She let out a soft chuckle and I used the opportunity to pull her tight against me.
“I want everyone to see you on my arm. I want you next to me, Pepper. I can take you shopping and you can pay me back if you want, or not. I don’t care, the money is nothing to me. I just want you there with me.”
Her body grew stiff against me and I think she finally understood that I wouldn’t take no for an answer. She would show up with me if I had to carry her over my shoulder like a damn caveman.
“I might have an outfit that’ll work,” she said after a thoughtful silence. “I don’t need to buy anything.”
“Okay.” Reluctantly, I released my arm from around her waist. “I’ll pick you up at eight on Friday.”
I didn’t push it, trusting that she wouldn’t show up wearing a potato sack but knew she’d knock out every other woman at the event even if she did.
Her eyes snapped up to mine, still challenging me.
“I didn’t give you a yes. Let me think about it first.”
I chuckled as I stole a final goodbye kiss, sneaking my tongue between her lips before hopping back in my truck.
“Too late for that, sweetheart.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
PEPPER
What the hell am I doing?
I must have asked myself that question at least a dozen times since I sat down in front of my mother's vanity. It stood patiently in my parents' bedroom as if waiting for me to take my place in front of the bejeweled mirror. Dad couldn't bear to throw away most of mom's things. This vanity was one of them.
A floorboard creaked the moment I lowered onto the stool and I winced. The vanity called to me almost seductively to inherit what Mom left behind, while the house yelled its protest that yanked me back into reality.
I swore I'd never become my mother and yet here I was, sitting at her vanity, getting ready for a fancy party she would love to attend, with her Gucci dress laid out and waiting for me.
Every time I shifted around on the stool, the creaking floorboard served as a constant reminder that this house, this land, needed me. I couldn't just up and leave like she did. I couldn't break the promise I made to Dad on my death bed.
It didn't matter how happy and relaxed I felt with Reagan. How good he made me feel inside and out. It didn't even matter that a word like 'good' couldn't scratch the surface of how he made me feel. This... whatever we had couldn't last after this party ended tonight.
I came to that decision as I lined my lips in a seductive shade of red. His barging into my life was a pleasant distraction from reality, but that's all it was. After tonight, I'd have to tell him we needed to part ways. For good.
Even if I could get away with taking a brief vacation in his world, I would never have a permanent place there. Just like a world traveler might love Paris or London enough to return several times, those cities would never become home.
Is that what you told yourself, Mom? I wondered. That you would only take a brief vacation to this fantasy world? Or did you intend to leave all along?
Who knew how calculated or impulsive her decision was? It didn't matter anymore. I had her example to learn from and I wouldn't fuck up my family legacy making the same mistake that she did.
Even if my family was just me and Bonny at this point.
I checked my makeup one last time before spritzing on my perfume. I barely recognized myself. That wasn't me in the mirror. It was a mask. The face of the bombshell I would pretend to be for one last night.
I might as well have fun on this final rodeo.
As I slipped out of my robe, my memory returned to Reagan's mouth on my skin. How he filled me and how raw and open I felt with him inside me and all around me. How he made me come alive like I'd always been dead up until that moment.
That never happened before and it would never happen again.
"Nothing good ever lasts, Pepps," Dad told me in his gruff, gravelly voice. "It always ends too soon, even if it's been days, months, or even years. So hold onto that good shit for as long as you can."
I couldn't remember what he was talking about at that time. The steak I cooked? His marriage to Mom? His high after eating one of my weed brownies?
A cold sadness chilled me. Already I felt like I was forgetting him, losing the memories I clung to like a life raft. My eyes swept across the room as I slid on Mom's dress. This house, even with all its busted outlets and creaky floors, was just one thing I needed to hold onto.
The dress fit me like a glove. Ivory-colored satin clung to every one of my curves in the most flattering feminine way, including the daring, plunging neckline. That seemed odd to me. Mom was shorter and far more petite than me. Probably why she never wore it and left it behind.
The only issue was the rear zipper was just out of my reach. Bonny watched with a bored expression as I twisted and convulsed trying to reach the damn thing.
"Such a useful companion you are," I muttered at her.
She lifted her head and looked excitedly toward the front door just as headlights began bouncing across the field.
Through the screen door, I could see Reagan drive up in a different kind of SUV this time. A Land Rover, probably.
Does this guy have a car to go with every outfit or something?
"Right on time." I pulled open the door just as he raised his fist to knock and promptly turned around, lifting my hair up. "Zip me up?"
I didn't expect the shiver across my skin, or his fingers skimming my bare, exposed back. I arched automatically, powerless to his touch.
"I'd much rather take this off you," came the husky whisper along the back of my neck.
Heat flooded me as his lips traveled in agonizingly soft kisses along my neck and my upper back. My eyelids closed heavily as I savored him, my knees feeling ready to give out at any moment.
He teased me relentlessly, running his fingertips just inside the dress along my sensitive ribs and the undersides of my breasts. Before I knew it, I laid my head back on his shoulder and leaned into his touch, desperate for so much more.
And then he yanked his hands out and snapped up the zipper on my dress.
“Remind me why I’m going with you to this thing again?” I asked, shooting him a dirty look as I turned around and tried not to betray how much my body ached for him right then.
He looked so fucking handsome.
He had gotten a haircut and a shave and smelled absolutely wonderful. No wonder his lips felt so soft and I felt drunk on the scent of him.
His three-piece suit was charcoal gray, which somehow made his eyes look even brighter and greener.
“Because I’ll make it worth your while,” he answered, those eyes flashing mysteriously. “You look incredible, by the way.”
“So do you,” I said coolly, despite my body feeling like the furious inside of a volcano.
Reagan’s eyes dropped and somehow, only then did I notice how thick and dark his eyelashes were.
“I got you something,” he said with a bit of shyness to his voice and produced a small jewelry box from his pocket.
I eyed him suspiciously.
“Reagan, I told you--”
“I know. You don’t need anything,” he said quickly. “And if you don’t like it, I’ll take it back. Just look and tell me what you think, first.”
Hesitantly, I accepted the jewelry box from him. No matter what was inside, I couldn’t accept it. Taking his gifts would only make it that much harder to end things tonight.
I opened the lid with slow caution as if whatever was inside would jump out and bite me.
My chest flooded with warmth when I saw the string of small, black stones connected by delicate chain links. The stones were roughly round in shape and no bigger than my pinkie finger nail. Each one was unique with both smooth and rough surfaces covering it. When I lifted the necklace in my fingers, they shone with subtlety and depth like the unexplored ocean.
It was understated, dark, and just my taste. How could he possibly know?
“They’re raw black diamonds,” Reagan said softly. “I thought they would be something that fit your style.”
“They’re gorgeous,” I breathed. “Thank you.”
I couldn’t express how perfect they were. Black diamonds didn’t shine like regular ones, so I couldn’t imagine them being very expensive. The fact that Reagan sought to find something just right for me, rather than spend a bunch of money in an attempt to impress me meant more than words could say.
He lifted the string delicately from the box and moved behind me, holding the necklace in front of me.
“Dark, mysterious, and with unparalleled beauty,” he said as he fastened the clasp at the back of my neck. “Just like someone I know,” he added, placing another soft kiss on my neck that I felt all the way to my clit.
I whirled around to face him, to say something biting, sarcastic and witty. Something to keep him at arm’s length despite yearning to feel him inside me again. Anything to keep him from wriggling his way into my heart with his thoughtfulness and charm.
But before I could think of anything to say, he offered me his elbow and asked, “Shall we?”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
PEPPER
“How long have those electrical sockets not been working?”
My head snapped over to look at him in surprise. He was far more observant than I gave him credit for.
“How’d you know?” I demanded.
“Pretty obvious when only one side of your kitchen is lit and your coffee maker is in the hallway bathroom,” he answered calmly, his eyes remaining on the road ahead of us.
“A week or so. I have someone coming out to fix it,” I lied, keeping my own eyes out the passenger window.
“I can bring one of my guys over tomorrow,” he said. “They can fix the loose floorboards too.”
Damn. It was like he had Spidey-sense for construction projects.
“I appreciate it but I’ve got it handled,” I said tersely. “I've just been busy in the last few days.”
He nodded and dropped the subject after that.
We both knew he was pushing my boundaries, trying to see how he could leave his mark on my life even more than he already had.
His hands already worked alongside mine, tilling the earth, harvesting what it gave us and planting new growth for the next season.
He already left a piece of himself on Sage land, but lots of people did and that was part of what made it great-- the collaborative effort between many hands from all walks of life.
But nobody's hands touched the farm house, my home, except for the people in my family. To have him fixing the outlets and the floors would be even more personal than having him inside my body.
My grandfather installed those floors and the electricity. Dad painted everything and I helped him put on a new roof when I was a teenager. He and I were both born somewhere on those creaky floorboards.
Not any man could just come in and uproot all the history my family left in that house. I didn't know anyone else who I'd trust more than Reagan to do it, but that didn't mean he had any right to come in there with trendy, new upgrades.
We drove on in quietness, with just satellite radio playing some relaxing electronic music. It wasn't my usual jam but I did feel like it calmed my nerves about going to this completely unfamiliar place.
Not long after leaving Cloverville, we crossed a bridge with charming, historical buildings on either side.
"Are we in Napa?" I asked.
"Bingo," Reagan smiled. "Nacio's parents have a winery with a vacation house here. It's a big, open space so they're using it for their party."
He might as well have been speaking Chinese to me. Winery? Vacation house? All four generations of my family combined probably couldn't afford those things.
Sure enough, we drove through the city until we were surrounded by vineyards on all sides. The road in front of us turned into more of a country road winding through the green hills.
"That's them," Reagan said, nodding at a sprawling mansion up ahead on top of a hill. It was beautiful and classically designed with tall columns and sharply cut topiaries flanking the walkways. It looked unreal, like something out of a real estate magazine and made my pulse hammer with panic. I didn't know if I could step foot into that place.
"Relax," Reagan said as if reading my mind and placed a reassuring hand on my thigh. "They're good people with humble beginnings. I'd never keep company with assholes."
Despite myself, I placed my hand over his and laced my fingers with his. I believed him but I needed that reassurance to get through the night. Even if I would only feel more shitty when I told him it would have to end.
A white-gloved valet took Reagan's Land Rover and together we ascended the short steps to the massive front door. Behind it, we could hear the muffled sounds of laughter and some kind of band playing.
My fingers squeezed around Reagan's as he rang the doorbell. I felt like I was about to step through a portal to another dimension.
The heavy door pulled open and a smiling, Hispanic man with a drink in his hand greeted us.
"Welcome, welcome! Please come in!" he said with a musical Spanish lilt to his voice.
"They have your ass on door duty now?" Reagan asked with a grin as he clapped arms with the man.
"You know me, such a go-getter," the man replied. "I took on that duty myself." His dark brown eyes fell to me and regarded me with a gentle curiosity.
"Nacio, this is Pepper," Reagan said with a protective hand on the small of my back. "Pepper, this is my friend Ignacio. His parents are the ones celebrating tonight."
"Mucho gusto y bienvenido," Ignacio said and kissed my hand with a flourish. He was just as charming as Reagan and almost as handsome.
"Mucho gusto," I replied, feeling my cheeks warm. My Spanish was rusty at best but I picked up a little from some of the seasonal workers at the farm.
"It's so wonderful to finally meet la reina," Ignacio said, his smile never dimming. "El Rey has told me so much about you."
"Really now, Nacio?" Reagan said with just a hint of annoyance.
Wait, he's talked about me to his friend?
I regarded both men with my head spinning. Ignacio's teasing felt harmless and good-natured, but if my brain's translations were correct, he called Reagan a king and me a queen.
What did that mean? Some kind of figure of speech, hopefully?
"I call him El Rey because of his name," Ignacio explained to my confused expression. "With my accent, it sounds weird if I say Reagan."
"Yeah, you make it sound like ray-gun," Reagan snorted.
He turned to a passing waiter and grabbed two drinks off the tray when someone across the foyer called, "Reagan Sells! Is that you?"
"Oh shit!" Reagan waved to the middle-aged gentleman across the room before planting a kiss on my cheek and pushing a drink in my hand. "I'll be right back. Just going to say hi to an old client of mine."
Under normal circumstances I would have been pissed at being abandoned at a party where I already felt like a fish out of water and didn't know anyone. But something about Ignacio put me at ease. I could see how he and Reagan came to be friends.
"There is another reason why I call him El Rey," Nacio chuckled as we both watched Reagan walk off to greet his client. "He is like a king of antiquity, coming from nothing and elevating his status through sheer hard work and relentlessness." Nacio grinned at me. "But he is far too humble and always hates when I refer to him as such."
"So you've known each other a long time?" I asked, taking a tentative sip of the drink in my hand. It had an olive in it so I figured it was a martini.
"Since university," Nacio nodded. "We were both a couple of trouble makers back then. Me more so than him."
"I thought he just had a real estate license?"
Nacio shook his head. "I'm telling you, he's too damn humble. He double majored at UCSF in finance and property management. Put himself through school with scholarships and worked
two jobs on campus too. And he already had a few investment properties by then."
"That's incredible," I breathed. "I had no idea he worked so hard."
"He's like a pit bull," Nacio said in agreement. "Once he's got a taste of something he wants, he doesn't let go."
"Well, no wonder my dog likes him so much."
I thought of how quickly Bonny took to him and smiled.
"If there is someone who deserves to be a King in this kind of business, it's him." Nacio looked at me more seriously but with a playfulness in his eyes. "Y tu eres la reina de su corazón."
And you are the queen of his heart.
My heart jumped into my throat. My skin screamed for Reagan's touch as waves of emotions rolled over me.
I glanced across the room to look at him, watching his mouth move from his side profile as he talked with his client. His body shifted a little and he glanced over toward me, an apology in his eyes. He looked like he wanted to get away and return to my side.
Or was I just projecting what I wanted more than anything?
Ignacio seemed oblivious to the war going on between my brain, body and heart. He took me by the elbow gently, snapping me out of my Reagan-induced trance.
"While he's over there schmoozing, would you like to meet the people who forced me to roommate with that over-achiever?"
He smiled through his warm, dark eyes and his tone was light and teasing. Something about him just seemed to put me at ease.
"Sure," I smiled back. "I'd love to."
He led me through the throng of people until Reagan was no longer in my view. That made me a bit nervous at first until we stood in front of a middle-aged couple with warm eyes and smiles just like Ignacio's.
"Pepper, I'd like you to meet my parents," he began. To them he said, "This is El Rey's date, Pepper Sage."
"It's lovely to meet you," I said as I extended my hand, grateful that he didn't say anything more committed than date. "Congratulations on your anniversary."
"Thank you for coming!" Ignacio's mother, Elisa, said clasping my hand in hers. The warmth and kindness exuded from her like a mug of hot chocolate. "We're grateful to have so many people celebrating our forty years of marriage with us."
Cocked and Loaded: A Billionaire Romance (Small Town Bad Boys Book 4) Page 9
