by Zara Chase
“Oh, Jordi.” Sorrel shook her head. “Not only did you dump me as soon as your career took off, but your timing sucked. My dad had just been blown to smithereens. You knew how much he meant to me, I needed you, and you weren’t there for me.” She turned away from him. “I can never forgive you for that.”
He tried to touch her, but she shook him off. “I’m sorry, darlin’, I was wrong, I can see that now. I guess success went to my head for a while.”
Sorrel shot him a look. “You think?”
“It’s not been the same without you. I miss you so damned much, and it took seeing you with other guys to make me realize it. Can’t we give it another go? I want you, not your money. I always have, deep down. There’s a connection between us that I can’t get past. I don’t want to get past it.”
He seemed sincere, but even if he was, Sorrel wasn’t playing ball. A few short weeks ago she probably would have given him the benefit of the doubt and taken him back. But she was no longer that person, and her brief encounter with the guys had given her a little, a very little, self-belief. She could make her own way, without a permanent man—or men—in her life, and that was what she intended to do.
“I think you’d better leave, Jordi,” she said, opening the door for him. “Thanks for stopping by.”
He hesitated on the threshold, looking despondent, because she’d rejected him and his ego had taken a hit, or because he now accepted her money wouldn’t ever be his? “If you change your mind, I’ll be waiting.”
Chapter Fifteen
Sorrel actually took her landline off the hook and switched off her cell phone after two calls from her brother and one from her mother. It was the only way to stop her family hounding her. She then opened a bottle of wine had drowned her sorrows. She woke the following morning with a slight headache, feeling bereft but still determined to maintain her independence. She took Marley for an hour’s walk, twice the length she would once have attempted, and felt her head gradually clearing.
Her heart lifted when she returned to the apartment and saw the distinctive figures of Vasco and Ty waiting on her doorstep. They looked serious, unreachable, whereas she couldn’t seem to help smiling. Marley broke the tension by hurling himself at them, wagging his entire body and yapping with pleasure. Sorrel had a hard time not following his example.
“Hey,” she said, because someone had to say something. “Did you come for the camera?”
Vasco scowled. “Not precisely.”
“I guess you’d better come in.”
“She is Mrs. Gladstone,” Vasco said without preamble as soon as they followed her into the apartment.
Sorrel, in the process of filling the kettle, turned to look at him. “I beg your pardon.”
“You heard us referring to a woman who might help us with funding. We were referring to Mrs. Gladstone. You met her yesterday after the seniors’ class.”
“Oh.” Sorrel clapped a hand over her mouth.
“Oh about covers it.” Vasco’s voice was tight with controlled anger. In fact, he looked so rigid he kind of frightened her. “She’s loaded, but comes to Body Language instead of going to the classier gyms in the city because she says they’re pretentious and don’t cater for older members in the way we do. She got wind of the fact that we were struggling and offered to become a sleeping partner in the business. We’re reluctant because we don’t know yet if we can make it work and don’t want her to throw her money away.”
“Why…why would she make an offer like that?”
“Because her granddaughter was attacked,” Ty said. “She now attends Vasco’s defense classes and Mrs. G. is grateful that she’s learned how to look out for herself.”
“Oh, shit.” Sorrel sat down, shaking her head. “I’m so sorry. Looks like I got it wrong.”
“Yeah, you did.” Vasco drilled her with a look. “How could you think we’d do that to you, especially after all the stuff we’ve enjoyed together?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “I’m sorry, I guess I’m used to being exploited and kinda expect it of people.”
“Darlin’, it would take more than the few thousand you inherited from your dad to sort this place out,” Ty said. “In order to compete with the others, we need to purchase the derelict building next door, put in a full-sized pool, link the two buildings, put in an outdoor training circuit, a café…need I spell it out?”
“The other gyms in the area offer those facilities?”
“Yeah, but right now we’re more interested in attracting members, keeping our heads above water, and building a reputation.”
“Hence your need for the corporate membership deal?”
“Right.”
Sorrel frowned. “You always seem to be quite busy. Why isn’t it paying off?”
“Because we’ve had to cut membership fees to a minimum to compete with the others. They can afford to cut their fees because they’re established, and that’s what they’ve done to try and put us out of business,” Vasco explained.
“But the boot camp, the seniors, the defense classes—all those things must help.”
“The boot camp is too new to have much effect on the bottom line yet,” Ty replied. “We only charge the seniors a small fee because a lot of them wouldn’t be able to come otherwise, same with the defense classes.”
“The seniors I understand, but why do the defense classes if they don’t pay? That’s not good business practice.”
She noticed Ty look pointedly at Vasco. No one spoke and the atmosphere was rife with tension. Even Marley appeared to sense it. He whined, and took himself off to a corner where he curled up on a rug. Sorrel felt terrible for doubting them, and worse about spoiling what they’d had going. She should have kept faith in the guys and not taken what she’d overheard at face value. There was always more than one explanation for everything. Besides, her Mom and Maggie were hardly upstanding examples of incorruptibility. Of course they would assume the worst of the guys, because they judged everyone by their own standards. Besides, it suited them to ensure Sorrel distanced herself from them and put herself back within their grasping…well, grasps. It all seemed so obvious now, but then hindsight was a wondrous thing. Now, she had lost the guys’ faith and was unsure if she deserved to get it back again.
“You asked me once about my family,” Vasco said, his voice jolting her out of her self-hatred wallow, “and I didn’t really give you an answer. That’s because I never talk about them. Ever. But I’ll tell you, just so you know I’m not the heartless bastard you seem to think I am.”
“Vas, I never meant to—”
“My family were, and probably still are, well off high-achievers. I wouldn’t know. I’ve cut off all contact. My dad’s a top defense attorney, Mom’s a successful interior designer. We don’t do failure in my family,” he said with a cynical twist to his lips. “And we don’t do less than perfect.” He paused, staring off into the distance, some place where she wouldn’t have been able to reach him even if she hadn’t lost his trust. “I had a sister five years younger than me.” He turned to face her, fixing her with a look of eerie fervency. “A sister who was a lot like you.”
“Was?” Sorrel asked breathlessly.
“She developed early, was embarrassed by her breasts and the fact that she was a little overweight. That, of course, was unacceptable in our perfect family unit, and Mom and Dad never let her lose sight of the fact.”
“And so she comfort ate,” Sorrel said softly, nodding in understanding.
“Yeah, she did, but instead of helping her through that hard time, Mom in particular was on her case the entire time. Dad largely ignored her. I graduated high school, refused to go to an Ivy League college and follow in the family tradition, and enlisted instead. My father turned his back on me from that day onwards. In fact, the only person I kept in touch with was Alice, my sister. I knew she was miserable, being teased by the other kids, getting no support at home. I should have fucking been there for her when she had no one e
lse.” His expression was agonized, full of guilt and self-disgust. “But I was too busy rebelling against the old man, and the world in general, to realize just how bad the situation had gotten.”
He smashed his fist against the wall, and Sorrel saw tears in his eyes. She longed to comfort him but knew he would reject the gesture. She glanced at Ty and he shook his head, as though understanding her need and warning her off.
“She was attacked one night, raped—”
“Oh my God!” This time Sorrel did stand up, reach out and touch his arm. She was unsure if he even noticed. He was still in a place where she couldn’t get to him. “She survived the attack but was never the same again. Six months later she took an overdose and killed herself.”
“That is so tragic.” Fresh tears poured down Sorrel’s face. “No wonder it’s so important for you to help girls protect themselves. If someone had done that for Alice then—”
“Yeah.” Vasco finally looked at her. “When we met you, your insecurities reminded me of Alice, and I knew there was a person in there worth getting to know. Or so I thought. Looks like I got that wrong.”
“You weren’t wrong, Vasco.” She risked reaching for his hand and lacing her fingers with his. “But if you know anything about how Alice reacted to kindness, then you might be able to see how I felt when Mom told me you were hurting financially and were out to manipulate me. I was like Alice, invisible to a beautiful world, until I came into money. Then, all of a sudden, everyone wanted a piece of me.”
“Except the jerk,” Ty pointed out.
“Oh, he didn’t know at the time how much I’d gotten. Just as soon as the will was probated and it became public knowledge, he hooked up with my brother again, but Pete’s too stupid to realize why he did that. He’s flattered that a celebrity chef wants to go into business with him.”
“Definitely a jerk,” Vasco muttered.
Sorrel thought of the way he’d been the night before when he called round—contrite and genuine-seeming. She was glad he’d come because it proved to her that she really was over him. These two were another matter. Were they here, explaining when they didn’t need to, because they still wanted her? Hope flared.
“I didn’t want to believe it about you guys.” She encompassed them both with her gaze. “I didn’t believe it, until I overheard you talking in the office. I jumped to the wrong conclusion. I’m so very sorry.” She wiped away her tears. “I’ve spoiled what we could have had together, haven’t I?” Neither of them spoke, which was all the answer she required.
“We still want you, but not your fucking money.” Vasco actually smiled when his voice finally cut through the brittle silence, and Sorrel couldn’t recall ever seeing a more beautiful sight. “We were going to ask you if you’d consider staying, moving in with us permanently.”
Sorrel blinked, unsure if he’d actually said the words she had forfeited the right to hear by not trusting them.
“You…er, want me?” She swallowed. “Just for who I am?”
“We love you,” Ty said simply. “We didn’t see that one coming but we’re mighty glad it did.”
A slow smile spread across her lips. “Love? Me?” She shook her head, convinced she had to be hearing voices. “Are you absolutely sure about that?”
“How can I stay mad at her when she’s so fucking adorable?” Vasco asked, pulling her into his arms. “We were hooked on our feelings for you, almost from the first. You, not your money. When are we gonna get it through your head that we want you for who you are, darlin’? Your few thousand bucks won’t make a dent in our plans.”
“Actually,” she replied, happiness fizzing through her blood stream. “They very well might. I love you both, too. I thought I was being greedy as well as unrealistic because I couldn’t choose between you.”
“Nope,” Ty said, extracting her from Vasco’s arms and sliding his hands possessively over her buttocks. “That’s the way it works in our world. Two into one definitely goes.”
“I do have one condition of my own though.”
“Name it,” they said together.
“I want to become your sleeping partner, literally and in a business sense.”
“That’s real sweet of you, sugar,” Vasco replied. “But like we already told you—”
“You don’t seem to understand,” she said, cutting him off in her haste to make him do so. “I didn’t inherit a few hundred thousand.” She paused, grinning at them both. “I inherited close to two million.”
“You what!” Vasco’s mouth fell open and he sank onto the settee. “You have got to be kidding us.”
“No wonder your family have been hounding you,” Ty added, also falling onto the couch.
“Nope. I’ve been looking for a good investment opportunity,” she said, sitting between them and placing a hand on each of their thighs. “What say you we give those other local gyms a run for their money…er, using my money to do it?”
“Darlin’, we couldn’t do that,” Vasco said.
“Why not? Mind you, I ought to tell you, I’m a tough negotiator, and I shall expect a high return on my investment.”
“How much do you have in mind?” Ty asked warily.
“Oh, I don’t know.” She bit her lower lip as she pretended to think about it. “Shall we say, hot sex at least twice a day for the next twenty…no, make it thirty years?”
“Baby,” they replied with one voice. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”
They sealed that deal in the bedroom, which took a considerable amount of time. They were nothing if not thorough, Sorrel thought happily, as she lay spread-eagled and blindfolded, her hands fastened to the headboard by one of her scarves while Ty sucked her clit and Vasco played with her backside.
“How soon can you move in with us?” he asked.
“How about today?”
He chuckled. “Take all the time you need.”
“We’ve wasted enough time.”
“Amen to that, darlin’.”
Then Vasco slid his huge cock into her backside while Ty sucked the first of several orgasms from her and coherent thought became impossible. Instead she devoted all her energy into begging and pleading with them to give her more—always more. They were more than happy to oblige.
“Stay right where you are, sweet thing,” Ty said when they finally ran out of stamina. “I’m gonna check that camera and find out who the thief was. I want to know, even if you don’t.”
“My money’s on the sister,” Vasco said, remaining right where he was, lazily running his fingers over one of Sorrel’s sensitized breasts while she used his broad shoulder as a pillow.
“Shit, I hate it when he’s right,” Ty said, returning a short time later with the camera in hand, showing a clear picture of Maggie going through the papers Sorrel had left on the table.
“I’m not surprised,” Sorrel said, sighing. “But I’m glad I know for sure. It will make it easier to cut off all relations with her and her spoiled kids.”
“You don’t plan to confront her?” Vasco asked.
“Only if she comes after me for more money. Otherwise, I don’t see the point.”
“Yeah,” Ty agreed. “That’s probably best. You can’t choose your families, darlin’, and no one says you have to like them.”
“Just as well,” Sorrel replied, screwing up her nose.
“Come on, gorgeous,” Vasco said, pulling her to her feet. “Let’s get showered. Then we’ll help you pack up your stuff and close this place up.”
* * * *
“Vasco and Tyler got to the bottom of Sorrel’s problems,” Raoul said, hanging up the phone and chuckling.
“Yeah.” Zeke looked up from his laptop. “Who was it then?”
“Turns out it was her sister. She felt hard done by because Sorrel inherited a shedload of dosh from their old man and she felt she didn’t get her fair share. Seems she did, but she conveniently forgot about it.”
“Charming.”
“Yeah well, Vas and Ty
ler think so. Sorrel’s moved in with them and put her money into the gym.”
Zeke’s mood brightened. “That’s good. I’m glad someone’s got a happy ever after.”
“Sounds to me like Sorrel deserves it. The guys sure as hell do. They’ve worked their asses off to make that gym a success.”
“Who’d have thought Sorrel’s own family would shaft her like that.” Zeke rolled his eyes. “Aren’t families supposed to look out for each other?”
“Yeah well, we’ll never get to know, will we?” Raoul replied, moodily.
Tomorrow was the third anniversary of Cantara’s death. They didn’t talk about it, but both dreaded it. It was a day for renewed recriminations. A day to be endured, just like all the ones that had preceded it over the past three years.
They both knew they’d never feel that way about another woman ever again, and couldn’t seem to put the past behind them, no matter how hard they tried. And they sure as hell had tried. It did no good. Even if they found a woman they liked, Cantara’s memory haunted them, dooming the relationship before it got off the ground. Much as their own guilt at being unable to save her ate away at them like a virulent disease. They should have trusted their instincts and never let her to go in the first place. They had known it was too dangerous. Hell, if Raoul could have his time over…
“Come on, buddy,” Zeke said, reaching for a bottle of bourbon and two glasses. “If ever an occasion called for getting wasted, this is it.”
“Amen to that.”
They raised their glasses in a silent toast to Cantara’s memory, Raoul still able to vividly recall her beautiful face and piercing green eyes, the sound of her musical laughter, and intensity of her lovely smile.
“Come back to us, babe,” Raoul whispered, tears pricking the back of his eyes. “We just can’t hack it without you.”
THE END
WWW.ZARACHASE.COM
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Zara Chase is a British author who spends a lot of her time travelling the world. Being a gypsy provides her with ample opportunities to scope out exotic locations for her stories. She likes to involve her heroines in her erotic novels in all sorts of dangerous situations—and not only with the hunky heroes whom they encounter along the way. Murder, blackmail, kidnapping and fraud make frequent appearances in her books, adding pace and excitement to her racy stories.
