my mom. Hearing him even try sent sparks of anger
shooting through my veins.
“Are you kidding? Please. Tell me you’re joking.”
“No.” Ryan shook his head. Sitting up straight he added, “I just think you might be a little hard on her.”
“Hard on her?”
Anger quickly turned to rage. I stared at him as if I’d never seen him before. My emotions were on a never-ending spiral. All the affection I’d felt just seconds before was gone.
“Hear me out.” He held his hands up defensively. “Your mother is not easy, okay? I know that. But she loves you, and she loves Leslie. You guys are her entire life, and I think, maybe, she’s just trying to do the best she can for you.”
“How is Romeo Rebound best for us?” I asked. “In what universe could she possibly imagine that this is what’s best? And how can you defend her?”
Ryan’s face darkened. “Because I’m a parent too. I understand doing whatever it takes to make sure your kid is safe and loved and well cared for.”
Realizing my mistake, I felt my stomach drop to my feet. I sucked in a sharp breath and tried to think of a way to apologize.
“Ryan,” I said quickly. “I didn’t mean to imply anything about you and Paisley. It’s different. What you’re doing for her—”
“Is the same thing.” He shook his head. “Do you know how many times Max has verbally kicked my ass for being a Romeo, for doing something so completely immoral and disgusting?”
“It’s not—”
“It is.” Ryan laughed without amusement. “To so many people, it is. But I do it because my daughter needs to eat. Because she needs a place to live. Because she deserves everything I can give her.”
“You’re an amazing dad,” I said softly.
“And your mom is a good mother,” he said firmly. “Every parent makes mistakes. None of us knows for sure what’s right, but we try. And I think, on some level, your mom really believes she’s helping Leslie right now.”
I rubbed my hand over the back of my neck and looked away. The last thing I wanted to do was insult Ryan, but I hated hearing him defend my mom. All I wanted was to stay angry and scream her sins to the heavens.
But I couldn’t.
“You’re right.” The words caught in my throat. I choked them out and turned back to Ryan. “I really fucking hate to admit that, but you’re right.”
One corner of Ryan’s mouth twitched. The tiniest of smiles played on his lips. It was so infectious that I couldn’t help but grin right along with him.
“Don’t get cocky,” I warned. “Just because you’re right this time doesn’t mean it’ll happen again.”
“Oh.” Ryan laughed and pulled me to him. “That’s what you think, Smart.”
“That’s what I know, Winters.”
He nuzzled his nose into my hair. Breathing me in, his arms tightened around me. Silence fell over us as the city noises echoed through our ears.
Sitting there with Ryan, feeling his heartbeat against my back, I wondered what I was waiting for. This man was everything I never knew I wanted, yet I was hesitating at every turn. Hesitating to trust him. Hesitating to love him.
I sat up quickly and spun around. With a frown, he cocked his head to the side.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Come with me tomorrow,” I said, blurting it out before I could change my mind. “To the banquet.”
“What?”
Ryan sat up, shaking me off him as he moved. I swiveled around and tucked my legs beneath me. Facing him, I smiled and embraced the nervous energy now washing through me.
“I want you to come,” I said. “I’ve been so scared to give the board what they want and to prove my mother right, but how stupid is that? I want you there, Ryan. That’s all that matters.”
“Are you sure?” Ryan frowned. “Because you don’t have to take me. I only want to go if you really want—”
“I do.” I put one finger to his lips. Ryan smiled around it, excitement shooting through his eyes. “No matter what happens tomorrow night, I want you there with me.”
“Okay.” Ryan grinned. I dropped my finger. “Then, I’ll call Max first thing in the morning.”
“Do you think he’ll babysit?” I asked nervously. “It’s short notice.”
“He will.” Ryan nodded confidently. “Max doesn’t have a life. Besides, for this, he’d cancel any plans he might have.”
I laughed and leaned into him. Ryan’s arms flew around me. I turned on my butt to move beside him. My back rested on his chest, and I could feel his soft breath blowing a gentle breeze against my hair.
My eyes closed as I leaned back, my head falling against his shoulder. He turned to kiss my temple and everything inside of me melted.
I’d been terrified to go to the banquet alone. For all my confidence, I knew the board would make my life a living hell if I showed up without a date. Still, I never wanted to give in to pressure. If it wasn’t for Ryan’s strength, I wouldn’t have even considered bending. But sitting with him on his front stoop, feeling the steady beat of his heart, I knew I couldn’t do it without him.
“I love you.”
Ryan’s whisper echoed through the night air as if he’d shouted. I froze in his arms, the hair on my own standing up. His lips grazed against my earlobe, and I shivered. Feeling his arms tighten around me, I tried to unstick my tongue from the roof of my mouth.
“You don’t have to say anything,” Ryan said quickly. “I just had to say it. I love you, Candice. I want you to know that.”
Smiling, I held on to him. Twisting my head around, I found his lips. He sank into my kiss with a sigh.
I don’t know how long we kissed, but I know it wasn’t long enough. When we finally broke apart, I whined and searched for him again. He laughed and kissed me softly, barely brushing his lips against mine.
“We should get inside,” he said. “If Paisley wakes up—”
“Yeah.” I nodded and sat up. “You’re right.”
Ryan helped me to my feet. Holding my hand, he led the way inside. We tiptoed quietly up the stairs and slipped through his bedroom door. Pushing it closed behind us, Ryan smiled and moved to his closet.
I perched myself on the edge of his bed while he undressed. I could just see his arms as he tossed his T-shirt to the floor. When he came back over to me, he wore nothing but a pair of tight boxers that made my stomach flip with need.
His eyes devoured my body, slowly working their way from my face down to my legs. He took a step forward, and I knew what he wanted. Before he could touch me, I got to my feet and grabbed his hands. Gripping them both in mine, I held his gaze.
Ryan frowned. He looked nervous as I worked up the courage to say the one thing I’d never said to a man.
“I love you too.”
Just like that, he was kissing me. He took a step forward, pushing me back against the bed. We toppled over, our lips dancing against each other with more need than I’d ever felt before. It was like saying those three words had unlocked something inside us both.
I held onto Ryan tighter than I ever had. His hands roamed freely over my body, his lips following close behind. That night, we fell into oblivion, lost in our love for each other.
Chapter 57
Ryan
Buildings whipped by the window as I drove toward Max’s house. We were early. I still had over two hours to drop Paisley off, throw on Max’s tuxedo, and drive across town to pick up Candice. Even so, my foot pressed harder against the gas pedal, propelling us even faster through the city.
“Daddy,” Paisley said from the back seat.
“Yeah, Pea?”
“Can you marry Candice today?”
Snapping my neck around, I peered at Paisley for a split second. As I looked back at the road, I tried to think of something to say.
“You’re already going on a date, right?” Paisley asked. “Can’t you just get married too?”
I smiled to myself. Paisley’s innocence still took me by surprise sometimes. Trying to fight back my
laughter, I glanced at her in the rearview mirror.
“That’s not really how it works, kiddo,” I said. “Candice and I have only been dating for a little while. People usually date for years before getting married.”
“That’s silly,” Paisley proclaimed. “You like her, and I think she would be a good mommy.”
“Oh, you do?” I teased.
I watched Paisley nod in the mirror. “Yup,” she said. “Candice is nice. She takes care of me, and I think she might let me have a snake if I asked.”
“I’m not so sure about that.” I laughed.
“I am,” Paisley said firmly. “Candice loves me, and I love her.”
My heart seemed to swell inside my chest. I chuckled softly and shook my head as I turned the wheel to the right. We made it to Max’s house earlier than I’d planned, but I didn’t mind. I was so nervous, my hands were shaking as I knocked on his front door.
“You have a tux, right?” I demanded the second his face appeared.
“Hello,” Max said pointedly. “It’s nice to see you, too, little brother.”
“I’m freaking out.” I stepped around him, pulling Paisley behind me. “Pea, go play, okay?”
“You never answered my question!” she snapped, glaring up at me.
I blinked, confused. “What question?”
“About marrying Candice.”
With a snort, I nudged her forward. “We’ll talk about that later, okay? Maybe tomorrow.”
“Okay!”
Paisley bounced away. I watched her long, brown hair float down her back as she hurried across the room. Before I even looked at him, I could feel Max’s disapproval burning a hole in my face.
“What?” I sighed.
“She wants you to marry Candice?”
“Apparently.”
I didn’t wait for his response before I disappeared down the hall. Max’s footsteps followed quickly behind me.
“It’s in the closet,” he said. “Right side.”
Opening his closet door, I reached for his tux. I held it out and raked my eyes down the front. My forehead wrinkled against my will. My last one got fucked up badly and I’d yet to find time to get it cleaned.
