Beauty and the Boss (Modern Fairytales)

by Diane Alberts

  “I couldn’t resist.” He sat beside her, bending a knee and settling on his foot. He touched the dress, tracing one of the threads that led to the beads. “The blue matches those flecks that show up in your eyes when you smile. And since I plan on making you smile a lot that night, it seemed like it was made for you.”

  “It’s perfect,” she whispered, tears burning her eyes. “You’re perfect. I love it. Thank you.”

  He curled his hand behind her neck, and kissed her. When he pulled back, his blue eyes were warmer than ever before. “You’re the perfect one. Not me. I’m just me.”

  She wasn’t sure what to say to that, so she kissed him instead.

  And she didn’t want to stop.

  By the time they came up for air, they were both undressed and breathing heavily, and the dress had fallen to the floor. Yawning, Benjamin pulled the covers over them and settled in. She rolled onto her side, facing him, and folded her hands under her cheek. “I—” The ring of her phone cut her off. “Who could that be?”

  He raised a brow. “I have no idea, since it’s not my phone. Answer it, we’ll find out.”

  “It’s probably just—” Digging in her purse, she pulled out her cell and frowned down at the screen. “Oh. It’s my parents. They never call this late. Could you give me a second?”

  Benjamin sat up. “Sure. I’ll go grab us a couple bottles of water.”

  “Thanks.” She watched him go, waiting till he crossed the threshold and turned the corner. Then, and only then, she answered the phone. “What’s wrong, Mom?”

  “Nothing’s wrong.” She paused. “But Lou called a few minutes ago. We got word from the bank, and we’re going to find out tomorrow at nine a.m. if we got the grant that could keep us running.”

  She held the phone tight, offering a silent prayer that they would get it. If they didn’t, her parents would lose the farm, and everything they worked so hard to build all these years. “Did Lou give you any indication of the verdict when he called?”

  “No, he said he wasn’t told yet. He just heard the answer was waiting for him on his desk.” She let out a small sigh. “I don’t have a good feeling about this.”

  “Don’t think like that. You have to think positively.” Maggie flopped back on the bed and stared up at the fan above Benjamin’s bed. Unlike hers back home, his did not need to be dusted. It was impeccably clean. His sheets were soft and satiny, and everything looked…rich. Different. It didn’t feel like home. “If you believe it can be saved, it will. You taught me that.”

  Her mom laughed. “I did, didn’t I?”

  “Yes.” She peeked at the door, but there was no sign of Benjamin. “The farm won’t be shut down. I swear I’ll do everything I can to make sure it stays open, before we have to resort to something drastic and final.”

  “That’s not your job, dear,” her mom said, her voice sad. “It’s mine. And this is our last resort. We’ve exhausted every avenue we could. If we don’t get a loan or a grant…it’s over.”

  She rubbed her forehead, worry taking over despite her words to her mother. All her life, her father had worked hard to keep his father’s farm going…and for what? To lose it now? No. That couldn’t be how this ended. “I refuse to accept that. There has to be a way to get the money. There just has to.” Footsteps came down the hallway, and Maggie cleared her throat. “Don’t lose faith.”

  “I won’t,” her mom said.

  Benjamin hovered in the doorway, and she motioned him inside, sitting up and folding her knees in front of her. She hadn’t wanted him to hear this conversation, but it was pretty much over now. He wouldn’t understand the struggle her parents faced, and would probably offer to throw money at the problem to fix it, and as much as that might help, she refused to be yet another hand held out for him to fill. “I have to go now. I’m not at home.”

  He walked in, two bottles of water in his hand, and sat down on his side of the bed. Slowly, he rubbed her back in large, sweeping circles.

  “Are you at that guy’s house?” Her mother asked. “The one you told me about?”

  Maggie flinched, side-eying him. He smiled back. “Yes.”

  “Is he there now?”

  “Yes…”

  Her mom whispered. “Can he hear me?”

  “Yes,” she whispered back. “He probably can.”

  His hand froze on her. Leaning in, he whispered, “Why are we all whispering? Is someone listening to us?”

  A laugh escaped Maggie, and she covered her mouth. “Okay, I have to go now. Love you, Mom. And…don’t worry. It’ll all be fine. You’ll see.”

  He resumed rubbing her back as she hung up. When she finished, she tossed her phone aside and hugged her knees. He sat up, scooting behind her, and rested his chin on her shoulder. “You told your parents about me?”

  “Yeah.” She leaned over to peer at him. “Is that a bad thing?”

  “No.” He resumed rubbing. “I told my mom about us, too.”

  She rolled her eyes. “No, really?”

  “Really.” Chuckling, he kissed her neck. “Is everything okay, though? You sounded upset.”

  “It’s fine.” She shrugged. “I’m fine.”

  “Okay…”

  Silence descended, and she couldn’t think of anything to say to fill it. So she said nothing, just let herself enjoy the sensation of his hand moving over her back, slow and steady. “Remember when I told you my father died of a heart attack, and I was too busy partying to bother to show up in time?”

  She lifted her lids, blinking slowly, her heart wrenching. This time, his voice was laced with pain, and his pain physically hurt her, because he was finally letting her in. He blamed himself, and his mother blamed him, too, which made her long to pull him into her arms, hug him, and promise him that it would all be okay. “Yeah?”

  His hand paused. “When I finally listened to my voicemail and found out what happened, I rushed to the hospital, breaking all kinds of traffic laws, but he had died ten minutes before I got there. My mother…she wouldn’t even let me see him before they took him away. I didn’t fight it, because I felt like I deserved every ounce of shit I got from her. I’ve spent the last few years trying to become a man he would have been proud of. Trying to model myself after him.”

  She rolled over and raised up on an elbow. The lights were out, but the moonlight and the lights of the city illuminated the room enough for her to see him, and he looked…guilty. Ashamed. Torn. And she wanted to fix him.

  “You don’t have to change who you are, Benjamin. I bet if your father were here—wait, scratch that. He is here. And he’s watching. I’m positive he’s pretty freaking proud of what you’ve accomplished.”

  He smoothed her hair back. “I’m not so sure. The man you see at the office, the one I was before you came into my life? That’s the me I was trying to be. The me I was trying to become. But with you…I can’t do it. I can’t be pragmatic, focused, and completely dedicated to my work. You make me too happy.”

  He sounded awfully unhappy about being happy. “Is that a bad thing, or good?”

  “I haven’t figured that out yet.” He lay down and held his arms out for her. “Will you stay the night with me, darling? I don’t want to lose you.”

  She curled up in his arms. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

  As his arms closed around her, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, breathing his scent in. There was no telling what tomorrow would bring, but with Benjamin’s arms around her, the apartment didn’t feel so foreign anymore.

  It felt like…home.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The next afternoon, Benjamin sat behind his desk, rubbed his forehead, and cursed his sleepless night. Even though he’d held Maggie in his arms, which should have soothed him, he’d been unable to relax enough to actually drift off. And man, he was paying for it now. He’d spent the day in a council meeting, pouring over financials and reports.

  At first, he’d been so sure he would find so
mething—anything—that would explain his mother’s behavior, as well as her insistence that he marry for money. Like they were impoverished and needed funds. Or maybe the company was going under.

  But that wasn’t the case.

  Since he joined the company, the profits were up nearly two hundred percent. He didn’t understand why she was so unhappy with him, or what drove her to try to kick him out of his seat. The board seemed as confused about the turn of events as he was.

  The company was safe. The board was happy.

  All evidence pointed to his mother being a rich, heartless snob. But he couldn’t believe that was the only reason. There had to be something else.

  Tossing the papers down with a frustrated sigh, he leaned back in his chair and covered his face. His company was perfectly fine—which should make him happy. It did, but it pissed him off at the same time. On top of his mother’s stressful deadline hanging over his head like a fucking anvil, Maggie had been acting strange.

  Ever since her parents had called, she’d been quiet. Reserved. Upset, even. He’d heard her mention money on the phone, and coming up with a way to find some, but he hadn’t pried because she clearly wasn’t in the mood to talk about it. That was killing him, too.

  Especially after he opened up to her like that.

  The door to his office swung in, and he didn’t bother to take his hands off his face. The only person who would walk in without knocking was Maggie. “What’s up?”

  “That’s no way to greet your mother.”

  Oh, just fucking great. He lowered his hands and sat up straight, standing unsteadily. “Mother. What a pleasant surprise.”

  “I bet it is.” She shut the door behind her and walked up to his desk. Before he could so much as come around to dutifully kiss her forehead, she tossed down a thick folder. “This is what you’re looking for. You won’t find it in those reports, or hear about it in a board meeting with a bunch of clueless investors.”

  He glanced down at the pile. “Won’t find what?”

  “The evidence that this company needs a merger with Reginald to keep running. I’ve kept it hidden from you because I didn’t want you find out how your father ran us into the ground, but I should have told you years ago.” She smoothed her hair. “It’s why I kept pushing you to marry Elizabeth. If you do, Reginald will save us.”

  “How did you…?” He rested his hand on his hard thigh, his heart thumping so fast and hard it physically hurt as he opened the folder and glanced at the papers. “Wait. What?”

  “When you called a board meeting, I was informed. They also told me you went over financials extensively, so it was clear what you were seeking.” With a manicured finger, she tapped the paper he’d flipped over. “These are the real reports. The ones no one but the two of us can ever see.”

  He stared down at his desk blindly, his heart thumping a loud staccato in his head. “But how would no one else find out about it? All the shareholders, and board members… That doesn’t make any sense. They would have to know.”

  “No, they don’t. Because I’ve kept it from them.” She collapsed in the chair in front of this desk. For the first time in his life, she looked defeated. Probably because what she’d done was illegal, and they both knew it. “I’ve hidden the truth from everyone. I only just told Andrew this past weekend.”

  He shook his head. “But…how?”

  “How did I keep it a secret? Or how did it all fall apart in the first place?”

  He glanced at the papers in front of him, turning another paper over. Sure enough, a bunch of dire looking numbers stared back at him, and he tossed it back down angrily. “Both.”

  “I’ve always been good at hiding what I want to hide, once I put my mind to it. At putting on a show. A good face.” She rubbed her forehead. “As for the other question, we lost everything through a series of bad decisions made by your father that led to financial ruin. We’re doomed, Benjamin, and need an influx of money if we’re going to survive.”

  His heart thudded in his ears, and he tugged on his tie because, Jesus Christ, it was trying to fucking strangle him. “I…see.”

  “Do you?” His mother leaned forward, a penetrating stare latched on to him like a hawk. “Reginald agreed to bail out the company if you marry Elizabeth. We need her money. Gale Incorporated needs it, or it’ll die. And your father’s memory, with it.”

  A heavy weight fell to the pit of his stomach. It felt a hell of a lot like responsibility laced with a healthy dose of dread. It also felt like the death of any hope of happiness with Maggie. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner? I could have tried to do something.”

  She lifted a dainty shoulder. “I didn’t think it would come to this. I thought you would do your duty and marry Elizabeth, as you should have all along. But you went and picked that woman, and you’ve forced my hand. Don’t worry. Your ‘fiancée’ will bolt as soon as she discovers you’re poor. I have no doubt of that. Gold diggers like her always flee at the slightest scent of poverty.”

  “She’s not—” He stiffened, rage pumping through his veins instead of blood. For the first time, he let himself feel anger toward his mother. And it was because of Maggie that he could do this—the same Maggie he was now going to lose. “You know what? Get the hell out of my office.”

  “I understand that you’re upset, but that’s no way to talk to your mother.” She stood, smoothing her flawless business skirt. “I’ll go. But Elizabeth is stopping by in three hours. I told her you’ll be asking her to marry you, and I expect you to follow through.”

  Rage blinded him even more, and he pushed to his feet, taking a step toward her. “How dare you tell her such a thing?”

  “I dare because I have faith you’ll do the right thing, for once in your life.” She eyed him, her lip curled in disgust. “I raised you to do it. I expect it. So does your father. Or are you going to let him down again?”

  Without waiting for an answer, she swept out of his office, shutting the door behind her. He watched her through the window that led out into the main office area—his attention on one person in particular.

  Maggie sat at her desk, holding her head, looking as if she was about to cry. His mother stopped to speak to her, and she tensed.

  Swallowing hard, he closed the blinds and ignored the gut instinct to go out there and make sure she was all right. Instead, he sat at his desk and picked up the papers his mother had dropped on his desk. Unfortunately, he found exactly what he’d been looking for all day long. He found the reason why his mother wanted him to marry up.

  And there was no escaping the undeniable truth. If he wanted to save his father’s company, he’d have to do the unthinkable. He’d have to marry Elizabeth and be miserable for the rest of his goddamn life.

  He closed his eyes, Maggie’s laugh ringing through his head. It only made him feel even more depressed, because he was about to lose that. Lose her. Everything was about to slip out of his hands, because he had to save his father’s company.

  The door opened again, but stopped halfway.

  Someone knocked.

  He scowled at it, and whoever dared to interrupt him. “Who is it?”

  “It’s me.” Maggie peeked her head in, and her fresh-faced beauty was like a punch in the throat. “Do you have a second?”

  Everything he’d wanted and couldn’t have, stared him right in the face. Mocked him. He’d been so damn sure they could make things work, and now he had to let her go. That hurt a hell of a lot more than it should have, which only pissed him off more.

  “I’m busy,” he said through clenched teeth. “Make it quick.”

  She shut the door behind her but didn’t come inside the office more than necessary. She clutched the knob, shifting on her feet. “Are you okay?”

  “No,” he bit out. “I’m not fucking okay. Now isn’t a good time.”

  She blinked, clearly taken aback at him snapping her head off. “Oh. Sorry.”

  When she didn’t speak any more, he gestured for h
er to get on with it. He was being an ass, but he couldn’t seem to stop. He was going to lose her because of something his father did—and that pissed him the hell off. It might not be her fault, but right now, it felt like it was. “Well? What did you want?”

  She hesitated, and he wanted to scream at her to get the hell out before he said or did something he’d regret, but he didn’t make a sound. He just sat there like a fucking fool. “I have to…I mean…I had a question. My parents got bad news today, and…well, uh, I—”

  Something inside of him exploded, and there was no stopping the flow of words once they came. He’d just found out he was all but trapped in an arranged marriage he didn’t want, and she couldn’t get a damn sentence out? “Jesus Christ. Spit it the fuck out. I don’t have all damn day to sit here while you get up the nerve to speak.”

  Her jaw dropped. “What’s your problem? Forget it. I don’t want your help anymore.”

  “Great. Just fucking great.”

  “Screw you.” Turning her back on him, she fumbled with the doorknob, but her hands trembled too badly to turn it. “Come on, you stupid door.”

  He shoved his chair back and stalked across the room to her. She finally managed to get it open, but he thumped a hand on the wood, shutting it with a loud bang. “What. Did. You. Want?”

  She spun, her back against the door. “N-Nothing. Forget it.”

  “Maggie.” He gritted his teeth together, trying to get a hold on his temper. It wasn’t her fault his world was falling apart. She didn’t do anything wrong, and he shouldn’t be snarling in her face like the beast he was. “Just tell me.”

  “I—I’m leaving.”

  A knife of pain sliced through his chest. Out of all the things he expected her to say, this was pretty much at the bottom of the list. “Where are you going?”