I should have taken Aleksander’s advice.
He told me tonight I should handle this like a man and get shit faced drunk and deal with Mackenzie in the morning.
I called my driver. Tonight I would deal with it like a man.
Tomorrow, I was going to have to figure out where I wanted my life to go from here and if that life included MacKenzie.
Chapter 38
Mackenzie
Winter would be setting in soon. The shallow water would freeze and I would be able to take my four wheeler across to the island. I would keep it one more season, then decide if I should sell.
The information I got from Aleksander and Dickie helped me approach the banks, hoping for a loan so I could build a year round bed and breakfast on the island.
I would run fishing tours in the summer and ice fishing excursions in the winter.
Unfortunately, even with the money I had left from my inheritance and Michael’s life insurance, I was unable to secure a loan large enough to do any of the changes I wanted to do.
I knew it was only a matter of time before I could even afford the taxes on the land. If I sold, I could live comfortably for quite some time before deciding what to do with the rest of my life.
I was only twenty-nine and was an orphan, a widow, and lost the love of my life, my soulmate, twice.
I should have forgiven him.
Thinking back, I understood he had never meant to hurt me.
He named the shoe before I had committed to moving in with him. I was hurt and I wanted to hurt him back.
I did it in the most deplorable way. I treated him like the manwhore every other woman had treated him like in the past. It was unforgivable.
I was so ashamed of my actions, I waited until he left for work before packing my stuff and skulking off without so much as a goodbye.
He made no attempts to contact me, either.
Haley kept me informed about Mackenzie’s rise to fame and the positive impact it had on the company's bottom line. I remembered Richard’s comment about needing a successful unisex shoe if they wanted to take the company global.
I was truly happy Richard had found the success he strove for. He proved to his father he could run the company as successfully as any of his ancestors.
It was my first trip back to the island since I left that day to follow Richard.
I had to return and face my new demons head on. I would not let another year go to waste mourning over someone I’d lost.
I stood in the lighthouse and stared at the ocean. Its serine waves lapped against the shale rock. The grey sky added to my melancholy.
I leaned against the console and remembered what his arms felt like wrapped around me. I drifted into a daydream. I had tried to take care of my own needs to no avail.
What would it hurt to try here with the memory of him still lingering?
My fingers slowly traced downwards and made their way to my folds. I imagined the chiseled features of his jawline. The sculptured high cheekbones.
I remembered how the sight of him would make me wet. Why was I still so dry, so wanting?
I knew why. I didn’t possess his masterful skills.
I let my mind drift further into my fantasy. It must be working; my brain was following my lead. I could smell his scent. The musky odor filled my nostrils and I let out a sigh and his name escaped my lips.
“Would you like some help with that?”
My eyes flew open.
“Miss me, baby?”
My hand reflexively pulled away from my body. Standing before me at the top of the stairs was the most beautiful man I had ever known.
Flushed from embarrassment, I backed away as he came towards me. “How long have you’ve been standing there?” As hard as I tried, I could not hide the quiver in my voice.
“Not long.” He took another step forward and I instinctively took another one back. He stopped and slid his hand in his pocket. He leaned against the console and crossed his feet.
He had the same wicked grin I remembered from the first time.
Leaning against the console in jeans and my father’s hunting jacket, I shook my head. He wasn’t real, he was a figment of my imagination.
I imaged I wanted him here and now, here he was.
I carefully stepped towards him. When I was close enough, I closed my eyes and splayed my palms across his chest.
Before I could pull away, Richard grasped my wrist as my eyes flew open.
He was real. I touched him. He was holding me, hypnotizing me with his stoic brown eyes.
Why did he look so unhappy? He had achieved so much in such a short time. He should be celebrating. I should see his smiling face plastered across tabloids with scantily clad women draped on his arm. He shouldn’t be standing here. I shouldn’t be staring into his torturous soul.
My skin burned at his touch. A burning I longed to feel since our last night together.
I was no longer dry. I could feel the flushing of my face as my arousal deepened.
I tugged my hand free and shivered from the loss of warmth. I crossed my arms and turned my back to him.
Staring at the serene ocean, I inhaled a deep breath into my lungs. After my third full breath of air, I regained some semblance of composure.
Should I bother to ask why he was there? I already knew the answer. It was time for me to face the music, to hear him tell me how disappointed he was in my behavior. How he could never forgive me and I would have to go on with my life, without him.
I turned to face him. It was the first time I noticed the cylinders in his hand.
I tilted my head to the side, squinted and pointed, “What are those?”
As much as I wanted to get the tension hanging between us over with, my curiosity was overtaking my instinct for survival.
Richard opened the top and slid the contents out. He unrolled the papers and laid them out on the console.
“These look like plans.” I pushed him aside and began examining the papers in front of me.
“They are.” His voice was calm, non-committal. I knew Richard's calm demeanor was often a facade. It was his survival skill. He continued, “There’s two houses, one on the north, one on the south, both large enough for a bed and breakfast. Here in the west cove,” he indicated with his finger, “is a wedding gazebo and a honeymoon cabin.”
I studied the plans carefully. The setting looked remarkably like my island.
My heart began to race. Was Richard trying to take away the one thing I had left of my past? Was he so angry with me, he would rip the island away from me?
Yes, I was thinking about selling, thinking maybe, if I had to.
These were my plans for the island. Plans I could not get the funding for. Plans he was going to use to hurt me.
Something was not adding up. Richard might be hurt and wanting to lash out, but he was never cruel.
I took a step back. “These looks surprisingly like the plans I discussed with Dickie and Aleksander.” I braced for the storm I knew was brewing since I saw him standing at the top of the stairs.
I swore I was not going to cry. I felt the sting behind my eyes, but I refused to let the tears fall.
I braced myself. If I were not such a coward, this would have been done before I left. If I faced him in the coldness of his home, the pain might have been bearable.
It shouldn't be here, where I saved him and he saved me. Not where we shared so much. Not where I had so much history.
I was at a mental place where the island no longer made me sad.
I stiffened my back. Maybe he was doing me a favor? If I hated the island, it wouldn't hurt as much if he were cruel enough to take it from me.
“Who do the plans belong to, Richard, baby?” I didn't hide the sarcasm in my voice.
His smothering brown eyes pierced through me. His lips curled into a sinful grin and he took two steps toward me.
“They belong to us, baby.”
“Richard, there is no us.” As h
ard as I tried not to show any emotion, my resolve was breaking down. “How can there be an us after what I did to you?”
Richard had me pressed against his chest before the first tear had a chance to escape.
“Baby, what are you talking about? What did you do to me? I’m here to beg you to forgive me for what I did to you. I should have told you about Amanda, Sindy and the others.”
Richard lifted my chin and wiped my tear stained cheeks with the pads of his thumb.
“Mackenzie may not have been my first shoe, but it’s my last.”
“Richard, what are you saying?”
“I’m saying it’s freezing out here. Can we go to the cabin and discuss these plans, our plans?”
Sitting in the warmth of the cabin, Richard explained how Aleksander and Dickie told him about my plans. Richard confessed he knew the banks turned me down and he was pretty certain I was not going to ask him for help.
He told me Dickie and Evonne decided to sell their land and wanted to use the money to partner with me. They would operate one of the bed and breakfasts and I and a fourth investor would operate the second.
“Us,” he told me.
I was confused. “Do you plan on spending your weekdays at the office and weekends here with me? Are you asking for a long distance relationship? Will you be a silent partner?”
“Mackenzie, baby, there will be nothing silent about this partnership.” He playfully wrapped his arms around me and lifted me onto his lap.
“Richard, I’m serious,” I giggled. “You already have enough stress from the office. How will you manage both?”
“I’m not going to manage both. We are going to manage a bed and breakfast.” He kissed me passionately.
“Richard, you can’t leave your company to run a bed and breakfast,” I playfully teased, believing Richard was not serious.
“It’s my father’s company and he has another son. One that has the experience to take the company global. I’m a designer, Mac, I want to design.”
He pointed to some cabins on the east side of the island, “That’s my design studio.” He pointed out another. “This one is going to be Dickie’s bait shop. The two other buildings, one for you and one for Evonne. You can do whatever you want, paint, write, game room?”
“Richard, this is a big step. Are you sure you can walk away from your life?”
“Baby, I’m not walking away from anything, I’m running towards my happiness. Besides, the construction will take some time. Meanwhile, I will bring Aaron on board. If he decides it’s not the career change he was looking for, we hire a new Co-CEO. Someone with the experience the company is going to need for us to take it to the next level.”
I shifted my weight from where I was straddled on Richard’s lap.
“Uncomfortable, baby?” Richard smirked.
I rose and sat in my own chair. "Something is poking the inside of my thigh, and no, it’s not the obvious,” I told him.
Richard reached in his pocket and pulled out a blue Tiffany's box. “It must be this.”
He got down on one knee and opened the box.
I gasped. There before me was a sapphire and diamond ring. Not huge and ostentatious; small, simple, something I would wear.
“Mackenzie Lewis, will you marry me?” Richard was still kneeling. “On July the fourth, when we open the bed and breakfast. I want us to be the first wedding and I want us to be the first to use the honeymoon cabins.
I want to give you this as your birthday present.”
I was stunned. When I first saw him, when he caught me masturbating, I assumed he was there to finalize the end of what we shared.
It wasn't the end, it was only the beginning. The beginning of everything I had always wanted.
“Knees are cramping up here, Mac. Baby, can I have an answer?”
“Yes, yes to everything, yes to being your partner in business and in life.”
As Richard came off his knees he lifted me with him. “I love you, baby.”
“I love you too,” I purred into his ear.
“I hope you brought in enough wood to keep the fire going. I hear there’s a storm coming and we might get snowed in a couple of days.
Any idea what we can do to pass the time?” I nuzzled my nose into the nape of her neck.
“Didn’t you offer to help me with a little opportunity I was having when you got here?”
“You bet I did, baby.” He lifted me and carried me to the bed.
Epilogue
I convinced Richard that having the family Thanksgiving dinner at our home was a good way to announce our engagement. Everyone oohed and aahed over the fabulous feast before them.
It seemed only fitting to invite Aaron, now that he officially acknowledged himself as one of the family. Richard’s handsome younger half-brother was shameless, flirting with poor Katie.
If I had to describe Aaron in one word, I would have to say Rick.
Aaron personified bad boy. His dirty blond hair, though neatly combed, reached the nape of his neck. His worn leather jacket and riding boots screamed biker bad boy. If bad boy Aaron thought he was going to seduce church going, choir girl Katie, he was in for a letdown.
Richard and I invited Leona and her family as well. We wanted everyone here when we made the announcement.
I saw how Richard's eyes lit up when he talked about the next stage of construction on the island. Everything was going smoothly and the resort should have its grand opening the Fourth of July.
My birthday.
“We’re fully booked opening weekend,” he boasted. “We have the entire island booked for a wedding.”
“Your father and I are very proud of all of you,” Esther looked towards Evonne and Dickie before focusing on Richard and I. “We were hoping to be there for the grand opening.”
“I think I can arrange that,” Richard responded as he placed a distinctive blue box on the table. “The wedding is ours, mine and Mackenzie’s. We booked the island.”
I hadn’t wanted to wear the ring until the official announcement. Richard took it out of the box and placed it on my finger. It was a beautiful diamond encrusted band with a sapphire the color of my eyes.
Everyone was speaking at the same time. When the excitement calmed down Haley rubbed her belly. “Fourth of July, that gives me plenty of time to fit into something sexy,” then she leaned over and passionately kissed her husband. “Something fitting a bridesmaid?” She directed her question to me.
“Of course. I would like you, Leona and Katie to be my bridesmaids. Evonne, would you be my maid of honor?”
Aleksander groaned, “My credit card is still recovering from your last shopping trip.”
Everyone laughed.
Evonne gladly accepted my request.
Richard added, “The reason we invited everyone is that we would like all of you to participate in the ceremony one way or another.” Then he turned to Aaron.
“Aaron, will you be my best man?”
“Are you sure?” He looked towards Aleksander, who was Richard's best friend and business partner.
“I am very sure.” Richard told him.
Aaron smiled. “It would be an honor to stand beside my brother.”
“No one can replace your father MacKenzie, but if you would like, I could walk you down the isle.” Richard’s father offered.
“That’s very sweet of you Richard, but I asked Sally if she would do the honours. She knew both my parents and was there last year when I needed someone after the accident. It felt right to ask her.” I had no doubt Sally would accept my request. She was the closest thing a relative I had since I’d lost both my parents.
“Katie made dessert,” I announced. “Come help me bring it out,” I asked her.
“Of course, I would love to.” Katie pushed her chair back and followed me into the kitchen.
I had grown fond of Katie. She was mature for only being twenty two.
“The first are always the hardest,” I comforted Katie. H
aving just lost her father and losing her mother during her teenage years gave me a soft spot for Katie.
I understood where her emotions were coming from.
“Do you want me to come with you tonight to a meeting?” I offered. It was on the way to one of our meetings that I found out Katie was one of our church choir members. She encourage to join until she heard me belt out a tune.
“No, I’m fine really, thank you for offering. You need to stay and celebrate your engagement.” She reminded me.
After dessert, our guests began to leave, Katie first, followed by Aaron. The rest were not far behind.
“I’m glad Aaron accepted your offer. Maybe that means he plans on staying and taking over when you leave.”
“I hope you’re right, it would make the transition smoother. However, even if he doesn't, we will find someone who will fit the bill. Don't worry, come grand opening, the island is going to be our new home.”
“I know we said we wanted to wait a year before starting a family, but is there any reason we can't practice until then?” Richard tugged on my hand until I followed him up the stairs and into the bedroom.
“Where would you like to start that practice, baby? The jacuzzi tub, the shower jets, or the king size bed?” Richard growled.
“Why not all three?”
Acknowledgments
Thank you for taking the time to enjoy this journey with me.
If you enjoyed Manwhore Heir, I hope you look forward the the next book in this small town series, Bastard Heir.
Included is a sneak peek at Aaron’s and Katie’s story.
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Rules creates order from chaos.
Aaron
I’d already broken one rule to get her in my bed. How many rules am I willing to break to get her back where I want her?
Some rules should never be broken, not even for church going choice girls like Katie. And when she finds out the one rules I swore I would never break, would she stay?
Manwhore Heir (The Heirs Book 2) Page 19
