The Inheritance (Forever Bound #1)

by Bree Callahan

  “My girlfriend’s best friend,” Jesse replied proudly. “She’s gorgeous…almost right up there with Ana.” He winked at Derek. “You should meet her.”

  “I appreciate the gesture, but really…I’ve made up my mind.” Derek laughed as he stood to his feet. “Want a drink before I send you off to interfere with someone else’s life.” He smiled to show that he was sort of kidding.

  “I’ll take a scotch,” Jesse quietly replied. Derek went to the bar and poured two glasses of Scotch, then walked it back over to Jesse.

  “I might not be interested in getting to know her best friend, but I would like to meet this mysterious girlfriend I’ve only recently heard about. So, her name’s Ana?”

  Jesse nodded. “I believe she could be the one.”

  Derek took a drink from his glass, before replying. “Wow, that’s saying a lot coming from you.”

  Jesse eagerly nodded. “I know, but there’s something different about her. Maybe that’s another reason why I want you to consider meeting someone and getting married. Ana’s changed my heart, and the perfect girl could change yours.”

  Derek rolled his eyes, as he took a slow drink and thought about Jesse’s words. Jesse didn’t understand why he believed the way he did, but he couldn’t force things to happen just so he could walk away with his father’s fortune. It didn’t work that way and eventually Jesse would have to understand.

  ***

  Charity stood at the microwave, staring absentmindedly into her steaming hot soup. When the microwave dinged, she opened the door and pulled out the bowl. “A gourmet meal fit for a Queen,” she replied with a chuckle, taking a seat at her kitchen table. She took a bite from the bowl, then took a drink of water, before reaching for her first piece of mail.

  She opened it up to find her credit card bill…late again. She stared at the past due amount and dropped the bill on the kitchen table. She reached for another envelope and opened it up to find a late notice for her doctor’s bill. She had only gone for a physical, but they seemed to charge enough to pay for three surgeries, at least that’s how it seemed. Again, she flung the bill to the kitchen table. She groaned at the bills still left on the table. She didn’t need to open them to know what they were about.

  She took another bite of her soup and thought about how she never expected her life to get this bad. She took a drink of her ice cold water and sighed as it went down her pipe. Her cell phone rang, and she glanced at the number. “Perfect timing,” she mumbled, reading her landlord’s name on the caller ID. She ignored the call. It wasn’t long until a message signaled on her phone. Despite wanting to throw the phone down the toilet, she listened to the message.

  “It’s Richard. I know you’re home and just refusing to answer my call, but you need to contact me ASAP. I’ve been patient, Charity. Your rent is way past due and delaying it will only hurt your case. Call me.” The phone went dead, and she deleted the message. She would’ve loved to call him and pay up, but she didn’t have the money he needed. Sure that the knock at her door was soon to follow, she finished her soup and put the dirty dishes in the sink, then grabbed her purse, and rushed out the front door. She hopped in her car and swore she saw the light flip on in his apartment, but never looked back.

  She drove the few miles down her road, to the right, and up a hill, until she turned into the parking lot of the nearest club. She sat there for a few minutes, contemplating whether she really wanted to go inside. Then after a few uncertain moments, she got out of the car and sauntered into the dark building.

  She glanced around the club, seeking out any familiar face in the crowd. When she didn’t see any, she walked up to the bar and sat down on one of the stools. She smiled at the bartender. “I’ll take sex on the beach.”

  “Coming right up!”

  She took a deep breath and slowly let it out, staring straight ahead and not focusing on her surroundings. When the bartender handed her the drink, she handed him a five and smiled. “Keep the change.” She needed time to think and sitting in a noisy club seemed a confusing option, but the right one. She took a drink and devised a game plan in her head. She had to talk to her boss and beg for a raise or more hours. She quickly was losing any other choice. She took another drink and planned out the words in her head. She would offer to work longer hours and give the ones that were closer to retirement age the time at home with their families. Stella, who only worked because her children were grown, out of the house, and living two thousand miles away, had talked about taking an extended vacation to visit them. She would gladly pick up all her hours if needed. Bill hadn’t really given Stella the time off she requested because he said that she was needed there, but Charity could help out in that aspect. It could work. It had to.

  She lifted her drink to her lips when she heard the voice next to her. “Penny for your thoughts.” A penny slid in front of her, and she looked up to stare into two dark brown eyes. His long hair was draped over his shoulders, and she bit back a groan that was fighting to be released. He smiled brightly, and her knees quivered.

  “Um…nice gesture but my thoughts aren’t worth that much.” She put her hand to the penny and slid it back to him, never breaking their gaze.

  He grinned, which made her heart race. “I doubt that. A beautiful girl sitting there so serenely, staring out like she has the weight of the world on her shoulders…must be pretty busy in your head. I can almost see the thoughts running around inside.”

  She smiled, blushing as she looked down at the bar. She’d never felt so drawn to a guy before. This coming from a woman that could sleep with a different guy every night and not think about it. When she looked back at him, she saw a gold speck in his eyes, that seemed to twinkle and invite her in. “You charmer…I bet you say that to all the women.”

  He laughed. “Not all of them…just the captivating ones.”

  She brushed a strand of hair back around her ear and bit her lower lip. Warmth settled into her inner core, and she situated herself on the bar stool to make herself comfortable. She took a long drawn out drink from her glass, and when she lowered it to the counter, she realized it was almost bone dry. He noticed it, too.

  “Bartender, she’ll have another.”

  Her eyes widened. Besides the lack of money in her billfold, she didn’t like to drink too much. She liked to have a clear head. “No…I wouldn’t,” she stated.

  He glanced towards her. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed. Want something else?”

  She thought about it, then finally smiled and shook her head. “Another Sex on the Beach is fine.” She slowly pulled her change purse from her pocket. Knowing it would only contain her driver’s license, she moved extra slowly, hoping he would intervene. When he placed his hand on hers, she was grateful to see that he did just that.

  “I got it.” He winked at her, and she was seconds from salivating. She heaved a sigh and replaced the item in her pocket.

  “Thank you!” She looked into his chocolate eyes and he smiled.

  “My pleasure.” He put the money on the counter and they went back to talking. “So, what is a beautiful woman doing here alone?” he asked.

  “Perhaps looking to meet a nice guy to talk to.” She smiled, providing the same warmth he gave to her.

  “Please. I’m sure you have guys standing around the block for you. You don’t need to come to a club to get that kind of attention.” He took a drink from his beer bottle.

  The bartender placed her drink in front of her, and she grabbed a drink to buy herself some time. Smiling, as she dropped the drink from her lips, she answered with, “Maybe I would prefer a different kind of attention that they can give me.”

  He wiggled his eyes at her and chuckled. “Hm…I can’t lie. That did intrigue me.” He took another drink, then replied, “My name’s Damian…and you?”

  He seemed different than the other guys she’d flirted with. Without giving it the second thought, she told him her name. “My name’s Charity.” She held out her ha
nd, and he shook it, gleaming with confidence.

  “Charity, it is a pleasure to meet you.”

  She smiled at him and slowly pulled her hand free from his. She looked down at her full glass and a knot formed in her lower abdomen. She didn’t want to appear ungrateful, but she also didn’t want to make a fool of herself. She took a sip, then placed it back down on the counter. “We’ve talked about why I’m here alone, but what about you?” she asked. “You’re not half bad looking…I mean, a woman could do worse.” She grinned, and he laughed, brightening up the dim room.

  “Gee, I’m flattered. You want the truth?” he asked.

  She nodded. “It’d be refreshing.”

  “Broke up with my girlfriend a month ago and I’m looking to take away that sting. How’s that for honesty?”

  Her eyes hung to his. He seemed honest about that, and she couldn’t fault him. He was out there looking for something to take his mind off of his heartbreak, and she was out there looking for something to take away her own problems. A perfect match. “My fiancé left me a week before the wedding. That was a year ago, and I’m still trying to get over that sting.”

  “He must be an ass,” Damian replied, surprising her.

  She snickered. “I think so.” She continued to gawk at him, gaining up her courage to speak just as candid. “If you don’t mind me saying…your ex isn’t very smart either. To leave someone as gorgeous as yourself…she must be blind.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “I think so.” He chuckled. “But, you’re too kind.”

  “Speak the truth,” Charity replied back. She reached for her glass and started to pick it back up, but then hesitated. Being more forward than she’d ever been in her life, she inched closer to him and placed her mouth against his ear. “I live about five minutes from here. Want to follow me home, and we can both help to lose that sting?”

  When she pulled back from him. His face read several emotions, but the desire was the strongest one. He nodded. “After you!”

  She stepped down from the stool and headed out of the club, with Damian only inches behind her. She made eye contact when she headed to her car and saw that he was getting onto a motorcycle. “A bad boy,” she mumbled, smiling as she got into her car. She was ready to get the night started.

  ***

  Derek sat in his office chair and picked up the papers that Jesse had left earlier in the evening. “I won’t do it,” he said as if to reaffirm his feelings. He didn’t care what he was giving up. He didn’t want to marry some random girl just to get money. That ship had sailed, and he wanted to just put the thought behind him. He let the papers drift back to his desk, then picked up the photo album that he had found earlier. On the first page was a picture of Jenna and him. They were laughing and full of love. She had put it together their senior year. He didn’t know why he kept it, but it felt wrong to throw it away. That was seven years he didn’t want to lose. On the next page, he found them riding their bikes. It was surely a picture her parents had taken.

  They were only eleven, but even then it seemed obvious they would one day be together. He flipped the page to several pictures from their seventh-grade dance. He snickered as he peered at the crazy moves they did back then. His hand ran over each picture, and he remembered the sound of the music, the way the decorations glittered in the school auditorium, and the smell of the corsage he gave to her. He flipped through three more pages to a sadder day in their life. Her grandmother had just passed away, and someone caught a glimpse of Derek trying to console her. They were in an embrace that he didn’t expect to ever part from. It was during their Freshman year of high school, and it was around the time he started to realize that he wasn’t too young to know what love was. He wanted to be there for her.

  “What happened?” he whispered. He glanced at the pictures next to it. Her Freshman school picture was diagonal to his. Her eyes shone in the picture. Her red hair was long and flowed down her back. When he looked at his picture, he saw someone that was more lonely and sad. It was around the eyes and he never noticed it before. He flipped the page and found a crushed rose and next to it a single concert ticket. It was their first concert together. They saw Garth Brooks, and he remembered her telling him that if Derek hadn’t stolen her heart, she would’ve pursued finding Garth and trying to marry him. Derek laughed at her statement at the time, but he now noticed the hidden meaning. At that point, she was in love with him. He wasn’t alone.

  He took to another page, where it was some more pictures. This time, they were pictures taken at a bonfire during their Junior year. Again, each picture showcased two people that would never give up on one another. He flipped the page and found more pictures from birthday parties, vacations, and dances. Then he reached their graduation. Someone captured a picture of the two of them all dressed in their cap and gowns. It was hard to believe that only two days later she was saying goodbye and leaving him there to make a choice. Would he stay or would he go?

  So many things kept him from leaving and following her. Most importantly he didn’t want to disappoint his father. Looking back he couldn’t be sure whether he would have made the same choice, but he also never had regrets, and he wanted to believe things always worked out for the better. He closed the album and stood up from his chair. He hesitated at the shelf, contemplating of finally pitching the scrapbook and moving on with his life, but instead he shoved it back into the spot that he got it from. He didn’t know why things happened the way they did, but he did know that the girl in that book took a piece of his heart when she left that day, and he was fine with keeping his decision intact. He couldn’t look at marrying someone else when he wasn’t completely over the girl next door.

  ***

  “Oh God!” she moaned. His hands slithered over her body as his hips bucked sharply against hers. The moment they got back to her place, they had their clothes off and were wildly having sex in her bedroom. “Ugh…” she screamed, grabbing onto his body and gliding under his strong build. His name repeatedly left her lips which was unusual, as she thought that was too intimate.

  This time, she didn’t care, she needed him…wanted him. He pumped inside her as his condom filled up and her body shook beneath him, slowly releasing her juices around his erection. He collapsed on top of her and their lips met. His tongue dove into her mouth, and she moaned, breathlessly taking in the taste of his lips. His hands fondled her breasts as they lay there and explored one another. Usually, it’s wham bam thank you ma’am, but this time, it was pleasurable and tender.

  His hands left her breasts and gracefully washed over the sides of her body. Her legs drifted apart, and his shaft released from her hold. His hands landed on her hips, and they continued the methodic way of kissing one another, then she couldn’t breathe and arched her back, tearing away from his lips. His mouth wandered to her chin and slowly down her neck while she gasped for air. With one hand wrapped around her back and the other snug to her waist, he kissed her sensitive skin.

  His tongue swooped out and gently caressed her shoulder, then collarbone. She sighed, enjoying the meaningful moment. He enthusiastically kissed her along her collarbone, then dipped his lips to her breasts. His tongue slithered up her cleavage, wrapping around her breasts, and eagerly feasting on one, then the other. His teeth latched onto a nipple, gently tugging it and noisily releasing it. “Ah…” she moaned, gyrating her body smoothly beneath him. His teeth latched onto nipple number two and again plopped it out of his mouth, leaving another grueling moan from her lips.

  He explored his way down her stomach, sliding his tongue around her navel. His hands gripped tight to her waist, and he moved down even lower. At her feminine opening, he teased her clit with his tongue, sliding it up and down the hard nub. “Hmm…” he groaned, rubbing his tongue hard against her.

  He inserted his tongue between her folds and she whimpered, opening her legs wider for him to enter. He moved in swift motions, in and out…hard and easy…fast and slow…leaving her thrashing beneath him and s
creaming out with ecstatic pleas. “Yes! Yes! Holy fuck! Yes!” she cried. Her body shook with emotion, and another orgasm gripped her and she gushed her juices into his mouth. He hungrily and enthusiastically took in her fragrance, and she crashed hard against the bed, panting and begging for him not to stop. She closed her eyes and laid there, calmly coming back to relaxation.

  His tongue lapped up her juices, and he pulled out of her, then sexily wandered back up her body and to her lips. “You didn’t disappoint,” he replied with a smile.

  Without saying a word, she wrapped her hand around his head and pulled him down to her. She was thinking the exact same thing. Damian had her completely in his grasp, and she didn’t want to let go.

  Chapter 4

  Derek just walked into his office when his phone buzzed in. He hit the intercom button, where Lily could easily get ahold of him. “This is Derek.”

  “Boss, I just wanted to tell you that your twelve o’clock was canceled. He said he would call back to reschedule.”

  “Okay. Thanks.” He disconnected the call, then realized that he still had to eat so he buzzed into Lily’s phone.

  “Yes?” she answered.

  “Do you want to order in sandwiches today?” he asked.

  “Sorry, but I can’t stay today for lunch. My boyfriend is stopping by and picking me up. I can order something for you, though. Do you want the usual?”

  He was a little disappointed that Lily already had plans, but he understood she couldn’t stop her life on his account. “No, don’t bother. I’ll just go out and grab something.”

  “Are you sure?” she asked. “No bother at all.”

  “I’m positive. Enjoy your lunch.”

  “Thanks! I’ll be back before one.”

  “Okay, no problem. Thank you!” He disconnected the call, then dialed up Jesse’s cell number. It rang only once before Jesse answered.