He looked away, giving her time to scramble to find clothes to put on. She came back out of the bathroom, in a sundress, her hair still wet and her feet bare. She accepted the offered coffee, sipping the hot brew. Soon she did feel better, her eyes darting back to his face from time to time. She could tell he was avoiding her eye contact.
“I am sorry Braden; I didn’t mean to call you. Well, I mean I did initially, and then hung up and then when the button got pushed you were the last person on the list.” She sighed. “Anyway, I’m sorry.”
“Why were you calling me in the first place Lila?” He bit the words out one at a time.
“You had no right to put my mother in that sponsorship program Braden, I want to be mad at you but…”
“But what.”
“She has never looked better; I suppose I should thank you. I know you are involved with a lot of programs, it could have been anyone, and I know you did it as a favor to me.”
“I did it for Eric too.” He was definitely not himself.
“Ok, well thank you.” He let his eyes meet her for a second before he stood.
“We should probably go over to the bar and get Eric’s car. He may have a fairly strong opinion about it being left there.” He gave her a small smile.
“Right, your right ok, let’s go.” She swung open the door, careful to give him plenty of room.
They managed to get back to the hotel quickly, she let him carry her bag into the room. Finally, as he turned to leave, she had to ask.
“Braden what did I do wrong? I mean I said I was sorry. You’re not being yourself.”
“You didn’t do anything Lila, it’s me, all me. I just have some stuff to work out.”
“Oh is it about Nicole?” She pushed even more.
His head snapped up his eyes narrowing slightly. “What does Nicole have to do with anything?”
“Well, I just assumed since she is your girlfriend…” She trailed off.
“Nicole is not my girlfriend Lila, just leave it alone.” He moved towards the door.
“Fine, I’m sorry I asked. You know what Braden next time you think I am in trouble, just let me be you got that.” She was fuming.
“What do you want from me Lila?” He looked at her a pained expression on his face.
“Nothing Braden, I don’t want a thing.” She felt her tears spilling forth and she wiped them away angrily. She moved to look once more for the keys, so that she could go.
He was watching her; she could feel his eyes following her as she walked across the room.
“Don’t do that Lila, don’t cry, not about me.” He stood frozen, afraid to move.
“I’m not crying about you Braden; in fact, I’m not crying at all.” She barely got the words out and she sobbed loudly.
“Dammit.” He cursed, moving quickly to pull her to him.
It felt right, his arms around her. She looked up at him, breathing in quickly an instant before he crushed his mouth to hers. She felt his thumbs wipe away her tears as he kissed her, over and over. Barely did they stop to breath. She put her hands in his hair, pulling him closer to her, all the while he moved his hands in hers, winding his hands up in the long silky tresses, holing her head in one place as he kissed her deeper, then nipping lightly at her lips and down her neck. She like the feel of his fist in her hair, relaxing as he dipped his tongue on the base of her neck, back up to her ear, gently tugging on her earlobe. His breath was hot on her face, and she heard herself whimper, until his mouth found hers again.
He let her hair go, needing to touch her more and more. His hands found their way down her body as he pressed her back into the mattress. Neither of them said a word, both lost in the haze of their own desire. She felt his hands on her ankle, moving slowly up further and further to her hip, gently grazing along the thin string of her panties.
She shifted, moving down more, moving her hands over his chest, pulling his shirt open, and then off as she kissed him back eagerly, running her nails across his chest, smiling as she heard the swift intake of air. She wanted him, wanted this his hands were touching her thighs, lovingly stroking her legs. She blinked twice, her eyes meeting his. He paused then, letting his eyes take in her face. He pulled her upwards until his mouth found hers again, this time there was a sweetness about his actions. There was no one else but them in that moment. He shifted to fit his body between her thighs. She was ready, wanting him in a way she could have only imagined. She smiled up at him, at the same time her phone began to ring. They both looked at the bed, seeing Eric’s face on the screen. She knew the moment had been shattered.
She let the phone ring, watching as Braden pulled away from her and stood up. The look he gave her was one she would hold on to for a long time. He frowned down at her.
“This, whatever this is, can’t happen between us. Eric loves you. The best thing we can do is avoid each other. I lied earlier about Nicole, she is my girlfriend. I just can’t commit to one woman; she knows it, but puts up with it anyway. I guess I just enjoyed the challenge, pushing to see how far I could go with you. Don’t get me wrong, I want you, you're sexy and sweet, and hell if you are anything like your books, sign me up.” He laughed roughly.
She felt pain deep down, ripping her apart. She did her best to hide it, hating him in that moment. There were no words, nothing she could say to counter that. Humiliation washed over her in waves, suffocating her.
“Well, I’m glad we could have this little talk. Nicole is my friend; I wouldn’t have ever… but you're right. We should just avoid each other, not that I think it will be an issue ever again, you can rest assured of that Montgomery.”
“Well, good, then we agree. I love Eric like a brother, I wouldn’t want him to hurt. I guess I am just a sucker for tears. You and the waterworks, just pushed me over the edge I guess. Anyway, I am going to go, give Eric my best. I hope you let him go unless you’re going to stop these rendezvous in hotel rooms.”
He walked out of the door, whistling as he went. She exhaled slowly, feeling her heart breaking as he went. She had fallen in love with him, and he had crushed her in spite of it. She let the sobs wrack her body, letting the new tears fall. She cried for Braden, for Eric and for herself.
Chapter 13
Braden
He made it out of the parking lot and down the road before he let the breath he was holding out. He had done it for Eric, he had to. He stopped at the light, his grip on the wheel making his knuckles turn white. If he hadn’t hurt her they would have just ended up in the same place. It was obvious he couldn’t stay away from her. Now she would hate him, and it would make things better, easier at least. He had never felt this way about any woman, and the idea of her crying back there in that hotel was killing him.
He knew he had hurt her deeply, but it was the only way. He drove the long trip home, more determined now than ever to focus on work, and nothing else. He swung his car into the mansion and grabbed a couple of bags, stuffing a few things in them. He needed some time away, some time to think. He spun out headed out of town, to get himself together before Eric came home.
He phoned his father that evening to let him know he would be working remotely. He didn’t divulge his location; he didn’t want there to be any chance of anyone finding him anytime soon. He filled his days with work, searching for any issues in the system. He had everything he needed delivered and he drowned himself in operations in both the main business, and at Brighton. He wasn’t ready to go back, not yet. Not when there was a chance of seeing her in the halls.
As the days went by he came to the realization that he was in love with her. He woke up every day with her face in his head, and he thought about her constantly, even when he was working. Soon he was able to focus solely on work, doing his best to erase her from his mind. He knew Eric would be home soon, maybe then he could find some peace knowing she was with him, where she belonged.
Nicole
The minx had her hooks in Braden good and tight. She watched him spin out of th
e lot and stood watching as his car disappeared into the hills. It made no sense, how the little mouse could have both men wrapped around her little finger. Eric was a good man, and a better man than most. She knew he thought she backed away from him because of Braden, but that really had nothing to do with it. She had backed away because he was too good for her, and he deserved more. She knew the way she wanted Braden was proof positive that she would never be good for Eric.
The little mouse was good for Eric, or so she had thought until she had seen Braden kissing her in her office that day. Damn Braden for going near Lila at all. She knew she had loved him for years, but he saw her as nothing more than a vessel to use whenever he saw fit. She knew she would never turn him away, but she wanted him to see her as something more. If she could get Eric and Lila together once a for all she could focus solely on Braden. She would distract him away from whatever silly notions he had about the little mouse.
When he came home, she would show him how much she wanted him, show him how well she could love him. She flipped open her phone, if she wanted Lila to hate him, there was one sure way to do it. She dialed the number and set her plan into motion.
Chapter 14
Lila
Eric was coming home today. She reminded herself of that as she glanced at her reflection in the mirror. She had lost weight, and was slightly pale. Nothing that couldn’t be explained away. She really had fallen ill, getting the flu right after the hotel. Probably because of her weak immune system, all the crying she had done.
She dabbed on some color to her cheeks, hopeful that he wouldn’t notice she wasn’t feeling 100%. The flight was coming in at 2 and she wanted to be there early. Leaving with enough time to see his plane land she was genuinely eager to see him come through the doors.
Despite the fact that they had talked regularly, she was still happy when he finally made his way out of the tram and into the open room. She smiled and gave him a wave, which he returned, moving towards her, pulling her into a hug. He held her there tightly for a moment.
“I am so happy to see you Lila.” He stepped back, giving her a once over, returning her smile.
He leaned in letting his mouth drop a quick kiss on her mouth.
“You were very missed my dear.” She held his hand in hers as they made their way out of the airport and headed towards her apartment.
As they settled into his car, she happily gave him back his keys. “Here, take this thing away from me. I am both spoiled, and ready to give her up. She is not an easy vessel to handle I’ll have you know.” She laughed as he rubbed the wheel gingerly.
“I missed her almost as much as I missed you.” He smiled over at her, pausing for a moment. “So, fill me in on everything we didn’t talk about how is Brighton, the plans for the gala, how is Braden and the guys?” He paused to glance at her. “I’ve talked to everyone but I like hearing it from you, I know you will be honest with me.”
“Brighton is, as always standing strong, the gala plans are in a bit of a shambles, something you will have to work out before they finish up, especially since it is tomorrow night. As for the guys, I’ve seen all of them at least once, they seem to be doing what they always do.” She had seen everyone many times, except Braden, she had only seen him once.
“Well, that’s good, most of it anyway. We still on for dinner tonight?” He gave her a wink.
“Yes, we are.” Lila, bit her lower lip, he would ask her tonight, she was sure of it. “As a matter of fact I can just go straight to Brighton, I have clothes there.”
The drive went smoothly, both of them falling into the easy way of talking and chatting about things. They both found comfort in the other, relaxing and debating everything from new songs and movies, to prose and form. She found herself laughing happily, something she hadn’t done in months. The meal was wonderful, as they dined on mussels, and succulent shrimp, crab and drank clear sweet wine. She hadn’t had this much fun in so long, she almost forgot about what would be coming soon.
He laughed, stretching out on the couch in his office. They had come back after dinner for a nightcap, and were still laughing about the waiter, and how he had looked so much like Pauley Shore.
“The sad thing is we may be the only people who walk the halls of this building old enough to even know who he is.”
They both laughed, and she nodded her head in agreement.
“So true, so true. We are getting old.” She smiled and sighed.
“Yes, certainly not getting any younger. Time to start thinking about the future and all that. I saw a lot out there that has changed my thoughts about my future. I don’t want to be stuck in some old hospital, proofing one surgery after another. No, I want to do something meaningful. I don’t know where it will lead me, not yet. That is something you need to know before we even start this conversation.” He held her hand in his, both lost in the moment.
“Eric, I know…” She started, but he cut her off.
“Wait Lila, before you say anything can you just give me a chance… to hear me out?”
She nodded, waiting.
“I know I am not that guy, you know.” He shrugged, giving her a smile. “The one who makes you swoon and fall head over heels in love. I’m not that guy for you, that much I know.” He held up a hand to stop her from responding. “I also know, that I love you, and I have for a long time now. See, the thing is we have something more important than fireworks Lila, we have friendship, and a good one. I love spending time with you, and I trust you to be there for me, just as I would be there for you. It’s a good fit you and I. I know you're confused, or maybe you’re not, I don’t know. I know something has been spinning around in your head for the last couple of months, and especially today. Whatever it is we can work through it and if you don’t want this, don’t want me, I’ll still be there Lila, I told you that. I just want you to think about it, you can tell me when you are ready.”
“Ok Eric, ok.” She took in a deep breath.
She watched the shift in emotions as they played across his face. She knew he meant Braden, that he meant her feelings for him, and what she wanted in life. She did love Eric in her own way, but not like she had Braden. She would have told Eric that, but her feelings for Braden were buried deep, and that’s where they would stay. Especially after what he had done after he left that day. She felt his hand on hers, and she leaned into him, letting him comfort her, something he did better than anyone else.
He took her home later in the night, walking her to the door, as always. She smiled at him as he held her hand in his lingering for a long moment. He leaned down to kiss her lightly once more, she let it linger there, hoping for something more, but she blinked and moved towards the door.
“I’ll be by at 8 to pick you up for the gala tomorrow night. Goodnight Lila.”
She waited at the window watching as he made his way to his car, and pulled out into the night once more. Tomorrow was the gala, and she would have to face Braden. She had practiced how she would react to him over and over in her mind, and Eric would be there to help her. She felt herself relax in knowing that.
The next night came quickly and her nerves were frayed at best. She had taken great care in her gown for the evening, knowing she would have to be at her best when she met Eric’s father, and the other families on the board at Brighton. Unlike the dinner, this gala was a charity event, raising funds to put into some of the other investments the families help interest in. She chose a gown in cream colored silk, trimmed in gold brocade. Her dark hair fell in waves down her back the contrast against the creamy white, bringing out the color of her eyes.
She looked at her reflection, her make up done carefully, not too much, but enough to highlight her features. She wanted to make him proud to be there with her. The last thing she wanted to be was an embarrassment to him. She opened the four on his second knock and smiled at him.
“Wow, Lila… you are stunning.” He was genuine and she felt the blush fill her cheeks.
“Thank you
, you are quite dashing yourself, you know.” She wasn’t lying. He was dressed to the nines, his black tuxedo fitting him like it was made for him, which it probably was. His blond hair still fell forward on his head, something he could never tame.
The two of them made their way to the gala, together they turned a few heads, causing the ripples of gossip to begin. She glanced up and him and he gave her a reassuring pat on the arm. She let her eyes scan the couples as they entered the ballroom. She didn’t want to see him, but knew she had too, and simply wanted it done quickly. She couldn’t find him, and she relaxed. Maybe he wasn’t coming perhaps that was it.
They spent a fair amount of time chatting with donors, and contributors, Eric doing his best to be as accommodating to every person he made contact with. There was a coolness about him she envied as she watched him make his rounds. He was a natural talker, and people pleaser, something he would need if he decided to pursue the career he had told her about.
As they made their way back to the dining hall, they stopped to say hello to Aaron and his date, a petite blonde who looked practically poured into her dress. He leaned down to give Lila a kiss on the cheek. “You clean up nice kid.” He gave her a smile and she laughed. Aaron was always calling her kid, an annoying habit that had started from their first meeting.
She turned to follow Eric and she saw him. Taller than she remembered, his black hair the color of night, brushed back on his head. He was perfect, his tux molded to his body. She blinked twice, only then noticing Nicole on his arm. She too was an image of perfection. Her eyes refocused on Eric, as he was wrapping up another pitch for his investments. He turned with her and found the striking couple as well.
“Braden.” He paused only a moment before he hugged his friend, the two of them, having moved past the issues between them.
“I’m glad you are home safe and sound. You didn’t bring back malaria or anything did you?” He laughed punching Eric lightly in the arm.
“Not even, I didn’t leave the country Braden.” He laughed lightly. “Nicole, you look lovely this evening.” He said it with genuine grace and she smiled at him.
Romance: Zach (A College Bad Boy Romance) Page 40
