Beauty and the Boss (Modern Fairytales)

by Diane Alberts

  Sure, he hadn’t said as much, but he’d left her ten messages begging her to come back because he missed her. And he’d taken a break from work, flown out here, and tried to get her to come back when she refused to answer his calls.

  If that wasn’t love, she wasn’t sure what was.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Benjamin made his way toward the door as he fought through the crowd at the Met, trying his best not to look utterly bored and miserable. But he probably failed because he was both of those things, and he wasn’t in the fucking mood to pretend otherwise. While he used to be good at hiding his feelings, lately…well, he sucked ass at it.

  He missed Maggie and her smile and her laugh and the way she made him laugh. Hell, he missed every damn thing about her. He’d been falling for her before she’d climbed under his table and announced he was her fiancé, and he’d fallen even harder after that. There was no coming back from that, and he didn’t want to.

  He just wanted her to come back—into his arms and never leave again. But she made it pretty damn clear she wouldn’t. She was finished with him. Over him.

  And he’d never be over her.

  Paying off her parents’ debt like that had been a gamble. Going to see her had been an even bigger one. She didn’t like when he threw his money around, but they had been about to lose their farm, thanks to his mother. He couldn’t just do nothing. He’d done the right thing.

  But she hated him. And he loved her.

  Wasn’t that just fucking lovely?

  Pushing the doors open, he stepped out into the cool night air, pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked for a reply from Maggie. A reply he wouldn’t get, but that didn’t stop him from hoping like a damn fool anyway. He’d sent her another text a couple of hours ago. She’d read it, but hadn’t replied.

  The story of his life.

  Dropping his phone back into his pocket, he sighed and leaned against the railing, staring out into the night. The snow fell from the sky in big flakes, and covered the streets below. Central park was lit up with Christmas lights, and that had always been his favorite part of the elaborate decorations, but he couldn’t enjoy it tonight. The city was picturesque at Christmas, but he didn’t even care.

  He missed Maggie too damn much.

  He hadn’t been lying when he told her he would wait forever if he had to…but he’d rather it not be that long. They’d already lost enough time together. “I’m coming back to you, and this time, I won’t leave until you love me, too,” he muttered under his breath. “And now I’m talking to myself, like you. Perfect.”

  Taking his phone out, he called her. It, of course, went to voicemail. “I shouldn’t have left yesterday. I shouldn’t have listened to you. You might hate me, and you might never want to see me again, but I’m going to change that. Just watch me.”

  He laughed and rubbed his jaw.

  “I miss you so much that I’m talking to myself now. Yeah. You heard me right. So, guess what? Tomorrow, I’m getting back on a plane, and I’m coming out there. I’m going to find you, kiss you, and never let you go again. And I’m going to make you love me as much as I love you, one way or another, even if it takes a million years. So…there. See you soon. Merry Christmas, darling.”

  He hung up, smiling for the first time in a week and a half. He was winning his Maggie back. One way or the other…she’d be his. For real, this time.

  No make-believe. No pretend rings. Just them.

  The door opened, and he stepped to the side to let whoever was exiting enjoy the balcony. When he smiled at them, ready to pass, he froze. “Andrew? What are you doing out here?”

  “I wanted to talk to you.” Andrew shut the door and leaned against it, his gaze focused on Benjamin. “After what Mother pulled, I feel I owe you an explanation.”

  Benjamin nodded. “Yeah. Okay.”

  “I never wanted to take your job, and when Mother had that dinner, I had no idea what I was walking into until it was too late. Next thing I know, she’s talking about motions, and people were agreeing with her, and I froze.”

  Benjamin tried to ignore the dull pain at the idea of his brother silently letting people plot his termination, but it was impossible. “It’s okay.”

  “But I never would have done it. You have to believe me.” Andrew stepped forward. “I wouldn’t have taken your job. You blame yourself for what happened with Father, but I never did. It happened quickly. It wasn’t your fault you weren’t there.”

  “I know. And I believe you.”

  Andrew blinked. “You do?”

  “Yeah.”

  He sagged against the door again. “Oh, thank God.”

  “All’s well that ends well, right?” Benjamin asked.

  “Right.”

  “Did she tell you her other secret?” he asked.

  Andrew cocked his head. “No. What secret?”

  “Turns out, I’m not hers.” He laughed. “I’m his secretary’s son. Dad had an affair, apparently, and got me out of it. Mother covered it up out of shame.”

  Andrew’s jaw dropped. “I had no idea. Are you okay?”

  “Yeah. If anything, I’m happy.” He shrugged. “It’s not as if she loved me. She didn’t.”

  “That’s not true,” Andrew argued weakly.

  He stared at his brother, not arguing. They both knew she hated him. “It doesn’t matter, anyway. I’m leaving soon, to find Maggie.”

  Andrew perked up. “Speaking of which, she’s—”

  “I’m going to get her back.” He stared at Central Park, smiling for the first time in a long time. “No matter how far I have to go, or what I have to do, I will get her back, and she’ll forgive me. I won’t live my life as miserable as our mother was.”

  “I bet it won’t be as hard as you might think, brother.” Andrew opened the door, smiling. “Go get her.”

  Dragging a hand through his hair, he went back inside, squeezing his brother’s shoulder as he passed. The second he stepped foot in the crowded ballroom, women his mother had “personally invited” converged on him, like ants fighting over the last crumb at a picnic. They were wasting their time. He wasn’t interested.

  Not unless one of them was Maggie.

  “I got you a whiskey,” a blonde said.

  “Can we dance?” a brunette asked. “I love this song.”

  He tugged on his bowtie and scanned the crowd, looking for the coat check area. “I’m sorry, but I—” He cut off mid-sentence, because he caught a flash of midnight blue. Midnight blue that looked an awful lot like… “Maggie.”

  It was her. It had to be.

  She had her back to him, but he’d recognize her anywhere. And she was wearing his dress. The one he’d bought for her to wear tonight. Her hair was swept up, and tendrils slipped out in artful disarray. She looked hauntingly beautiful.

  And he missed her so damn much.

  “Maggie,” he repeated, unable to believe she was here, in the same room as him. “Maggie.”

  “No. My name’s Julia.” A woman reached up and rested her hand on his arm. “Julia Edgerton.”

  “Let go of me.” He shrugged her off, his focus locked on to that flash of blue in the distance. “I have to go.”

  Ignoring the horrified gasp behind him, he fought his way through the crowd as the clock struck twelve behind him. It was officially Christmas. He elbowed his way toward the vision in blue, his heart pounding so hard it was all he heard. Halfway across the floor, she turned.

  He hadn’t imagined it. She was there. Standing across the room from him.

  “My Maggie,” he breathed again, smiling.

  As if by magnetism, her gaze latched on to his. Her lips quirked into a tiny smile, and she started across the floor, too. Benjamin sped up his steps, because now that she’d seen him, and he’d seen her, he knew what this meant.

  She’d come home.

  They met in the middle of the floor, and the crowd parted for them, like they sensed something huge was happening here. A
nd it was. If she’d come back to him, he was never letting her go again. He caught her hands in his. “You’re here. You came home to me.”

  She turned her face up to him, all bright smiles and shining gray eyes with blue specks. “Did you ever think I wouldn’t?”

  “Well…yeah.” He let out a laugh. “After you sent me home alone, I kind of did.”

  She laughed, too. “Fair enough. I shouldn’t have sent you away. I lied. I hadn’t listened to those messages.”

  “Oh.” He paused, running his thumb over the back of her knuckles. It felt as if it had been years since he’d been able to touch her, and he’d been starving for it. Having her in his arms made the earth stop trembling, and it was as if he’d never let her go in the first place. All the fear, pain, and hurt faded away. “Are you still mad at me?”

  She shook her head once. “Nope.”

  “Good.” He stepped closer. “Can you forgive me for being an asshole that day? I’d just found out I lost everything—which was a lie, but I’ll get to that later. And you were leaving, and I thought it was because—”

  She pressed two fingers against his lips. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, but yes. I forgive you. Do you forgive me for believing your mother’s lies in the first place, and for not telling you the whole story when you came to see me?”

  “Maggie…” He hauled her into his arms and hugged her so tight she squealed. “What do you think?”

  “I think you should kiss me,” she whispered.

  Relief and desire surged through him, warring with one another for control. “Darling? I thought you’d never ask.”

  The second his lips touched hers, the past week and a half faded away. She’d never left, and he’d never lost her, and they were happy. He fisted the soft fabric of her dress, inhaled deeply, and forced himself to step back when all he wanted was to pull her closer. But not here, where they couldn’t finish what they started. Once he started…

  She wouldn’t be getting out of his bed for hours. Days, even.

  “I missed you so damn much,” he whispered into her ear, swaying to the music since they were in the middle of the dance floor. “Everything about you haunted me, killed me, hurt me. This all started with a lie, and was for pretend, but please don’t ever leave me like that again.”

  She tightened her grip on his tux jacket and nodded. “I missed you, too. So much.”

  “I lo—” He broke off, shaking his head. “Shit. Not here. There’s so much to say. Will you come home with me?”

  Nodding, she smiled. “Yes. I’ll go home with you, Benji.”

  “Good. But first…” He cleared his throat. “Maggie Donovan, will you do me the honor of being my girlfriend?”

  She let out a little laugh. “No more fake fiancée or diamond rings?”

  “No. Mother and I had a little talk, and I went above her head about the stunt she pulled.” He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear ad kissed her temple. “Needless to say, my position is currently very secure, and she got a slap on the wrist.”

  “Should have gotten more. Or at the very least, I should’ve been the one to do it,” she muttered under her breath. Then, out loud, she said, “Uh…I mean, good.”

  “And next time I give you a ring, it’ll be for real.” He pulled back and locked eyes with her, still dancing. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Loving you. Holding you.”

  Her breath caught in her throat, and she smiled at him.

  He splayed his hand across the small of her back. “Be mine, darling. For real this time. No more games. No lies. Just us. Together.”

  “Just us,” she echoed, cupping his cheek. “Yes, Benji.”

  He smiled so big he probably looked ridiculous, but he didn’t give a damn. He didn’t even care that she’d used that annoying nickname again. It was music to his ears. The clock finished chiming, and he pulled her even closer. It still wasn’t close enough. “I’ve never been so happy to hear that ridiculous name as I am now.”

  “By the way?” Leaning up on tiptoe, she whispered in his ear, “I’m naked under this dress. Completely. Naked.”

  His cock came to life, painfully and insistently, reminding him just how much he’d missed her, in every possible way. Screw dancing. It was time to go home. “Maggie.”

  When she just grinned and held her hand out for him, he grabbed it and dragged her toward the door. They made it outside and into the limo in record time. He didn’t even care that he left his coat behind. Screw it. He had plenty.

  There was only one Maggie Donovan, though.

  The second the door closed behind them, he pulled her onto his lap, pounded on the glass of the limo he’d rented for the night, and called out, “Home, Jeff.”

  His driver pulled away from the curve, and Benjamin brought his mouth to hers, kissing her as if she alone could save him. And he had a feeling that was true.

  He’d learned as much when she’d walked away from him.

  She slid her tongue into his mouth, moaning while he shoved her dress out of his way, baring the pale skin he’d dreamt about every night for the past three weeks. He skimmed his fingers over her soft thighs, slipping them inward as he arched his hips up.

  “I thought I’d never get to touch you like this again.” He tightened his hold on her, kissing the side of her temple. “I’m so sorry I hurt you. So damn sorry.”

  “It’s okay.” She cradled his face and smiled down at him. “We just had our first fight, that’s all.”

  He closed the distance between them, his mouth brushing against hers ever so slightly. “And we made it through.”

  “Yep.” She entwined her hands with his. “Together.”

  He grinned. “Together.”

  “I’m not saying it’s going to be easy. I mean, we’re still very different. And your mother is still going to hate me, and she’ll still try to get you kicked out for picking me. And she’ll still make our life a living hell because—”

  “I don’t give a damn. Not anymore.” He laughed because it was true, and the knowledge that she no longer held any sort of power over him was so fucking freeing. Maggie had helped him get that freedom, and he’d never be able to thank her enough for that. “Besides, she’s not even really my mother.”

  Maggie’s jaw dropped. “Wait. What?”

  “I’ll tell you the story.” He tucked her hair behind her ear. “But I don’t want to talk about that now. All that matters is here and now. Us.”

  Her wide eyes pinned him, searching his soul. “But are you okay?”

  “I’m fucking ecstatic because you’re here.” He smiled. “I’m not familiar with the emotion, but if you let me, I’ll love you with all of my heart, mind, body, soul, and life. And even after that, I’ll keep on loving you, darling. I swear it. I love you so damn much, Maggie. So. Damn. Much.”

  Her eyes widened. “You…you’re…I…”

  “It’s okay. I know it’s quick and all.” He laughed and kissed her. “You don’t have to say anything back. I’ll wait. I’m a patient man.”

  “But—” She shook her head and slowly, beautifully, a smile spread across her face. “I love you, too.”

  He froze. “You do?”

  “I do.”

  “Well, shit.” He laughed and kissed her, keeping it short. “That officially makes me the happiest guy on earth. Where’s my trophy?” He cupped the back of her neck. “Oh. Right. She’s here, in my arms already.” He lowered her face to his, stopping just short of kissing her. “Say it again, darling.”

  She fisted his tux, her breath hitching in her throat. “I love you, Benji.”

  “I love you, too.”

  Unable to resist, the happiness practically bursting out of him, he pulled her down for a passionate, long, deep kiss. And he never wanted to stop. But then the limo did.

  He picked her up and set her down, straightening her dress over her thighs. “You good, darling?”

  “Y-Yeah.” Maggie watched him, smoothing her hair.
“We’re home, aren’t we?”

  Home. Such a simple word that held so much meaning. He’d found his home, but it wasn’t in the traditional sense. He’d found it in her. He opened the door and climbed out, offering her his hand. “Yeah. We’re home.”

  She slid her fingers into his, grinning as she followed him out. They walked into the building hand-in-hand, and come what may—whatever they might have to face or fight their way through—they could make it.

  Together.

  Epilogue

  Christmas, a year later

  South Dakota

  Laughter rang out all around the living room’s pale yellow walls, and someone called out bullshit from the dining room, where a rousing game of cards was being waged. If Benjamin had learned anything during his weeklong stay here at Maggie’s farm, it was that her family took competition very seriously.

  Even if it was “friendly.”

  After the first time he’d beaten her father at cards—and had consequently feared for his life—he decided to avoid those games until he was liked enough not to be shot on the spot for winning. He was already almost there. Her family had greeted him with open arms and warm smiles. It was so foreign. So different. So welcome.

  Staring into the crackling fireplace, he shifted his weight on the couch. He’d never been so accepted, so happy, as he’d been this last week, in South Dakota of all places. His “mother” was still a thorn in their sides they did their best to ignore, but being away from her—and all the drama she brought with her—had been paradise.

  He almost didn’t want to go back. Life could be good here.

  They could take over the farm from her parents and raise a bunch of gorgeous little brown-haired Maggies amidst the crops and the open, never-ending plains. He could be happy here. And so could Maggie.

  Someone sat down beside him, and he didn’t need to look to find out who. He’d recognize her scent anywhere. Maggie wrapped her arms around him, resting her cheek on his shoulder. “Whatcha thinking about?”

  He held on to her wrists with one hand. The other held on to his beer. His heart picked up speed, because he was actually thinking about this. About walking away from their life in New York, and his company, and becoming a fucking farmer. “Have you ever thought about moving back out here?”